This issue features: 'Major' childcare reform has been scrapped by Rishi Sunak's government
What's coming up? A bank of resources and materials you can use for teaching in your setting!
Ofsted Feedback: Hear from Leonie at Montessori Minds about how to achieve an 'outstanding' grade at Ofsted
What the Ofsted Annual Report had to say about the early years sector
In her short tenure as Prime Minister, Liz Truss had planned to enact significant reform in the early years sector - that many disagreed with. Her original plans were to:
Remove mandatory staff-child ratios in nurseries
Increase free childcare support to 20 hours a week
One of Truss' proposals was to change the ratio of adults to 2-year-old children in settings, making practitioners responsible for more children:
1 adult: 4 children (2yo)
1 adult: 5 children (2yo)
Removing the mandatory ratios would have been a major change, but one that would have technically allowed childcare settings to cut costs by increasing the number of children each adult would be responsible for.
It was reported in the Telegraph that Rishi Sunak has postponed changes to childcare ratios indefinitely and is planning to significantly scale down the level of reform for the sector But his plans for the sector remain unclear Building a better future for families was a key theme in Sunak's first speech of 2023 and he unveiled his upcoming priorities for the education sector - but childcare was hardly mentioned.
It will be a relief to many that there are no planned changes to the staff-child ratios. There was great concern about causing further pressure on already strained settings and negatively impacting the quality of care.
However, many are still calling for childcare reform and that this should still be a priority for the government. Some of the key issues the industry is facing right now include:
2nd March
Use World Book Day to introduce children to a love of books and reading! Find resources, from invites to bookmarks on their official website here.
International Women's Day
8th March
Holi Festival
8th March
Celebrate 2023's theme, #EmbraceEquality, in your setting using the printable resources here or through the power of music with this song.
Commemorate Holi, the festival of colour, in creative ways from leaf painting to a festival chart - check out this article for more inspiration!
St Patrick's Day
17th March
Mother's Day
19th March
World Down's Syndrome Day
21st March
Ramadan
22nd March to 21st April
See how people prepare for and celebrate St Patrick's Day in this series of videos from CBeebies.
From paper puzzles to number games, use these free resources to teach something new this Mother's Day!
Support SEND children in your setting by finding out more about World Down’s Syndrome Awareness Day. Use their resources to support speech literacy, numeracy and more in children with Down's syndrome!
Find creative ways to celebrate Ramadan at your setting in this article, from making binoculars and origami to gift toppers and sun catchers!
In December 2022, Ofsted released its annual report, which "examines the quality of schools, early years, children's social care and further education and skills". In this report, they have surmised how pandemic recovery is being slowed due to recruitment challenges in the sector
Youngest children were impacted the most. The lack of stability from the pandemic has meant young children are taking longer to settle into their settings; "This generation of young people has lacked stability in recent years We owe them as much security and certainty as we can provide for what remains of their childhood."
It's difficult to recruit high-quality staff. Settings are struggling to recruit the highquality staff they need and are losing out on them to higher-paid jobs or roles with more flexibility The lack of qualified team members is resulting in nursery closures, poorer education and safeguarding and a 'slowed pace of intervention' with children who need additional support.
To support education recovery, the government has invested £5 billion but some in the sector don't know if this will be enough to recover to prepandemic activity. We will continue monitoring government initiatives in the sector in our future issues.
If you want to find out more, click here to read the full Ofsted Annual Report 2021/22.
What has the Ofsted Annual Report 2021/22 highlighted about early years?
Our new feature showcases the innovative activities our apprentices are creating!
In this issue's feature, we are taking a look at a sensory activity Rani Manothepan delivered at Abbey Wood Grange Day Nursery during her observation!
What did the activity involve?
"I set up one table using cornflower, artic animals, jars, spoons and a story book with artic animals' pictures and names [below]."
"[Above] I used white coloured rice, artic animals, snowflakes, small pots, spoons and small ice shaped cubes. I explained to my toddlers about artic animals, where they live and the artic environment."
How was the activity designed to benefit the children?
"I planned this activity through the EYFS planning circle because most of my key children are still struggling to feed themselves. From this activity, my toddlers could:
Develop their fine motor skills when they use spoons to fill up and empty the pots.
"This activity could support the children who have English as an additional language (EAL). For example, while they are engaging with the activity they could easily learn the animals' names by looking at the pictures.
I also set up a tuff tray in the toddler’s room to support the children in learning about artic animals."
Learn the colour of the snow, pots, spoons and artic animals. Develop their communication and language while they engaging and interacting with their friends."
Congratulations Rani on a successful observation and for creating such an inventive activity!
After achieving a Grade 1 'Outstanding', we spoke to Montessori Mind's manager Leonie about how they achieved such a fantastic result. Here is what she said:
Are there any specific areas the inspection focussed on?
"At times defining Ofsted criteria can be problematic due to the personal subjectivity inspectors may hold towards their own ‘professional judgement’. Throughout our inspection, there was a high focus on ‘teaching’ and ‘challenge’, but this can vary based on the inspector. It’s helpful to read recent inspection reports to identify trends and keep up to date with Ofsted research to note focus areas and strengths you can pinpoint."
Are there any particular areas you were praised on in your inspection?
"The range of activities and teaching across all age groups was highly praised, as well as a strong, reflective leadership team. Happy, engaged children and a strong staff team were essential to our rating.
Overall, I believe a respectful culture across the setting, including effective staff support systems, prioritising their well-being, and continuous reflection is essential to maintaining quality and achieving an Outstanding grade "
Are there any best practices you would recommend?
"At Montessori Minds, we equate staff well-being to quality within our setting and rely on highly-skilled staff who feel confident, happy, respected and secure within their roles. Our staff have been trained to lead yoga and meditation activities which they practice regularly alongside children.
In addition, we partner with Headspace to support staff well-being and help them create activities to support the children's emotional literacy. There are also regular training opportunities organised to support staff practice; for example, the exploration of ‘Reggio Emilia’s 100 languages’ and ‘Hygee’ to enhance children’s well-being and encourage creative expression across the nursery."
Congratulations to the team at Montessori Minds for their achieving such a brilliant outcome!
Has your setting recently achieved an outstanding grade? If you want to share your Ofsted experience in our next feature, email callback@apprenticeshipconnect co uk today!
Prevent training is a key requirement of all early years settings and to support this, the government offer free Prevent training courses via the UK government website. They offer specific courses based on your prior awareness and a refresher course for individuals wanting to brush up on their knowledge
INTRODUCTION TO MAKATON
Understanding when and how Makaton can be used and its benefits
Understanding the evolving safeguarding risks and how to respond to them.
Understanding how to prevent vulnerable people from being radicalised
Understanding the key elements of the EYFS, such as reflective practice.
