CIPD is an acronym that stands for The ‘Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.’  This organisation is a professional association for human resource management professionals.  It is operated from Wimbledon, being founded in 1913.  This date allows it to claim to be the world’s oldest association in its field, having over 135,000 members.  It works across private, public and voluntary sectors.

You’re not alone in the personnel jungle; EYA Resources can help with all of your early years HR questions.  Have a think, have you got any gaps in your understanding or implementation? Get in touch!

CL stands for ‘Communication and Language’.  It is a term which is part of the Early years (under 5s) foundation stage framework.  This document gives guidance on the standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children under 5. Here communication and language are broken down into three parts:

• Listening and attention
• Understanding
• Speaking

All of these areas are assessed as part of the Common inspection framework.

COSHH stands for ‘Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health.’  It is a law.  In the world of early years hazardous substances are things like:

• Cleaning chemicals
• Soiled nappies
• First aid items such as used plasters
• Vomit
• Medicines
• Some play items such as crayons, play sand, glue sticks and clay
• Sterilising fluid

This legislation requires employers to prevent or reduce workers’ exposure to hazardous substances by:

• Having a look in the work environment and finding out what the health hazards are
• Deciding how to prevent harm to health by making a risk assessment
• Providing equipment and methods or working which will reduce harm to health
• Making sure they are used
• Keeping all COSHH equipment in good working order and at the right stock levels
• Providing information, instruction and training for employees and others
• Providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases
• Planning for emergencies

Most businesses use substances or products that are mixtures of substances and early years environments are no exception.  Think of how you disinfect a changing mat.  Nurseries, childminders and nannies would all recognise that their work also creates substances; a soiled nappy, a vomit stained bib.  Any one of these could cause harm to employees, contractors and other people, and need management.

You’re not alone in the COSHH jungle; EYFS Resources can help with all of your early years COSHH questions.  Have a think, have you got any gaps in your understanding or implementation?  If the answer is yes, maybe you need a chat with Dean?

CPD stands for ‘Continuous Professional Development’ or ‘Continuing Professional Development’ depending on the source you are looking at, but essentially the two terms mean the same thing.

These phrases sometimes have ‘EY’ before them which refers to ‘Early Years.’  When you joined the early years field, you gave a commitment that you would keep learning formally and informally to maintain your skills and knowledge.  This journey has to be recorded in writing.  You are probably undertaking CPD without even knowing it, as it is seen as any learning that increases knowledge, understanding and experience of early years settings, but to do it properly and completely a record has run alongside your development.

CPD traditionally refers to keeping a physical folder of your learning.  This learning log can be as formal or as informal as you need.  Some people write things down in great detail, while others prefer more of a ‘note’ method.  However, the process of recording is critical, as this not only provides a type of ‘history’ (and gives your memory a well-earned rest) but it also makes reflection much easier.

The key parts to recognise are:

• You are expected to drive your learning (not your employer or any company that you work for though there may be a ‘sharing’ of this responsibility)
• Record things that you learn in a folder, book or log
• Reflect on the learning
• Review the things you have achieved and where you might take your future growth
• Have a review programme; set a time frame to look periodically at your learning journey
• As a result of your findings plan learning goals
• This programme has to underpin all early years practice for as long as you remain in the industry
• It doesn’t mean you have to spend money or dedicate lots of time.  Learning could be work shadowing, reading, talking to co-workers about the management of difficult situations, etc.

Of course, formal certified training does have a place, but it is by no means the be-all-and-end-all.

CPD isn’t as hard as you think.  Great questions that can help you drive your CPD and related portfolio are:

• Where am I now?
• Where do I want to be?
• What do I have to do to get there?
• How often shall I review my progress to keep me on track?

Need help?  Don’t know who to turn to with your raft of questions and fears about early years CPD?  Don’t be shy, get in touch with EYA, our friendly team is more than happy to help, after all we’ve been there!  Or become a member and chat to others in the industry.  Remember together we are stronger.

DSE stands for Display Screen Equipment and is a more modern term for ‘visual display unit’ or VDU.  According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) something can be classified as being a DSE if it ‘is a device or (piece of) equipment that has an alphanumeric or graphic display screen, regardless of the display process involved; it includes both conventional display screens and those used in emerging technologies such as laptops, touch-screens and other similar devices.’

Phew!  EY is a simple acronym and stands for ‘Early Years.’

EYFS stands for ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ and as a term was born from Section 39 of the British Government’s Childcare Act 2006.  The legislation came into effect in 2008 and instructed providers of care to children five years and below to uphold a set of welfare and learning and development requirements, which are in an Order separate to the Act.  The welfare requirements are UK-wide, whilst the learning and development aspects apply only to English early years providers.

The key thing to note is that the learning and development targets set standards in both literacy and numeracy.

When EYFS commenced it was seen as greeted very controversially.  Not all childcare experts agreed in either the setting of standards, the benchmarks required of children, or the prescriptive nature demanded in literacy and numeracy teaching of the under fives.  Campaign groups were established to call for EYFS changes.  Those leading this charge were OpenEYE and Save Steiner Schools.

EYPP stands for ‘early years pupil premium.’  This is essentially a government pot of money.  It was established to provide additional funding for early years settings to improve the education they provide for disadvantaged three and four year-old children.  However, in order to be eligible for this funding the child must meet one or more circumstances in a set of defined criteria.

2007 saw the arrival in England of the first Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) course.  This system of adult education was established by the Children’s Workforce Development Council and British Government to further professionalise the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (child education from ages zero-five) of learning.  A different model was adopted in Scotland that of the Childhood Practice Award.

EYPS is broadly equivalent to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) which focuses on the teaching of five to eighteen-year-olds and is also a degree level course.

The British Government set targets for English children’s centres and full daycare settings, requiring them to have at least one person qualified to this standard by a certain deadline.  This programme was then replaced with the qualification of EYTS (Early Years Teacher Status.)

In late 2014 Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) was superseded by Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS.)  In Scotland, EYTS can also stand for ‘Early Years Teacher Specialism.’  People with either title are specialists in early childhood development, working with babies and children from birth to five years in early years settings.  It is a graduate qualification.

At the beginning of EYTS’ implementation, there was confusion over whether this was the same as general Qualified Teacher Status (QTS.)  At present, it has stand-alone status.

Many qualifications and experiences that early years workers hold that pre-date the start of the EYT programme can be used to work towards gaining this qualification ‘on-the-job’; check out the standards for further information.

HCPC stands for the ‘Health And Care Professionals Council.’  They are a regulator established to protect the public through maintaining a register of health and care professionals who meet certain standards of training, professional skills, behaviour and health.

HR stands for ‘Human Resources’ but is sometimes known as HMR or ‘Human Resources Management.’  Within early years settings, this is either a person in small childcare operations or a department in larger ventures.  The person or people given HR responsibility usually have to:

• Find and recruit personnel
• Induct, train and develop the staff in their organisation
• Manage benefit administration
• Motivate and look for ways of retaining staff
• Create and implement policies and procedures to help staff behave in the culture of the business and in a way that upholds the law
• Hold exit interviews to find out why a person has chosen to move on
• Make sure that the early years setting complies with employment law
• Deal with grievance and disciplinary matters

However, the overall goal of all of these tasks is to make effective use of all employees whilst reducing company risks and maximising the return on investment.

Just been given this responsibility?  Don’t know where to turn in the HR jungle?  Want advice from those that understand HR in early years?  Just get in touch and ask.  Go on, don’t be shy our team is waiting.

I CAN is the children’s communication charity.  They are experts in helping children develop the speech, language and communication skills they need to thrive in a 21st-century world.  Their vision is a world where all children have the communication skills they need to fulfil their potential.  Their mission is that no child should be left out or left behind because of a difficulty speaking or understanding.  If you need any help with such matters, drop us an email!

Whether your early years setting is large or small KPIs can have a hugely positive effect in ensuring that you stay ahead of the competition and have a service of continual excellence.  Unfortunately, KPIs seem to be very under used in childcare though they are prevalent as a business tool in many other industries.

KPI stands for ‘Key Performance Indicator.’  In early years, they are concepts that have been built by the childcarer to define and measure progress towards a goal or objective.  Initially, a team of people or even a sole trader sits down and looks at the organisation’s mission and goals. Once this has been done, they need a way of measuring progress towards these goals, and that is where the KPI comes into play.

• Relevant to and consistent with the specific company’s vision, strategy and objectives
• Focused on agency-wide strategic goals (selection of the wrong KPI can result in time being spent on things that will not benefit the business or bring poor outcomes)
• Representative – appropriate to the agency together with its operational performance
• Realistic – fits into the agency’s constraints while being cost-effective
• Specific – clear and focused to avoid misinterpretation or ambiguity
• Attainable – requires targets to be set that are observable, achievable, reasonable and credible under expected conditions
• Measurable – can be quantified/measured and may be either quantitative or qualitative
• Used to identify trends – changes to the KPI should be infrequent so that the data can be analysed for trends can be identified
• Timely – achievable within the given timeframe
• Understood – individuals and groups know how their behaviours and activities contribute to overall agency goals
• Agreed – all contributors agree and share responsibility within the agency
• Reported – regular reports are made available to all stakeholders and contributors
• Governed – accountability and responsibility is defined and understood
• Resourced – the programme is cost effective and adequately resourced throughout its lifetime
• Assessed – regular assessment to ensure that they remain relevant

Public Record Office Victoria 2010, Key Performance Indicators, Public Record Office, Victora, viewed 18 June 2015

NNEB is an acronym that stands for the ‘National Nursery Examination Board.’  It is linked to a diploma in childcare that is useful for those who work with children from birth to age seven.

Ofsted stands for the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.  They inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people, and services providing education and skills for learners of all ages.

PSED stands for ‘Personal, Social And Emotional Development’.  It is a term which is part of the Early years (under 5s) foundation stage framework.  This document gives guidance on the standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children under 5.  Here, personal, social and emotional development is broken down into three parts:

• Self-confidence and self-awareness
• Managing feelings and behaviour
• Making relationships

All of these areas are assessed as part of the Common inspection framework.

PSHE stands for ‘Personal, Social, Health and Economic’ and is an educational subject that has been part of the National Curriculum for since 2000. Its lessons focus on matters that will help children thrive and develop as citizens, with some aspects being compulsory.

RCSLT stands for the ‘Royal College Of Speech And Language Therapists’ and is the professional body for people working in or studying speech and language therapy in the UK.  Need help with early years speech, language and communication? Get in touch today.

RIDDOR is an acronym that stands for the ‘Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.’  Like COSHH, it is the name of a law.  In early years, it is worth remembering that RIDDOR does apply, but most incidents that happen in childminder or nursery settings or on trips do not need to be reported.  Only in specific circumstances will an incident need notifying to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under RIDDOR.  The HSE are the organisation that you have to contact when there has been an incident on the RIDDOR list which contains certain accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences.  All things on this list have to have happened or be in connection with work.

In early years there are three main areas of reporting:

• Injuries and ill health involving employees
• Injuries involving children and other people not at work
• Dangerous occurrences

A great place to start is the leaflet produced by the Health And Safety Executive called, ‘Incident reporting in schools (accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences.‘)  But, if you need a little more support have a chat with Dean.

SENCO is an acronym that stands for ‘Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.’

In early years the EYFS framework requires practitioners to have arrangements in place for meeting children in their care’s special educational needs.  Those who work in ‘groups’ are expected to identify a SENCO and share this provision.   Whilst childminders are encouraged to find a person to act as a SENCO, this might be through the local authority.  Childminders who are registered with a childminder agency or who are part of a network are allowed to share a SENCO between them.

Each EYP has duties under the Equality Act 2010, the Early Years Foundation Stage, and must have regard for the 0-25 SEND Code of Practice to:

• Promote equality of opportunity for disabled children
• Provide inclusive practice
• Remove barriers to learning
• Ensure children with medical conditions get the support they need
• Make reasonable adjustments including aids to prevent disadvantage

SWOT is an acronym that allows you to remember an essential business tool quickly; it stands for ‘Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.’  When using it, people often refer to completing a ‘SWOT analysis’, which means getting a team together to have a look at their business using these headings.  SWOT is a useful project.  Taking some time out and discussing with others a plan to make the most of the business’ strengths and address any weaknesses, can reap enormous rewards.  However, SWOT doesn’t just stop there it encourages everyone to see into the future to clearly spot longer term opportunities that may arise and what threats might be looming on the horizon to cause damage.

Sometimes an early years company or sole trader might involve customers in a SWOT analysis as they often provide an important different perspective on the business.

So what does a SWOT analysis look like?  Usually, the information is shown in a table and answers the questions:

Simple!  This method just takes time, a willingness to chat through the important issues, write them down and come up with a ‘cunning plan’ to take your business from strength-to-strength.  Remember we are here to hold your hand if need it.

USP, depending on where you look stands for ‘Unique Selling Point’ or’ Unique Selling Proposition’, both mean the thing that sets your childcare business apart from your competitors in the minds of your families that you serve and potential customers.  It gives your business its edge and makes it stand out.

There are lots of things that you might be unwittingly doing that make you ‘stand out from the crowd.’  Have a look at these questions that might highlight your USP:

• Do you offer a range of hours that support working parents?
• Have you the knowledge, experience, special registration, funding sources or qualifications in a particular area of childcare?
• Is your business located in a convenient area for the families you serve?  Easy drop-off and pick-up?
• What are your resources?  Have you great toys, special equipment; a large garden or spacious rooms?
• Do you let the children have access to or care for a pet when they are in your care?
• Are home cooked nutritious foods provided?
• Do you offer transportation?

These questions are just the beginning of the USP journey; there are many other areas in which you could excel.  Need help to tease them out?  Get in touch.

UW stands for ‘Understanding the World’.  It is a term which is part of the Early years (under 5s) foundation stage framework.  This document gives guidance on the standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children under 5.  Here, understanding the world is broken down into three parts:

• People and communities
• The World
• Technology

All of these areas are assessed as part of the Common inspection framework.

VDU is a simple acronym and stands for ‘Visual Display Unit.’  A VDU displays images generated by a computer or other electronic device.  In early years we often say VDU to refer to a computer monitor (or even the whole computer itself when thinking about risk assessment), but it can also refer to another type of display, such as a digital projector.

The EYFS Framework exists to provide structure and direction to early years practitioners.  Having been developed by early years experts in collaboration with parents, it considers seven areas of learning and development which guide adult: child interaction during play and activities.  It seeks to enhance the learning of new skills and knowledge.  WOW Moments are part of the recording and celebration process.  They are usually found on pieces of paper where observations are quickly recorded and acknowledged and duly filed as part of the child’s learning journey documentation.  These records are completed by parents and practitioners to encourage the collaboration of this teaching partnership.

These observations do not have to be academically based or linked to the learning in school, but can be significant moments in a child’s development, such as riding a scooter; using cutlery correctly; putting on shoes unaided etc.

A blogger is a person who keeps and publishes an online diary.  Sometimes the diary is called a ‘web log,’ ‘weblog’ or ‘blog.’  These thoughts, opinions and experiences appear in chronological order and usually contain links to other sites and pictures.

Business coaching in early years is about an experienced outside body working with an organisation’s leaders to help them to become more effective in carrying out their role.  It looks to add or improve certain management skills that a company requires, to ensure that the organisation and its employees deliver better results.

It usually takes place as part of a programme of regular meetings between the company’s manager(s) and an outside coach, at which organisational issues are discussed, strategies agreed, skills are taught to the manager(s), and related targets are set to be achieved before the next scheduled meeting.  This method forces managers to really use their new found abilities rather than in the case of traditional courses, are attended, the certificates duly mounted on the wall, and the aspects of learning are not implemented and forgotten.  It is a cost effective way of improving skills at the pace of the individual and company, while seeing a definite impact on operational functioning and hopefully the bottom line (if this indeed is a target.)

Business coaching is:

• Task orientated
• Short term
• Performance driven
• When applied to middle management uses information from more senior management to guide it
• Immediate
• Applied to any business matter without pre-planning

You should consider coaching when:

• Looking to develop specific employee competencies measured using performance management tools and involving the immediate manager
• Talented employees are failing to meet expectations
• Introducing a new system or programme
• An employee group needs competency improvement in specific areas
• A manager needs guidance to acquire a new skill as an additional responsibility

A business health check is a quantifiable assessment of an operation by an outside person or persons.  It acts as a fresh set of eyes on all aspects of a company’s functioning.  Its objective is to highlight areas of improvement, identifying a direction in which the business has the best chance to improve, become more robust, deal with market challenges in a more competent way, and grow (if that indeed is a goal.)

Business mentoring and coaching often get mixed up.  They both involve an outside person meeting with an employee, but the culture and objectives differ.  Business mentoring is:

• A relationship based it addresses mentoree’s personal aspects that apply when doing the job such as self-confidence, work : life balance
• Usually long term
• A system whose aim is to develop the ‘whole’ person both in their current role and beyond
• Governed by a ‘design phase’ in which the method and relationship areas are agreed
• A meeting that does not involve any line management that maintains the integrity of the mentoring relationship

You should consider mentoring when:

• Succession planning
• Looking to remove barriers
• The intention is to develop the whole person rather than just skills and competencies
• Operating a programme to retain staff
• Looking to create a workforce that has a successful work : life balance

#childcarehour is a Twitter hash tag and refers to a specific hour of child related discussion on Twitter every Wednesday between eight and nine pm.

Here, all manner of early years topics are debated by interested participants, with a new area considered every week.

#childcarehour was relaunched in January 2016 with the assistance of EYFS Resources.

The global definition of a childminder is an adult who looks after a child or children; generally, when the child’s parents are working.  Within the UK, this definition is extended to include time, number children and staff, type of place and monetary elements, with childminders defined as anyone who works with children for more than two hours a day, in their own home and for money.  This profession requires certain qualifications, skills and competencies.

According to Ofsted in 2014 a childminder is ‘a person who is registered to look after one or more children to whom they are not related on domestic premises for reward.  Childminders work with no more than two other childminders or assistants. They:

• Care for children at a private dwelling that is not the home of one of the children, or
• Care for children from more than two families wholly or mainly in the home of one of the children

and:

• Must register to care for children under the age of eight
• Can choose to register to care for older children.

Childminders care for at least one individual child for a total of more than two hours in any day.  This is not necessarily a continuous period of time. For example, if they provide care for the same child aged under eight for an hour before and an hour and a half after school then registration is due; however, if they provide care for one child aged under eight for an hour before school and provide care for a different child aged under eight for an hour and a half after school then registration is not required.’

To be able to be recognised formally as a childminder you must be registered with:

• Ofsted in England
• CSSIW in Wales
• Care Inspectorate in Scotland

Diet is not just a term which refers to a way of eating to lose weight; in the world of early years it’s meaning relates to the what a child or adult eats and drinks daily, and their mental and physical wellbeing in relation to eating.

A doula offers comprehensive support to expectant parents before, throughout and once a baby is born.  This position is also known as a ‘birth attendant’.  Basic training is coupled with childbirth experience, to provide a person who will be in addition to the birthing team; who is there to focus on the emotional and practical aspects, rather than the medical.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) defines standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five years old.  These goals have to be addressed by all schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers, including childminders, preschools, nurseries and school reception classes.  Each EYP must review a child’s progress and share a summary with parents at two times:

• Between the ages of twenty-four and thirty-six months via the progress check
• At the end of reception via the EYFS profile

The Government has produced a non-statutory guide to support practitioners.  It can be used by childminders, nurseries and others, such as Ofsted, throughout the early years to help judge whether a child is showing typical development for their age, may be at risk of delay or is ahead for their age.  There are three standards that the assessors must assess against, is the child:

• Meeting the level of development expected- known as ‘expected’
• Exceeding this level- ‘exceeding’
• Not yet reaching this level- ’emerging’

In addition to completing the assessment, the completed EYFS Profile must also include a short commentary on each child’s skills and abilities in relation to the three key characteristics of effective learning.  This summary helps to plan and inform the Year 1 teacher when a child moves on.

Early years learning looks at seven key areas split between prime and specific areas of learning:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

Any place where child care and education is delivered to the under five-year-olds by an adult or adults for monetary gain and for more than two hours per day.

Ergonomics is the science of humans and their relationship to their environments.  It considers the design of workspaces and products to see if they really are effective, safe and easy to use.  Matters such as a person’s weight, hearing, sight, height, body characteristics and measurements are commonly considered amongst other factors.  In early years, the word ‘ergonomic’ will be used in relation to computer use, chairs, car seats, nappy changing stations, children’s cutlery etc.  These products need to be carefully designed to ensure that the adult or child using them does not suffer stress, muscle fatigue or even injury.

Each child is different, and each child learns at a different pace.  Extension activities are developed and used by an EYP to deepen a child’s knowledge, understanding and application of a specific topic at a greater challenge level.  They are used when children have grasped the standard curriculum concepts and have the time, ability and motivation to move on to something more in the same subject area.

These forms of learning, going beyond the demands of the standard curriculum, allow a child to move on at an accelerated pace, consider a topic at a more difficult level and have the added benefit of reducing boredom in the early years setting.  They are an important part of the EYP’s tools and uphold the principles laid down in the foundation years standards surrounding the unique child.

According to the Forest School Association a ‘Forest School is an inspirational process, that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees.

Forest School is a specialised learning approach that sits within and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education.

‘Forest School is a feeling you can’t put into words.’ Tonicha, aged 9

The ethos is shared by thousands of trained practitioners across the UK and beyond.  Its roots reach back to early years pioneers in outdoor learning and across the sea to Scandinavia.

‘I don’t have ADHD when I’m out in the woods.’ David, aged 14′

Whilst the two examples given in this definition concern older aged children, the value to those in early years settings is profound.  There are charted links between the national curriculum, other national frameworks and the forest school ethos.  Of particular interest to those in early years are:

• Learning outside
• Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)
• Personalised learning
• Eco-Schools and Sustainable Schools Strategies
• Healthy living
• Community Cohesion
• Play
• Extended Schools
• Excellence and Enjoyment

Have a chat with us if you want to add forest school activities to your early years setting.

Grants are non-repayable amounts of money given by one party (grant makers.)  Grant makers are often a government department, corporation, foundation or trust.  They give funds to another known as the recipient.  The recipient is often (but not always) a not-for-profit organisation, educational institution, business or an individual.  To obtain a grant some form of ‘grant creation’ (referred to as either a proposal or an application) is needed.  The vast majority of grants fund specific projects and require some level of compliance and reporting.

Need some help with this?  Drop us an email to find out!

There are many definitions of the philosophy of holism in education, but most revolve around the principles of:

• Connectedness
• Wholeness
• Being

In recognising a child’s mind, body and spirit.

The ‘connectedness’ aspect considers how each one of us is interconnected within ourselves, and interconnected to the people, places and systems around us.  Each child has many parts with each part mutually dependent on the functioning of other parts as well as the whole child – mind, body and spirit.  Likewise, such a child will form a complex network of relationships to the environment around them.

Child ‘wholeness’ takes this one step further, really resting on and epitomised by the age old saying ‘the whole is more than the sum of its parts.’

And lastly, ‘being.’  This is a concept of rooted in the here and now; a child is encouraged to be ‘fully human’ (a recognition of the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of self), expressing themselves authentically while striving to grow to reach their individual potential.   However, this growth and self-expression is tempered by ‘responsibility.’  Each child must take personal (and collective) responsibility for the choices and actions they take.

From its early Montessori and Steiner origins, holism seems to be gaining traction in mainstream education with bodies such as Education Scotland producing an early years teacher resource pack in 2012 and forest schools continuing their merry march.

In early years, practitioners are seen to embrace ‘holism’ when they recognise children’s:

• Physical
• Personal
• Social – peers, families, communities
• Emotional
• Cognitive
• Environmental – the natural world around them

Needs in teaching and learning.

The term literacy hour was first formally used in 1998 in English primary schools to mean a daily hour set aside for developing reading skills.  The best EYPs build on each literacy hour and ensure that the learning is effectively structured over sequences of lessons as well as within lessons.

This area of early years work is governed by The Manual Handling Operations Regulations.  This government document defines manual handling as ‘any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or by bodily force.’  This means that any activity that requires a person to lift, move or support a load, will be classified as a manual handling task.

Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, developed an education system in the late that 1890s which stressed a ‘child’s own initiatives and natural abilities, especially through play.’  Its learning environments are very carefully considered, with items chosen in natural materials were possible, that encourage development through play.  Each child is encouraged to grow at their own pace, through self-direction, collaboration and integration with different age groups.  Lessons are usually in three-hour blocks, guided by a Montessori trained teacher.

According to the UK government in 2015, ‘the ‘basic’ school curriculum includes the ‘national curriculum’, as well as religious education and sex education.

The national curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children learn the same things.  It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.

Other types of school like academies and private schools don’t have to follow the national curriculum.  Academies must teach a broad and balanced curriculum including English, maths and science.  They must also teach religious education.’

According to the World Health Organisation, ‘nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs.  Good nutrition – an adequate, well-balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone of good health.  Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity.’  However, in early years it is important to recognise that nutrition involves concepts such as satisfaction, social interaction, joy and love.  In essence is should be considered very holistically thinking about the child, body, friends, family, community and ultimately the world.  Look to nourish the child on every level.

However, in early years, it is important to recognise that nutrition involves concepts such as satisfaction, social interaction, joy and love.  In essence is should be considered very holistically thinking about the child, body, friends, family, community and ultimately the world.  Look to nourish the child on every level.

The people that work in this area look at the impact that work might have on a person’s health.  They make sure a person is fit for the type of work they do and that the work environment and tasks that people do there, do not cause harm.

‘Outstanding’ is known in early years as an inspection term, concerning judgement of an early years setting.  It is the highest grade that a business can obtain.

According to the 2015 Early Years Inspection Handbook inspection judgements look at the ‘overall quality and standards of the early years provision, taking into account three key judgements:

• how well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend
• the contribution of the early years provision to children’s well-being
• the leadership and management of the early years provision.’

There are lots of ‘criteria’ that the inspectors will gather evidence about in order to decide how good a setting may be.  However, for a company to be rated as ‘outstanding’:

• ‘The setting’s practice consistently reflects the highest aspirations for all children’s safety, well-being and learning.  It enables them to make excellent progress in relation to their starting points and prepares them extremely well for school or the next stage in their learning.
• All major aspects of the provision are at least good, and outstanding in most respects, with all legal requirements met.’

‘Good’, ‘requires improvement’ and ‘inadequate’ are the three other possible grades that could be awarded, in descending order of achievement and recognition.

This is an area of medicine that specialises in babies, children and adolescents.

Developed after World War 2 by teacher, Loris Malaguzzi, in collaboration with the parents of the locality of Reggia Emilia (Italy), this pre-school and primary education approach set to reflect the ideas that children were people in their own right and had the ability to communicate through ‘a hundred languages’ unique to their locality.  These one hundred languages were symbolic in type and used methods such as painting, drama and sculpture, employed in everyday settings.  Children are encouraged to develop these ‘languages’ in a self-directed manner.  Underpinning these practical applications of the Reggio Emilia Approach are foundations of respect, responsibility and community.  No two establishments appear the same, as they each reflect their unique community.

Steiner Waldorf is considered to be one of the world’s largest independent education systems, with its schools primarily located in America, India and China.  This movement was created in response to the turmoil of World War 1 by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, in 1919.  His ethos involved nourishing the whole child and not just preparing them for exams, with the child and their unique development path at its heart.  Its curriculum seeks to develop the child emotionally, socially and spiritually.

The education establishment offered after primary school is known as a secondary school.  Children are aged between eleven and sixteen, studying key stage three and four aspects of the national curriculum.  Learning revolves around core subjects such as maths, English and science, coupled with lessons such as technology, languages, PSHE, religious education, drama, history, geography, music and art.

‘Heuristic play‘ was first used in the 1980s child psychologist Elinor Goldschmeid.  She coined it to describe essentially play activities where babies and children explore the properties of ‘objects’.  These ‘objects’ are things from the real world such as shells, pine cones, items of rubber, wood, textiles or metal.  They are not made from plastic.

The ‘treasure basket’ is the name of a heuristic play activity.  It uses a naturally woven ridged side round basket that is shallow enough to allow easy exploration for the child.  Inside it sits between sixty to eighty different ‘natural’ ordinary objects.  Every treasure basket holds a unique collection of items.

The treasure basket is ever evolving with objects added, taken out and replaced as the child’s experiences changes.  This product is very versatile and powerful as through its growth and change it not only reinforces learning experiences and sensation but also becomes a catalogue of memories.