Early Learning and Childcare National

Guidance

Building the AmbitionCEC Briefing

Aims of the session

•Outline the key provisions of ELCC within the Children and Young People Act

•Briefly explain the important policy areas

•Introduce the national practice guidance that has been developed (BtA)

•Overview of sections

•Give time for questions and discussion

The Scottish GovernmentAmbition

To make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up for all babies, children, mothers, fathers and

families.

Children and Young People Act

•Passed in February 2014

•Developed with widespread stakeholder engagement

•Sets out a number of key changes to the funded pre-school entitlement – from August 2014

•Will affect all those working with children under five in all ELCC settings

Discussion

What is your understanding of the term

“Early Learning and Childcare” ?  

Early Learning and Childcare

• Act defines new concept of “early learning and childcare”

• The term seeks to emphasise the holistic and seamless provision of nurture, care and learning

• Recognises that learning cannot take place without a nurturing and caring environment

600 hrs of ELCC

• Previously 475 moved to 600 hours from August 2014

• Responsibility of each LA to decide how to deliver

• Not about doing more in that time but it is about giving children time to explore their learning

Eligible 2 year olds

•Not new for a number of places but maybe for some

Need to adapt some practices to accommodate this stage of development

Refresh understanding of how very young children learn

Staff need to expect the unexpected!

Eligible 2 year oldsCurrently children may be eligible if they live in a household

where aresident parent/carer is in receipt of one or more of the followingqualifying benefits:

• Income Support• Jobseekers Allowance (Income based)• Employment and Support Allowance (Income based)• Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance• Pension Credit

Or if a child:

• Is Looked after• Is under a kinship care order • Lives with a parent appointed guardian

Settings in Edinburgh currently offering ELCC for Eligible 2’s • Craigmillar Early Years Centre • Greendykes Early Years Centre • Sighthill Early Years Centre • Viewforth Early Years Centre • Fort Early Years Centre • Gilmerton Early Years Centre • Oxgangs Primary School • Royal Mile Primary School • Leith Walk Primary School

• Broomhouse & St Joseph’s Primary School

• National Practice Guidance • Building on the Ambition • Focus on birth to starting

school • Includes “Key questions” and

“Find out more” web links • Includes case studies or

examples

National Practice Guidance

Who is this for ?

• All practitioners working in early learning and childcare settings

• All local authorities and training providers

• Includes childminders, voluntary and private sector

• Regulatory and inspection bodies

National Guidance on Early Learning and

Childcare

• Defines what we mean by Early Learning and Childcare

• Aims to support early years practitioners and build confidence for all those working with young children from birth to starting school

• Support staff development and improvement of quality

Significant aspects of the document

• Focus on key characteristics of the baby, toddler and young child in different sections.

• Pedagogy and practice issues relating to

Curriculum for Excellence.

• Reinforces throughout the idea of Early Learning and Childcare

Content - 9 sections

1.Why do we need this?2.What we know from policy and research?3.What makes the difference to children and families?4.What do we mean by play and learning? 5.Understanding attachment6.ELCC, what do children need?7.Putting pedagogy into practice8.What are the key elements of quality in a setting9.Conclusion

Section 3: What makes the difference to children and families?3.1 The image of the Child

Each child is unique and a competent and active learner whose potential needs to be encouraged and supported. Each child is a curious, capable and intelligent individual. The child is a co-creator of knowledge who needs and wants interaction with other children and adults. As citizens of Europe children have their own rights which include early education and care.“ (BtA p23)

The European CommissionECEC Description :

ELCC Settings need to :• Be child-centred, acknowledge children's views and actively involve children in meaningful ways in everyday decisions in the setting

• Offer a nurturing and caring environment

• Provide appropriate spaces to play and learnallowing children to develop their potential

• Be responsive to children's changeable interests and demands

Young children are :

• Active, experienced learners with a natural curiosity

• Unique individuals

• Interested in themselves and their immediate environment

• At times upset, vulnerable, from a difficult home environment or have specific learning needs

Young children need :

• A happy environment where children and adults are actively engaged with frequent smiles and laughter

• An environment rich in opportunities to acquire language and encourage communication, inquiry learning and be involved in exciting experiences

• Positive adult to child interaction including providing appropriate physical affection and comfort to children when they are upset

Section 4: What do we mean by play and learning?

4.1 How are play and learning connected?

“ Play encompasses children’s behaviour which is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. It is performed for no external goal or reward and is a fundamental and integral part of healthy development which seeks to improve play experiences for all children.” (page 28 BTA)

Section 5: Understanding Attachment

• Pre- Birth to Three: Positive Outcomes for Scotland’s Children and Families (Education Scotland 2010)

“ Early secure attachments contribute to the growth of a broad range of competencies, including a love of learning, a comfortable sense of oneself, positive social skills, multiple successful relationships at later ages, and a sophisticated understanding of emotions, commitment, morality and other aspects of human relationships. “ (Pre-birth to three p 37 )

• http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/earlyyears/prebirthtothree/nationalguidance/index.asp

Section 6: Early learning and childcare what do children need?

6.1 The Question of developmental stages

Each child is an individual who deserves to be valued for what s/he is and what s/he brings and should not be seen as a two, three or four year

old who must fit into an organisational category.

Basic premise

Domains of developmental progress

• Motor development • Fine motor, perceptual and non-verbal cognitive development .• Speech language and communication• Social behaviour and play

• Early literacy development• Self-regulation of emotions and attention• Attachment, temperament and development of self• Vision and Hearing

• Balance of opportunities• Approaches to the key drivers of early learning• Organisation of space, inside and out of doors• Materials which are available

• Response to how children engage• Type of environment• Focus of interactions• Through observations how they will change and adapt

In practice

Building the Ambition is written with the beliefthat children cannot be categorised

into chronological age groups.

There are no set rules for when a baby stops being a baby and becomes a toddler and so on ..

Age alone is not the pre-determining factor in children’s development.

Some Facts

Section 6 Early Learning and Childcare – What do children need?

6.1-6.6 What are the key characteristics of being a baby, toddler and young child? • Experiences which:

• Adults who:

• An environment which:

Discuss

Section 7: Putting Pedagogy into Practice

7.2 Essential aspects which drive early learning

Wellbeing

Communication

Promoting curiosity, enquiry and creativity

Section 7: Putting Pedagogy into Practice

7.1 What do we mean by pedagogy?

Thesaurus meaning

• function or work of a teacher; teaching

• the art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods

Section 7: Putting Pedagogy into Practice

7.1 What do we mean by pedagogy?

“Pedagogy is about the interactions and experiences which support the curriculum and the processes of how children learn. This is inseparable from what young children should learn – the content of the curriculum.” (BtA p51)

Section 8: What are the key elements of quality in a

setting?

What do we mean by quality?

High quality ELCC services are crucial in promoting children’s development and learning and, in the long term, enhancing their educational chances

Building the Ambition

High quality is paramount to achieving positiveoutcomes for children, and increasing the amount, range and flexibility of early learning and childcare will not be at the expense of quality.”

Quality for Children•Being able to choose what they want to do

•Being in an environment where they are keen and eager to learn

•Enjoying their everyday

experiences

•Time for prolonged projects

Quality for Practitioners

• Quality of adult-child interactions Knowledge and understanding of the curriculum• Child led experiences• Qualifications and Continuous Professional Development

Quality for Parents/carers

• Involvement in their child'sLearning

• Opportunities for family learning

• Inspection Outcomes

Leadership and quality

Leadership is a vital ingredient in the pursuit of quality in early years service provision.

Rodd. 2006

High Quality Leadership

• Promote Leadership at all levels

• Building capacity of staff, parents/carers and children

• Self-evaluation-key aspect of improvement

• Engagement of all in the improvement process• Clear vision which is shared within the setting

External quality assurance and regulation• Education Scotland inspection

• Care Inspectorate regulation and inspection

• Shared inspections

• General Teaching Council of Scotland ( GTCS)

• Scottish Social Service Council (SSSC)

8.5 Quality Assurance and improvement

The current national frameworks for early learning and childcare are:

•Pre-Birth to Three: Positive Outcomes for Scotland’s Children and Families •Curriculum for Excellence •National Care Standards •Child at the centre

Current CEC Support Documents

Things to Avoid: • Making the experiences for children overly formal

• Listing all the information on experiences, environment and adult interaction and treat it like a tick list

• Treating the ELCC experience as a mini primary 1 or 2

• Expecting young children to gain from an overly structured routine.

Liz Paterson

Key Points to Consider

• Think about the environment, experiences and interactions and what you can do to change it a little

• Read and discuss how you can work with the 2 year old in a really meaningful way

• Allow time for children’s learning to continue

• Enjoy trying out new ideas

Liz Paterson

• Building the Ambition is written with the belief that children cannot be categorised into chronological age groups.

• There are no set rules for when a baby stops being a baby and becomes a toddler and so on..

• Age alone is not the pre-determining factor in

children’s development.

So…

Next Steps

Early Years: Building the Ambition National Guidance on Early Learning and Childcare – an introduction CF2149

5 Neighbourhood briefing events on Building the Ambition

• Short sessions to introduce document and give opportunity to discuss how the guidance can be used to support improvement.

• All staff working in early years are invited to attend.  Please note this presentation was previously shared by Liz Paterson at the Good to be Two Conference.

• Monday 2nd March 4pm - 5.15pm St George’s School for Girls• Friday 6th March 2pm – 3.15pm Craigour Park Primary School• Wednesday 11th March 4pm – 5.15pm Oxgangs Primary

School• Thursday 19th March 4pm – 5.15pm Trinity Primary School• Thursday 26th March 4pm – 5.15pm Greengables Nursery

School

Please book on in the usual way.

Next Steps • Download copies of the Building the Ambition

from

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/earlyyears/prebirthtothree/nationalguidance/index.asp

• Share with staff teams and parents/carers (team meetings, news letters, displays in

settings)• Use in every day practice • Links to Early Years Collaborative • Share your Good practice• Website

It is better to think of children as individuals, with unique life stories, experiences and preferences.

Contact: Marie.Keen@edinburgh.gov.ukEilish.Guy@edinburgh.gov.ukJoanna.Hughes@edinburgh.gov.uk