Dr. Margaret Rogers, Better Start

Better Start Early Years Quality Development Service

What is it? Better Start is a new initiative of the Department of Children and

Youth Affairs (DCYA), collaborating with the Early Years Education Policy Unit of the Department of Education and Skills and Pobal to establish a single, cohesive approach to quality across the ECEC sector in Ireland

The programme is managed by DCYA and hosted by Pobal (i.e. Pobal acts as the employer, provides office space etc.)

The primary service focus of the initiative will be to provide quality early years mentoring support to ECEC settings

Boarder aim is to bring coordination, cohesion and consistency to provision of quality supports

Better Start: National Early Years Quality Development 2


Sector Development

1996Regulation

2000 – 2010 Investment/Infrastructure

2006 – 2009Quality and Curriculum Frameworks

Workforce Development 2010 - 2015

Free Preschool Year –Universal AccessQuality Agenda2010 - 2015

Better Start: National Early Years Quality Development

What do we want for our children?Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures – National Policy Framework

Children

Active & Healthy

Achieving in all areas of

learning

Safe and protected from harm

Economic security and opportunity

Connected, respected & contributing


How do we work together

Quality Support

Mentors

Providers

CCCVCOs

Better Start National Early Years Quality Development 6

Implementation to date


Mentoring multiplier

30 Mentors

Working in 271 settings

Working with 3800 staff

Catering for 22,400 children


30

271

3800+

22,400+Children

Our approach


Children at the Centre

State Policy and Provision

CCCs / NVCO / Education

ECEC Providers

and Parents

Children Birth to 6

Better Start: National Early Years Quality Development

Mentoring Model

• Translation of training/knowledge into practice including self-evaluation of quality

• Development of practices and values to implement quality standards – Síolta

• Supporting establishment of environments, interactions and practices that support children’s learning and development as confident, competent learners – Aistear


• Resource developed by NCCA team• Focus on Process Quality • Integrating Aistear and Síolta Frameworks• Accessible ‘on line’ resource

http://www.ncca.ie/en/Practice-Guide/• Training / Induction offered to CCCs


http://www.ncca.ie/en/Practice-Guide/

aistearsiolta.ie

1 2 3 4 5 6

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Script: There are 6 interconnected pillars in the Practice Guide covering aspects of practice that impact on curriculum development and delivery - seen here in purple boxes numbered one to six. Building partnerships with Parents Creating and using the learning environment Learning through play Nurturing and extending interactions Planning and assessing using Aistear’s themes Supporting transitions Practitioners choose which area they wish to work on and in how much detail. The foundations underpin the pillars of practice.

http://www.ncca.ie/en/Practice-Guide/

http://www.aistearsiolta.ie/

http://www.aistearsiolta.ie/

Emergent and inquiry-based curriculum

• “…uses children’s and practitioners’ interests, questions and experiences as starting points for curriculum planning.” (NCCA, 2015, p.15).

• Curriculum involves – getting to know children well– using children’s individual knowledge, abilities, needs…– knowing how to support and extend learning – reviewing the impact of curriculum– using Aistear’s learning goals – sharing the vision

Presenter

Presentation Notes

THIS SLIDE AND THE ONE THAT FOLLOWS CONTAINS THE KEY MESSAGES FOR THIS SESSION. The definition of curriculum in the practice guide is that of an emergent and inquiry-based curriculum. This concept is drawn from the Aistear and Síolta Frameworks. Aistear and Síolta show that an early childhood curriculum involves a practitioner: getting to know children well and remembering that they bring a wealth of experience from home and are learning all the time through play and planned experiences, and from conversations, actions and interactions throughout the day. understanding that children have individual abilities, knowledge, dispositions, needs, interests and challenges as well as theories about how the world works and acknowledging the importance of a curriculum that responds to this diversity. knowing how to support and extend learning and development at this early stage in children’s lives. using information gathered through daily work to review and reflect on the impact of the curriculum and of his/her work on children’s learning and development to ensure that all children’s holistic development is being supported appropriately. using Aistear’s learning goals which outline dispositions, skills, values and attitudes, and knowledge and understanding in order to plan for and assess children’s learning and development. sharing this vision of early learning and development with others such as colleagues, children’s families and professionals such as mentors, inspectors, speech and language therapists and primary school teachers.

Confident and Competent Child


How do we support services?

• Observe using Self-Evaluation tools of Aistear Síolta Practice Guide?

• Provide Feedback on observation of setting and practice

• Discuss, identify, and agree quality development goals

• Document goals and actions• Work through the goals on subsequent visits


What is a Goal?

• Goals are linked to a Pillar of Practice and Element of the Practice Guide (where available)

• Goals are specific and clear• They are attainable within the timeframe • Goals have a number of associated actions• Additional Goals may be identified as the work

progresses.Better Start: National Early Years Quality Development

17


Room Baby Pillar (3) Creating and using the learning environment | Indoor resources

Goal To encourage and support different types of play Early Years staff will provide regular messy play experiences in order to support babies in developing their senses and fine-motor skills

Action

Early Years Staff will; 1. Provide opportunities for children to play with sensory materials such as homemade play dough,

gloop, jelly, custard, shaving foam, cereal twice a week. 2. Use the ball pool for a sensory activity for example shredded paper, edible paint, semolina, oats once

a week 3. Create water play opportunities once a week 4. Provide images and examples of sensory play experiences 5. Provide recipe for edible paint, play dough and gloop

Progress – some examples


“Product” vs “Process”

Moving from a focus on an end product to……..

Child’s own representation“Pumpkin who is running”

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Traditionally in this service, children painted an orange plate and placed eyes, nose and mouth on with adult support This year children explored a real pumpkin and the pumpkin was left in the middle of the table which children went on to do their ‘own’ representation of a pumpkin. This is a “Pumpkin who is running”

Educators noticing children’s interests and following them………

She then drew a GIANTChild painted BEANSTALK at free play time

This prompted staff to plan experiences around “Jack and the Beanstalk”

Service revisited their “Mission Statement”

New Mission

Statement

Parents

Children

Educators

Dear parent

We are currently reviewing our Mission Statement. This will be like a compass that guides our work and shape our goals and decisions and provide direction for us. We would really value your input in this process.

What do you want for your child during their time here?

What do you want for yourself as we work together in partnership?

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Following input from children, parents and educators the Mission Statement was developed. Goals for children, parents and educators were identified and this will guide the future work of the service.

A baby room has introduced ‘Treasure baskets’ with natural materials for exploratory play

From unused space to Mud Kitchen, and Water wall

Presenter

Presentation Notes

This space was unused and is now an outdoor area for the toddlers. It has a mud kitchen, water wall with funnels and pipes and buckets and spades with opportunities for filling and emptying. It is to be developed further (possibly a music wall and sand area)

Feedback from Services

• Please tell us what we could do to improve

the Quality Development

Service experience for

your service and your team:


11

58

9

More/longer hours of face-to facesupport

Access to funding for QualityDevelopment(e.g. resources)

Acknowledgement of service needs andconstraints (funding)

Extension of support beyond initial 6months

Recommendation

• Would you recommend Better Start Quality Development Service to colleagues or contacts within the Early Years sector?


94.7%

5.3%

Yes

No

Ambition – where to from here?

• Building quality and capacity to reach critical mass – Síolta and Aistear Implementation as the norm

• Validating consistent standards and quality –Audit and Inspection

• Continuing professionalisation of workforce – ECE as a viable career option for highly qualified, committed professionals

• Inclusive high quality services for all children regardless of ability, social or cultural background

Working together for children

Sustained Investment

Standards, regulation and data

Professional /career Development

Quality Services for Children


Thank You


Documents

Dr. Margaret Rogers, Better Start