Under 5 April 2022 by Under 5

Under 5 the magazine of the early years alliance April 2022

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Spring into spring! Ideas for getting active

Let’s find a rainbow Rainy day activity ideas

All on board

Recruiting volunteer positions

contents 4

welcome

News

All the latest news, research and policy updates from the early years sector

My Under 5

Dates for your diary

Preparing for tomorrow

Involving fathers in early education

Alliance members share good news and updates from their settings A look ahead at upcoming Alliance training events

What sustainability might look like in practice for settings and families

How you can help a new research project on parental involvement

Breaking down business rates

Let’s find a rainbow

Small steps, big changes

Wages and NICs: Are you up-to-date?

Springing into spring

Getting on board

Tackling tough subjects

When should you start weaning your baby?

A legal guide to the rules on rates for non-domestic premises

Activity ideas for rainy days this April An update on the Alliance conference line-up An update on National Insurance contributions and the minimum and living wages

A guide to recruiting volunteers for your charitable setting

A new campaign highlights recommendations on introducing solid food

How to make sure children are getting enough exercise

How to talk to children about worrying news stories

Competiton

WELCOME & CONTENTS

Welcome to Under 5 With hopefully the worst of the winter weather behind us, I hope this issue finds you with a spring in your step as we move into a new season! With Easter, Earth Day and St George’s Day all taking place this month, I’m sure that there will also be much to celebrate and I look forward to seeing what our readers have been getting up to for our My Under 5 section soon! As usual, this April also brings an increase to the minimum wage and this year we’ve also got an update to National Insurance contributions – both for employees and employers. To help you make sure you’re up-to-date with all the changes, we’ve heard from the Alliance payslip team about what is changing and when (page 24). Another financial topic that often causes confusion is business rates. The team at Law-Call has shared a handy guide explaining when you typically do and don’t have to pay them (page 18). This April, we’re trying to make the most of the typically unpredictable British weather with some ideas for exploring the theme of rainbows with children (page 20), to make sure that you can have some outdoor fun even on rainy days. On a similar theme, the Infant and Toddler Forum has shared some ideas for helping children get active after so many months of being restricted at home (page 26). Continuing our focus on sustainability this year, we’ve also got a summary of an Alliance podcast on the topic and what being more environmentally-friendly might look like in practice for you (page 12). Recent weeks have seen particularly troubling news for many of us here in the UK as the war in Ukraine continues to dominate headlines. If your families have been asking you for help in approaching this topic with children, or you’d like to make sure you’re dealing with it effectively in your setting, we’ve got some helpful guidance (page 30). As ever, please do keep in touch and share your stories and pictures with us for our My Under 5 section. We always love hearing your good news but it’s particularly great to get positive updates from our readers during these difficult times. Rachel Lawler Editor

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Government will not commit to independent review of early years funding The government has stated that it “will not be launching an independent review of childcare at this time” in response to the Petitions Committee report on the impact of the pandemic on new parents. The government said that it had “collectively concluded that a formal review is not needed” and outlined a number of ways in which it is already supporting parents and young children. The Petitions Committee has said that is “disappointed” by the government’s response, which it criticised as containing “no new commitments” in response to the concerns it raised. Neil Leitch, CEO of the Alliance, commented: “We are disappointed, though sadly not surprised, that the government has dismissed the Petitions Committee’s call for an independent review into early years funding and affordability. Years of government underfunding have left nurseries, pre-schools and childminding settings struggling to remain financially sustainable, with many forced to increase fees and additional charges to stay afloat. None of this is news to government: its own policy documents – only published after a two-year Freedom of Information battle with the Alliance – reveal that funding levels are a fraction of what the government knows they need to be to cover provider costs.

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“If the government is truly committed to supporting children and families to access quality, affordable care and early education, it will invest what’s needed to ensure that our vital sector is able to deliver it. Anything less is simply a recipe for disaster.”

IN BRIEF

round-up

LOST LEARNING A report from NFER has found that children in Key Stage 1 were the “most impacted” by lost learning during the pandemic, particularly those in Year 1 where the percentage of children struggling with the reading assessment doubled between 2019 and 2021.

PARENT CONCERNS More than half of UK parents are worried about how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected their child’s mental health, according to a new survey by Comic Relief while 71% believe that there isn’t enough support for children.

EY FOCUS HMCI Amanda Spielman announced that Ofsted is putting a “strategic focus” on the early years over the next five years, as they believe this is where they can have “the most impact” in a speech at the Nursery World Business Sumitt 2022.

Half of all children are “not ready to start school”, YouGov survey suggests Half of all children starting reception are “not ready to start school” according to a new teacher survey conducted by YouGov. 88% of teachers and teaching assistants said that they were having to spend additional time with those not reaching their developmental milestones, leaving them less time for the rest of the children in their class. Working in partnership with early years organisation Kindred2, YouGov surveyed almost 1,000 school teachers and conducted one-to-one interviews about their experiences in 2021. Some teachers told researchers that the majority of their pupils were now developmentally far behind expectations for their age group. Examples included children not being toilet trained, struggling to socialise and express themselves and being unable to understand basic instructions.

A teaching assistant said: “In my school we have found our younger children are lacking in social skills in particular. Children are finding sharing, peer relationships and even interactions with adults extremely difficult.” Felicity Gillespie, director at Kindred2, said: “The YouGov survey suggesting half our children are starting their school journey at such a disadvantage is shocking, particularly as we know what an impact being behind at this point has on later life chances. Mental health, literacy, earning potential are all being impacted.” Neil Leitch, CEO of the Alliance, commented: “Many young children have now spent much of their lives under some form of Covid-

“Sharp drop” in childcare availability hits parents, new survey says The rising cost of living and the impact of the pandemic have led to a “sharp drop” in the availability of childcare places and increased costs, according to Coram Family and Childcare’s annual childcare survey. The survey found that parents are paying 2.5% more for children under two, 2% more for children aged two and 3.5% more for children aged three- to four-years-old than they were in 2021. Availability of childcare has also decreased, with only 57% of local authorities reporting that they have sufficient place available for children under two – down from 72% in 2021. Only 59% of local authorities say they have enough for parents who work full-time, down from 69% last year. Parents of children with SEND particularly struggle, with just 21% of local authorities have enough childcare, down from 25% in 2021. Parents of children with SEND particularly struggle, with just 21% of local authorities have enough childcare, down from 25% in 2021. The number of children accessing the 15 and 30 hours offers has also

decreased, with 38% of local authorities reporting a decrease in the number of children using the two-year-old offer. In response, Coram Family and Childcare has called on the government to double the early years pupil premium, extend eligibility for the 30 hours offer to parents in education or training, reform Universal Credit, reallocate the tax-free childcare underspend and to follow Scotland and make the 30 hours offer available to all threeand four-year-olds. Neil Leitch, CEO of the Alliance, commented: “What will it take for the government to admit that the childcare and early education system in this country is broken? We now have a situation where costs for parents are rising, the availability of places is falling sharply and we are losing qualified professionals from the sector at an alarming rate – and yet, ministers continue to insist that all is fine. The government needs to stop sticking its head in the sand and start investing in our vital sector, before the damage done becomes irreversible.”

19 restrictions, missing out on vital opportunities to socialise with their peers and develop key skills. We know how vitally important the early years are for children’s future learning, so it is sadly not surprising that we are now seeing an increasing number of them facing additional challenges. “With just 3% of the education recovery funding announced so far going to the early years, the government is missing a huge opportunity to address these concerns before children start school. We urge the government to give early years providers the support they need to deliver the quality early education and care that will help children recover from the difficulties they have faced during the pandemic.”

Wales announces 11% increase in early years funding The Welsh government has announced that early years funding rates will increase by 11% in April 2022. An additional £6 million will be spent on the childcare offers in Wales, taking the average hourly rate from £4.50 an hour to £5 an hour starting in April. The Welsh government is also increasing the amount it allows providers to charge families for food from £7.50 a day to £9 a day to reflect “the increase in both food prices and utility and energy prices”. Julie Morgan, deputy minister for social services in Wales, said that it was “important that childcare providers are paid a sustainable rate” and noted that there had been calls to review the funding levels in some areas of Wales. She also committed to reviewing the rate “at least every three years” to enable the “continued provision of highquality care and education, giving children the very best start in life”.

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Alliance criticises lack of support for early years in Spring Statement The Alliance has criticised the government for failing to support the early years sector in its Spring Statement. While the Chancellor announced cuts to fuel duty and VAT on energy-saving measures for households, the Treasury failed to announce any targeted support for the early years sector. The news came shortly before a new survey by the Alliance revealed that 86% of early years providers say the hourly rate they receive for funded three- and four-yearolds does not cover the cost of delivering places. Of the providers whose rate for had been due to increase in April 2022, 90% said that the increase would still not be enough to cover the cost of delivery. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “Many providers had hoped that the government could use this as an opportunity to reallocate the

substantial underspend from the tax-free childcare scheme to the early years sector. However, the government’s failure to do so means that many early years providers will continue to struggle to make ends meet, and sadly, many will have no option but to close their business. “The government also failed to remedy its decision to exclude early years settings from an extension in business rate support despite the fact that retail, leisure and hospitality businesses will continue to benefit from rates relief over the coming financial year. While we know that not all early years providers are subject to business rates, for those that are, this would have provided vital financial help at a time when so many are struggling in the face of rises in the minimum wage and national insurance contributions from next month. “This Spring Statement was an

opportunity for the government to address the early years funding crisis but, yet again, it has failed to do so. Ultimately, it is parents and providers who will pay the price.”

Campaign raises awareness of NHS weaning guidance The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has launched a new campaign explaining how families can safely introduce their child to solid food. Research found that 40% of first-time parents introduced their babies to solid

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food before they were five months old but official NHS advice suggests that children should only be gradually introduced to solid foods from around six months. Three in five parents (59%) said that they had found the decision on when to

start weaning “confusing”. Two thirds (64%) said they had received conflicting advice on what age to start weaning their children and 74% agreed that there should be one official source for weaning advice. Introducing babies to solid foods or infant formula before six months can reduce the amount of breast milk they consume, which is associated with greater risk of infectious illness. It can also reduce milk intake without increasing total energy intake or increasing weight gain. Health minister Maria Caulfield commented: “The first 1,001 days are crucial for development and impact a child’s health for the rest of their life. Every child should have a solid foundation on which to build their health and I am determined to level up the opportunities and support for all children, no matter their background or where they grow up. This campaign will ensure parents have the support and confidence to introduce their babies to solid food and ensure they have the opportunity to thrive and achieve their full potential.”

Valentines Day celebrations

Children at Jellybabies Nursery , Pre-school and feeder group in Rednal celebrated Valentines Day by giving homemade card s to all their friends. This was thei r way of showing kindness to each other and demonstrating that they care about their frien ds. They also made Valentines Day cards for their parents as a way of showing their love and than king them for all the special thin gs they do for them. Manager Jac queline Walker said: “It was a lovely way for the children to think about care and kindnes s towards others and be grateful for the things they receive.”

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Puddleduck Pre-school in Suffolk is celebrating the successful launch of its new baby and toddler group for local families. They have had more than 15 families attend each week, enjoying activities planned by the pre-school’s early years team, helping to provide children with a chance to learn through play.

Four in a row! Boys and Girls Nursery in Croxley Green is celebrating after a fourth successful Ofsted inspection in a row. The setting was again rated ‘Good’ in all areas after an inspection in January 2022. The inspector commented on the team’s relationships with the children and how well their emotional needs are met, as well as how well they know them and their interests.

What’s been happening in your setting? Under 5 wants to know! To share your own stories, please email editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk with the subject line ‘My Under 5’. 8

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Tuesday

Wednesday

APRIL 2022

Monday

Virtual Classroom – Looking towards your Ofsted inspection 9.30am-1pm

This course will give an overview of what happens before, during and after an inspection and is suitable for managers and educators in the early years.

Virtual Classroom – Getting to grips with the EYFS: Supporting the prime areas of learning and development 6-8pm This interactive session will consider the educational programmes for the prime areas of learning and discuss how each plays a vital role in children’s learning.

Spotlight – Effective staff management through supervision and appraisal 10-11am

Part one of two. Are you and your team ready for your conversation with Ofsted?

Building on the prime areas of learning and development, this session looks at the four specific areas.

Part one of two. This course will cover signs and symbols from the Makaton core vocabulary and each participant will receive a manual including background information, sldies and a copy of the signs and symbols learned.

Spotlight – Key elements of effective budgeting 4-5pm Income and expenditure considerations to support the longer term financial success of your setting.

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Spotlight – Curriculum thinking

6.30-7.30pm

Not sure where to start? This session will help you define your curriculum, explore its intent and impact and recognise how the educational programmes can provide opportunities.

6.30-8.30pm

Spotlight – Why promoting children’s oral health should make you smile 6.30-7.30pm

Virtual Classroom – Let’s talk the learning walk 6.30-8pm

9.15am-1.15pm

9.30am-1pm

How can you ensure that supervisions are effective? We will explore strategies to conduct supervisions and how they can benefit your team.

Virtual Classroom – Getting to grips with the EYFS: Supporting the specific areas of learning and development

Virtual Classroom – Makaton Level 1

Virtual Classroom – Inspirational leadership and management

Virtual Classroom – Makaton Level 1

9.15am-1.15pm

Part two of two.

Virtual Classroom – Let’s talk the learning walk 9.30am-1pm Virtual Classroom – Designated Safeguarding Person 6.15-8.15pm Part one of two. Covering the skills of a designated safeguarding person, this course acts as a refresher for those currently in the role.

Thursday

TRAINING

Friday

Virtual Classroom – SEND in the early years 9.30-11am

Part one of two covering relevant law and policy and how you can develop an inclusive ‘can do’ approach.

Virtual Classroom – SEND in the early years 9.30-11am

Part two of two.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Virtual Classroom – Makaton taster session

6-8pm

Alliance Connect

A brief introduction to Makaton and a guide to 34 basic signs and symbols from the core vocabulary and 12 additional signs and symbols.

Virtual Classroom – Safeguarding designated person 6-8pm

Part one of two.

Virtual Classroom – Safeguarding designated person 6-8pm

Alliance Connect events are free online networking sessions for anyone involved in the early years. Sessions are often aimed at different groups such as baby and toddler groups, childminders, leaders, managers and parents. Visit portal.eyalliance.org.uk/Onlinetraining-and-networking to find out more.

Part two of two.

Spotlights Alliance Spotlights are bite-sized CPD sessions offering a deep-dive into specific early years topics. Each session lasts an hour and offers a detailed look at one area of interest. If you’ve ever attended a training session and wished that you had been given more time to delve deeply into a particular area of discussion, these sessions are for you. Spotlights are £12 for Alliance members and £24 for non-members. Visit portal.eyalliance.org.uk/Onlinetraining-and-networking to find out more.

Virtual Classrooms Virtual Classrooms are longer sessions looking at broader topics in detail, but still delivered online with a flexible approach to suit early years providers. The courses take place over two or three 90 minute sessions. Prices start at £23 for Alliance members and £33 for non-members for a 2 hour session. Visit portal.eyalliance.org.uk/Onlinetraining-and-networking to find out more.

The dates listed here were correct at the time of going to print but may be subject to changes. Please check the Alliance website for the latest information.

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Preparing fo Alison Heseltine, early years development officer at the Alliance, shares lessons from a new Alliance podcast on the subject of eco-sustainability

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s part of the Birth to 5 Matters Spring Festival in March, the Alliance presented a podcast: Sowing the Seeds of Sustainability. We were joined by both educator representatives and parents to hear and learn about the steps they have taken to make sustainable practice part of their everyday lives at home and in an early years setting. A starting point for the discussion was the principle that just the smallest of steps can have an impact and make a difference. Sustainability can be an overwhelming issue even for adults to tackle. The most successful approach seems to be breaking it down into bite-sized and manageable chunks. Elaine, who is a setting manager in the north-east, shared with us that the first step for her staff team was discussing together where they felt comfortable in terms of their existing knowledge and

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identifying the information and support they needed to move forward. They discovered through these meetings that some members of their team had a real passion for sustainability and these people became champions of the topic, supporting children, staff and families. As a team, they acknowledged that everyone in the setting needed to commit to the plan and to believe in what they were doing in order to be the best role models for children and families. They identified some small changes that they could make straight away. For example, no longer using any glitter which was immediately implemented. Recognising that a key element of success was extending their reach beyond the setting, families have been encouraged to share their own ideas. This included making homemade beeswax wraps to reduce plastic film and bag use – saving money as well as reducing waste.

Jen, a parent of two young boys, explained that they had spoken as a family about what changes they felt they could make together. She shared with us some of the steps they had taken, such as making a conscious decision to reduce single use plastic and explaining to the children why. This included looking at some of the craft materials the children used. They try to not always buy new resources and instead look to reuse items in the home or free and found resources while out on walks to the local woods. Food waste and rubbish were also issues that they had tried to tackle as a family. This involved being aware of portion sizes, raising the children’s awareness of what happens to our rubbish when we put it into bins and involving them in reducing the amount of waste they produce. Like Elaine, Jen felt strongly that as adults we can make sustainability the

SUSTAINABILITY

or tomorrow

norm for our children. It shouldn’t be another chore to do, but instead just how you live each day. This means that we can influence not only this generation but others to come too. Both Elaine and Jen spoke about how connecting children to nature has given them opportunities to build on their understanding of what sustainability means by caring for the natural world and viewing it as something precious that must be nurtured and protected. In her setting near the coast, Elaine and her staff had taken the lead from

the children, building on their existing knowledge to introduce topics such as the effect of plastics in the oceans. They listen to the children’s views and ideas, valuing the input and solutions, and ensuring that they feel involved in sustainability, and are not watching it from the sidelines. They have plans to extend this beyond the setting into the community. We all recognise that children can be passionate advocates if we take the time to listen to their voices. Jen too has used her boys’ love of nature to help them understand what sustainability means

If each of us just takes a few small steps, the effect can be magnified and make a real difference.

and how they can become involved by respecting and caring for their local environment and community. As a family they are trying to spend more time outdoors as they walk to school and visit their local woods, taking the time to notice the world around them and the responsibilities that we all share to protect our beautiful planet. The discussion highlighted that we need to educate not only our children, but also ourselves, if we want to ensure the sustainability of our planet. Both Elaine as an educator and Jen as a parent discussed how they role model to their children caring for the environment, ensuring children’s active involvement and engagement. It presented an opportunity for reflection of our understanding of what sustainability means and how if each of us just takes a few small steps the effect can be magnified and make a real difference.

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£40M

Raised

It’s been one of our most successful fundraising activities Polesden Lacey, Playschool There’s now a way for your pre-school, nursery, or childminders to earn free funding. Thanks to easyfundraising and their partnership with over 6,000 retailers, every employee, parent, or carer can support your fundraising efforts when they shop online – without it costing them anything at all.

Scan the QR code to see how easy it is to earn free funding

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RESEARCH

Involving fathers in early education Dr Jeremy Davies, head of communications at the Fatherhood Institute, shares how providers can help improve engagement with families

new study is exploring links between fathers’ involvement in everyday educational and caregiving activities, and children’s progress at primary school. The care and support fathers provide is wide-ranging and might include helping with homework, or simply playing a game or going out for a walk. We are interested to find out what dads (and mums) do, and feel is important for their children – and what good support from early years providers might look like. The Fatherhood Institute and researchers from the University of Leeds are running a series of online discussion events, called PIECE Talks, with both parents and educators in May 2022. PIECE stands for Paternal Involvement and its Effects on Children’s Education, which is the title of our research study, funded by the ESRC. We’ll be producing toolkits for practitioners and parents in the autumn and will publish our overall study findings in early 2023. We’ll be holding a total of three of these discussion events – one for fathers, one for mothers and another for those who work in the early years or primary education or organisations that support such services. These PIECE talks will help us develop resources for early years settings, schools and families and we want to make sure that these are as relevant and as helpful as possible. That’s why we want to capture the views of parents and practitioners in our

work, as well as drawing on our own and others’ research data. For the education sector event, we’re pulling together a small group of participants and are keen to find people with diverse and interesting perspectives of engaging with and supporting fathers – or parents more widely. We’d love to hear from you if you are an early years practitioner or manager, or have another relevant role or work experience, and are interested in this topic. Perhaps you have been really successful at engaging with fathers? Or have tried and failed? Maybe you changed your usual procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic or made use of new technologies to better support communications with families and have insight to share. You don’t need to be in a senior leadership position – you just need to be interested in this topic and be prepared to share your thoughts and experiences. The session will take place online, via Zoom, on 19 May, 12-1.30pm. During this first session we’ll share some of our early project findings and there will be a chance to hear from everyone in the group about your different perspectives and experiences around fathers’ childcare and education involvement. We’ll be audio recording the sessions for transcription purposes and everyone’s contributions will be anonymised. As a thank you for taking part, participants will be offered a £25 high street voucher.

Find out more If you’d like to take part – or just find out more - please email Dr Jeremy Davies, Head of Communications at the Fatherhood Institute, who is Co-Investigator on the PIECE study, and will be coordinating The PIECE Talks, before 14 April 2022. In your email to j.davies@fatherhoodinstitute.org, please tell us the following: your name which event you’re interested in (fathers/ mothers/education sector) if you’re interested in the father/mother events, confirm that you have a child or children aged under 12 what you do for a living/ how you spend your time (apart from looking after your child/ren) describe how you would define your identity (here you might tell us about your ethnicity, age or other things that would help us understand “who you are”) why you’re interested in taking part (up to 100 words)

Find out more For more information about the PIECE study, visit piecestudy.org.

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LAW-CALL

Breaking down business rates The team at Law-Call, a 24-hour legal helpline available to Alliance members, explains the rules on business rates

ost of us are accustomed to paying council tax each year, but business premises are also liable for an equivalent tax, called non-domestic rates or, more commonly, business rates. It is not uncommon for these to be overlooked by early years settings, particularly if the business is run from a venue that is not obviously a business premises – such as a church hall, scout hut or porta cabin on school or council land. However, it is important to remember that business rates can be levied against any building or part of a building that is used for non-domestic purposes. Business rates are levied under the Local Government Finance Act of 1988. Rates are assessed periodically by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), usually every five years. The government has started a public consultation on its proposal to reduce this to every three years, which has caused some concern as the VOA has concede that re-evaluations tend to take around 25-29 months to complete. Due to the pandemic, the government also announced in May 2020 that the re-evaluation due in 2021 would now take place in 2023. Business rates are calculated by the VOA, using a property’s ‘rateable value’. The rateable value of non-domestic property is based on an estimated open market rental value, so it will vary from premises to premises. A statutory multiplier is then applied to this rateable value to give the final bill. The local authority is tasked with enforcing business rates and the enforcement can occasionally be piecemeal. Occasionally, early years providers may receive a demand for business rates after years without paying them. This can be quite a large bill so effective planning is important.

important to check to see if any apply to your provision. For early years providers, the most pertinent reliefs are: Small Business Rates Relief, Charitable Relief and Nurseries Discount. A setting does not have to be a registered charity to claim the charity relief but you would need to present documentary evidence to persuade the VOA of your charitable status. A letter from HMRC stating that, for tax purposes, you are treated as a charity should be sufficient.

Exemptions and relief

Nurseries Discount

Find out more

There are a number of standard exemptions for business rates. So if a bill arrives, it is

For a limited period, additional relief was available for settings on Ofsted’s Early

This area of law can be quite complicated. If you need advice on business rates, Law-Call is available for further discussions. Their contact details are available in the Members’ Area of the Alliance website at portal.eyalliance.org.

Small Business Rate Relief Small Business Rate Relief applies if your property’s rateable value is less than £15,000 and your business only uses one property. If the relief applies, then there are no business rates on a property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less. For properties with a rateable value of £12,001 to £15,000, the rate of relief will go gradually down from 100% to 0%.

Charitable Relief

Years Register and/or those which are wholly or mainly used to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. These settings were eligible for: 100% off their business rates bill from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 100% off their business rates bill from 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021 66% off their business rates from 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2022 – up to a total value of £105,000

Renting from a church or village hall Renting a hall owned by another charity such as a church does not grant the tenant any extension of the landlord’s charitable status. A “place of public religious worship” is wholly exempt from business rates as per Schedule 5 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. Where this exemption applies, it extends to church halls, chapel halls or similar buildings used in connection with the place of worship. An extension of charitable status will only apply if the building is used in connection with the place of worship. Each circumstance is decided on a case-by-case basis but it seems that the exemption is more likely to be successfully applied if the charitable purpose of the business activity is closely linked to that of the landowners.

Business rates can be levied against any building or part of a building that is used for nondomestic purposes.

Charities can apply for charitable rate relief of up to 80% if their property is used for charitable purposes. “Charitable purposes” is defined under the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and in general applies to institutions or organisations established for charitable purposes only or a person administering a trust established for charitable purposes only. There is also a discretionary 20% “top up” available, called discretionary relief. Applications for this must be made to your local authority.

Let’s find a rainbow Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, shares ideas for making the most of those April showers and exploring the theme of rainbows

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ACTIVITY CORNER

any people will remember seeing a rainbow as a child and being entranced by its unexpected appearance. There is no doubt that rainbows are amazing! A sweep of colours, picked out by sunlight that creates a magnificent arc across the sky. Generations of children have asked the same questions: What is it? Where did it come from? Where did it go? The scientific explanation is less magical but no less incredible. In meteorological terms, a rainbow is a phenomenon caused by the reflection of light in water droplets, taking the form of a multicoloured arc. In the best conditions, a rainbow can be seen in full span across a sky that is both cloudy and sunny, but even small sections of a rainbow will sometimes be seen if there is enough sunlight breaking through the clouds at the right angle. The rainbow has been adopted as a symbol of unity, diversity, peace or hope by groups and nations across the world. Young children may not have seen a rainbow first hand but they will have seen the rainbow flag in different contexts, most notably displayed in support of the NHS during the pandemic or as a symbol representing the LGBTQ community at Pride events.

Your educational programmes As with any knowledge that we want children to have, the best starting point is to consider what they already know and understand and to build on it. If a child sees a rainbow in the sky, they will be inevitably curious. Teaching opportunities will arise from the questions they ask directly and from the interest that can be tapped into.

Communication and language Exploring rainbows is an excellent way to begin to recognise and name colours. A board book or rainbow print on baby clothes supports early language development as the carer points to colours in turn and names them. There are also a couple of classic songs including I can sing a rainbow and the ever popular Somewhere over the rainbow. Many

popular children’s TV characters will also have their own rainbow songs to help teach children about colours.

stress. Blue and green are particularly calming.

Literacy

Physical development Taking children outside to look for rainbows gets them out in the fresh air and gives them an opportunity to exercise, no matter what the weather. Looking into the distance is good for children’s eyesight, especially those who spend prolonged periods of the day looking at screens. Recreating the arc shape on paper requires fine motor skills and good hand-eye coordination as children use a range of media and tools to create their own rainbows. A rainbow is often one of the early paintings a child will choose to do for themselves as they begin to represent simple shapes and experiment with colours. Healthy fruit and vegetables tend to come in rainbow colours. Create a rainbow snack using carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and anything else that you can think of. Talk to older children about the benefits of eating fresh fruit and vegetables over foods that are processed and often lack colour.

The EYFS reminds us that it “is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading”. Rainbows are a phenomenon that take many forms. There are double-rainbows, fogbows, moonbows and even upsidedown rainbows. There are some that are monochrome, often just red, and rainbows that appear in pastel shades. All of these can be found in books or online.

Maths For children that have shown an interest in rainbows, there are plenty of opportunities for exploring shape, number, space and measurements. Counting colours in a rainbow or recognising arcs in their immediate environment helps to consolidate their understanding. Children can experiment with circles and semi-circles, fitting them together or overlapping them to make patterns.

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”

Understanding the world

Rainbows can be generated by the spray of waterfalls or even by a garden sprinkler in strong sunlight. Children can experiment with roses on watering cans or hose pipes on a sunny day. They will be delighted to recreate something that appears beyond their control when nature is in charge. It’s all science!

Dolly Parton

Personal, social and emotional development Talking about rainbows and how they make us feel supports children to understand their own feelings and those of other people. Rainbows are generally associated with happiness and positivity. It’s hard not to smile when seeing a real rainbow! The individual colours in rainbows can also evoke strong feeling for children. They may associate a particular colour with something a trusted carer wears or a place where they feel safe, such as their home. Colours associated with nature have also been shown to be beneficial in reducing

Expressive arts and design Create a rainbow collage with different scrap materials to reinforce children’s understanding of the shade and colour. Use paper, plastic and other clean rubbish to promote important messages about recycling.

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SAVE THE DATE

Small steps, big changes: building an ambitious vision for the early years T

he Alliance annual conference will be taking place this year on 9 June 2022. In line with the increased focus we are placing on environmental sustainability this year, and to minimise costs at what remains an incredibly challenging time for providers, we have chosen to host the event online again. This means that tickets for this year’s event will be free for all Alliance members and just £15 for non-members. We’re delighted that we can now confirm our exciting line up of practical seminars. Attendees will be able to choose to attend one of the following seminars after our keynote speeches:

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Prioritising children’s mental health and wellbeing – Donna Gaywood, teacher and Birth to 5 Matters project co-ordinator. The impact of the past two years on the mental health of young children cannot be underestimated, and so it has never been more important for early years educators to ensure that supporting the wellbeing of the children in their care is a central part of their practice. In this interactive session, Donna will explore the thinking around children’s mental

health, and how to create a positive learning environment where children can thrive. The session will also look at the link between adult and child mental health and wellbeing, possible pitfalls to avoid and the importance of intervening early. Time to thrive: a fresh approach to staff wellbeing – Kim Esnard, founder and director of the Early Years Collective training and consultancy

Save the da te 6pm 9 June 2022 With many settings currently facing a myriad of challenges – from financial pressures to recruitment and retention difficulties to the ongoing impact of the pandemic – working in the early years sector is increasingly taking a toll on the wellbeing and mental health of the workforce. In this seminar, Kim will share her inspirational approach to supporting staff wellbeing in the early years, looking at how settings can make the health of their workforce a priority and embed this into their day-to-day practice. Through innovative concepts such as The Unique Practitioner and Characteristics of

Effective Wellbeing, she will explore the practical steps that settings can take to improve outcomes for practitioners and educators. Supporting early language development – Ben Bolton Grant, speech and language therapist and university lecturer Language and communication development in the early years is one of the strongest predictors of future outcomes.

During this seminar, you will discuss the importance of language and communication development, learn what to expect at different ages and stages and how to identify concerns. Ben will also share tips to help you ensure that your setting is a language-rich environment and that the interactions that you and your team have with children are as effective as possible.

More information We’ll be in touch soon with more information about our keynote speakers and full agenda. But in the meantime, please keep 9 June in your diaries and keep your eyes peeled for more details coming soon!

Wages and NICs: Are you up-to-date?

£4.81

With the National Living and Minimum Wages increasing at the start of April, as well as the start of a new tax year, we look at the latest changes and how the Alliance can help

very year, the National Living Wage, which is paid to those aged 23 and over, and the National Minimum Wage, which is paid to those under 23, and the Apprenticeship rate all increase on 1 April. Here’s how the minimum rates are changing this year:

23 and over 21 to 22 18 to 20 Under 18 Apprentice

April 2021

April 2022

£8.91 £8.36 £6.56 £4.62 £4.30

£9.50 £9.18 £6.83 £4.81 £4.81

Apprentices are entitled to the apprenticeship rate if they are aged under 19 or are over 19 and in the first year of their apprenticeship. For example, a 21-year-old apprentice would be entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £4.81 in the first year of their apprenticeship, but an apprentice aged 21 who has completed the first year of their apprenticeship would be entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £9.18.

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It is against the law to pay below the National Minimum or Living Wage. If an employer fails to pay their employees the minimum rate they can be reported to HMRC, who can send a notice of arrears and issue a penalty. The maximum fine of £20,000 per worker and employers can be named publicly by HMRC. The employer can also be taken to an employment tribunal or civil court. The government offers a National Minimum and Living Wage calculator to help you check that you are paying the correct rate at gov. uk/am-i-getting-minimum-wage.

£50,270 previously paid 12% of income in NICs. They will now pay 13.5% of their income in NICs on earnings above £12,570. Employers previously paid 13.8% in NICs, which will now increase to 15.5% in April 2022. From 2023, the 1.25% levy will be separated out from NICs and the government has asked employers to label it separately on wage slips and tax forms from April 2023 onwards as: “1.25% uplift in NICs fund NHS, health and social care”. You can find out more at gov.uk/guidance/prepare-for-thehealth-and-social-care-levy.

Health and social care levy

Getting to grips with payroll

Also new in April 2022 is the health and social care levy, which will be introduced on 6 April 2022. Employees and employers will both be required to increase their National Insurance Contributions (NICs). The 1.25% levy will be paid by all working adults, including employees who are over the state pension age, who did not previously pay NICs. Employees earning between £9,564 and

The Alliance Payslip Service offers early years providers a specialist, tailor-made service for private and voluntary run settings and childminders. We aim to take the hassle out of what can be challenging process when it comes to monthly calculations including the rules on minimum wage, the new health and social care levy, apprenticeship rules, sick pay and pension auto-enrolment.

BUSINESS

£9.50

£4.81

£6.83

The service includes:

£9.18

processing payroll from a standard supplied timesheet prepared by you

pension contributions report showing the current month’s employee and employer contributions

Submission of a Full Payment Summary (FPS) to HMRC each month and an Employer Payment Summary (EPS) if applicable

calculation of statutory payments including SSP, SMP as required

Attachment of earnings report if applicable

assessing your workforce for pensions auto enrolment each pay period

P32 report showing the amounts payable to HMRC

the option to have assistance with annual salary calculations including holiday pay using our set sheets, this includes, termly pay increases and changes in hours, calculation of pay for mid-year starters and leavers

payslips direct to your employees via secure portal from Sage online

setup of new employees from a completed employee information form supplied by the service

payment summary report showing employees pay and deductions gross to net payment summary report showing national insurance and pension contributions payslip copy for each employee on your payroll that month.

Find out more P45 forms produced for leavers uploading your pension contributions to your pension provider each month production of pension letters for all employees as required by the Pensions Regulator

The Payslip team includes payslip services officer Nicola Hooper and payslip administrators Jeanne Cook, Jenny Whitbread, Lina Martinez-Parra and Claire Drescher-Wyvill. You can contact us by email at payslipservice@eyalliance.org.uk or by phone on 020 7697 2587 or 07783 769239.

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UPDATE

Under 5 is changing

n line with the Alliance’s growing focus on environmental sustainability, in the last issue we announced that the Alliance will be primarily publishing Under 5 as a digital magazine from June 2022 onward. Our digital magazine will include a fresh design and lots of new and exciting interactive features to bring our articles to life.

What if I want to keep receiving physical copies of the magazine? Don’t panic! We know that many of our members and subscribers really value

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having a physical copy of Under 5. That’s why anyone wants to continue to receive the magazine in paper format, alongside the digital magazine, can opt into doing so for free until the start of 2024. After this, a nominal charge will be introduced for those who choose to continue receiving hard copies of the magazine.

What happens next? You can now head to portal.eyalliance. org.uk, head to the ‘My EYA Portal’, click on ‘My communication preferences’ and check the box to receive both physical and online copies. If you don’t opt in, as of June 2022, you

will stop receiving physical copies of Under 5. Instead, you will be able to access all the same great content, plus a range of new interactive features via the digital magazine, with a direct link sent to you by email once each new edition is available to read online. We hope that by making this change, we can drastically reduce the environmental impact of publishing Under 5 magazine, while still meeting the needs of our members and subscribers. If you have any questions about these changes, please contact feedback@ eyalliance.org.uk and we’ll be happy to help.

NUTRITION

Springing into spring The Infant & Toddler Forum shares ideas for getting children’s fitness back on track as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted

he pandemic has been hard on all of us and now, with the easing of restrictions and spring around the corner, we have an opportunity to help counteract the effects of almost two years of limited activity and interaction on our little ones. The Department of Health recommends that children under five should be physically active for three hours each day to help meet their needs, three times more than older children. This might sound daunting but when you take into consideration that toddlers don’t require high levels of intensity for an activity to be classed as exercise, the options to choose from are endless. Both light and high intensity activities can contribute towards their three recommended hours a day. Light intensity activities can be anything from walking and playing, whilst high intensity activities can be anything where they’re expending more energy such as running, jumping and climbing. Toddlers who are more active tend to be fitter adults later in life, but the benefits of physical activity on toddlers are not only limited to improved fitness levels and maintaining a healthy weight. It’s been shown that toddlers who are physically active are also known to have better motor and co-ordination skills, improved sleep and mental concentration. Toddlers progress at a different pace, some may be faster, others may take a little longer to learn new skills, or to become more coordinated. Keep gently encouraging, role model, make it fun and give lots of praise. Luckily, most toddlers are naturally active and tend to get quite restless when idle for too long, usually only needing a gentle nudge from their parents or carers

to get them motivated. This is important as children are more likely to repeat a task if they’re given praise and this can help make physical activity a lifelong habit. Here at the Infant & Toddler Forum we have come up with a list of tips and ideas to help get your toddlers’ fitness levels back to normal. There’s a variety of different exercises to choose from and they can be easily implemented both indoors and outdoors, and tailored to fit your space, budget and with other activities you’re already planning.

musical statues are fun ways to motivate your children to start being more active with little effort. Going for walks at a local park is a fun way to exercise without the need of a garden.

How to to motivate children to get active

Planning an indoor treasure hunt can get both the brain and the heart pumping.

Split activity time throughout the day – Break exercise down into ten-minute intervals throughout the day if time/ fitness levels are an issue as spreading it throughout the day has the same effect for children as performing it in one block.

Playing with board games helps form social skills and aids mental cognition. Playing catch with bean bags and balloons is an inexpensive way to be active.

Progress calendars – Make progress calendars that are colourful and inviting to get your toddler involved in their own fitness journey and see where adjustments need to be made.

Making a den or other forms of unstructured play also helps develop creativity.

Reward toddlers – Include their favourite activity such as taking them swimming or a walk in the park, or on a bike ride.

Games that involve performance such as dancing and acting help mental and physical fitness.

Choose healthier snacks – Select healthier snacks with higher nutritional value to provide children with more energy and motivation to participate in activities.

Indoor activities:

Outdoor activities: Where possible exercise outside, mix it up and keep it interesting by visiting parks and community centres. Using your imagination, be creative with your toddlers in making your own games that involve singing, running, jumping – whatever gets the heart going. Playing games like hide and seek &

Find out more We hope these tips will inspire you to try activities that you and your toddlers can have fun with, and that can easily fit in your daily routine, making improving their fitness an enjoyable activity for everyone involved. For more information and advice on how to help get your toddlers’ fitness level back on track, go to our website at infantandtoddlerforum.org.

Getting P

roviding early years provision through charitable activities empowers parents and carers to play a fundamental role in the strategic development of the provision and to shape their children’s care and education, providing better outcomes for children and their families. As charities must be governed by volunteers, and in the case of early years charities, particularly families of children attending the setting, maintaining sufficient trustees is integral to their viability. With children attending early years provision for only a few years, there is often a high turnover of families holding membership with early years charities. So, it is important to ensure that active engagement with members takes place to encourage their involvement as a trustee, which has been increasingly challenging, especially as settings have had less faceto-face contact with families since the start of the pandemic. Keeping families who are on your waiting list informed about the charity and its activities will help them to feel included from the moment they express an interest in their child attending your provision. After they start, regular communications from the trustees should promote an understanding of the vitally important work you do as charity trustees. If it is proving difficult to recruit trustees, an understanding of what is deterring families is needed: If someone is worried about the amount of work they will have to do, look at whether there are ways of reducing the number of hours they need to commit to the role. Perhaps share part of the person’s duties amongst other trustees or look at whether there is a justified

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need and the means to employ a bookkeeper or administrator to help support the trustees with certain tasks. These employees will never take on the full responsibilities of the trustees but can be of great assistance with managing the day-to-day administration. For individuals who are concerned that they do not have the necessary experience, skills or time, they should be reassured that their involvement is of value and that there will always be suitable tasks that they will be able to help out with. They could also be offered workshops to assist them in their role, or the opportunity to take part in mentoring exercises with more experienced trustees. There will be many local people and organisations that have an interest in supporting your charity as a trustee. The grandparents of the children attending the setting may like to get more involved, or the parents who have registered their younger children for a future place. Also consider asking contacts from other local organisations that work closely with the setting, such as schools, community centres, libraries, synagogues, mosques or churches. Experienced staff members may also be keen to volunteer to be a trustee. But this can only be done by charities with governing documents which do not prohibit this, such as the Alliance 2011 version for unincorporated associations, 2012 for charitable companies or 2013 for CIOs, providing several requirements are satisfied. They could provide

CHARITIES

g on board invaluable support and guidance to the trustees on matters relating to the provision of childcare and could also take on the role of the Nominated Individual with Ofsted, as this role must be undertaken by a trustee, in the case of charities. While many charities require a minimum of five trustees, for charities running to an Alliance governing document, permission can be sought from the Alliance to run with a minimum of three, under certain circumstances, while the

charity makes every effort to recruit family members. A maximum length of time a trustee can serve is also set so that new people can bring a fresh perspective, as well as new ideas and skills that can help to advance the charity’s work, but permission can also be sought from the Alliance to increase this limit to 14 consecutive years. If a charity is struggling to maintain sufficient trustees and has low numbers of children and/or a dwindling income, another possible consideration could be

to merge the childcare provision with another charity in the area that has the same aims and objectives. Integrating the provision with another could be a way to continue to provide services for all the families that attend, while combining resources and reducing outgoings, as well as a joint committee of trustees.

Find out more Contact our Information Service team on info@eyalliance.org.uk or 020 7697 2595.

Early bird: 30% off Leading an early years charity: A trustee handbook £6.95 members, £9.95 non-members Our online publication Leading an early years charity: A trustee handbook (an updated version of Charity Essentials (2011)) aims to provide readers with an understanding of how early years charities work and their role as trustees in governing them. It supports new and existing trustees by providing a comprehensive guide to the fundamentals of running a charity and charity provision, including the different types and purposes of meetings, managing the charity finances; recruiting and effectively managing a team of practitioners and the trustees’ responsibilities under the Early Years Foundation Stage. Template documents are also provided, including role descriptions, code of conduct and privacy notice. FREE access is also provided to online publication Charitable Incorporated Organisations. Order by 30 April 2022, quoting LEYC22 to receive this offer.

Interested in buying? Please visit shop.eyalliance.org.uk, call 0300 330 0996 or email shop@eyalliance.org.uk. shop.eyalliance.org.uk

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BEST PRACTICE

Tackling tough subjects With many families concerned by the current news cycle, Val Pope, business manager at the Alliance, explains how we can talk about the situation in a sensitive way

s adults, we’ve likely spent a lot of time in recent weeks listening to breaking news about the war in Ukraine and worrying about what it means, what will happen next and how we might be affected ourselves.

Scenes on social media Easy access to social media means that, unlike conflicts that our parents and grandparents may remember, we are often confronted with breaking stories and live clips from the conflict. Seeing the impact of the war on the people of Ukraine in this kind of detail gives the news an immediacy that some previous conflicts did not have, making the news feel even more real and relevant to us here in the UK. It is of course a hugely worrying time. But if it’s worry for us, how must children be feeling?

Little ears listening Many children will be worried about the things they have heard on the news about what has been happening. Even the youngest children can be listening in when we are watching the news on TV, listening to the radio or reading articles online. Hearing parents, siblings, other children at their early years setting or someone on the TV talking about war, seeing images of houses being bombed or seeing people hurt can distress and worry children, no matter their age.

Supporting families As early years providers, families may also be asking you what they should say to their children and asking if you have mentioned it at all to them. You may have some Ukrainian or Russian families in your setting. Their families and friends may be caught up in the conflict so it’s

important to be sensitive to how they may be feeling at this time.

Age-appropriate responses For older children, you may want to go into a little detail and explain what the war is about and why it started – as well as what people are doing to try and bring an end to the conflict and help the people of Ukraine. For younger children, it is important that you limit the amount of information you relay to them. And, of course, for all children it is important that you reassure them. But how can we tell them the truth about what is happening without worrying them further? Unicef has provided some excellent guidelines about this that you can share with families and use yourselves. The guidance explains: “Children have a right to know what’s going on in the world, but adults also have a responsibility to keep them safe from distress […] Use age-appropriate language, watch their reactions and be sensitive to their level of anxiety.” The Department for Education has also published guidance for teachers and families on how to talk to children about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Children’s Commissioner has also advised that we should not hide what is happening in Ukraine but support children in their understanding.

Making a plan Generally, it is important to plan what you want to say before you engage in the conversation. Consider what level of detail is appropriate for the age and development

Val is pa rt of the Alliance’s Develop Busines ment tea s m, cove London ring the and sou th-east a country, rea and is jo int lead o of the learning n family and fam ily suppo Alliance. rt for the

stage of the child. Experts generally seem to agree that there are a few key things to think about when planning your approach: 1. Listen and notice – What are children saying? What is it that they have heard people talking about and what images have they seen on the TV or elsewhere? Exactly what questions are they asking you? Do they seem distressed or anxious? What is worrying them most? Are they even mentioning it at all? 2. Don’t say too much – Don’t say more than you need to and keep it simple. Lots of detail is not needed and it could just put more worries into their heads. Try something that they can relate to, such as: “You know that sometimes people are cross with each other and argue? Well sometimes countries are cross with each other and they fight too.” If they ask why they are fighting, you could say something like: “They don’t agree with each other about who should be in charge of the country.” 3. Reassure – If children are scared, then tell them that it is okay to feel that way. You could reassure them that the fighting countries are very far away and not near us. Tell them that we are very safe here and that people are trying to stop the fighting. 4. Do something practical – Gathering donations in your setting for families in Ukraine might help children feel that they are doing something to help. It also helps to build a sense of social responsibility. You may have a local collection point – check local groups for information on where you can donate.

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FAMILY CORNER

When should you start weaning your baby? Many parents are given conflicting advice about weaning their babies onto solid foods. But when is the best time to start?

The official advice from the NHS is that parents should start weaning their babies onto solid food from around the age of six months. It should be introduced around six months alongside breast milk or formula. Weaning is a key milestone within the first 1,001 critical days, influencing children’s eating habits and their health later in life and improving babies’ abilities to move food around their mouth, chew and swallow.

When to start weaning When to wean babies is seen as such an important topic that the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has launched a campaign to promote NHS advice on weaning after a survey found that 40% of first-time parents introduced solid food before their babies are five months old – earlier than the NHS recommendation of around six months. Almost two-thirds of parents (64%) say they have received conflicting advice on what age to start weaning.

Share t his guidan ce with parent s and carers What is weaning? Introducing babies to solid foods is sometimes called complementary feeding because babies are still being milk fed as well – either with breast milk or formula.

Why should weaning start at six months? Breast milk or first infant formula provides all the energy and nutrients needed until around the baby is around six months old. Waiting gives your baby time to develop so they can cope fully with solid foods. It also means that the baby will be more able to feed themselves. By six months old, babies will be better at moving food around their mouth, chewing and swallowing – this may mean they can have mashed, lumpy and finger foods.

40% of first time parents introduced solid food before their babies were five months old.

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How will I know if my baby is ready to start trying solid foods? There are three signs to look out for which when they appear from around six months of age, show that your baby is ready for their

first solid foods, alongside their usual milk feed: being able to stay in a sitting position, holding their head steady being co-oordinated enough to look at their food, pick it up and put it in their mouth. being able to swallow food (rather than spit it back out) Sometimes parents notice babies chewing their fists, wanting extra milk and waking up in the night (more than usual) and take these as signs that the child is hungry and needs to start on solid foods. However, these aren’t necessarily a sign of hunger or being ready to be weaned. They are often just normal behaviours. Giving extra milk will help to fill them up until the right time comes for them to start eating solid food. If your baby was born prematurely, you should ask your health visitor or GP for advice on when to start weaning.

Find out more For more advice and tips for families visit familycorner.co.uk.

COMPETITION

WIN

a Posting Reflection Box and Mystery Sensory Balls from Cosy Direct worth £100

Using this set from Cosy Direct, children will be able to develop their sensory motor skills by picking up the mirrored balls and placing them within the different sized holes, figuring out which one allows the balls to pass through. The stainless steel, mirrored finish offers a sensory experience as children will be able to see themselves and their surrounding within the mirror across the box and the balls which gives a distorted, fisheye lens reflection. The balls may look identical bit have individual characteristics. This activity will have your little ones entertained for hours. For your chance to win, please send your answer to the following question, along with your name and contact details, to: under5.competitions@eyalliance.org.uk. On what date did the National Living and Minimum Wages increase this year? (hint: see page 24) a) 31 March b) 1 April c) 2 April

Acceptance of advertisements for Under 5 does not constitute endorsement by the charity of the advertisers’ products.

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“Tiny Happy People content supports our educators and is a brilliant resource for our families. It’s great!” Aimi, Head of Childcare and Education, Early Years

A website to help parents and carers develop their little ones’ communication skills. For activities and advice visit bbc.co.uk/tinyhappypeople

@bbctinyhappypeople @bbctinyhappypeople