February 2016 The Early Years Network News - Brighton · February 2016 The Early Years Network News...
22
1 1 February 2016 The Early Years Network News Dear Colleague, Welcome to the Spring term newsletter 2016. In this edition there are updates from Early Years Team Childcare Workforce Development Team Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) Family Information service Library Early Years Services & Bookstart Royal Pavilion and museums Early Years service Travel and road safety University of Brighton In particular please have a look at the EMAS information on how early years settings can support Syrian refugee children. STOP PRESS: Please see the update later in the newsletter by Vicky Jenkins about the 30 hours funding initiative! Hope to see you at a network meeting. Helen Beaumont Early Years Team Team news You will be aware that the Early Years Team has been reduced. We are very sorry that we will have to limit the amount of support available to settings in the city and extremely sad to say goodbye to colleagues who have worked with us for many years. Thank you to all those who responded to the consultation and who have send messages of support, which have been gratefully received However, our small team is still here to provide information, advice, support and
Transcript of February 2016 The Early Years Network News - Brighton · February 2016 The Early Years Network News...
1 1
February 2016
The Early Years Network News Dear Colleague, Welcome to the Spring term newsletter 2016. In this edition there are updates from
Early Years Team
Childcare Workforce Development Team
Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS)
Family Information service
Library Early Years Services & Bookstart
Royal Pavilion and museums Early Years service
Travel and road safety
University of Brighton In particular please have a look at the EMAS information on how early years settings can support Syrian refugee children. STOP PRESS: Please see the update later in the newsletter by Vicky Jenkins about the 30 hours funding initiative! Hope to see you at a network meeting.
Helen Beaumont
Early Years Team Team news You will be aware that the Early Years Team has been reduced. We are very sorry that we will have to limit the amount of support available to settings in the city and extremely sad to say goodbye to colleagues who have worked with us for many years. Thank you to all those who responded to the consultation and who have send messages of support, which have been gratefully received However, our small team is still here to provide information, advice, support and
2 2
challenge. Please keep an eye on the BHCC website and facebook for news and updates, and please do come along to the network meetings which will continue to run. Please see the letter below which you should have received electronically earlier in the term.
Dear colleagues I am writing to update you all on the Local Authority Early Years Team following the Council redesign of the service which ended on 31 December 2016. In December Alison Featherbe, Jane Campbell, Stella Skinner and Sophie Pointer left and in April Clayre Morris and Julie Sarker will be leaving. From April 2016 the Early Years Team will consist of just over 2 full time posts plus one day for strategic lead. Mary Ellinger Mary.ellinger@brighton-
hove.gov.uk
01273 293512
One day Strategic lead and EYFS in maintained schools
Helen Beaumont
01273 293655
Full time Team leader - Early Years Consultant
Angie Casey
01273 294258
Part time (Wednesday to Friday)
Development Officer
Nicola Lacey
01273 294350
Part time (Monday to Friday 9.30-2.30)
Development Officer
The smaller team will focus on the Local Authority statutory duties. We are required to secure information, advice and training for:
providers registered on the Ofsted early years register who are judged less than “good” by Ofsted in their most recent inspection report
newly registered providers on the Ofsted early years register who have not yet had an Ofsted inspection report published
3 3
Local Authorities are also required by legislation to secure information, advice and training for early years childcare providers on the following matters:
meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage
meeting the needs of the children with special educational needs and disabilities, vulnerable and disadvantaged children; and
effective safeguarding and child protection
The team are still able to offer phoneline and email advice on these matters to all providers, as well as focused workshops and the termly network meetings. The programme of training from City Early Years and Childcare will also continue, as well as updates via Early Years and Childcare Facebook and the Working in Early Education and Childcare pages on the Brighton and Hove City Council website. Many of you are currently completing projects to support quality, which we will continue to support and moderate until Easter. The team may have some capacity after this time to continue to support areas of learning and quality marks such as QuILT, Healthy Early Years and the Equalities Quality Mark. If you would like to be considered for this support in the Summer term please contact Helen Beaumont. We currently have 90% early years providers judged by Ofsted to be good or outstanding and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you on behalf of Brighton and Hove City Council for your continued contribution to ensuring that our children across the city get the best possible start to their lifelong learning. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the Early Years Team for their hard work, professionalism and commitment to early years and for being such a fantastic team to work with. Please do not hesitate to contact myself or Helen if you have any concerns or requests for support. With regards, Mary Ellinger
4 4
Quality marks Many congratulations to the following settings who have achieved the following since the Autumn term. Apologies if you have been missed off this list – do let us know and you will be included next time! QuILT
Young Friends Nursery – Aims Values and Principles: Credit
Orchard Day Nursery - Parental Partnership Home and Community Liaison: Credit
Busy Bees Nursery Hove – The Physical Environment: Credit QuILT Gold
Hopscotch Nursery Bavant Road – Environments, Learning and Teaching Equalities Quality Mark – Cultural Diversity:
Growing Up Green 2
Sussex House Nursery Area of Learning development:
Little Earthworms Nursery
Saltdean Pre-School
Amigos Multicultural Pre-School
Sunshine Nursery
St Andrew’s Pre-School Ofsted news Please sign up for Early Years newsletters from Ofsted: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/september-2015-issue-of-early-years-inspection-update-newsletter-published Faith and belief in educational settings A new guide to Faith and Belief in Educational Settings in the city has just been published. It provides background information on a range of faith and beliefs as well as how best to support children, young people and families from faith backgrounds. It has been designed for use within a school setting but can easily be used in early years settings.
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/brighton-hove.gov.uk/files/10628%20Faith_Belief_ed_settings_Final_Print.pdf
5 5
Surrey conference Colleagues from Surrey are hosting a conference on 18th March 2016 at Epsom
Downs Racecourse called ‘Teaching and play in early years – a balancing
act?’ Ofsted will be giving a keynote to open the conference. The speakers for the rest of the day will be Dr Kay Matheison and Helen Moylett who are well known to many of you through their research and writing on early years subjects. The conference is suitable for all early years practitioners. There will be a charge of £90 per person, book before 10 February 2016 for the reduced price of £75. You will receive a copy of the ‘Teaching and play in early years – a balancing act?’ report. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Book your place. Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) New local case studies of effective ways to spend the EYPP will be available on the BHCC website very soon – check the Facebook page for news!
National information: the Learning Together About Learning project Excellent ideas and advice on the EYPP is available at www.early-education.org.uk/eypp.
6 6
A best practice event is being held in London on March 17th. Details here https://www.early-education.org.uk/learning-together-about-learning-eypp-project-dissemination-event-london
Adoption passport Please share the link to this information for adoptive parents www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/adoptionsupportpassport Childcare Workforce Development - Andrew Parfitt Spring term courses Places are still available on the following courses this term: Becoming adoption confident in the early years setting 25 February Being the best early years leader you can be 26 February Triple P (free to attend) 29 February Assertiveness and other key communication skills 4 March Playing and learning in the EYFS 8 March Safeguarding local lessons learnt 10 March SSTEW Scales 11 March Promoting positive behaviour 14 March What children’s’ bodies need (Healthy Early Years) 15 March Communication friendly environments 21 March Paediatric first aid 17 and 18 May The training programme for the summer term is now published. Full details at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/childcaretraining Qualifications We will be accepting bursary applications in March. We will email all providers to let them know how to apply.
7 7
Safeguarding – Simple Quality Protects Congratulations to Puffin Preschool, awarded Gold level SQP and Oak Cottage Nursery who are waiting to be awarded the Gold award! The following groups are working hard on their SQP awards: Dorothy Stringer Playgroup (Gold) Fiveways Play centre (Gold) Honeycroft (Gold) Saltdean Pre-school (Silver) Stepping Stones Preschool (Bronze) Tarnerland (Silver) Toybox (Silver) Village under 5s preschool (Gold) FGM training The Home Office has produced multi-agency guidance about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/female-genital-mutilation-guidelines These updated guidelines support and assist frontline professionals in safeguarding children and protecting adults from the abuses associated with FGM. The LSCB currently recommend the free FGM elearning, provided by the Home Office. The aim of the module is to provide an overview of FGM and professionals safeguarding responsibilities in FGM cases. The elearning can be found here https://www.fgmelearning.co.uk/ Further training is likely to be arranged for later in the year. And remember to like our facebook page www.facebook.com/earlyyearsandchildcare
8 8
Ethnic Minority Achievement Service - EMAS
Funding Due to a reduction in our funding we have had to make some changes to our bilingual support. In line with other services, we have to target our support towards the children who are most in need. Unfortunately we will not be able to offer support to new funded 2 year olds, unless they are a refugee. We also have to ensure bilingual support for children new to English is for the most needy children, families and communities. For example, a refugee child who is newly arrived would receive priority over a child who is here short-term while a parent is studying. Please still refer all your children with EAL and BME children you need support with as the teachers are still very happy to visit and observe, suggest strategies and monitor progress. They will assess for a BLA. It would also really help us if you could contact us as soon as you feel a child who receives support has progressed beyond high need for a BLA.
Syrian Refugee children You may have read in the local press about the Syrian refugee families who have arrived in Brighton. We have had our first Syrian children and their families arrive. They are coming through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (SVPR) scheme and also through other routes. The SVPR scheme is the funding pledged by the government to offer sanctuary to 20,000 refugees by 2020. In addition there may be 3,000 unaccompanied children. 2015 will be remembered for harrowing images of families fleeing the conflict in Syria. The image of Aylan Kurdi, the 3 year old lying dead on a Turkish beach shocked the world and prompted more than 100,000 signatures to a petition calling for the UK government to offer ‘proportional asylum’ to refugees. Around 190,000 people have been killed in the conflict and 10.8 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria Refugees in the region 3.8 million refugees from Syria (95 per cent) are in just five countries Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
Lebanon hosts 1.1 million refugees registered with UNHCR, which amounts to around 26 per cent of the country’s population
Jordan hosts 618,615 registered refugees, which amounts to 9.8 per cent of the population
9 9
Turkey hosts 1.6 million refugees, which amounts to 2.4 per cent of the population
Iraq hosts 225,373 registered refugees, which amounts to 0.67 per cent of the population
Egypt 142,543 registered refugees, which amounts to 0.17 per cent of the population
In Brighton the scheme has so far supported three families to come. The difficulty with offering refugees a home in Brighton has been finding suitable housing. Housing has to be offered by private landlords for a fair rate so it does not impact on the council housing list. It was decided to offer the spaces to families with high need e.g. medical difficulties. There are plans to receive more families and also families are arriving by other routes, not on the SVPR scheme. Refugees have experienced trauma. These are very common things they may have experienced:
- Seeing fighting and bombing - Being scared for their safety - Loss and separation from loved ones - Fear of authority (they may have been threatened, imprisoned or tortured) - Sexual violence - Corruption e.g. exploitation from people traffickers - Hunger - Diseases
These feelings don’t stop when reaching a place of safety. Refugees may experience post-traumatic stress disorder. There can be a sense of loss of status and power as they try to negotiate a new life, language and culture, e.g. they may have had a good job in their country of origin. They also can experience extreme guilt and anxiety about friends and relatives left behind. They may experience flashbacks e.g. sudden loud noises/aircraft can be terrifying as they recall bombing. Families may find it hard to trust their child to strangers and be very nervous.
10 10
What can Early Years settings do?
Provide a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment.
Find out as much as you can about the child. Be sensitive about questions. Families may not want to disclose that they are a refugee or be wary of talking to authorities
Play is a great healer for children
Make sure families are linked up with services and know about the local area e.g. parks, libraries, doctors.
Observe a child and family’s well-being, Ask for extra help as needed.
Use EMAS to support the family. They will be able to not only translate for the family but help setting and families understand any differences in cultural expectations. Common examples for cultural differences for pre-school children are getting messy, wet or dirty, playing outside, the role of play and the involvement of parents. The similarity is everyone wants the best for their child.
Encourage the family to continue to play and develop their child’s language. They need a firm foundation in their Mother Tongue.
Summer Term EMAS courses EMAS will be running 2 new courses in the summer: Promoting British Values in the Early Years
Monday 27th June 10am – 1pm
What does Prevent mean in the Early Years? Wednesday 6th July 10am-1pm
All course information is on the CEYC website.
Persona Dolls All our persona dolls are out on loan at the moment. It’s great they are all so busy, but if you do have one that is overdue on not being used please return it to EMAS.
11 11
Family Information Service (FIS) - Sian Bruce, Childcare Brokerage Officer Free childcare for two year olds: Helping parents to apply for the funding – a quick reminder! Parents can contact the Family Information Service to apply • online www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/twos • by paper form (available from their Childrens Centre or FIS ) • our helpline 01273 293545 or email at [email protected] We only need their surname, date of birth and NI number to confirm eligibility in the majority of cases, and we can usually give a same day response. We are happy to take applications over the phone.
We process applications during the term in which the eligible child turns two.
We are currently processing eligible children born between 1st January 2014 and 31st March 2014, for funded places starting in April 2016.
Any older eligible two year old, can be given an immediate start date. Would you like to offer free childcare for two year olds? If you are a childcare provider and want to find out more and submit an expression of interest, visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk and type ‘information for childcare providers’ in the search box. Alternatively, email [email protected] or call her on 01273 296110
12 12
Library Early Years Services & Bookstart - Norah Carr All treasure pack orders for spring term 2016 will be delivered to settings on the first or second Wednesday of February or March. We are have been unable to order any new dual language books for packs until this term so we may not have been able to fulfil your dual language order. We will place a new order with Bookstart in April so hopefully our stock will be replenished for the summer term. Due to government funding cuts we can no longer supply two years packs for children in funded nursery places. We have allocated all the packs in stock so this resource is now unavailable. We would love to have your setting visit our libraries. Please do come and visit us and borrow books. If your setting doesn’t have a library ticket please get in touch and we can send one out to you. If you would like a member of staff to do a storytime during your visit let us know in advance and if we can accommodate it we can let you know. You can contact your local library directly or email to book a visit [email protected] however you can just pop along without any formal arrangement if you want to facilitate your own visit. If your setting is near Woodingdean or Portslade Library you can now visit the library when it is normally closed to the public. We are now operating Libraries Plus at both those libraries. If you would like any more information please contact us. Brighton & Hove Libraries urge you to ‘Have your say’ about proposals to change library services due to less funding from central government for Brighton & Hove City Council. Please give us your views online www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/library-service-survey or you can complete a paper version in your local library. The closing date is 16 February 2016.
13 13
Royal Pavilion & Museums - Michael Olden Pre School events run every Friday at the Booth Museum of Natural History February - April 2016.
Early Years sessions include art activities, a museum expedition, a story and handling some museum objects. These sessions are for 2-5 year olds only. Tickets are £5.00 in advance. See the booking page for more information on how to book. Booth Museum Fridays10.00 – 11.30 5th February Painting Pictures 12th February We’re Going on a Bear Hunt! 26th February Handa’s Surprise 4th March Dino Day! 11th March I Love Bugs! 18th March Feathery Friends 15th April In the Attic 22nd April Roar! 29th April The Odd Egg
14 14
Travel and Road Safety - Polly Stebbens, School Travel Advisor
Walking Week 16– 20 May 2016 We will be holding our second ever early years Walking Week 16th – 20th May 2016. This is to coincide with ‘Walk to School Week’ which many schools in the city take part in every May. We are sending out resource order forms in February, or you can order resources on-line/by email. All resources are free. Please see here for more information/to order resources: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/early-years-walking-week Or email [email protected] If you can’t take part in Walking Week in May, you can still hold your own Walking Week at any time in the year. We have free resources available (stickers and posters) and an ‘ideas pack’ of activities you can do to promote Walking Week. Please contact Polly Stebbens (contact details below) if you would like any resources. Modeshift STARS A number of settings came along to our Modeshift STARS training event in January, and are now working on their Modeshift STARS Travel Plan accreditation. See www.modeshiftstars.org We are hoping to have a few settings awarded their Bronze STARS in March! Please contact Polly Stebbens (contact details below) if you would like further information. Scooter Training Resources Over the next few weeks we will be publishing some early years Scooter Training Resources. These include:
A scooter training lesson pack, with session ideas for 3 years-olds, and for 4 year-olds. The training would be carried out by yourselves at your setting, with resources available for loan to help you carry out the training sessions
A leaflet for parents/carers - ‘Safe and considerate scooting – a guide for parents & carers of children under 5 years old’
Certificates for children doing scooter training at your setting
15 15
These will be available from around mid-February here: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/early-years-scooter-training For further information, please contact Polly Stebbens, School Travel Advisor, Brighton & Hove City Council [email protected] Tel: 01273 292357 University of Brighton – Erica Evans, Annie Richardson and Deborah Price Early Childhood Practice BA (Hons) This course provides you with the opportunity: • to study while you work, bringing together practice, theory, current research and policy, supporting you in building your career in Early Childhood as you work towards a professionally recognised qualification • to set out your own chosen pathway to professional development in Early Childhood at the University of Brighton alongside other committed professionals. Programme structure The Early Childhood Practice BA (Hons) comprises a four year part-time work based programme. The course content builds on the NCTL’s Early Years Educator Criteria and provides a foundation for further professional and academic development towards the Teachers Standards (both Early Years and QTS). This content will include subjects such as children’s development, pedagogical practices and the adult role, play as a developmental learning process, and communication, language and literacy development. The programme continues, exploring such themes as safeguarding and wellbeing, assessment, families in communities, and equalities and inclusion. Typically you will be: • studying for one day a week (as well as some Saturdays) in various ways. This will not always be face to face at university. Your learning will include small group seminars, participatory workshops and on line learning experiences as well as attending lectures, led by experienced practitioners, tutors and researchers • supported in your individual learning and career progression throughout
16 16
• undertaking a series of structured work-related tasks and assignments, supported by an individual work-based mentor School of Education, University of Brighton • visiting other settings and complementary learning environments • concluding your studies with an individual extended professional enquiry of your own choosing. The modular design of the programme enables you to reflect on your professional experience, to increase your awareness of current issues and practices and to develop your academic and research skills. The course will run in both Falmer and Hastings although Hastings students are required to travel to Falmer for some sessions. Further information on fees and entry requirements is available on www.brighton.ac.uk/courses Open Day We have an open day for all of the part-time work based degrees on 12th March 2-4pm.
17 17
Early Years Initial Teacher Training at the University of Brighton Are you a graduate working in an early years setting? Have you considered Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)? EYTS is the graduate (level 6) qualification for practitioners working with children aged 0-5. Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) is a fully funded course for graduate practitioners who are working towards Early Years Teacher Status. A financial incentive of £7000 is paid to the employer to support the trainee to be successful in meeting the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years). Entry requirements for this route are:
Degree: A degree (300 HE credit points of which 60 must be at a level 6 of the QCF)
GCSE: You will need grade C (or equivalent) GCSE English, mathematics and a science subject.
Experience: You will need experience of working in a setting with children in the EYFS, and must currently be working in a registered setting.
Professional Skills Test: You will need to successfully complete the Professional Skills Tests in English and Maths
For more information and application packs please contact the EYITT Programme Assistant, Helen Mclaren, at [email protected] or 01273 641931. Please visit our website: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/courses/study/early-years-initial-teacher-training.aspx EYITT Open Evening For more information about EYITT please come to our EYITT Open Evening on the 1 March 2016 4:30-6:30pm, University of Brighton, Checkland Building, Falmer Campus. For more details contact [email protected] EYITT placements Your setting may also be interested in offering placements to our EYITT trainees. Settings are paid a fee to cover the costs of mentoring the trainee whilst on placement. If you would like more information about joining our partnership data base and supporting EYITT placements, please contact the EYITT team at [email protected]
18 18
EYPS/EYTS Network The University of Brighton is hosting a meeting for all practitioners in the locality who have already achieved Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) or Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) with a view to re-igniting the EYPS/EYTS Network. Details about the first meeting are below: Venue: University of Brighton, Room A501, Checkland Building, Falmer Campus, BN1 9PH. Date and Time: Wednesday 2 March 2016, 5-7pm Parking: Parking is unrestricted after 3pm at the Falmer campus The focus of the first meeting will be to discuss what people hope to get out of an EYPS/EYTS network with a view to creating a plan for future meetings/events. Please contact the Early Years team at the University to confirm attendance: [email protected] or 01273-641931. If you are unable to attend but would like to be kept informed about future events please contact the team at [email protected] so that your details can be added to the database.
19 19
NEWS: 30 hours update! Vicky Jenkins, Childcare Strategy manager Brighton & Hove early years team applied to be an early implementer for 30 hours of free childcare for working parents from September 2016. We have just heard that although we were not one of the successful eight areas we were selected with 24 others to be an “early innovator”. We are waiting to hear from the Department for Education what this means in practice, but it is likely to be about looking at different approaches to making the new scheme work. The DfE have, however, told us that we won’t be able to offer any additional hours of childcare to parents until the national scheme is rolled out in September 2017. We will let you know when we have more information.
OFSTED Inspections – congratulations
Congratulations to the following settings that have had successful Ofsted inspections since the October newsletter. Several more reports are awaiting publication.
Outstanding
Boomerang Kids Dolphins Pre-School
Little Angels
One World Nursery
Good Acorn
Little Earthworms Pixies
Saltdean Pre-School
20 20
Useful numbers and contact details
Early Years Team
Helen Beaumont (Early Years Consultant, Team Leader)
01273 293655
Clayre Morris (Early Years Consultant)
01273 294215
Julie Sarker (Early Years Consultant)
01273 294257
Nicola Lacey (Early Years Development Officer)
01273 294926
Angie Casey (Early Years Development Officer)
01273 294258
Andrew Parfitt 01273 294263 Childcare workforce development manager. Advice on training and qualifications [email protected] Carl Sims 01273 293523 Out of school and childcare Development Officer Childcare Recruitment and Childcare Workforce Development Team City Early Years and Childcare training 01273 293585 [email protected] Darrel Clews - Local Authority Designated Officer 01273 295643 [email protected] Early Help 01273 292632 [email protected] Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) 01273 294437 [email protected] Finance 01273 293690 Advice on the administration of the Early Years Free Entitlement
21 21
Family Information Service 01273 293545 [email protected] Early Childhood Project www.ecpuk.org 01273 294105 MASH 01273 290400 [email protected] Michael Olden 01273 291324 Royal Pavilion and museums Early Years Service [email protected] Norah Carr 01273 296981 Library Early Years Services & Bookstart Co-ordinator [email protected] OFSTED 0300 123 1231 www.ofsted.gov.uk Polly Stebbens School Travel Advisor, Brighton & Hove City Council [email protected] 01273 292357 Pre-School Special Educational Needs Service (PRESENS) 01273 294944
Public Health England Main switchboard 020 7654 8000 https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england Vicky Jenkins Childcare Strategy manager, Early Years Free Entitlement 01273 296110 [email protected]
Zoe Cox 01273 293585
Recruitment advice and support for community groups
22 22
SPRING TERM NETWORK MEETINGS
Hove Monday 29th February
Hove Museum New Church Road 12.30pm – 2.00pm
Portslade Wednesday 2nd March
North Portslade Children’s Centre The Rise, Portslade 3.30pm – 4.45pm
The Deans Monday 7th March
Rudyard Kipling Children’s Centre Rudyard Kipling Primary School, Chalkland
Rise, Woodingdean.
12.30pm – 2.00pm
Brighton Wednesday 9th March
Brighton Town Hall Committee Room 1
2.30pm – 4pm
We look forward to seeing you there!
