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Early Years Newsletter July 2020 | Issue 3
The Education Improvement Service
In This Issue: Using EYPP during lockdown / Keeping it clean / Outdoor learning from theory to practice / COVID-19 secure: One Provider’s journey to wider opening / Transition – Safe, secure and ready to return/ News and updates ...And Much More
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Dear All,
Welcome to our third Early Years Newsletter of the summer term as we welcome back more
children, families and staff to our schools and early years’ provision.
We are delighted to share with you further case studies and Derbyshire practice that
illustrates the commitment, creativity and your Derbyshire Spirit throughout the coronavirus
outbreak.
Transition, parental engagement and the emotional well-being of our children, families, staff
and communities are at the forefront of all of our minds. As we look ahead to September we
ask, how do we ensure that everyone feels safe, secure and ready to return?
Please look out for our virtual Leaders and Managers briefings coming soon.
We continue to work in partnership to support our youngest children and their families during
this time and into the future.
Best wishes, the Early Years Team -
Gayle Shiels – Senior Advisor for School Improvement (Early Years),
Sarah Bryan – Early Years Quality Manager
Amanda Gordon – Early Years Sufficiency Manager
WELCOME TO ISSUE 3
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Future Shape: Education - Early Years
The Future Shape - Early Years Group consisting of professionals across the sector and the Local Authority, continues to meet as they start to shape and develop a clear pathway to support all early years’ providers and schools in Derbyshire.
As we welcome back more children and start to look forward to September and beyond, the Early Years Group want to hear from you; if you are an early years practitioner, including childminder, manager or teacher please watch out for the Future Shape Education – Early Years Survey coming soon.
White House Nurseries
COVID-19 Welcome Back Journey
After the announcement that nurseries should close their doors to all but vulnerable children and children of critical workers, a decision was made to use just one of our nurseries for all these children.
It was decided that the Oakwood site, being the most centrally located, would be the best option to allow us to provide care for all of our White House settings and to also support families who required care from other settings due to their own nursery being closed. The childcare was consistent, fun, and provided in a safe environment for the children and practitioners attending. During lockdown we had a variety of methods in place to support and check on the well-being of our children and families. We had a timeline of regular communication which we implemented through emails, social media and calls directly to families.
Re-Opening
Once we had confirmation by the government that we could open the sites to all our other families who needed care, we finalised our policy and procedures for all sites. These were emailed individually to all of our families along with a set of Frequently Asked Questions, so they had time to digest what measures we were putting in place before they were required to make a decision to return their child back to the setting. To support a phased approach back into the setting, we conducted an online questionnaire to ascertain our families requirements over the summer term. This enabled us to plan effectively in terms of managing occupancy levels for both the children and practitioners, ensuring we are abiding by the Government’s guidelines. For all returning families we have implemented a consent form for parents to complete, asking them to abide by the restrictions and procedures we have in place.
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Re-Opening (Continued)…
To enable us to meet individual children’s needs on their return, we email an ‘All About Me’ questionnaire for parents to complete. This is an opportunity to update us about their child’s development, and to capture and celebrate their learning experiences whilst they have been at home. This is used to inform staff knowledge about the child’s ongoing development, as well as any new relevant information such as dietary/medical updates. Crucially the process allows staff to ‘re-tune’ into the individual child’s needs, with a strong focus on emotional well-being, enabling the practitioner to support a smooth transition back into the nursery.
We are fortunate that our sites have large open spaces and exceptionally large outdoor facilities, which enable us to ensure the ‘bubbles’ are kept within the guidelines. These ‘bubbles’ have been effectively managed by senior staff to ensure that the children are kept as safe as possible but also accepting that social distancing within the nursery environment is not always possible. To support working within the ‘bubbles’, the practitioners are working flexible shifts to accommodate and support us not having too many bodies in the building.
From the first day of lockdown, we implemented a policy of not allowing parents/carers access into the nursery building. We have procedures in place to ensure there is a 2-metre social distancing for parents waiting outside the nursery. Staff are available to meet and greet the children from their unit to ensure we were still providing partnership with parents and constancy for the children, and they are welcomed by a familiar face.
We have a system in place that once the children arrive at the setting they are supported to wash their hands and continue to do so throughout the day with the staff role modelling and supporting at all times.
Supporting Teaching and Learning
Our Nursery practitioners have been spending time using a variety of learning opportunities to discuss the importance of good hygiene measures, through stories, discussions and activities. In addition to this staff have shared fun and useful links with parents and carers to support this at home. During lockdown we provided parents and carers with a variety of ideas to support their children’s learning for all ages. These included videos of staff reading stories, videos of staff discussing phonics ideas and each week promoting lots of easy activity ideas. Since returning to nursery we have continued to do this to not only provide ongoing support for the parents of the children who are attending but also for the families and children who have remained at home.
In terms of the children’s care and learning we have continued to follow the EYFS statutory guidance and planning systems for all the children attending the setting, meeting their individual needs and taking on board the required adjustments from the Government accordingly.
We implemented cleaning strategies from the onset. This entailed having a rigorous schedule in place to regularly sanitise all contact points as well as cleaning schedules for the children’s equipment and resources. We have deep cleaning procedures in place which are implemented by the nursery team. In addition to this we have purchased sterilising machines (foggers) for each nursery site which are used by the housekeepers every evening to provide a final sterilisation of each area of the nursery.
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Supporting the Staff Team
The team who continued working through lockdown had weekly well-being meetings with the manager/director to ensure they were coping and comfortable in their role and to identify if they required any additional support. During lockdown and even now we have sent regular information, updates and ideas to support well-being during this pandemic through social media and emails. With regards to re-opening we emailed a copy of the policies, procedures and risk assessments to all the staff team so they had time to digest them and for us to answer any questions or concerns.
From 1st June we implemented a staff well-being questionnaire. These are followed up by a meeting with a member of management to ensure staff understand the policies and procedures and are adhering to them, along with a general check-in and support. This procedure will be reviewed and implemented on a regular basis.
For prospective parents and carers wanting to view the nursery we have a procedure in place to conduct these after working hours.
We are extremely pleased at the way in which the children, parents and practitioners have returned to the nurseries! They all seem very happy to be back and we have had some amazing positive feedback from parents.
Laura Wood – Nursery Director
Louise Jones – Nursery Manager
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Safe, Secure and Ready to Return
We’re all in a period of transition……
Transitioning back – as we welcome more children back into setting and schools
Transitioning to – a new school or setting
Transitioning back – to a ‘new normal’
During these unprecedented times the need to take an attachment-led approach to transition and parental engagement has never been more important. As we all start welcoming back more children and adapting our practice, an essential priority has to be the emotional well-being and mental health of our children, families and staff. So how can we support and ensure children and their families feel safe, secure and ready to return?
Here is a link to a short video produced in partnership with the Future Shape - Early Years Group. The video shares an overview of the Teddy Bear Project, which was initiated in a partnership between Alfreton Teaching School and Derbyshire County Council. The principles from this project have been implemented in Bolsover Infant and Nursery School to support transition and parental engagement during these challenging times.
Addition information can be found here:
PEN Parental Engagement Network: Mouse Club Research
PEN Parental Engagement Network: A mouse Club Poem for COVID-19
Dr Suzanne Zeedyk: Sabre Tooth Tigers and Teddy Bears
Looking at Transition through a COVID-19 Lens
Following on from the ‘Smooth transitions’ article in the Early Years Summer Newsletter 2, in
partnership with the Future Shape - Early Years Group, we have put together a practical guide
which explores supporting children, reassuring parents and engaging with new and prospective
parents. This short video includes a Transition Toolkit linked to the EYFS Statutory Framework,
and looks at how Children 1st Nurseries are supporting children, families and staff to return to
nursery.
Many schools and early years’ providers are finding new and creative ways to engage with parents and give a virtual window into their provision following the coronavirus outbreak. South Normanton Nursery School and Treasures Nursery have kindly agreed that we can share links to their online platforms. Here is a link to South Normanton Nursery School’s virtual tour around their setting for new parents and a link to Treasures Nursery Facebook page with a variety of videos which include keeping in touch and reading stories. Further advice to support children’s emotional well-being can be found at: BBC Bitesize Coram Life Education NHS NCB
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Pinxton Nursery School
Our Story of COVID-19, Lockdown and the Wider Opening
Pinxton Nursery School is a maintained and a private nursery school. Between us we have
150 children on roll, aged from 6 months to 4 years old. As Head Teacher, I have the
challenging but rewarding job of leading and managing both parts of the nursery school. The
principle is the same in both - the child is central to everything we do.
This year we have been working on developing our curriculum, looking at our nursery
environment and the provision we provide for children. The staff development and the impact
on the children had been amazing and we were beginning to see a impact on children’s
attainment and wellbeing. Things were going well. Then came COVID-19 and all our
aspirations and plans stopped and changed within days.
This is our story of COVID-19, lockdown and the wider opening of the Nursery School.
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Jayne Allton
Head Teacher and Director of Childcare (currently Dinnertime Server and Cleaner)
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Using Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) During
COVID-19 Lockdown
Some of you may be asking the question “What about EYPP when children are not attending the setting?”
Early Years Pupil Premium is allocated to support children from disadvantaged families in their learning so we have been thinking about how you might spend the funding to continue to support these children during the current Coronavirus lockdown.
We still have a remit to support children’s learning and many providers are finding great ways to do this in the current situation. However, some of the children we are supporting may not have access to even basic resources at home so a lot of activities you suggest to parents/carers might not be possible. With this in mind you could use the child’s EYPP funding to put together a ‘learning from home’ kit.
In your conversations with families you could find out what more about the child’s current interests and the resources they have at home. Perhaps you could ask parents/carers about the resources they need to support their child during this time.
If the children are attending then you can think about additional resources to be used in the setting like books linked to the child’s interests or other resources to support language development. You could use the funding for staffing to enhance the child’s learning by giving one to one support. You may also want to think about resources that the child might benefit from at home which supports their learning in the setting, for example, a copy of a popular book that the setting uses that the child could keep at home.
One way to support children and families might be to buy a storage box and pack it with learning essentials such as pencils, crayons, paper, stickers, glue and safety scissors, small world items like people and animals (depending on the child’s interests) and a small set of basic wooden blocks. Add some books: stories, non- fiction and rhymes linked to the child’s current interests. Even if the child already has some of these resources at home it is always exciting to get new things which spark renewed interest. The box itself could also provide a table-like surface for children to use so choose something strong and sturdy with a lid of a suitable size. You may wish to put in a large plastic mat or cloth for messy play.
Providing resources for families to engage children at home also gives an opportunity to support them in a non-threatening way and engage them with ideas on how to play with their children. EYPP can also be used for staff time to put together videos or resource ideas for supporting families. You could look at these useful links for inspiration:
Royal Horticultural Society activities
Hungry Little Minds
Woodland Trust - Nature Activities
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Once you have put together a box of basic resources you can either add to it as funding allows or maybe make boxes for different purposes. One idea could be a box to support independent learning based on the child’s individual interests and needs. Ensure that everything you put into this box will fire the child’s imagination! You could add construction equipment including blocks; small world play (e.g. vehicles, people, animals, road/train tracks, dinosaurs); jigsaws; role play equipment (e.g. critical worker outfits, a till, shopping basket, or whatever role play situation you know the child enjoys.)
A ‘grab and go’ bag could be filled by gathering some items to make a sensory den, e.g. a large drape, some grips or pegs, a bag of different textured items, some colourful battery operated lights, a small music player and some music, bubbles, playdough and cutters, rollers, etc. A small amount of sand (to be used wet) in a box with a large plastic table cloth and bucket, spade and moulding shapes.
Why not make an outdoor activity set to encourage parents to spend more time outdoors with their child. These resources may in a box but could also be in a large bucket which can be used as a resource as well as being easier to carry.
For example: a small bucket, a large paint brush, some chalks, streamers or a windmill, a ball, some plastic stepping stones or stilts and a picnic set. A clip board or white board and markers would encourage outdoor mark making. Small world equipment can be added, again according to the child’s interests. A small bag of compost, a watering can, seeds and plant pots would inspire growing even if the family do not have a garden.
Boost reading by adding stories or rhymes about outdoors like ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ or ‘5 Little Speckled Frogs’ or non-fiction books about nature or buildings.
Stop Press! - Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA)
On June 25th the DfE announced – “Due to the challenging circumstances faced by schools in
the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, statutory introduction of the RBA has been postponed to Autumn 2021.” Can schools become RBA Early Adopters? State funded schools with a reception cohort will be able to participate in the RBA Early Adopter year. Schools who choose to participate will receive assessment materials shortly be-fore the October 2020 half term, with the optional assessment window opening for six-weeks after the October half term. Participation is optional, even after signing up. Data gathered from the Early Adopter year will not be used for the purpose of the progress measure, and a full privacy notice can be found here. The recruitment window for schools to sign up opens on 25 June and closes on 24 July 2020. For more information click here
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Keeping It Clean
In early years’ provision, we have always encouraged independence and good personal hygiene habits but in the current climate these important life skills are more vital than ever. So how can we ensure that children are clean and safe from infection whilst maintaining our principles of keeping learning playful and fun?
We know that the Prime Areas of Learning already outline child development milestones like gaining independence and managing basic hygiene and personal needs. The characteristics of effective teaching and learning advocate skills and attitudes such as persistence, meeting new challenges and having a go.
Derbyshire’s ‘10 Keys to School Readiness’ underline the value of children following instructions, toileting and washing hands.
In addition to our regular good practice, we should look to the Government’s COVID-19 guidance and advice for reopening settings at this important and sensitive time.
The Government state that we should use a range of approaches including:
cleaning hands more often than usual - wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly or use alcohol hand rub or sanitiser ensuring that all parts of the hands are covered
ensuring good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach
cleaning frequently touched surfaces often using standard products such as detergents and bleach.
Let’s look first at handwashing
Songs are often recommended as an effective way to ensure
that we all wash our hands correctly and for the appropriate
amount of time but if you are concerned that the Happy
Birthday song already has children looking for the nearest bar
of soap rather than the joy of birthday candles, perhaps it’s
time to try something more relevant to the task, literally, in
hand. There are lots of alternative suggestions online. You
could try:
TES Top 5 Handwashing Songs Or you could make up your own with words that explain what we’re doing and why, lasting for an appropriate time and with the necessary actions, such as this one to the tune of ‘Row Your Boat’:
Sing twice: Wash, wash, wash your hands / Wash them nice and clean / On the front and
on the back / Fingers in between
Then: Dry, dry, dry your hands / Dry them nice and clean / On the front and on the back /
Fingers in between
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There are also plenty of great story books teaching this same life skill. You could try ‘Wash your
Hands’ by Tony Ross, also read aloud by Tony himself on YouTube. 'Wash Your Hands' by
Tony Ross
Have a look at these jolly downloadable posters by Nick Sharratt too:
Children should be supervised during handwashing and taught how to do it effectively. Find out
more by clicking here.
And for some thought provoking and inspiring suggestions on handwashing, including several clever ideas for outdoor solutions, you could have a look at Juliet Robertson’s article ‘hand hygiene outdoors’ on her website Creative Star Learning. While you’re there, take a look at the link to a BBC article about a Kenyan boy who invented his own ‘handwashing machine’. Now there’s a lesson in creative thinking and problem solving!
Next we are asked to consider ‘respiratory hygiene’ aka coughs, sneezes and nose blowing
The e-Bug project is led by Public Health England and has a dedicated webpage for learning resources on handwashing and respiratory hygiene. E-Bug, who promote the ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’ campaign, has posters on hand hygiene, coughs and sneezes, to display in shared spaces. These and other educational resources can be found by clicking here
You will also want to have hygiene stations spread throughout the setting, inside and out. Consider the availability of lidded bins, preferably operated by an easy opening foot pedal so tissues can be immediately disposed. Ensure these are regularly emptied throughout the day. Teach and role model the cleaning of hands after nose blowing. Encourage children to learn and practise these habits through games, songs and repetition. Try this video and song
Now let’s consider the issue of cleaning frequently used surfaces
Once children are back in your setting all frequently touched surfaces, equipment, door handles, handrails, table tops, electronic devices (such as phones), and toilets will need to be cleaned thoroughly several times a day. Don’t forget the floor for your crawlers, yoga babes and tummy- learners!
Government advice is to consider removing all soft toys and any toys that are hard to clean, such as those with intricate parts. You may wish to remove unnecessary items and soft furnishings from learning environments; you may be able to wash cushions and rugs regularly or have sufficient supply and space to quarantine them as per current guidance. Of course, how you disinfect toys will depend on what the toy is made of and how big they are.
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COVID-19 Secure
One provider’s journey to wider opening focusing on
increased cleaning and PPE On the 20
th March 2020 we were asked to
make a decision whether to remain open for critical workers or close due to the new pandemic sweeping the country. We made the decision to stay open and even though we knew things would be different we wanted to make sure we were doing our part to support the critical workers in our area.
We furloughed the majority of staff and decided who would stay in nursery with a commitment to work the entire time so as not to widen the pool of risk by introducing additional staff.
Before the children of critical workers came back into nursery we had to quickly make some decisions about how our environment could be made as safe as possible and ensure that everyone coming into nursery, staff, parents and children were aware of the changes that were in place. We shared information with parents regarding the changes including: dropping children off and collecting them at the end of the day; no parents allowed in the building; changes to policies such as illness and sickness and bringing additional toys, etc. into nursery. We decided which toys and resources could be used safely and which could be more of a challenge to keep effectively cleaned and sanitised on a regular basis. The cushions and rugs, soft and difficult to clean toys were all put into storage and resources were pared back so that fewer were available at any one time. The number of books put out daily was reduced significantly and changed on a regular basis. As our numbers at this time were fairly low, we were able to create one ‘bubble’ which has been based in one room of the nursery and we’ve used the outdoor space so this was relatively easy to accomplish.
We revised our cleaning rotas so that we are, basically, aware of cleaning throughout the day as and when it is needed and this has become the ‘new normal ‘for us. We have a thorough clean through everywhere again when the children have left to ensure that they are coming into a safe environment. All this cleaning has had a time implication so we
have shortened our opening hours for the time being, starting later and finishing earlier.
We’ve found that buying disinfectant in bulk and diluting it as we require it has been the most economical way of doing this as we are using so much. Floors, surfaces and equipment are washed thoroughly with disinfectant, then sprayed with anti-bacterial spray which is then left to dry on the surfaces. We frequently clean surfaces such as tables and door handles as children have finished with them. Staff keep a close eye on which resources have been played with and make sure that they are cleaned when finished with. When books have been used they are collected up and taken out of circulation for the required time. Hand sanitiser is available and, again, we bought this in bulk and decanted it into the dispensers.
For the majority of the time we have been able to get cleaning materials and disinfectant, etc. from our usual suppliers but we have also managed to purchase additional materials from our local B&M store. We haven’t necessarily found them more expensive, just that we are using more of them. We have plenty of gloves and aprons to use, just building on our usual practice, but we have also created sets of PPE equipment, including visors donated by a local source, in case any child or member of staff is taken ill during the day and would need to be dealt with before leaving the nursery. If used these would be disposed of using Government guidelines.
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We accepted children from other settings that had closed and they settled so well with us; it was lovely to make some new relationships in such uncertain times. We really miss them now they have returned to their original settings. The fact is, the nursery is now very quiet, we have consistent members of staff and a small group of children who have got to know each other really well. The staff have had more time to just be with the children, to play alongside them, to talk to them, to pick up on their interests and to follow these. We have noticed that although there are fewer resources the children’s imagination and their play skills have developed with skilled interactions from the staff. The calm atmosphere has been lovely. Although we haven’t been able to have the big sand tray out we did provide small individual sand trays for a few children who wanted to play with sand, this was disposed of when they had finished with it, they thoroughly enjoyed it and it worked really well.
We have worked hard to ensure the children feel as safe and secure as possible and continue to do so whilst at all times making sure this is done safely. Making sure children wash their hands regularly and that the new cleaning rota has been in place have been part of these measures, we have talked to the children about what is happening.
The children are now expert at washing their hands, knowing when to wash them and the routines in place following nose blowing or sneezing are well understood by all; the children almost recite what they have to do as they are doing it. The handwashing song has been very popular.
We have a really good understanding of what we need to do to keep children safe indoors; we are accessing the outdoor space daily but haven’t yet re-introduced a lot of the resources until we can be sure that we can clean them effectively. Time outside is well supported by all the staff and interactions have been lovely, there’s been lots of time for physical play and using imaginations.
I have been so happy and grateful to the Early Years Team for being there to support us and always answering emails if I’ve needed help with something. I have worked with Social Services, Health Visitors and Speech and Language Services to ensure that the support children and families need throughout time this continues. It has been brilliant having the updates from Derbyshire and the changes to the many policies and procedures have been so easy to find. I have been able to ensure that all the safeguarding is kept up to date by accessing schools net.
It has not been an easy time but to know I have had support from all my parents and staff and the Early Years Team has been fantastic.
I look forward to opening up to a wider pool of children and can’t wait to see my nursery family again. It has been hard and we have missed them all.
Jenny Ladley
Manager, North View Day Nursery
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Outdoor Learning From Theory to Practice
In our previous newsletters we have tried to inspire you to move your learning outdoors. We have spoken to two Derbyshire childminders about how they are making the most of learning outdoors to support and settle children.
Case Study 1 Eleanor Gregory, childminder Eleanor has been working throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, caring for 4 children of critical workers. She is a Forest School leader and has always worked outdoors with children, all day, every day, in the garden, out and about and on the allotment. Children learn to talk, listen, interact and develop physical skills including good core strength. The rhythms of the day flow naturally. Children know the routines which helps them to relax and feel safe. Eleanor says that it is clear to her that the less plastic toys and more natural resources there are, the better the children’s play and the more they are ready for school. One of her most effective areas of provision is the log circle where children sit, read and talk. Resources such as books, stories and props are available within the circle. Eleanor says that this has “massive benefit”, including for the 2 year olds, who frequently choose to spend between 40 minutes and an hour here. She will sit and chat with children while they engage in their play. Children benefit from a selection of ‘loose parts’ and resources including ceramic tea sets, weighing scales, chunks of wood in various sizes, edible flowers, herbs and other seasonal treasures. They get to know the names of plants, flowers and trees, singing ‘Daisy, Daisy’ whilst collecting daisies. One child noted “Oh look, it’s pine needles off the pine tree where you get cones from!” All this a whole year after he had previously come across the pine needles, demonstrating true deep level learning. Dandelion seeds are referred to as “wishes, not weeds” after a poem, written by a 9 year old child.
Eleanor and the children are currently engaging in The Wildlife Trust’s ‘30 Days Wild’ programme, as they have for several years now, offering a focus for learning in nature and for sharing this with families. Children recently watched from a safe distance as a local beekeeper moved a swarm of bees and the next adventure is getting their own beehive on the allotment. The most recent Ofsted inspection report endorses Eleanor’s practice:
“Children have a wonderful time with the childminder. They spend most of the day outside enjoying the wide variety of exciting learning experiences available. Children are fascinated by the activities on offer, which are expertly based on their interests and learning needs.”
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Case Study 2
Janet Haslam, childminder
Janet has worked with children all her life, in schools, as a nanny and, for the last 28 years as a childminder from her Derbyshire Farm. At the heart of her work is the belief that children thrive outdoors. She talks about ‘Dr Green’, saying that children who might arrive feeling grumpy, tired, out of sorts or even teething, seem to visibly relax when outdoors in the woodland and the green spaces. Janet tries not to force learning, believing that it happens organically given the right conditions. “The opportunities are there and children pick them up”, she says. There are no fixed expectations and even during woodland walks children will sometimes choose to stray off the paths. Janet encourages them to explore trees and fallen branches- hanging, balancing, squatting and stretching the spine. As they play and explore they sing songs together, naturally, as the mood takes them. Bamboo chimes hang from a tree branch and children investigate the sounds and rhythms that they make when they strike them with different sized sticks. Resources are open ended and include planks, bark, sticks, branches, tyres, mud kitchens, guttering, pipework, soil, sand and gravel. Janet promotes the message ‘Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose’, using recycled everyday objects such as milk cartons to make utensils, scoops, bird scarers for vegetable crops and containers for growing seeds and carrying water. A plastic Jerry can with tap in the outside play area with soap helps to make play safe - especially at the moment. Outdoor learning happens year round and in all weathers. Plastic sheeting may be suspended above children for them to play underneath when rainy, a lovely sensory experience! “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. It’s very important that outdoor play is comfortable for the children”, says Janet. The experiences transport Janet back to
her own country childhood as she relaxes and enjoys watching the children learn and thrive. She takes copious notes and lots of photographs which she adds to journals that families take away when their children eventually move on. Janet’s setting has been closed during lockdown, though latterly as a preparation for returning parents and children have come to visit on ‘socially distanced walks’. “Children were sometimes initially quieter than usual as things were a little out of the ordinary, but afterwards they didn’t want to leave”, she says. She has kept in touch during lockdown with shared stories, phone calls and videos of the environment and nature, including the farm animals, mini-beasts, hens and ducks. Janet is now working towards staggered returns and is planning how to manage arrivals, collections and issues around children who normally attend multiple settings. A recently added poly tunnel will be an outdoor learning space and useful shelter on the wettest days. Asked about how she feels children will cope as we ease out of lockdown, “I believe the power of nature heals them” she says. On returning for his first full day the parent of one little boy commented, “I was so positively surprised at how easily he walked in - happy memories for him must’ve made it an easy decision”.
Here are a few links that Janet uses and
finds inspirational:
Eden Project: Eden at Home
RHS: Gardening for Schools and Families
National Trust: 50 Things To Do…
RSPB: Fun & Learning
Insectlore
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Butterfly boy - Growing butterflies, dressing up, moving like an insect, sensory experience with the fabric.
Clouds - Noticing the weather, effects of rainfall on plants, measuring rainfall, watering our vegetable plants, looking for pictures in the clouds.
Building projects - This 16 month old boy saw the adult use a spirit level then used his stick as his own spirit level - Maths, pretend play, imagination, observation.
Running through the fields - Sensory play, physical de-velopment, exploration of space, own safety and risk assessment (understanding their own safety). “This little boy will just keep on walking with hardly a backward glance.”
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Keep Calm and Socially Distance
Helping Children Develop a Sense of Space
Anyone who has ever observed children knows that young children struggle to socially distance, they want a hug, a cuddle, want to crawl onto your lap or touch your face - social distancing is just not in their nature! Over the last few months, one thing that has become vital is the need for us all to be socially distanced. This is one of the many protective measures highlighted in Government guidance materials to help reduce the transmission of the virus. The Government acknowledge that, unlike older children and adults, early years children cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and from staff. Therefore they have outlined protective measures providers should take to reduce transmission of infection; this primarily is focused around smaller groups of children to minimise contact and mixing of children and adults. Further advice on social distancing can be found in ‘Early Years PVI Frequently Asked Questions – Issue 3 - Frequently Asked Questions Issue 3 Did you know that the ability to socially distance is linked to a child’s physical development? Social distancing involves children being aware of where their body is in space. It involves the use of a hidden sense that we use every day called proprioception. This sense is responsible for telling us where the body is in space. It plays a major role in developing an accurate body map, i.e. an awareness of where our own body parts are. It tells us where our arms and legs are in space without us having to look at and think about them. Proprioception is guided by receptors in the body (skin, muscles, tendons and joints) that connect with the brain through the nervous system (spinal cord). These receptors also tell your brain about the amount of pressure being placed on your body from the outside environment and so it is closely linked to a sense of touch and the development of fine motor skills. Movement is the key to developing your proprioceptive sense! Have a go at this challenge and feel your proprioceptive sense working….. Close your eyes, and then touch your right forefinger to your left elbow. Easy? How did you do it? Somehow you knew where the end of your finger was and you also knew the position of your left elbow – this is your proprioceptive sense in action! Proprioception helps babies to crawl and clamber in and out of boxes without banging their head, helps toddlers to get up on their feet and wander around without needing to think about where their feet are, helps children to run around and not bump into other people, door frames, tables, etc.
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Why not get children moving and having ago at some of these proprioceptive activities:
Heavy Lifting
and Carrying
Heavy lifting and carrying activities help to increase the
power and strength of the muscles:
Carry a weighted back pack while singing ‘The Bear
over the Mountain’
Lifting and carry a watering can or bucket full of water
Lift/push weighted equipment such as a wheelbarrow
Resistance
Work
Resistance activities also improve muscle strength and
tone, help children to develop flexibility and balance:
Pull/push heavy objects such as tyres or crates
Bounce on a space hopper
Pull weeds or vegetables from the ground
Deep Pressure Deep pressure activities help to improve sensory pro-
cessing & release ‘happy’ hormones:
Give yourself a bear hug: wrap your arms around your chest/ knees and give yourself a squeeze
Have a go at some yoga poses: Yoga for Children Yoga and your Sensory Child
Weight Bearing Weight bearing activities are also good for building and
maintaining healthy bones:
‘Tummy time’ activities
Crawling games & races
Push against a wall with hands/feet
Crab walking
Jump up & down
Play ‘Hopscotch’
Cardiovascular Cardiovascular activities provide intensive input to the
muscles and joints:
Ask the children to run to individual designated chalked
areas within a specific time
Stomp & sing rhythmic songs e.g. ‘The Ants Go March-
ing 1 by 1’
Please ensure you follow government guidelines ensuring that all equipment
used is cleaned as required.
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Did you know that proprioception helps us ‘feel at home’ in our own bodies? This is essential for our mental health and well-being (LeVoguer and Pasch 2014). The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we currently live. For many children and their families life at home and the world around them has changed. Some children and their families may be feeling anxious and upset, they may have spent long periods of time being sedentary watching the TV, playing on electronic equipment, etc. Now is the chance to get children up, motivated and moving! Try proprioceptive activities to help regulate, calm and relieve anxious children or just to help children become aware of and develop a sense of space. Not only will this improve emotional well-being but proprioception will also help children to focus, engage and learn. All children need multi-sensory fundamental movement experiences in order to develop physically. Think about what opportunities and experiences your children have had during lockdown? How active have they been? Where are they now developmentally in terms of their physical development? Proprioception isn’t just an isolated sense to be stimulated. Don’t forget to awaken the vestibular system by providing spinning, twisting and twirling opportunities, provide children with tummy time and crawling activities to help develop core stability and finally get those fingers and hands moving by singing and performing finger rhymes. Children love to move and being active not only helps a child develop physically. Research shows that the more a child moves the more the brain is stimulated and the more they will learn! Physical activity also improves sleep, builds relationships and social skills. It also aids mental health by releasing feel good hormones. So why not….
If you would like further information and support on children’s physical development why not have a look at the UK physical activity guidelines available by clicking here. Or contact the Early Years Team by email at [email protected] to discuss your needs including purchasing an electronic Every Child a Mover (ECaM) package. We would also love to find out how you are supporting children’s physical development at home or in your provision. Please get in touch with the Early Years Team via the email above.
If you have children who are struggling to understand social distancing why not share this video clip: ‘While we can’t hug’
Get Strong. Move More. Break up inactivity.
UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, 2019
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The Early Years Special Educational Needs Service
How to support children with additional needs when they
move from one setting to another
What should good transition look like?
It’s a team effort between parents, children, both settings and other professionals
Parents feel confident, listened to and included during the transition period – they know their child best
Children need time to prepare– this may include more preparation than for other children
Early liaison with all professionals involved
Provide a holistic assessment
If the child is already in a setting a ‘My SEND Learning Programme’ (MSLP) will have been started and should be passed directly to the new setting. A copy is given to parents as well.
The one page profile – adds to the holistic picture and information. A child may not be able to talk about him or herself without prompts from you
Share the one page profile with all staff at the new setting (this could include lunchtime supervisors for example) – this helps inform the team of the child’s needs and interests
Suggestions for the new setting to share and support the child and family
The new setting could provide a ‘Social Story’, this could include:
Photographs of the new environment e.g. ‘Where I hang my coat.’
Information about routines
People the child will meet e.g. teacher, teaching assistant
Activities the child may access e.g. messy play areas, computers, etc.
The Social Story will ideally be given posted/emailed to the family and child in a timely way so that they can become familiar with it well before the start date.
Other transition opportunities
Ideally during COVID-19 the new nursery/school, professionals involved and parents would be invited to a virtual transition meeting organised by the previous setting.
Where this is not possible or feasible then some form of liaison should be made between the setting and school with discussions on what transition is going to look like, how the MSLP is going to be transferred to the new setting and the joint completion of the Early Years Inclusion Fund (EYIF).
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Early Years Inclusion Fund (EYIF) for transition
During the COVID-19 pandemic period there are several ways of applying for Early Years Inclusion Fund depending on the situation of setting, school and child.
The Request for EYIF (COVID-19) form is a revised EYIF application form that can only be used for transition during the COVID-19 pandemic. This request form has been sent to schools and settings and is available on SchoolsNet: EYIF Transition Request Form - COVID-19
If the child has continued to attend a setting there should be sufficient evidence available and the original EYIF application/evaluation forms can be used. Transition funding for Autumn 1 will be applied for in the usual way.
If the child has not been attending and the setting feel they have insufficient or outdated evidence then schools and settings should use the Request for EYIF (COVID-19) to apply for funding for Autumn 1.
If the child has received funding before, has not been attending, but the setting feel they do have sufficient information then either form can be used.
At the time of going to print it is unlikely there will be time for settings to apply for funding for Summer 2.
In Autumn 1 the school or nursery will continue with this EYIF for the settling in period and if necessary use the EYIF transition to GRIP application if they need continued funding.
During the pandemic period the Support Service for Special Educational Needs (SSSEN) cannot be referred to by the request for EYIF form (it is unlikely to provide sufficient information for SSSEN service criteria) if using this form the SSSEN referral will be made during Autumn 1.
Parents/carers at this time can be anxious as their child transfers to a new setting.
However, parents/carers of children with additional needs may also have some of the following concerns. It is important that you and the new setting work together to try and address these:
Some children are not toilet-trained
The new setting makes assumptions about their child based on their diagnosis rather than
seeing their child as an individual
Reluctance to wear the new uniform because they have sensory issues around texture
The new environment might overwhelm the child
Supervision and safety at lunchtime
Playtime - fears around the child running off, safety, isolation. Will the child be bullied?
Communication skills - how will a non-verbal child communicate with unfamiliar adults?
Will appropriate support be in place for their child?
How will they know if there is a problem?
Will their child make friends?
A smooth transition for the child can be successful during COVID-19 when parents, professionals and key staff over both settings work together using all the available information and resources.
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From breaking news to informative and entertaining articles
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See links to a wealth of activities and resources
Join us today at: #DerbyshireEYFS
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Thinking Ahead: Considering A Delayed Admission
By law, parents/carers must arrange for a child to start school full-time at the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday − un-less arrangements are made to educate your child other than at school. All children in Derbyshire are eligible for a full-time place in the September following their fourth birthday. On the offer of a place, par-ents/carers have the right to defer admission until later in the same academic year. The place cannot be deferred beyond the point at which the child reaches compulsory school age, and not beyond the beginning of the summer term of the academic year for which the place was offered. Parents/carers can also request that a child attends school part time until they reach compulsory school age but the final decision rests with the Headteacher. When a parent/carer wishes to delay admis-sion within the same academic year this must be agreed with the school. The parent should
make an application as normal in the first in-stance. Arrangements to defer within the aca-demic year should be agreed with the Headteacher of the school the child will be at-tending. Early Years funding is available for 15 hours a week (or 30 hours if eligible), up to and including the term in which a child has his/her fifth birthday. Parents/carers considering this option should in the first instance discuss it with the child’s pre-school provider, prospective future Headteacher and any other professionals in-volved as soon as possible. For further information on admission please direct parents/carers to the Derbyshire County Council website - Derbyshire's parent guide to primary school admissions The Department of Education has released an updated statement with regard to admission for summer born children 2020 – click here
Stay Alert; to the trauma caused by a pandemic which has attacked hearts and minds
Do you want to? Ensure your Behaviour Policy reflects the needs of your children and the behaviours
that may present themselves in the months ahead? Ensure you have an effective recovery curriculum in place? Discuss where we go from here and what we need to be mindful of? Then the Stay Alert training is for you!
Running on Thursday 9 July 2020 from 4-5.30pm via Microsoft Teams, all we are asking for is a nominal contribution of £50 per school or setting. To ensure we can manage our event via teams, we are limiting bookings to 1 x person per school/setting. To secure your place, please complete your booking using the following bookings system: https://bookwhen.com/alfretonteachingschool by Friday 3 July.
If you require any further information about the training, please contact Alfreton Nursery Teaching School Alliance; [email protected] We look forward to working with you.
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Updates
30 Hours Extended Entitlement
New Applications – Please promote the 31 August 2020 deadline to those parents who would like a 30 hour place in the Autumn Term 2020:
www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/how-to-apply-for-30-hours-free-childcare It is important that you check the validity of the code on the Provider Portal before offering a child a place. To take up a place in the 2020 Autumn Term, parents must have received a valid code and their child turned three by 31 August 2020.
Early Entitlement Funding Payments: The ‘Adjustments’ tab will be open for any changes which occur during the summer term 2020 between 1 June – 17 July 2020. Therefore, where children start or leave your provision please submit this change in the ‘Adjustments’ section on the Provider Portal.
Reconfirmation of 30 Hour Codes:
Please continue to remind parents to
reconfirm their eligibility code ap-
proximately every three months. Alt-
hough the onus is with parents to re-
confirm every three months, please
encourage parents to regularly
check their gateway account to en-
sure they are aware of their reconfir-
mation deadlines. It is important
parents do not miss reconfirmation
deadlines as they will lose their fund-
ing for the term.
If a parent has questions about their application or difficulties with applying or reconfirming their code, they will need to contact the HMRC helpline on telephone: 0300 123 4097.
COVID-19 - Government Funding Support for Businesses: The gov.uk online checker is a useful tool for providers to find out what Government financial support providers could benefit from. It is quick and simple and provides all the latest information: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder/y
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FE1 Forms: The FE1 Parent/Carer Declaration form is the contract between the parent and
Provider for the early years entitlements.
Stay Informed
Guidance and advice about coronavirus (COVID-19) in educational settings for staff, parents and carers, pupils and students. https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/education-and-childcare
See Derbyshire SchoolsNet for updates, guidance and information relating to COVID-19 for Early Year’s Providers. https://schoolsnet.derbyshire.gov.uk/administration-services-and-support/coronavirus-information/early-years-covid-19-updates.aspx
It is vitally important, especially during the current coronavirus pandemic that ALL Early Years Providers receive up to date information and guidance. If you haven’t already done so, please ensure you provide Ofsted with a current contact email address. Should your email address change in the future, ensure Ofsted are notified to keep it up to date.
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Useful Contacts
Contact the Early Years Team
Telephone - 01629 532 876
(Leave a message, asking to speak to the Duty Early Years Co-ordinator)
Email – [email protected] Early Years Funding Provider Portal Support
Email – [email protected] The Early Years Sufficiency Team
For information on Contracts and Compliance, please email –
For sufficiency queries, please email –
We have a twitter account which will provide the latest news and updates from the Derbyshire County Council Early Years Team Follow us on Twitter @DerbyshireEYFS
Coming in our next newsletter - Blended Learning
What is blended learning? What does it look like in practice? What are the benefits for my children and parents?
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