Early Years Today online magazine 8th April 2022

FRIDAY 8TH APRIL 2022

EARLYYEARSTODAY.COM

EARLY YEARS TODAY

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LONDON EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION AWARDS PAY RISE AND BONUS London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) has awarded its more than 800 employees a pay rise and a bonus in rdcognition of their efforts and to help attract new talent.

From 1 April, all staff across its 39 nurseries and central office staff, including bank staff and apprentices, will receive a 3.5% salary increase. A small bonus will also be given to all permanent employees, which will be prorata’d based on the number of hours worked during the current financial year.

All qualified level three teachers will be paid equal to, or above, the London living wage of £11.05 per hour, while all room leaders will receive at least £11.85 per hour.

The age-related minimum wage for permanent and bank staff under the age of 23 will be replaced with a rate on, or above, the national minimum wage, which is set to rise to £9.50 per hour this month.

In addition, all unqualified chefs will receive £11.10 per hour, qualified level two chefs will get paid £11.35 per hour, qualified level three chefs will get no less than £11.55 per hour and all level three LEYF Early Years Chef Academy accredited chefs will receive at least £12.03 per hour.

LEYF has also introduced an extra day off for all permanent employees’ birthdays and has increased the value of long service awards.

June O’Sullivan, chief executive of LEYF, said: “We want to show our staff how much we value their loyalty and dedication.

We know that staff shortages are affecting life in our nurseries and we want to do all we can to look after our employees who are vital to the running of the organisation.

LEYF has also introduced an extra day off for all permanent employees’ birthdays and has increased the value of long service awards.

“Investing in our staff is central to LEYF ethos and will continue to be our priority in the coming years. We are also fully aware that cost of living is increasing, adversely affecting many working in the sector, which is why we are proud to offer this new reward package.”

Childcare provider Kids Planet Day Nurseries now owns 110 nurseries following the purchase of two nurseries based in Birmingham.

Kids Planet has bought Stepping Stones nursery in Sutton Coldfield, which opened in 1994, and Halesowen’s The Green Nursery, established in 1993, with both rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted.

Stepping Stones provides 42 places for children aged from 12 months to fiveyears-old, while The Green Nursery has 82 places for those aged from six weeks to pre-school age.

Ms Roberts originally set up Kids Planet in 2008, when she was struggling to find childcare in her local area that had the flexible hours she needed, after having her daughter Isabelle.

She added: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome the two new nurseries into the Kids Planet family. Stepping Stones and The Green Nursery are dedicated providers and their approach and values are reminiscent of our own.”

The Early Years Alliance is calling on the government to prioritise SEND (Special Educational Needs and

GOVERNMENT URGED TO PRIORITISE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS FUNDING FOR NURSERIES Of those providers that do receive funding for SEND, 92 per cent said they have had to fund additional support for children with SEND out of their own pocket and 87 per cent say the SEND funding they receive, along with their general early years rate, isn’t enough to provide the quality of care for children with SEND. While the Early Years Alliance welcome proposals to boost the number of SENCOS in early years settings and review how SEND inclusion funding is structured, the Alliance says that without SEND funding, it's “hard to see how providers” will be able to offer the kind of support the government is “arguing all children with SEND” should access.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “All children should be able to have the best possible start in life, and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are no exception.

The survey of 1,331 early years settings carried out in January and February 2022 by the Early Years Alliance also revealed 74 per cent reported an increase in the number of children with formally identified SEND at their setting over the past two years, while 82 per cent reported an increase in the number of children who they felt may have SEND that has not yet been formally identified over the same period.

Disabilities) funding in the early years, after a new survey revealed nearly half of providers don’t receive any additional funding specifically to support SEND provision.

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Starting in June 2022: Cow's Milk Allergy Online Group Programme.

‘Little Monkey Nutrition’ was created by Paediatric Dietitian Judith Calvin. She has 10 years’ experience working in nutrition in children and developed this Cow’s Milk Allergy course for parents because of the lack of support that has been afforded to parents over these last few years. This programme was created to provide clarity, professional advice, and support with an empathetic listening ear.

We are starting a 5 month long group support programme for parents/carers of babies with Cow's Milk Allergy This programme will provide professional information and advice from diagnosis through weaning to challenging with milk through the milk ladder.

No more time waiting to see the paediatric dietitian, your GP or a paediatrician.This course gives you all the information and support needed to manage this in your baby.

You will get 2 live calls with me (Paediatric Dietitian) per month PLUS guest speakers such as breast feeding consultants, massage therapists and sleep therapists to name a few. Each call is recorded and uploaded into a members area for you to access whenever.

There is no other programme like this out there.

If you are a parent who suspects your child as having cow's milk allergy or you have received a diagnosis please sign up.

www.littlemonkeynutrition.com Provide your details on our website and we will be in touch soon!

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@littlemonkeydietitian @littlemonkeynutrition

Ofsted dismisses calls to temporarily suspend early years inspections due to Covid

THE NDNA WROTE TO OFSTED CALLING FOR ROUTINE EARLY YEARS INSPECTIONS TO BE PUT ON HOLD BECAUSE OF ‘UNSUSTAINABLE’ LEVELS OF STAFF ABSENCES, HOWEVER THE INSPECTORATE HAS NOW CONFIRMED INSPECTIONS WILL CONTINUE AS NORMAL. THE NDNA WANTS ROUTINE INSPECTIONS TO CONTINUE TO BE PUT ON HOLD FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS

The NDNA wrote to the inspectorate to ask for the temporary pause on routine inspections to be extended by a few weeks while nurseries cope with the latest wave of the pandemic.

Ofsted has now confirmed however it will not put inspections on hold and will continue as normal. The inspectorate temporarily paused early years inspections temporarily in December until the start of the spring term.

NDNA’s chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, ‘With providers telling us they are facing unprecedented staff absence rates, they will be very disappointed that Ofsted hasn’t taken these concerns on board and agreed to pause routine inspection activity.

'It does not make sense that Ofsted halted routine inspections in the run-up to Christmas but have reinstated them now, albeit with some mitigation measures in place, when Covid cases and consequently absences are at a record high.

'Knowing that Ofsted could potentially ring just puts additional pressure on already stressed managers who may feel worried about asking for a deferral.'

Aldi announces return of its baby and toddler sale with prices from 99p!

Aldi has announced its Baby & Toddler sale will be returning this April!

With everything from muslins and sleep bags to pushchairs and holiday essentials, this event will have you covered with everything you need.

And better yet, prices start from just 99p so you won’t be breaking the bank.

Items will be available to pre-order from April 17th and will be arriving in stores from April 21 with further products available from May 1st.

The Doona Liki Trike, the world’s most compact folding trike, is designed to grow with children from 10 months to 3-years-old, and features five stages – parent mode, push mode, tricycle mode, bike mode and folded mode.

Its compact size will fit in a car boot or even in an aeroplane overhead compartment. For children that prefer to explore on foot, the Toddler Reins Backpack combines practicality and safety to make sure they don’t get too far!

Keep an eye on the back seat with the handy Car Mirror, ideal for giving parents peace of mind.

Little ones will be guaranteed a peaceful sleep wherever they are with the Tommee Tippee Travel Sleep Aid, featuring the CrySensor that responds to crying by playing 20 minutes of lullabies. Simply attach it to pushchairs, prams and car seats while on the go and its soothing sounds will help settle and calm.

Both parents and baby can ensure a good night’s sleep with the Travel Blackout Blind and Plush Lullaby Night Light.

As the warmer weather approaches, you can find everything parents need for days out with little ones, including the popular MyBabiie Stroller.

Suitable from birth, the stroller is lightweight for easy manoeuvring, yet strong and sturdy to get through the biggest adventures.

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Artwork & photo frames handmade by highly skilled craftsmen & women locally in Kent Use code "EYT20" at checkout for 20% off

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Nursery & Childcare Early Years job vacancies

‫فرص االمارات‬

U.A.E opportunities

PRIVATE NANNY

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates APPLICATIONS - HR@HAMG.AE

Highly experienced & qualified British Nanny is required for one year old toddler in Abu Dhabi - VIP family.

Please apply only if you are willing to relocate to Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates Duties would be the usual nursery duties and child care as well as encouraging the baby with his development and well upbringing. Working hours will be 6 days per week for 12 hours a day; flexibility is required as per the family request.

The family is looking for an experienced professional, someone discreet, balanced, mature, immaculately presented and well-spoken. The successful candidate will have to be a team player; flexible and adaptable, and understands the different cultures in the Middle East There will be some travel involved with this position as the family may tend to travel to Europe or USA over the summer period.

The ideal candidate will be formally qualified (NNEB or similar qualification) and will hold a valid Pediatric First Aid Certificate and a CRB check. Previous experience working as a Nanny is essential and it would be a bonus if this was with high-profile clients as well.

Nursery & Childcare Early Years job vacancies

‫فرص االمارات‬

U.A.E opportunities

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Early language acquision at International Trilingual School of Warsaw Early Years Today speaks to

Anna Maliszewska, founder

and director of the International Trilingual School of Warsaw Bilingualism and multilingualism, as many studies unequivocally show, have an extremely positive effect on the brain's development, cognitive abilities, and intellectual functioning, including the ageing process. In the nurseries, kindergartens, and primary schools of the International Trilingual School of Warsaw, which has also a campus in Kraków, trilingual children are trained in various configurations of English, Polish, French, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese.

EYT: What’s the main benefits for a child of being trilingual?

Anna Maliszewska: There are multiple benefits to being a multilingual, multiliterate, and multicultural in today’s global society. Knowing more than one language from birth, acquiring a new language through nursery and preschool from early years, can provide tangible advantages in many areas. Speaking more than one language opens doors to new friendships, new cultures, and new life opportunities that they might not otherwise get as a monolingual. Data indicates that the opportunity to learn from different incentives and events are vital early in life, and that success in school begins in infancy and it doesn’t stop showing benefits.

The human brain has billions of neurons that can be connected in various ways. The neural connections established in infancy and in early childhood lay the foundation for future learning. Humans must hear a language in early life in order to master it. During critical periods, languages are learned easily and seamless. Children produce and combine sounds and words in their native language or languages even before they can walk- their fast linguistic development is amazing and enviable. If you have tried learning a language after childhood, you know that the critical period is not foreverlearning a language to perfection later in life is hard work and rarely entirely successful.

In the field of language, infants and young children are superior learners when compared to adults, in spite of adults’ cognitive superiority.

EYT: How did it happen that you created so many educational facilities which you currently run?

Anna Maliszewska: Because I'm a linguist by education, I wanted to create a truly trilingual nursery, which will enable children to use these three languages ​ in the future.

We started in 2009 with three teachers and two children, one of whom was my daughter.

And the teachers were a Bolivian, who is working with us today, a Brit, and a Pole. A few months later, we had a waiting list. Now we have 4 branches from nursery to middle school and almost 500 students which is the result of long-term efforts.

EYT: What curriculum did you decide to base this education on?

Anna Maliszewska: We have developed a curriculum which is the result of a comparison of curricula from five countries: the US, Britain, Spain, Poland, and France.

At the moment, we’re also adding the Chinese-language teaching curriculum taught in Singapore and the Japanese. We compared these programs to see what in each of these countries children in each age group must be able to learn from each field.

EYT: Which are these critical periods for the Early Years age group to learn?

Anna Maliszewska: The earlier the exposure to languages occurs the highest the capacity of language score - babies and children are geniuses until they turn around seven, and then there’s a systematic decline.

Children's brains develop most at two critical times. The first one appears around the age of 2 and finishes around the age of 7, and the second at puberty. At the beginning of these periods, the number of connections (synapses) between brain cells (neurons) is doubled.

Two-year-olds have twice as many synapses as adults, which greatly speeds up the learning process at this age. As the experiences of children in this age phase have a lasting impact on their development, it is then worth laying the foundations for their comprehensive education. Early contact with foreign languages ​ gives the greatest opportunities to learn them at the native level.

YT: What language level do the children achieve? Are they really

E

trilingual?

Anna Maliszewska: When parents come to us with a one-year-old child, we always explain that it’s like a newborn who needs one to one and a half years to learn a language. The same time will be needed for each language in our schools. So a monolingual child will reach the level of trilingualism more or less when ending the preschool, at the age of 4.5 to 5 years old.

At the end of the preschool, children have a 100% passive knowledge of three languages. When it comes to active knowledge—the ability to use a language—it depends on many factors.

Warsaw

Krakow

EYT: How does the total immersion method work?

Anna Maliszewska: Total Immersion in language learning is the situation where the learner spends time in an environment operating solely in the target language. This way, the learner is completely surrounded by the target language, this being defined as the language that the learner will learn. If a child is hearing only one language most of the time, and one or two languages on 5 percent of the day; this will not be efficient to produce bilingualism or trilingualism. Meaning, the child will not speak those two or three languages.

Most likely, the child will be a passive bilingual or trilingual, which means they will only speak one language, but understand the others. Thanks to total immersion method a child can master the language as a native speaker.

Nursery & Childcare Early Years job vacancies

Opportunities in Poland

Head Of Nursery International Trilingual School of Warsaw £2500-3000 net (after taxes) • Tuition waiver for age appropriate children (1-15 years olds) Warsaw (PL)

APPLICATIONS - anna.maliszewska@3languages.pl We are a unique truly international trilingual school with teachers & personnel coming from 19 countries. Our students are from various backgrounds, cultures and languages. Our school has an original trilingual education program based on international curricula. Nursery section delivers care and education to almost 250 students aged 1 to 6 (out of 500 school students). Nursery section comprises 3 campuses where two are located in Warsaw and one in Cracow.

We are looking for candidates with experience in a similar position who believe that early language education starts at a very early stage - 1 year old - and who are convinced that language immersion in early years is one of the most important life-long assets for students. Being fluent in more than one language is a desired skill.

The main role of the Head of the Nursery is to make progress the teaching, learning and care competences of the teachers, to communicate with the parents on learning progress of their Child, and report to the Board of the School.

To apply please send the following documents Resume with headshot photo Professional reference contact information (including current principal) Educational Philosophy (Not more than 2 pages) Passport photo page scan

Partnered with

Nursery & Childcare Early Years job vacancies

Montessori Teacher KENSINGTON & CHELSEA £20,000 TO £25,000 DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE

Gardens Montessori consists of two well established, highly regarded, family-run schools in Kensington. We are looking for two full-time teachers to join our bubbling community at the larger school, Iverna Gardens Montessori: one to start immediately, and one to start in September 2022. Our schools are MEAB accredited and the same love, philosophy and excitement run through both, with Victoria Road being like a family and Iverna Gardens a community.

We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about Montessori and working with young children to come to join us full time at Iverna Gardens Montessori. Ideally, we require the candidate to have a Montessori diploma or higher. We would like someone with a team spirit who is creative, adaptable and enthusiastic. There will be a chance to learn and grow as a teacher as you will have professional development training and continued mentoring. There is also a chance for career progression as it is possible to take on more roles and responsibilities.

Applications - admin@gardensmontessori.com

020 7589 6802

Nursery & Childcare Early Years job vacancies

Nursery Nurse / Early Years Practitioner LEVEL 2,3 & ABOVE WILMSLOW, CHESHIRE £10 PER HOUR FOR LEVEL 2 £10.50 PER HOUR FOR LEVEL 3 & ABOVE

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OUR NURSERY IS LOOKING TO RECRUIT QUALIFIED ENTHUSIASTIC AND DYNAMIC NURSERY NURSES/ EARLY YEARS PRACTITIONERS LEVEL 2, 3 AND ABOVE TO JOIN OUR FANTASTIC TEAM ON A PARTTIME OR FULL-TIME BASIS THAT CAN PLAN FUN ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN, CREATE AN EXCITING ENVIRONMENT TO INSTIL AWE AND WONDER IN CHILDREN, OBSERVE AND PLAN RELEVANT NEXT STEPS FOR CHILDREN. WE ARE COMMITTED TO OFFERING A GREAT WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STAFF TO THRIVE AND GROW IN, AND IN TURN, WE AIM TO DELIVER THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF PROFESSIONALISM AND CARE. WE PROVIDE YOUNG CHILDREN WITH A STIMULATING, NURTURING AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN THE SETTING ALONGSIDE VARIOUS EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. TO APPLY, PLEASE SEND YOUR CV AND COVER LETTER

APPLICATIONS - ADMIN@PBNURSERIES.COM

Nursery & Childcare Early Years job vacancies

MANAGEMENT

opportunities

TEACHING & LEARNING MANAGER SITES LOCATED IN LICHFIELD, YOXALL AND ALDRIDGE From £23,000 per year Humpties has been at the forefront of Early Years locally since 1987 and continues to engage in innovation both within the company and at a national level. There is ample opportunity for personal and professional development with Humpties staff having recently been involved in the development of Birth to 5 Matters. We have strong links to the NDNA (chairing and leading the local Staffordshire NDNA Network) and representation on various forums such as local peer support groups, Schools’ Forum, APPG on Childcare and Early Education and many more.

We are constantly investing in our people, resources and facilities and with recent expansions to our two main nursery settings we are looking to expand our management team with a focus on quality practice. We are advertising to recruit a Teaching and Learning Manager to work alongside our Operational Managers to evaluate practice, innovate, and inspire our dedicated staff team.

APPLICATIONS - TIM@HUMPTIES.CO.UK

Nursery & Childcare Early Years job vacancies

MANAGEMENT

opportunities

NURSERY MANAGER WOKINGHAM, BERKSHIRE Salary negotiable depending upon qualifications & experience.

Up to £22500 for working 39 weeks per year Main Duties: • To manage the running of our independent, nursery setting, to provide a safe and fun environment where children can learn through play.

• To provide high quality education and care for nursery/ pre-school children.

• To fulfil legal and statutory requirements.

• To lead and manage staff on a day to day basis.

• To contribute to and implement pre-school policies.

• To ensure that all statutory, legal and setting obligations are met.

PERSON SPECIFICATION: • Proven experience of working in a pre-school setting.

• Level 3 early years education and childcare qualification or equivalent, and a commitment to obtaining an EYTS qualification.

• Sound understanding of child development, and of children’s needs.

• Ability to plan and implement a pre-school curriculum, taking into account the SEN Code of Practice, Child Protection procedures and equal opportunities considerations.

• Demonstrable and detailed knowledge of current legislation relevant to early years.

• Ability to work with parents and families to encourage their involvement.

• Ability to effectively lead and manage a team of adults, including conducting performance management processes e.g induction, supervision meetings, appraisals and setting objectives.

• Commitment to equal opportunities and an understanding of equality and diversity issues.

• Ability to write clear reports.

APPLICATIONS ashridgenursery@btinternet.com

Nursery & Childcare Early Years job vacancies

DIMPLESDAYCARE.COM

EARLY YEARS PRACTITIONER

Dunton Green, Sevenoaks £20,500-£22,000 APPLICATIONS headoffice@dimplesdaycare.com

We are a unique, Ofsted registered day care setting providing Curiosity Approach learning and play for 0-5 year olds. We have 2 beautiful home-fromhome settings in Dunton Green and Shipbourne where our small team provide excellent care and learning opportunities for each child.

Dimples Day Care practices a unique learning theory called The Curiosity Approach. The ethos is about using a child's natural curiosity to go back to basics with the use of wooden resources, ordinary household items and bric-abrac. Play at Dimples is based on the children's imaginations, they make items into whatever they want them to be. Nobody is telling them what the toys are or how to play with them.

Plastic formed toys have been replaced with natural objects and loose parts to facilitate play that is more creative and curious, imaginative and inviting. We observe and listen carefully to each and every child and are flexible to respond as they grow and develop. We aim for the children to lead their own play by inviting investigation and encouraging curiosity, self-selection and independence. Our home-from-home settings have areas for activity as well as cosy areas for quiet time.

Our progressive approach to childcare is proving to be extremely successful and we are looking for the future leaders in the profession to join our fabulous curious childcare Team. We heavily promote career progression and professional development, we invest heavily in our work families and we like to recognise their achievements where we can.

Nursery & Childcare Early Years job vacancies

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