September 2021 by Under 5

Under 5 the magazine of the early years alliance September 2021

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WELCOME & CONTENTS

welcome

News

Welcome to Under 5

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

Welcome to the September issue of Under 5. Whether your provision takes a break over the summer or is open all year round, I do hope you all managed to take a welldeserved break at some point over the summer months! Since the last issue, we’ve seen most of the remaining coronavirus restrictions lifted in England, which will hopefully make the start of this term much smoother and easier than the last. To help you navigate some of the changes, we’ve heard from Law-Call – the team behind the 24-hour legal helpline available to all Alliance members – about the legal implications of some of the changes (page 20). We’ve also got a helpful Q&A from Ofsted, to help you prepare for your next inspection now that early years inspections have resumed (page 30). As inspections get back underway again, please don’t forget to share your good news with us for My Under 5 – we love hearing about your ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ success, so please share your news and pictures with us at editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk. With many rules and restrictions now eased, we know many providers have been choosing to make permanent changes based on some of the new ways of working they developed during the pandemic. In this issue we’ve heard from one setting that has taken a totally new approach based on the concept of ‘hygge’ (page 14). In the last issue, we shared details of the Alliance’s Freedom of Information request investigation into how early years funding rates were set. Since then, the government has repeatedly claimed that parents are still able to access childcare as evidence that the policy is working. To help better understand what is really going on, we surveyed 3,000 parents about their experiences accessing childcare and the results will not be a surprise to those of us working in the sector (page 22). September is always a busy month with lots of new children starting and others leaving. We’ve also got some fun ideas for celebrating events including International Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19 September (page 24) and Teddy Bear Day on 9 September (page 10). Again, we’d love to see your pictures and updates if you take part in any celebrations in the coming weeks and months.

My Under 5

Child’s play?

Ready, teddy, go!

Getting it right on wages

How to hygge

Getting ready for wraparound

Alliance members share good news and updates from their settings

Understanding the role of the adult in children’s play

Celebrating Teddy Bear Day in your setting

A reminder of the rules on the minimum wage

How one setting is using the concept of ‘hygge’ to improve its offer

A guide to the rules on offering wraparound care for early years providers

20 Relaxing restrictions

A legal guide to the lifted coronavirus restrictions

22 The impact of underfunding

The latest Alliance survey reveals inequality in access to early education

24 Anchors away!

Ideas for celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day in your setting

27 Managing separation anxiety Ideas for supporting children with separation issues

28 Meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the future Sustainability for early years providers

30 Answering your Ofsted questions

Myth-busting common concerns about early years inspections

32 Getting your child ready for school Advice to share with parents as children join Reception

33 Competition

Rachel Lawler, editor UNDER 5

in brief...

CHILDHOOD OBESITY: Local authorities have called for increased funding to tackle health inequality after a 60% increase in the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last five years.

DfE announces ventilation monitoring scheme

round-up Alliance files new ICO complaint on funding data The Alliance has filed a new complaint with 2020/21 were less than two-thirds of what to the Information Commissioner’s Office government officials estimated to be the (ICO) after the Department for Education true cost of ‘fully funding’ the sector. (DfE) refused a request for proof that the Neil Leitch, chief executive of the latest increase in early years funding is Alliance, commented: “After spending enough to cover rising wage costs. two years trying to hide information which The Alliance initially filed an FOI request proved that it was knowingly underfunding to the DfE, asking for the calculations the sector, the government’s latest behind the government’s claim that the obstructive actions are disappointing, but £44 million increase in early sadly not surprising. The DfE years funding, which came has been claiming for months “It it simply into effect in April 2021, would now, including in Parliament, cover the costs of increases that the 1% increase in early not good to the National Living and enough to say: years funding rates that came Minimum Wages. Children and into effect in April was more ‘We’ll prove it than enough to pay for the more families minister Vicky Ford has at some repeatedly made this claim in than 2% increase in national Parliament, including during a living and minimum wages. So point [...]” public meeting of the All-Party where’s the proof? It is simply Parliamentary Group for Children and not good enough to say: ‘We’ll prove it at Early Education. some point’ when these rates have been in The Department rejected the effect for more than four months now. Alliance’s request on the basis that it “For years, early years providers have already plans to release “a document been struggling to survive on funding rates which considers the rate at which early the government knew were inadequate. years providers are funded for delivering They have been left to face the huge entitlements and looks at the average challenges of the pandemic with wholly cost of delivering childcare entitlements, inadequate support. As a sector, we have based on various relevant inputs – suffered a net loss of more than 2,000 including the minimum wage”. However, providers over the past year. Surely the no deadline or timescale was given for DfE can understand why we might find the publication of this document. it difficult to take these latest funding Earlier this year, the Alliance published claims on trust alone. The government government briefing documents, obtained needs to stop dragging it feet, and commit after a two-year FOI battle, which to releasing this important information revealed that early years funding rates for without further delay.”

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The Department for Education (DfE) will be providing all statefunded education settings with carbon dioxide monitors in a bid to identify ventilation requirements. Circulating fresh air into indoor spaces is said to be key preventing the spread of Covid-19 indoors. The monitors are designed to allow staff to act when ventilation is poor and provide reassurance where existing measures are working. The DfE says that “the majority” of the 300,000 monitors will be provided over the autumn term. Special schools and alternative provision will be given priority. Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Providing all schools with CO2 monitors will help them make sure they have the right balance of measures in place minimising any potential disruption to education and allowing them to focus on world class lessons and catch up for the children who need it. By keeping up simple measures, such as ventilation and testing, young people can now enjoy more freedom at school and college.” Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “Clearly, ventilating indoor spaces is a crucial component of ensuring early years settings remain as safe as possible. We therefore welcome the move to make carbon dioxide monitors available to all settings that offer early entitlements, as a valuable additional step to keep them both well-ventilated and hospitable during the more challenging autumn and winter months. “Ensuring our early years spaces remain Covid-safe is a mission the sector is fully invested in. Any additional support for that mission will not only help protect children and the early years workforce, but also allow the sector to remain open as much as possible, benefitting the many families which rely on it.”

LONG-COVID: Long-lasting symptoms of Covid-19 are “rare” in children, according to a new study by scientists at Kings College London, with fewer than 4% lasting four weeks or more.

Sure Start centres deliver long-lasting health benefits, according to new IFS report Sure Start centres, one of England’s biggest early years programmes, delivered long-term health benefits for children, lasting into their teenage years, according to new research by the IFS. The new research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, suggests that the children’s centres prevented 13,000 hospitalisations each year among 11-15-year-olds. The savings from these reduced hospitalisations offset around 31% of the cost of the programme. The IFS argues that the government should consider the longer-term impacts of early intervention alongside the upfront cost of early years services ahead of the autumn’s Spending Review. While the research also found an initial increase in hospitalisations for children at age one, likely linked to children’s centres roles in referring parents on to healthcare services and greater exposure to infectious illnesses in group settings, this increase was more than outweighed by the longer-term reduction in hospitalisations through childhood and adolescence. The research suggested that the reduced number of hospitalisations is likely linked to stronger immune systems, reduced chance of accidents and poisoning, improved mental health and potentially better behaviour during adolescence. Sarah Cattan, IFS associate director and a co-author of the report, said: “The savings from reduced hospitalisations up to age 15 offset around a third of the cost of the Sure Start programme – and that’s before considering any potential benefits in education, social care or crime. Ahead of this autumn’s tight Spending Review, these results are a reminder that policymakers should consider a programme’s potential for long-term savings, not just its up-front costs.”

Sure Start children’s centres launched in 1999, offering families with children under five a variety of support such as childcare, parenting support and health services. By 2010, the government was spending £1.8 billion on Sure Start centres – a third of overall early years spending at the time. Since then, funding for Sure Start centres has fallen by more than two-thirds as many centres have closed or restricted their services. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “If the government genuinely cares about our national finances, it should have no hesitation in making a significant investment into early childhood development, since the high-quality early years provision all children deserve will more than pay for itself in the years to come.”

“High-quality early years provision will more than pay for itself in the years to come.”

New lateral flow tests to be rolled out The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that NHS Test and Trace will be introducing a new type of lateral flow device for PVI nursery and pre-school at-home Covid testing. The new devices require nasal swabbing only, with no need for swabbing the throat as well. These devices, called Orient Gene tests, return a positive or negative result in under 30 minutes. The DfE has advised that settings should continue to use any remaining self-test kits and only order additional test kits through the online reordering system when stocks start to run low. The new Orient Gene test kits for at-home testing are supplied in boxes of seven and enable testing for three and a half weeks. Updated guidance on the introduction of the new Orient Gene test kit has been uploaded to the early years and primary school document sharing platform.

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Disadvantaged children “locked out” of early years opportunities, report reveals The 30 hours funded childcare offer has “widened the gap” between disadvantaged children and their peers, according to a new report from the Sutton Trust. The report found that the offer disproportionately benefits better-off families, with 70% of eligible parents in the top half of earners. In contrast, just 13% of eligible families are in the lower third of income distribution. Using modelling by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the report suggests that extending the 30 hour offer to three- and four-year olds who were previously eligible for funding for a disadvantaged two-yearold place would cost an additional £165 million a year by 2024-25 if current funding rates remain frozen in cash terms.

The report also calculated that extended the offer to all three- and fouryear-olds would cost an additional £250 million a year. The Sutton Trust predicts that this would benefit children in the 16% of families with no income and could reduce regional inequalities in access to the 30 hours offer. In a survey conducted by the Alliance, 80% of early years providers said they would welcome extending the 30 hours offer to more children but it was “universally felt” that this would only be feasible with increased funding. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “We know that high-quality early years provision can play a huge role in narrowing the gap between

disadvantaged children and their wealthier peers, and so clearly there is a strong argument to be made for widening access to the current 30 hours offer. However, as this research shows, the majority of nurseries, pre-schools and childminders would only support such changes to the 30-hours policy if they are adequately funded to deliver it. The harsh reality is that for many, any extension of the scheme at current rates of funding is simply unfeasible. “If the government is genuinely committed to improving the life chances of all children, then clearly it needs to invest in the sector that is proven to have the biggest impact on long-term learning and development: the early years.”

Pandemic has taken a toll on staff wellbeing, survey finds The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on early years practitioners’ health, with 50% feeling unwell as a result of work-related stress, according to a new survey by the Anna Freud Centre. Less than half of providers were aware of any mental health or wellbeing policy in place at their setting. Settings without a policy in place were also found to have the highest levels of staff stress. However, many early years staff also reported feeling that their settings were actively engaging with staff mental health and many said that they loved their work. Improving wellbeing The Anna Freud Centre has recommended four key areas to improve staff wellbeing in early years settings: 1. Supporting each other – Working as a team to check in on each other and sharing experiences. 2. Supportive management – Supporting staff with policies, procedures and resources as well as practical initiatives such as regular breaks. 3. Physical environments – Providing a space for staff to recover from stressful situations and the option to join in with fun activities. 4. Outside support – Training opportunities and signposting to local services.

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Dr Camilla Rosan, head of early years and prevention at the Anna Freud Centre, commented: “It’s clear from this new research how much early years staff love their work, but it’s also clear that it can at times be emotionally demanding and stressful. Staff wellbeing needs to lie at the heart of nursery settings, so we can best support those who look after young children in the first years of their lives.” Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “Low pay, long hours and excessive paperwork are all common aspects of life in the early years, so it is no surprise that staff wellbeing has been placed under severe

pressure for a number of years now, or that the Covid-19 pandemic has only added to this problem. “Our own research suggests the vast majority of early years professionals who come forward with mental health concerns to their colleagues have those concerns taken seriously. However, there is clearly more work to do to make sure every practitioner is also aware of, and has access to, the right kind of professional and practical support, should they need it – and also that settings have the support which they need to ensure this is the case.”

Unions call for improved ventilation in schools Education unions, including NEU, NAHT, ASCL, GMB, Unison, Unite and NASUWT, have written to education minister Gavin Williamson calling for “firm action” to improve ventilation in schools. The letter cited the risks of children suffering with ‘Long Covid’ and concerns about a new wave of flu in the autumn. The unions have called for measures such as carbon dioxide monitors and micro filters to ensure that air is flowing and harmful particles are removed. The Department for Education (DfE) has previously confirmed that it has not “provided specific additional funding for schools to improve classroom ventilation” since January 2021. The Department is running a pilot scheme, starting in

September, to asses the use of air purification technology in school settings. The Health and Safety Executive says that the need for employers to ensure that there is “an adequate supply of fresh air” in the workplace has not changed during the pandemic and that deciding what adequate ventilation looks like should form part of workplace risk assessments. Jim Kennedy, Unite’s national officer for education, said: “Public health experts have identified that proper ventilation is a key prerequisite as we enter the next stage in containing coronavirus. Free-flowing air circulation in schools, as well as workplaces and other places where people gather, should be a government priority.

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EYFS 2021? Exploring the EYFS 2021 £5.95 members £8.50 non-members The new Exploring the EYFS 2021 online publication explores how the successful implementation of the setting’s educational programmes depends on educators recognising that each child is unique. It is the positive relationships and enabling environments that will encourage their engagement with the world around them whilst acknowledging this

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Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage

Development Matters

Birth to 5 Matters

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Non-statutory curriculum guidance to support the implementation of the statutory requirements of the EYFS. It sets out the pathways of children’s development in broad ages and stages; to help you assess each child’s level of development.

Non-statutory guidance which practitioners may use to support their implementation of the EYFS. It outlines the foundations of good practice and offers information and guidance for practitioners to consider how the Principles of the EYFS can be brought to life in their setting. New sections on play, characteristics of effective learning, and self-regulation are designed to help practitioners to reflect on and develop their own pedagogy.

The new Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) that comes into effect on 1 September 2021, sets the standards for promoting the learning, development and safety of children from birth to five years for all registered early years providers in England.

Please visit shop.eyalliance.org.uk, call 0300 330 0996 or email shop@eyalliance.org.uk.

Early Years Alliance

Getting

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Graduation celebrations Jellybabies Nursery and Pre-school in Rednal held an outdoor graduation ceremony and sports day for children at the setting and their parents, after many months of coronavirus restrictions which limited parent events for many settings. Jacqueline walker, manager at the nursery, said: “It was great to have parents back in the setting and for them to be able to watch their children graduate either from nursery to reception or from our pre-school group to our nursery group.”

Olympic games Children at Marcham Pre-school in Abingdon, Oxford, explored the Olympics this summer as the 2020 games finally took place. The activities included a torch relay, opening ceremony, with each family presenting a diffe rent country, and three whole weeks of Olympic-inspired even ts. The children learned about sports such as bobsleigh, surfing, horse jumping, weightlifting and gymnastics before taking part in their own versions of each. Parents were able to watc h along via Zoom, making the events even more special.

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’.

PLAY

Child’s play? Charlotte Whalley, operations manager at the Alliance, explains the role of adults in helping children learn through play

iaget stated in his writings that, “Play is the work of children”. But if the child is at work while playing, where does the adult fit in? Children may play alone, in one sense, but they do not do it in a vacuum. Learning through play, and the quality experiences and opportunities for this, are created and nurtured when adults are involved in the process. This pedagogy takes on various forms and the role of the adult may differ throughout the changing ages and stages of child development. Let’s explore what roles an adult may take on as they support children to learn through play…

The Facilitator The facilitator enables play to happen. They organise the environment, provide the resources, adapt the opportunities so that there is differentiation for each child, and are on hand to respond to the needs of the child. The adult’s role is in constant flux here as they become more or less involved in the play, as determined by the interaction with and reactions of the child. As suggested in Development Matters, the non-statutory guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2021, seven features of effective practice discuss the pedagogy of helping children to learn. This includes the statement that: “Practitioners carefully organise enabling environments for high-quality play. Sometimes, they make time and space available for children to invent their own play. Sometimes, they join in to sensitively support and extend children’s learning.” The information that we can source from Development Matters goes on to suggest

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that the role of the adult should be to facilitate guided work for children in a group or individually, and also to provide a wellplanned learning environment, both indoors and outdoors. Observation plays a big part in facilitating learning through play. Our observations determine the journey and action of the adult in their facilitation.

the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities: communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges.” Ofsted, Early Years Inspection Handbook

The Scaffolder The scaffolder focuses on supporting the development of emerging skills. Vygotsky (1978) encourages us to recognise and respond to the “zone of proximal development”. Scaffolding supports a child in their acquisition of skill from not being able to complete a task, to completing it with help, to eventually completing it on their own. The role description for scaffolding includes techniques such as offering help, modelling, and prompting. Sustained shared thinking derives from scaffolding and the role of the adult here is to engage in the child’s play and to work with the child to develop and extend their thinking and learning. This is a highly skilled position to get to and involves working together to solve problems, clarify concepts, evaluate activities, and extend a narrative.

The Teacher Ofsted’s definition of teaching in the early years is an excellent description of this role, mainly because if practitioners are confident and competent in the criteria given by Ofsted then practice should be heading towards an outstanding level of quality: “Teaching in the early years should not be taken to imply a ‘top down’ or formal way of working. It is a broad term that covers

Here we can pick out the role descriptors in which Ofsted recommends for an early years’ practitioner, including communicating and modelling language which is embedded very much within Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework as well as the revised Educational Programmes (EYFS, 2021). The description given for this role within the handbook goes on to reinforce the notion of providing enabling environments, differentiation, and following children’s interests. So, to summarise, it is evident that we can draw information about what the role of the adult should be in supporting children’s learning through play from child phycologists, theorist and documentation which shapes our sector. Ultimately it is clear that the role of the adult is paramount in so many ways and is an ever-evolving role as we learn more and more about child development.

Find out more You can find more resources about the importance of play including all our National Week of Play activity ideas on our website at eyalliance.org.uk/national-week-play.

ACTIVITY

Ready, teddy, go! National Teddy Bear Day takes place on 9 September each year. Here, we look at some of the benefits of bears for children in the early years...

ational Teddy Bear Day is marked around the world on 9 September and celebrates the enduring appeal of a toy that brings comfort and cuddles to babies, children and adults alike. Who of us still has one much-loved teddy bear that we’ve kept and cherished over the years? The chances are, most of us! Teddy bears are often our first friends in life and, with the exception of the loving arms of parents, are where we turn for comfort and a cuddle when we need one. It is not surprising, therefore, that they are often given to newborn babies as a first toy and keepsake to remind us of early childhood as we grow up. But our love affair with teddies doesn’t begin and end in the early years. Studies have shown that a favourite teddy often accompanies students to university, and even some businessmen will quietly hide one away in a suitcase when travelling away from home with work.But what makes them so enduringly popular, and what are the benefits of teddy bears to a growing child?

Bear benefits Sarah Holmes, director of Merrythought, a family-owned manufacturer of hand-made teddy bears in the UK, said that soft toys were

as popular now as ever, despite the enormous range of toys and electronic gadgets now available for the youngest children. “The teddy bear is a very traditional and timeless toy, and is often given as a keepsake to a young child,” she says. “People still see them as an important part of growing up, because they provide comfort and companionship, and a friend to talk to. Children like to give their bears a name and, in their minds, create a whole persona for them. Teddy bears have a depth of character that other toys don’t have, and in playing with one a child brings it to life. The bear helps to stimulate and develop their imagination. “Teddy bears encourage this type of imaginative play by their very nature, in a way a gadget or electronic toy can’t.” Sarah added that the attachment is never more obvious than when a favourite teddy is lost, dropped accidentally from a buggy in the street or shop. The sense of grief will often be felt by all family members because of its importance to the child, and great efforts will be made to try to find the toy.

The teddy bear backstory Teddy bears first began to be produced in the early 1900s. The story goes that the

American President Theodore Roosevelt, who was often known as Teddy, spotted a bear on a hunting trip but didn’t have the heart to shoot it. His feelings of compassion towards the creature inspired a series of satirical cartoons in an American newspaper, which prompted Morris Michtom, a New York businessman to manufacture the first ‘Teddy’s Bear’ – which later became known as a teddy bear. Within a couple of years the sale of teddy bears was growing so quickly, Morris founded a soft toy company to produce them. At around the same time, and coincidentally, a German company called Steiff had begun producing stuffed bears with moveable joints. Today, millions of teddies are sold every year and given as gifts, or made to commemorate special events or occasions. Sarah believes their appeal is unlikely to end any time soon. “Children often get bored easily with themed or electronic toys, because they have limitations,” she said. “There are no limits to how you can play with a teddy bear. It is a blank canvas for a child and the special relationship that develops with that bear can endure for a lifetime.”

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Getting it right on wages Here’s a quick reminder of the rules on National Living and National Minimum Wages to help you keep your early years business within the rules... What is the difference between the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage? The National Minimum Wage (NMW) is the minimum hourly rate that can be paid to workers aged 22 and under. The National Living Wage (NLW) is paid to those aged 23 and older. These rates are set by the government and all employers must pay all staff at least these amounts per hour worked. These minimum rates usually rise at the start of April each year. It’s important to remember that the NLW is separate to the so-called “real living wage”, which is a voluntary scheme,

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run by the Living Wage campaign, and bases its rates on the estimated costs of living. This scheme has separate rates for London-based employees.

What are the current minimum rates? National Living Wage for workers aged 23 and over

£8.91 an hour

National Minimum Wage for workers aged 21-23

£8.36 an hour

National Minimum Wage for workers aged 18-20

£6.65 an hour

National Minimum Wage for workers under 18

£4.62 an hour

National Minimum Wage for apprentices under 19 and/or in their first year

£4.30 an hour

Are all workers entitled to the minimum wage? There are some exceptions to the national minimum wage rules, including those who are self-employed, volunteers and company directors. Work experience students may not be entitled to the minimum wage if they are aged under 16

BUSINESS

or are shadowing an employee rather than taking on a separate role themselves. Some work experience students or interns will be entitled to a minimum wage if they are given a contract or if they are offered a future contract or offer of work at the end of their placement.

Do employees need to be paid for all the time they spend at your setting? Employees should be paid at least the minimum wage for any time they spend at your setting working. This doesn’t include any unpaid lunch or tea breaks taken on site – although do check your contracts as some staff may be entitled to paid breaks. Employers may be at risk of underpaying workers if staff are not paid for time added on before or after shifts, such as for handover meetings or lengthy check-in and -out processes. You can ask staff to sign in and out at the start and end of their shifts to help monitor this. You may want to keep these records separate from any registers used to check staff in and out of the premises for health and safety purposes – particularly if any staff members choose to take their unpaid breaks onsite.

Can I charge staff for the cost of training courses that they take? If the training is mandatory, employers must make sure that any deductions made or payments taken do not take their employees’

salaries below the minimum wage. If employees are required to attend or complete any training, they must be paid for their time. This should be paid at the minimum required rate or above. They should be paid for this time regardless of whether the training takes place during their usual working hours.

What rate should apprentices be paid? The current minimum wage for apprentices is £4.30 an hour. All apprentices must be paid at least this minimum wage for all the time they spend training or studying as part of their apprenticeship, as well as any time they spend working in your setting. However, this apprentice rate only applies to employees who are aged under 19 or over 19 and in the first year of their apprenticeship. Those that are aged 19 or over, and have completed the first year of their course, must be paid the NMW or NLW for their age group. This lower minimum rate does not apply to workers who are not apprentices. For this rate to apply, a worker must be employed under a statutory apprenticeship agreement or a contract of apprenticeship.

How should we charge staff members for any childcare they use? If members of your team choose to send their own children to the setting where

they work, employers should be careful about how this is paid for – particularly if the employee is earning the minimum wage. Employers can deduct the cost of childcare from an employee’s wages before they are paid but they should be careful to explain how this will be done in their contracts. The employee’s wage slip must clearly detail the deductions. You may wish to pay the member of staff in full and invoice them separately for any childcare they have used.

What will happen if an employer is caught paying staff less than the minimum wage? Employers who have been found to have broken the law must pay their workers the wages they are owed in full. On top of this back pay, employers may also be fined up to 200% of the total amount in arrears to workers. Some employers may be publicly named and the worst offenders risk criminal prosecution.

Support for employees If you’re concerned about your pay, visit checkyourpay.campaign.gov.uk for help and guidance on the NLW and NMW.

Find out more For more business support, the Alliance offers a comprehensive, secure payslip service for early years providers. Find out more at eyalliance.org.uk/payslipservices or eyalliance.org.uk/businessand-management for more business and financial management advice. UNDER 5

How to How one nursery has embraced the popular concept of ‘hygge’ and embedded it into their practice

he concept of ‘hygge’ has been a central part of Danish culture for many years. It’s an idea that focuses on being cosy, feeling warm, safe and calm. It is often associated with simple pleasures such as lighting candles, baking and relaxing at home but it has a deeper meaning based on the idea of prioritising wellbeing. After the publication of several books dedicated to the idea, it’s been picking up traction here in the UK in recent years. With many people putting a greater emphasis on wellbeing after the pandemic, this only looks set to continue. But is this

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something that early years providers can use in their practice too? Edgbaston Nursery & Pre-school, a 94-place setting based in Birmingham, first decided to embed the concept of hygge into their practice during the coronavirus pandemic. Zareena Rashid, manager at the setting, explains: “During the first lockdown, we became very interested in wellbeing as we saw how the pandemic had impacted all of us. We really felt that the idea of ‘living in the moment’ could help us make changes to the nursery. It inspired us to take a more thoughtful approach.”

The nursery focused on the 10 hygge principles identified by Meik Wiking, author of The Little Book of Hygge and CEO at the Happiness Research Institute: atmosphere presence pleasure equality togetherness gratitude harmony truce comfort shelter

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After

Before...

The team used these principles to create a calmer environment and a new, more considerate approach to teaching and learning in the early years.

A new look The new approach involved making some big changes to their nursery environment. “Our nursery before was very brightly coloured. It was very over stimulating,” explains Zareena. “We didn’t realise how that environment could have been impacting the children’s wellbeing and development”. To help them rework the space, the team were keen to get input from children at the setting. “The children played a big part in the changes themselves,” Zareena says. “This enabled them to take ownership and pride in the improvements that we’ve made.” Now, the nursery has a much calmer look and feel, with simpler displays, more open space and lots of neutral tones. Soft lighting and calm music add to the new atmosphere. They’ve also added ‘cosy corners’ to each of the setting’s four rooms. These include fabric teepees with lots of pillows and blankets inside where children can relax. Zareena says: “Children can use these to relax, read a book or just enjoy being in the moment.”

New activities

we wanted to enhance the daily care The changes have not stopped with the routine as we felt that nappy-changing setting environment. The team has been can sometimes be mundane or repetitive.” introducing new activities with a focus on The new space is designed to appeal to natural materials and wellbeing. Steph, multiple sense with spa-inspired scents, deputy leader at the soothing music and setting, explains: “We “You cannot buy the right calming lighting. “We felt that hygge went did take inspiration from amount of atmosphere or hand in hand with the the sounds and smells a sense of togetherness. Early Years Foundation of a spa,” Steph adds. You cannot hygge if you Stage. The learning is The team also looked are in a hurry or stressed very child-led and it’s at what babies were based on every child’s out and the art of creating able to see when on individual interests.” intimacy cannot be bought the changing mats. The setting is now “The children are really be anything but time, working with lots of able to take in the interest and engagement natural and sustainable atmosphere and, most in the people around you.” importantly, it’s not resources, removing a Meik Wiking, The Little lot of plastic items from a rushed part of their the nursery. The team routine,” Zareena says. Book of Hygge: The Danish has also introduced They’ve since noticed Way to Live Well more wellbeingthat children are now focused activities, such as yoga, anticipating the nappy change process mindfulness and brain gym games. “This much more positively. enables children to take some time out of Behaviour changes their day and reflect on their emotions,” Since embracing hygge, Steph and Steph explains. Zareena have seen a huge change in the Better for babies children. “We believe it’s had a massive The setting has also taken the hygge impact,” Steph says. “Immediately when approach into its baby room with a new we started to take away the bright and space for children’s nappy changes. overstimulating wall displays and all the Zareena says: “For our younger children, plastic resources the staff reported

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positive changes in children’s behaviour.” “The parents absolutely loved it.” Steph says. “They’ve supported us with a lot of the changes and have really been a part of the process alongside children and staff.” They’ve already had fantastic feedback on the updated space with families finding it calm and relaxing as well as exciting for the children. “Some parents have reported positive changes in their child’s wellbeing at home as well,” she adds. One parent said: “The nursery’s new hygge approach to learning and their atmosphere/environment has made my little boy much calmer and he focuses more on activities that we do at home. He is now more willing to explore the outdoors and the different nature and natural resources – with less tablet time! He then wants to share his experiences at nursery with his peers of what we’ve done and made together.” Zareena and Steph say that some parents have even decided to bring the hygge approach into their homes as well. One parent said: “We changed our play room/space next to the kitchen over the Christmas period to be more green with plants and a wooden display for their artwork. I definitely think this worked well.”

A joined-up approach Edgbaston Nursery and Pre-school has been awarded a ‘Hygge in the Early Years’ Accreditation and plans to continue

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with the ethos going forward. The team is looking to embed the hygge approach into their curriculum as well as their physical environment, working it into their ‘planning in the moment’ ethos. “We’re always adding new things into the environment every day,” Zareena says. Recent updates have seen them improve their outdoor space with a greenhouse so that the children can grow and eat more vegetables as well as a wooden tee-pee so that children can enjoy another of their ‘cosy corners’ when outside. “It’s really come at a good time after Covid-19 and the effect it has had on people,” Steph adds. “Hygge is a really good step in the right direction for supporting children’s wellbeing.” They are also investing in staff wellbeing through hygge, as the approach aims to bring more joy into early years practice and puts a real focus on self-care for staff and work/life balance. The accreditation includes modules on avoiding staff burn out alongside the overall methodology. “Everything is linked together, how we’ve made these approaches,” Zareena says. “It’s not just about the nursery – it’s a lifestyle change really.”

What is hygge? Pronounced “hoo-gah”, hygge is a Danish word without a straightforward translation into English. It is an approach to life that focuses on living in the moment, with an emphasis on simple pleasures The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as: “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or wellbeing”.

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“We decided to invest in Edge Product Fogging Machines & solutions for each of the 28 nurseries in our group because I think it’s important to do everything we possibly can to keep our children, families and staff safe and healthy. This is especially important at the moment but will continue to be a priority for us long after coronavirus.” - Sarah Steel, CEO, The Old Station Nursery.

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For Further information Email: Sales@edge-protect.co.uk Call 0117 214 1109 Visit: www.edge-protect.co.uk Discounts for Early Years Alliance Members, and also multi site discounts.

Getting ready fo The team at Law-Call, a 24-hour helpline available to all Alliance members, considers the rules on wraparound care for early years providers

f you are considering setting up a wraparound care offer – including holiday care, school pick-ups and drop-offs – then there are many points to consider. Firstly, if any of the children you are caring for are under the age of eight, aside from a few exceptions, you will need to register with either Ofsted’s compulsory or early years register – or both. This applies even if you are based on a school site. There are a few important exceptions that may apply to providers offering wraparound care: If you look after each child for less than two hours each day – even if your setting is open for longer hours – then you cannot register. However, you may register on the voluntary part of the childcare register if you wish to. If your intention is to mainly provide tutoring or coaching for children aged

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three and over – in areas such as school study or homework support, sports, performing arts, arts and crafts, religious, cultural or language studies – you will not need to register, provided that you do not look after children under five for more than four hours in any one day. You will not have to register if you look after children under eight for 14 days or less in any year, as long as you let Ofsted know in writing at least 14 days before starting the service. You will not have to register if all of the children in your care are above the age of eight. For more details on this, including additional exceptions and guidelines on how to register, please check Ofsted’s Early Years and Childcare Registration Handbook.

Ratio requirements You should bear in mind that although the statutory minimum staff:child ratio is 1:30 for wraparound care, you must make sure that you are meeting the ratios required under your insurance. If you are required to register, or do so voluntarily, you will still need to meet all the other Ofsted welfare requirements. For example, you should be ensuring the safety of the children, understanding and meeting their individual needs, ensuring that they are adequately supervised and keeping them within sight or hearing at all times. All out-of-school care registered under Ofsted should have at least one member of staff with a 12-hour paediatric first aid qualification at all sessions. Providers must also ensure that all staff have child protection training and must be trained in food handling and hygiene if they handle foods and snacks. Providers should also have a trained special education needs

LAW-CALL

or wraparound coordinator (SENCO) and a trained lead practitioner for child protection available at all sessions.

Staff training and qualifications You should keep on file satisfactory childcare/playworker enhanced DBS disclosure for all staff and any volunteers. If you have any children attending who are in Reception year or below, you must employ staff with formal childcare qualifications. While you are not obliged to satisfy these statutory requirements, if your wraparound care is not registered it is almost certainly in your interest to use them as a guidance for what would be considered good practice in any event. Due to a number of reasons, you may consider whether it is beneficial for you to employ staff on separate contracts for two roles within your organisation

if there is no overlap of duties. For example, a cleaner who is employed as an afterschool carer or catering assistant who is employed in a holiday club. This is particularly recommended if one of these roles is likely to be temporary – or if the need for one of these roles is still uncertain. If you ensure that the contracts are treated entirely separately, you may be able to make the staff member redundant from one role without needing to make them redundant overall.

Keeping safe As the stringent restrictions on all our lives during the coronavirus pandemic are now lifting, the current guidance allows out-of-school settings and wraparound care providers to offer provision to all children without restrictions on the reasons for which they may attend. There is no longer any

need to keep children in consistent groups, or bubbles. However, providers still have a legal duty of care to ensure as much as possible that their setting environment is safe for all staff, users and any visitors. As well as your usual risk assessments, you should carry out a separate one relating to Covid-19. Like all risk assessments, it should be regularly reviewed and updated if the circumstances in your setting and the public health advice changes at any point or your control measures appear to be inadequate.

Find out more If you have specific questions about running wraparound care, please get in touch with Law-Call for advice. You can find their contact details in the Members’ Area of the Alliance website at portal.eyalliance.org.uk.

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Relaxing restrictions

The team at Law-Call, a 24-hour legal helpline available to all Alliance members, share some guidance to help you navigate the newly relaxed rules

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COVID-19

hile the relaxation of many rules and restrictions will be very welcome for many, particularly after so many months of the pandemic, many businesses have questions about how they can proceed and what will be seem as a “reasonable” approach. As a setting you owe an obligation to your staff under the Health and Safety Act to ensure a safe system of work. The key steps the government says providers should take to reduce the risk of transmitting an infection are: 1. Carry out a risk assessment, to assess what measures you may wish to adopt or retain, such as staggered start times, or mask for parents. 2. Ensure good hygiene for everyone including regular hand washing and sanitisation of hands. 3. Maintain appropriate cleaning regimes, using standard products such as detergents. 4. Keep occupied spaces well ventilated. This is quite a complex area, so of course many early years providers still have outstanding questions. Here are answers to some of the most common concerns:

Can we continue with the bubbles? While children do not have to kept in bubbles any more, it may be reasonable to continue with this practice if you feel that this would minimise the spread of infection and cause less disruption in the event of an outbreak. Also, the rules on children attending more than one setting has been relaxed and the number of settings a child attend does not need to be minimised.

Can we still ask parents and staff to wear face coverings? Although face coverings are no longer recommended for staff and visitors, should a setting wish to continue to require staff and parents to wear a face covering then this would be considered reasonable – unless any staff, parents or other visitors have an exemption. If an exemption applies, then you should

be considerate of individuals’ circumstances as they would likely to have a protected characteristic and therefore by protected from discrimination under the Equality Act. This should not be an issue for existing staff and parents as you would hopefully be aware of those who are exempt. If you have parents who previously wore masks and are now refusing or querying this, you can explain that as a setting you are entitled to adopt any health and safety measures which you feel are appropriate to protect your staff. It would be good practice to remind those who attend the premises which measures you will continue to require them to follow and you could deny a parent access to the building if they were not complying with these rules. Should you wish to continue to meet the children at the door rather than allowing admittance to parents this would also be acceptable. Most staff in settings will not require PPE beyond what they would normally need for their work, however, should you wish to continue to provide enhanced PPE then this would be acceptable.

Can we still stagger start times for the children? Settings may still need to stagger or adjust start and finish times. This helps keep groups apart as they arrive and leave the premises. You will continue to have your own health and safety risk assessments and keep them under review. You will need to continue to carefully implement these measures and inform parents about them.

Can we still ask staff to follow social distancing? Social distancing measures have now ended in the workplace and it is no longer necessary to apply the “one-metre plus” rule however this would be considered to be reasonable to continue to apply these rules to protect your staff.

Are staff allowed to work two different jobs? Current DfE guidance contains no restrictions on the number of settings early years staff are able to work in therefore it would not be advisable to continue to restrict this.

Can we require staff to undertake testing? Some employers may request employees to undertake regular testing for Covid-19 to identify people who are asymptomatic. This should be contained within your policies and procedures and should this be part of the current regime then this could continue to apply.

Are staff with medical conditions still able to work? The rules on working have not changed with the latest relaxation as where they have been unable to work from home they should be attending work. Clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people are advised, as a minimum, to follow the same guidance as everyone else. It is important that everyone adheres to this guidance, but CEV people may wish to think particularly carefully about the additional precautions they can continue to take. It is important to respect and be considerate of those who may wish to take a more cautious approach as restrictions are lifted. Employers should be able to explain the measures they have in place to keep CEV staff safe at work.

Can pregnant staff still work? Yes, pregnant staff are classed as clinically vulnerable and can continue to attend early years settings, though while in settings they should follow the sector-specific measures in the DfE’s Actions for Early Years guidance to minimise the risks of transmission. There is a long-standing requirement for employers to put in place measures to ensure workplace safety where a significant health and safety risk is identified for a new or expectant mother. Employers will need to take this into account in their risk assessments.

Find out more If you have any legal concerns about the lifting of restrictions, please contact LawCall for detailed advice. You can find their contact details in the Members’ Area of the Alliance website. For the latest updates on Covid-19, please visit eyalliance.org.uk/coronavirus.

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NEWS FEATURE

The impact of underfunding After the Alliance’s FOI investigation found that the government has been knowingly underfunding the early years sector, we take a look at the impact on families and their access to early education and care...

ast issue we revealed the results of the Alliance’s two-year Freedom of Information request battle with the Department for Education (“Shamelessly, knowingly underfunding our sector”, Jul/Aug 2021). Since then, the government has cited its “record investment” in childcare over the past 10 years, while children and families minister Vicky Ford has cited the fact that there are “sufficient” places available for children as evidence that the current funding rates are working. But how true is this? Are families really able to access all the childcare and early education that they need? To help set the record straight, we surveyed more than 3,000 parents of young children about their experiences accessing childcare. Sadly, the results show that more than a quarter (27%) of families are struggling to balance work and childcare, with parents in disadvantaged areas most likely to feel unsupported by government policies. The survey, carried out between July and August 2021, found that: Parents in deprived areas were 22% more likely to say that they are struggling to access childcare. Four out of five parents (80%) said that the government is not doing enough to help them access affordable, accessible childcare. One in six (17%) parents said difficulties accessing childcare had resulted in poor mental health, with stress and anxiety the most frequent complaints. One in six (16%) reported having to reduce their working hours and single parents were twice as likely to report needing to change jobs or leave work entirely as a result (11% compared to 6% of dualparent households).

A third (36%) of parents said that difficulties accessing childcare had negatively impacted their work life, with nearly half of those (47%) reporting that it had negatively impacted their mental health. According to the government’s own data, the number of providers on the early years register has fallen drastically over the past 12 months, with a net loss of more than 2,500 settings – equivalent to 4.5% of the overall sector. Parents of children who had previously attended a childcare setting that had now permanently closed often found it challenging to secure an alternative, with just one in three (29%) saying it was “easy” to find a new setting. The Alliance has repeatedly called on the government to carry out a full review of early years funding, ahead of the comprehensive Spending Review due this autumn. With many early years providers struggling with the additional cost of implementing Covid-19 measures, many early years settings have struggled to stay afloat over the past 18 months. These additional expenses come after years of underfunding for the sector. One parent told the Alliance: “My stress levels are higher due to having to balance work and looking after my son at the same time. I am constantly worried about not meeting my job commitments and deadlines.” Another said: “There are limited places for babies in my area. The nursery we attend is due to close due to the landlords not renewing the lease – it’s an outstanding nursery. This will be the fifth one to close. I and other parents have had to move three times chasing here and there before work and older children’s drop offs.” Another commented: “I had to cease being self-employed as I could not find or afford childcare. I have secured a new job but this is a massive pay cut and a big demotion and will only earn enough to cover my youngest

son’s childcare costs. It leaves me with not enough for after school club for my eldest child. The after-school club has closed anyway so I have reduced my hours to cover pick up and drop off. Family that may have been able to help have become to too ill and others have become too anxious to be able to help with childcare.” The Alliance’s Freedom of Information request investigation found that officials at the DfE had previously estimated that the cost of “fully funding” an early years place would reach £7.49 an hour by 2020/21 – £2.60 more than the average £4.89 paid to settings during that period. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “This government has repeatedly told the public it is on the side of working families, but cuts to crucial early care and education tell a different story. Early years settings deliver vital learning and development opportunities to young children, but also provide the quality childcare that parents rely on to work, bring in additional income and further their careers. “With budgets becoming ever tighter in the face of rising costs and stagnant funding, many nurseries, pre-schools and childminders have been forced to make tough decisions about the days, hours, and flexibility they can offer. As our survey shows, this in turn is forcing parents to make their own difficult choices about their working lives. For settings and families in more deprived areas, these challenges are even more acute. “We have seen the government documents: ministers are fully aware that early years underfunding is driving up childcare costs – and that this is keeping parents, and especially mothers out of the workplace – and yet they continue to insist that all is fine and refuse to even review what is clearly a broken system. “We urge the government to seize the opportunity of the spending review this autumn to finally show it has the interests of children and families at heart, something it is yet to demonstrate in any meaningful way.”

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Anchors away! Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, shares ideas for celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19 September

heck any date on the calendar and you can almost guarantee that it will have been claimed as an international or national day of celebration. Many of these dates will hold deep religious or cultural significance, others will aim to raise awareness of a particular charity or cause. Others have no clear intention other than just harmless silliness, which is where we find the origins of Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19 September. In June 1995, two gentlemen thought it would be a good idea to encourage people to dress and talk like a pirate for a day. The even quickly gained momentum when the media picked up on it and it soon became an annual event, adopted by many charities as a chance to raise funds. Of course, real pirates have a dark history and many of the activities they engage in are criminal offences with serious consequences. Despite this, the sillier versions of pirates have been claimed by film franchises, authors and consequently children all over the world as a recognisable character that piques their interest and generates a lot of play opportunities.

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Is it wrong to celebrate pirates? Well, there have always been good and bad guys in children’s play – from cops and robbers to cowboys and Indians. Children often use role play to explore important concepts such as right and wrong. So, ahoy there ye landlubbers, show a leg and act smart – this is no time to take a caulk! Bring a spring upon ye cable, find ye sea legs and think handsomely! 19 September falls on a Sunday this year, but you can run a shot across the bow now so that your little pirates can parley with their families on the actual day. Here are some ideas for you to try…

Set the scene for Talk Like a Pirate Day Having the adults around them suddenly start talking in strange accents and using even stranger words would be confusing for any child. There should be some build up before the day itself to help them. Share some favourite pirate story books such as: Molly Rogers, Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke

Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Corte The Dinosaur that Pooped a Pirate by Dougie Poynter and Tom Fletcher Pirate Pete and his Smelly Feet by Lucy Rowland and Mark Chambers Ten Little Pirates by Mike Brownlow Enhance your continuous provision with a few pirate-themed resources. Turn your sand and water play into a treasure island, complete with buried treasure. Add some parchment scrolls to your mark-making area for children to create treasure maps. It is easy to create parchment by colouring white paper with a wash of tea, tear the edges slightly and roll it up before securing with a ribbon. Have one or two scrolls waiting and mark the floor with an ‘x’ to introduce the idea of a treasure hunt. See where the children take the idea next! Add some pirate-themed cloths to your dressing up box. There is no need to purchase anything special – just look for a few striped tops and frayed bottoms. You could make everyone eye patches and

ACTIVITY CORNER

Pirate glossary Ahoy there – a greeting Arr or Aharr! – an exclamation Avast! – stop Becalmed – not being able to move, usually because there is no wind Blimey! – an exclamation of surprise or shock Bring a spring upon ye cable – change direction to surprise another vessel Code of conduct – the rules for how pirates behave on their ship/vessel Handsomely – quickly or carefully Heave – a direction or instruction to come to a halt Ho – to attract someone’s attention or to express surprise (like saying hey!) List – lean to one side Marooned – stranded on a desert island

pirate hats quite easily. Find your sea legs with some music and movement. There are some great sing along pirate songs on YouTube, such as “A Pirate Went to Sea, Sea, Sea..”. Watch extracts from Peter Pan or Hook and select and particular clip – no more than five or 10 minutes. See where the children’s interest takes you. They may surprise you with what really fascinates them – you might assume that the treasure will be most engaging, when in fact the children only want to focus on the crocodile or a parrot! Practice walking the plank. Children will develop balance and coordination by placing a plank or board on the floor, making sure it is only just wide enough for children to walk carefully across. Add some swathes of blue netting or other fabric to represent the sea and take turns to walk to the end. When a child jumps off the end, encourage them to shout: “Splash!”. Lend a hand to any younger children who are still unsteady on their feet or to those with mobility challenges.

Research the lingo You will need to start practicing some techniques, such as emphasising your ‘r’s and replacing the verbs “are” and “is” with “be”. For example: “You be looking like a fine pirate today!” A good gravelling voice also helps and is a great way for young children to experiment with their voices and play with new vocabulary. If you are really going to talk like a pirate, then you’ll need to get some key phrases under your belt. Incorporate them into the routines of the day. You could start by greeting everyone at the door with a cheerful: “Ahoy there!” and remember to exclaim: “Shiver me timbers!” every now and again! Remember that although you may start with pirates, it is only relevant as a meaningful learning opportunity if you follow the children’s lead. But don’t worry, the enduring appeal to young children of these colourful characters, should ensure that educators are not left “marooned” and we can guarantee that you will not have to “weigh anchor” too soon on this theme.

Me hearties – reference to others with good qualities or bravery Overhaul – to catch up with another ship or overtake it Parley – a discussion Sail Ho! – spotting another ship Sea Legs – getting your balance on board the ship, especially in rough seas Land Legs – walking normally again on land (not swaggering) Pieces of eight – a Spanish coin that was literally cut into eight pieces to make change, now generally refers to gold coins (in pirate lore) Shiver me timbers! – surprise or strong emotion Show a leg – wake up Sink me – another expression of surprise Smartly – quickly Take a caulk – take a nap Weigh Anchor – raise the anchor and/or leave port, set sail Ye – You

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BEST PRACTICE

child’s developing attachment system but there are differences in attachment styles, as well as each child’s unique temperament, which means that not all children will adapt as readily to a new setting. Understanding these differences and how they have developed will help care staff to adapt their approach to the child to suit their needs.

What can educators do?

Managing separation anxiety How to manage separation anxiety as families begin to return to work and children get back to early years settings

he past 18 months have been anything but normal. Early years practitioners have been forced to adapt to a new daily routine, working hard to keep their settings safe while providing their usual positive environment for children to grow and learn. For children under five, coronavirus restrictions have been in place for a large proportion of their lives, significantly impacting their learning and development. Almost all providers participating in Ofsted research interviews in October 2020 said that they were “particularly concerned” about children’s personal, social and emotional development. Some children had returned to early years settings less confident and more anxious than they were before the pandemic. In some cases, children had even become less independent – with Ofsted citing examples of children using dummies again or being back in nappies having previously been toiled-trained. We know that children between birth and the age of three develop at a tremendous rate, both physically and mentally. Children are influenced by many things, learning both inside and outside the home. External family and friends usually have a huge impact on children’s emotional development. Yet, during this pandemic, children have spent more time at home and less time outside. They’ve also had to learn new rules about wearing masks, washing their hands and social distancing. Alongside other concerns, separation anxiety – a normal part of development – has been exacerbated by the pandemic and is on the increase. Lockdown created small family

bubbles with limited interaction with anyone else for extended periods and restricted almost all larger gatherings. As parents have slowly returned to the workplace, many children will feel intensely anxious about leaving their parents’ side and stepping outside of their family bubble – even if they were once excited to go to nursery, preschool or childminding setting. This can be really hard to deal with. Early years educators play a hugely important role in easing the transition back to settings in a positive, age-appropriate way. It is likely that both parent and child will need support to ensure that the transition goes smoothly, minimising distress for all involved. Signs of separation anxiety can include: nightmares or difficulty sleeping refusal to leave the presence of parents, carers or close companions extreme reluctance to participate in activities due to fear of separation panic, depression or temper tantrums at times of separation

The Early Years Foundation Stage states that: “Each child must be assigned a key person. This key person needs to build an on-going relationship with the child and his/her parent/s and should be committed to that child’s wellbeing while they are in the setting”. The Alliance Policies and Procedures for the EYFS 2021 includes a settling in procedure that follows a three-stage model based on three key needs: 1. Proximity – feeling safe with a familiar adult 2. Secure base – feeling settled in the new environment 3. Dependency – forming an attachment to their key carer However, it is important to recognise that every child is different and early years practitioners will need to adapt to each child’s needs. It’s also important to recognise the need for early years educators to get support to deal with separation anxiety in our young children and families as we move towards a new normal.

Join our webinar: Practical strategies for managing separation anxiety The Infant & Toddler Forum has teamed up with the Alliance to offer a webinar sharing 10 key steps to manage separation anxiety in settings. Together we will explore the three-stage model of settling children in with practical guidance and tips to work towards a smooth transition. You can join the Infant & Toddler Forum’s live webinar on Monday 27 September at 6pm, where Dr Gillian Harris, consultant paediatric clinical psychologist, and Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, will discuss the implications of separation anxiety and share plenty of tips and information from their own experience.

What fuels separation anxiety Infants and toddlers are understandably wary of anything new – including new people, objects, places and food. Their usual caregiver or parent providers a safe base for them to explore these new experiences. This is a normal part of a

Alliance members – £25 use the code “EYA25” at the checkout. Non-members - £30 shop.infantandtoddlerforum.org/webinarseparation-anxiety. UNDER 5

Meeting the needs of compromising on the Hilary White, author of a new Alliance publication, shares ideas for promoting social responsibility in the early years

The Education for Sustainability (EfS) movement has developed out of concerns for the environment and social responsibility issues. Sustainability is: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland, 1987). Social responsibility means considering how people’s lives, recreation and working practices impact other people. In relation to sustainability, a sense of social responsibility requires people to think about how their actions affect not only local societies, but societies across the world. For young children, the concept of social responsibility and the part it plays in early years provision means exploring events and issues such as: The impact of their behaviour and actions on others. For example, how does it make a child feel if a toy is snatched from them? Taking responsibility for their actions. For example, saying sorry to the person the toy was snatched from and giving it back. The moral reasons that underlie fairness and sharing. For example, talking about sharing and the right thing to do because it makes the other person feel happy.

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Different aspects of sustainability education can be linked with many of the areas of learning and development. It is therefore important that practitioners weave EfS provision into each area of learning and development, to suit the specific needs of the children and levels of resourcing in terms of location, budget, staff expertise and parental support - all of which can affect EfS provision. For the early years practitioner looking to develop EfS provision, sustainability and social responsibility are all-encompassing. Everything will link with EfS in one way or another, for example: Water, sand and mud play lay foundations for later learning about pollution and soil erosion. Exploring different weathers lays foundations for later learning about climate change and natural disasters. Investigating wildlife and farm animals lays foundations for later learning about biodiversity and sustainable farming practices. Each of the seven areas of learning and development can be considered as relevant to EfS. For example, for Communication and Language, the speaking early learning goal includes: “express their...feelings about their experiences”, which highlights the importance of the link between feelings and language. Feelings are central to everyone’s lives in general, and to sustainability and social responsibility in particular. However, it is through the internal language of thoughts and the external

language of expression, explanation and conversation that sense of these feelings is made. Being able to recognise the feelings engendered by experiences has a special part to play in relation to sustainability awareness. The kind of impetus needed to bring about change is most powerfully wrought by emotional engagement with surroundings. Wonder, fascination and concern are just some of the responses that need to be identified if future populations are to live in greater harmony with the world. It is important not to simply introduce activities with a sustainability theme, but to ensure that EfS provision is underpinned by the sustainability themes of fairness and sufficiency, resourced as sustainably as possible, and designed to offer opportunities for self-regulation, creativity, critical thinking and mathematical skills. It is also useful to fit sustainability activities into the Ofsted framework of curriculum intent, implementation and impact. Doing so helps identify specific learning aims for individual activities and continuous provision scenarios and examine how to bring them to fruition. When planning activities within the intent/implementation/ impact framework, early educators will need to ensure that: Intent is realised through best practice implementation. Implementation results in a positive and visible impact for every child. All staff remain alert to unexpected moments of positive impact. Implementation is adjusted to nurture impact, as needed.

SUSTAINABILITY

f the present, without e future The following example examines a typical EfS activity and experience within the framework of intent, implementation and impact. Various aspects of each activity are also linked with the relevant areas of learning and development: Exploring ecosystems: Learning about the defining characteristics of familiar natural environments such as the garden, the park, the beach, the woods (intent) through trips, observation, ageappropriate picture books, photos and online footage (implementation). Using nature collections and art to explore and reflect on a particular environment

following a visit (implementation). Children are able to recognise some of the characteristic features of a particular environment and identify differences, such as comparisons between the beach and the forest (impact). Children begin to show an understanding that an environment (ecosystem) constitutes an important home for its animal and plant life (impact). Areas of learning: Exploring and learning about outdoor environments (UW, PD); spending time in nature (PSED); investigating different ecosystems through books (L); gathering new

vocabulary (CL); creating artwork inspired by landscapes (EAD). Every adult in the setting needs to make a commitment to the principles of sustainability and show a willingness to examine their own personal attitudes, beliefs and habits. Sustainability activities need to be rooted in a context that embodies love, understanding and concern for humanity, the animal kingdom and the many different environments they inhabit.

EARLY BIRD OFFER Educating Social Responsibility By Hilary White £8.95 members, £12.80 non-members Early Years Alliance (2021)

Interested in buying? The young children of today are the adults of tomorrow. This new online publication will enable early years practitioners to offer learning experiences that will equip children for their future as well as the here-and-now. Educating Social Responsibility looks at how each of the seven areas of learning and development link with sustainability and social responsibility, the role of critical thinking in making sustainable life choices, the practicalities of planning themes, approaches and activities and considers changes to make management of the setting more sustainable. A set of ten activity cards are also provided in hard copy, to encourage the child’s exploration of sustainability themes and topics, covering areas such as water conservation and clean air, caring for ourselves and others and recycling and repurposing. Order by 30 September, quoting ESR21 to receive 20% off

Please visit shop.eyalliance.org.uk, call 0300 330 0996 or email shop@eyalliance.org.uk. shop.eyalliance.org.uk

Answering your Ofsted questions Ofsted has answered some of providers’ most common questions on the EYFS and early years inspection practice

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OFSTED

Do inspectors want to see as much paperwork as possible? Should we store our paperwork in a folder marked ‘Ofsted’? Ofsted does not want to see a particular amount or type of paperwork during an inspection. Paragraph 2.2 of the EYFS framework sets out the requirements on paperwork related to assessment. Assessment should not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children, nor require excessive paperwork. Practitioners should draw on their knowledge of the child and their own expert professional judgement and should not be required to prove this through collection of physical evidence. Settings should use whatever approach to paperwork suits them. They are free to file it however they like. Each inspection is unique and inspectors will only ask to see evidence they consider appropriate to that individual setting. This is usually determined by their observations of teaching and learning. The paperwork most often requested is listed in paragraph 59 of the early years inspection handbook, but it is unlikely that an inspector will want to see all of these documents at every inspection. From September 2021, the revised EYFS framework no longer includes the requirement for providers to seek permission from Ofsted to keep any records securely off site. However, it is for providers to ensure that they comply with data protection obligations. Will inspectors expect providers to show the progress of each child tracked against Development Matters? No. Ofsted does not have a preferred method of how settings assess children’s progress. Our inspection handbook outlines how we will gather evidence through observation and discussion on inspection. Inspectors will want to find out about the story of a child, including: what they knew and could do when they started at the provision what they can do now and how you got them there

what your plans are for that child so that they are ready for their next stage of learning Getting to know children and finding out what they know and can do is something we know early years practitioners are skilled at. This is what is important. Whatever ‘system’ providers have in place for the assessment of young children shouldn’t take adults away from those important interactions. As outlined in our handbook and in our myth-busting work, inspectors do not expect to see documentation other than that set out in the EYFS framework. They will use the evidence gathered from discussions and observations to judge the overall quality of the curriculum provided for children. Will Ofsted prefer to see paper assessments rather than those recorded electronically? There is no prescribed way of carrying out or recording assessments as long as it is effective and helps children’s learning, development and progress.

planning does not need to be in any specific format. There is no need to produce a ‘curriculum map’. It is up to providers to determine the format of their planning, and it is up to leaders to justify these plans based on what they want children to encounter, explore and learn in the setting. What impact will the new EYFS have on inspections? Ofsted inspects in line with the principles and requirements set out in the statutory EYFS framework to evaluate the overall quality and standards of a setting’s early years provision. From 1 September 2021, Ofsted inspections will be in line with the requirements set out in the revised EYFS framework for all early years providers. Will Ofsted negatively judge settings for having a ‘stripped-back, Covid-19 safe provision’? For example, without soft furnishings, dressing-up clothes, pillows or cosy spaces and no sand or water? No, we will not judge settings negatively on how they delivered their provision during the pandemic. We know that some providers will have changed how and what they delivered during this time. However, we will seek to understand how a provider adapted and prioritised what it did to get the best results for children throughout this period. Inspectors will also want to see the extent to which leaders have designed an ambitions and well-sequenced curriculum, how they are addressing any disruption, and how they are ensuring that any gaps in knowledge are closed so children are prepared for their next stage of education.

“Each inspection is unique and inspectors will only ask to see evidence they consider appropriate to that setting.”

Do providers need to produce a curriculum map? We are keen to bust this myth! We don’t know where the idea of a ‘curriculum map’ has come from, but we are clear that what children learn in the early years is incredibly important for their future success. Inspectors will want to know how leaders design an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that prepares children well for the next stage of their education. Providers will be asked what they want children to learn and why, how they are helping children know more and remember more, and how they measure this success. Our inspection handbooks for both registered early years providers and schools make it clear that curriculum

Find out more These FAQs are designed for use alongside the Early Years Inspection Handbook, which you can read online at bit.ly/OfstedEYIH. You can read more FAQs from Ofsted at bit.ly/OfstedFAQ.

FAMILY CORNER

Getting your child ready for school At this time of year, your child may be getting ready to start their school journey. How can you help them prepare for this important step?

he move from pre-school to ‘big school’ is an important one in the life of all children and their families. Many children are absolutely bursting to get there, but others might be feeling a bit apprehensive. There are lots of things you can do at home to help your child be ready and raring to go – and we’re not talking about drilling them daily with flashcards and sudokus! Readiness for school is more about preparing your little one for the social, emotional and communication challenges that they are going to face, and helping them with some simple skills that will make their journey that little bit easier.

Communication skills E ncourage your child to follow instructions: This could be fetching you something from the house or garden, drawing you a very simple picture, or helping to tidy away toys. Raise the stakes gradually over time by moving on to two instructions, then three, and seeing if your child can follow them in order. E ncourage detail in conversations: Choose simple everyday objects and ask your child to tell you what colour it is, what size it is, and what it’s for. You can turn this into a game, for example: choose five to 10

everyday objects and lay them out on a tray or the floor. Take turns to secretly choose one but leave it with the other objects. Describe your chosen object to see if your partner guess what object has been chosen.

Physical skills Dressing — When your child gets to school, it’s really helpful if they can dress and undress themselves, as they will be changing to do PE, putting on aprons for painting and crafts. Encouraging your child to put on their own clothes in the morning or pyjamas in the evening with lots of praise. Playing dressing-up games will help your child practise putting clothing on and taking it off. Shoes — These can be tricky, and not all pre-schoolers will be able to do them up, but you can help by choosing shoes with Velcro rather than laces – tying laces is a skill that will come much later. Buckles can be quite fiddly too but are easier than tying laces. Encourage your child to put on their own shoes, even if they can’t do them up. Finding ways of helping your child know which shoe goes on which foot is useful too – so buckles are always on the outside or ‘the red stripes always touch when you put your feet together’.

Social skills

Share t his guidan ce with parent s and carers

Board and card games: encourage turn taking, and also help your child adjust to dealing with making mistakes or losing a game – this is important, because learning new things doesn’t always mean success first time and they won’t always win!

Role playing: When you and your child play with figures or animals, steer the play towards scenarios that they might encounter in the playground, such as inviting a dinosaur who’s been left by himself to join in a game. Be sensitive to the scenarios your child is presenting as these may provide hints about things the child is finding challenging

Emotional skills Many parents find their child’s first day at school is an emotional day as their ‘baby’ is growing up and becoming independent. It is important that you do not show your child that you are feeling upset so talk to adults close to you to help you through this period of change. You’ll learn the name of your child’s new teacher at any introductory sessions you and your child attend – be sure to use positive language when you discuss him or her, focusing on how much they are looking forward to getting to know your child and find out how great they are. It’s tempting to use the prospect of starting school to try and encourage good behaviour; this isn’t a problem if it’s done positively – for example, say things like: “won’t your teacher be impressed when he finds out how good you are at getting your own socks on,” rather than negative comments such as: “your new teacher will be very cross if you don’t share nicely when you get to school.”

Find out more For more advice and tips aimed at parents and families, visit familycorner.co.uk. 32

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