early years
matters
www.LTScotland.org.uk
moving cfe forward in the early years // Issue 16 // Autumn 2009
Curriculum
for
Excellence
Moving forward
Plus
Active learning
Parents as partners
Outdoors – The
best free resource
Literacy, numeracy,
health and wellbeing
contents
thebigpic
The Early Years team (left to right): Linda Lauchlan, Annette Burns,
Jean Carwood-Edwards, Avril Robertson, Jane Stirling
7
Dear Colleagues
We look forward to hearing from you!
18
4
What’s keeping us busy?
Delve into the diaries of the Early
Years team
18 Take learning outside
5
Bringing research to life
Snapshots
The latest news for Early Years practitioners
11 The view from Holyrood
Adam Ingram on the Early Years
Framework
12 Meet the parents
How parents and practitioners are
in it together
Jean Carwood-Edwards
Early Years Team Leader
14 The big three essentials
Focus on literacy, numeracy and
health and wellbeing
Why outdoor learning is key
21 Waken the sleeping giant
Ready for take-off
25 8 features of effective planning
Our essential guide to planning
best practice
28 Active Learning
Engaging children in their learning
30 Postcard from the Highlands
Improving outcomes for children
and young people
31 What’s happening?
Events not to be missed
Picture: Graham Hamilton/Epicscotland
Welcome to the new-look Early Years Matters. You will
have noticed some big changes to this issue and we very
much hope you enjoy the fresh look of the publication.
We’ve also extended our distribution, so this
may be the first issue of the magazine that some of you
have received. This reflects a highly encouraging trend
towards multi-agency partnerships across the Early Years
sector. We’re therefore very keen that Early Years Matters
is not only available to practitioners in pre-school and
primary settings, but to everyone with a keen interest and
involvement in the sector.
We have a compelling mix of content in this issue,
including outdoor and active learning, planning within
Curriculum for Excellence and the importance of literacy,
numeracy and health and wellbeing.
Many thanks to the numerous contributors that
have helped with these excellent articles. Myself and the
team at Learning and Teaching Scotland hope you find
Early Years Matters a genuinely useful and interesting
read. However, we’re always looking for ways to improve,
so please do get in touch with any suggestions or post a
comment on the online version of the magazine.
14
Children at Kilbowie
Nursery and Primary
School, Clydebank, go
outdoors during filming
for the ‘Curriculum for
Excellence – Supporting
the Early Level’ DVD
resource.
T o find out more,
visit: www.curriculum
forexcellencescotland.gov.uk
what’s
keeping
us busy?
snapshots
Look no further for a round up of all the latest news that Early Years practitioners are talking about
The last few months have been action packed for the Early Years team
Working with
practitioners and
partners towards
implementing
Curriculum for
Excellence
Supporting and
developing the
visionary National Early
Years Glow Group – it
just keeps on expanding!
Taking forward
national advisory
groups, such as
Transitions (TAG) and
Under Threes (NUTAG)
Working collaboratively
with national bodies and
agencies, including Scottish
Government, HMIE, SQA,
further and higher education,
Care Commission, Scottish
Out of School Care Network,
Scottish Social Services
Council, Childminding
Association
and others
Strengthening links
with the Scottish
Childminding
Association to support
childminders with CPD
Supporting
practitioners in local
authorities
through events
and online content
Planning for Excellence
at the Scottish
Learning Festival
23–24 September 2009
– register now!
Presenting updated
news, information,
research and examples
of good practice on
Early Years Online –
www.LTScotland.org.
uk/earlyyears
Organising the conference:
Play and Active Learning
in the Early Years
3 October, Glasgow Royal
Concert Hall
Sharing Scottish
Innovation in Early
Years Internationally
Contributing to
new national Early
Years Qualification
Developments
4 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
Supporting
practitioners to
translate Research
into Practice
Organising the
Further Education
Conference for Lecturers Strengthening Connections
between Curriculum
for Excellence and Early
Education and Childcare
Courses, 7 November, Glasgow
Royal Concert Hall
Finalising ‘Curriculum
for Excellence –
Supporting the Early
Level’ DVD resource
to be distributed to all
settings in autumn 2009
Curriculum
for Excellence
– Supporting
the Early Level
Support
A new multimedia resource to
help Early Years practitioners
reflect on Curriculum for
Excellence is coming soon
C
urriculum for Excellence
aims to achieve a
transformation in education
in Scotland by providing a
coherent, more flexible and
enriched curriculum from 3
to 18. As practitioners work
towards full implementation of
the new curriculum in August
2010, it is understandable
that some may approach
the challenge with both
excitement and perhaps a little
apprehension. That is why the
Early Years team at Learning
and Teaching Scotland has been
working hard to put together
a range of resources that will
help to support practitioners
working with the Early Level
during this transitional phase.
‘Curriculum for Excellence
– Supporting the Early Level’ is
a multimedia resource, which
will be distributed to every
pre-school and primary setting
in the autumn and will also be
made available online. This DVD
resource will help practitioners
to review the background to
Curriculum for Excellence,
reflect on why it is time for
change and investigate what
the values, purposes
and principles are.
This is a CPD
resource with built in
flexibility. The DVD is
accompanied by a booklet
and interactive CD
ROM. The resource
offers further CPD
opportunities, additional
film clips, reflective
questions and links to
relevant documentation.
It is envisaged
that staff in pre-schools
and primaries will find
these innovative materials
invaluable as they highlight
Curriculum for Excellence in
action in a range of settings
across Scotland. Furthermore,
‘Supporting the Early Level’
will steer practitioners in
helpful directions in terms of
facilitating them to ensure
children’s learning experiences
are more meaningful, creative,
challenging and active.
more information:
To find out more, please visit:
www.curriculumforexcellence
scotland.gov.uk
Transitions Advisory Group
The Transitions Advisory
Group was established
to identify and agree
positive approaches to
transition arrangements
across the Early Level. It
has been supporting the
development of the DVD
resource ‘Curriculum for
Excellence – Supporting
the Early Level’. The group
will also share discussions
and key messages in the
National Early Years Glow
Group later this year and
via the Scottish Learning
Festival discussion group,
‘Exploring Effective
Transitions’ on 23
September at 11am.
5
snapshots
LTS Early Years Online
Website
Update
Early Years Matters
The Spring edition of Early
Years Matters is now online.
Readers can leave feedback
on articles on topics such
as integrated working with
children and families, CPD,
the Play@home physical
activity programme and
much more. To read the
online edition, please follow
this link: www.LTScotland.
org.uk/earlyyearsmatters
Under 3s case study
A new under 3s case study
is now available on the Early
Years Online website. This
case study aims to build
the capacity of practitioners
working in 0–3 group care
settings in Midlothian and
improve the quality of service
for children and parents.
To read the case study,
please follow this link:
www.LTScotland.org.
uk/sharingpractice/w/
midlothian0to3/aims.asp?strR
eferringChannel=earlyyears
A discussion zone session
based on the group, called:
‘A Fresh Approach to the
National Birth to Three
Guidance?’ will take place
at the Scottish Learning
Festival on 23 September
at 10am.
Growing Up in Scotland
The recent findings from
the Growing up in Scotland
report (GUS) are now online.
GUS is the longitudinal
research study following the
lives of 8000 Scottish children
and their families from birth
through to adolescence. To
read about its background
and find a summary of key
findings from Year 3 of GUS,
please follow this link: www.
growingupinscotland.org.uk
123
Children’s Day Care Services:
the vital statistics
Care Commission
The findings of the
Care Commission’s
inspection of children’s
Day Care Services have
been revealed
A
s part of its remit to
ensure that care service
providers meet the Scottish
Government’s National Care
Standards and strive to improve
the quality of care they
provide, the Care Commission
has started to grade children’s
Day Care Services from
1 April 2008.
At each inspection, the
Care Commission grades
the service according to
four themes – quality of
care and support, quality of
environment, quality of staffing
and quality of management
and leadership.
The Care Commission
conducted 2273 inspections
of children’s Day Care Services
from April 2008 to April 2009.
Inspections of children’s Day
Care services conducted by
the Care Commission in the
12 months to 1 April 2009 of
2273 Day Care Services found
that services scored more highly
for the quality of care and
support provided compared to
any other criteria, with a high
proportion of services achieving
the top grades of 5 (very good)
and 6 (excellent).
Services were rated
less highly for the quality of
environment and staffing.
Just 2 per cent of services
inspected were allocated a
Grade 6 (excellent) and 37 per
cent a Grade 5 (very good)
for the quality of environment
offered. A fairly high number
of settings, ie 42 per cent,
scored a Grade 4 (good)
and 15 percent a Grade 3
(adequate). The distribution of
grades was broadly similar for
the quality of staffing provided.
Services were awarded the
highest proportions of grades
Chart of the matter
4%
Quality of
environment:
2%
The Care
Commission
rated every
setting’s quality
of environment.
Below are how the
results break down.
A grade of 1 being
the lowest and 6
the highest.
15%
● Grade 6 (excellent)
● Grade 5 (very good)
● Grade 4 (good)
● Grade 3 (adequate)
● Grade 2 (weak)
● Grade 1 (unsatisfactory)
6 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
37%
42%
1 (unsatisfactory), 2 (weak) and
3 (adequate) for the quality of
management and leadership.
‘We are particularly
interested in inspections where
services have only scored
grades 1 or 2 for all themes
(the poorer performers) and
where they have scored only
Grades 5 or 6 for all themes
(the higher performers),’
said Bryan Livingstone,
Development Manager,
Children’s Services. ‘We have
found that the quality of day
care of children’s services is
generally good, with around
80 per cent of services
achieving Grades 4 or above at
inspection for each theme. But
almost one in four day care of
children services scored a 5 or
6 in all of the themes. In the
private sector only 17 per cent
of the services achieved Grades
5 or 6 for all themes and 4 per
cent a Grade 1 or 2 compared
to the same proportion of
services in the voluntary
sector who achieved Grades
5 or 6, but only 2 per cent
scored 1 or 2 in all themes,’
said Bryan. ‘More than one in
three local authority services
scored Grades 5 or 6 across the
board.’
As Bryan explains, the Care
Commission is committed
to supporting practitioners
to improve the standards
of care provided: ‘The Care
Commission will continue to
work with providers to improve
services. We are developing a
page on our website, which
will give examples of innovative
practice and services. The
intention is that it will give
ideas that providers may wish
to adapt and introduce into
their own services.’
more information:
To find out more, visit:
www.carecommission.com
The Scottish Government is to provide funding of £4m to
improve play opportunities for young people aged 5–13 years
Meet the new Commissioner
Tam Baillie was
appointed as
Scotland’s new
Commissioner for
Children and Young
People in May. Here
he explains his aims
and objectives for the
next five years
How have the first few months
been? Have they matched your
expectations?
I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I was
advised to take a break between
my last job and this job to recharge
the batteries, as it were, but I didn’t,
because I was so keen to start!
What do you see as your main
priorities?
There are three main areas that I want
us to concentrate on.
The first is increasing awareness
and understanding of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child. I want to do that by
drawing attention to cases where we
are already satisfying the Convention’s
articles – for example, every time a
parent is providing a loving home
The key is to get the right
support to parents early
on, and for me that means
combining our health
services with an element of
family and parental support
environment or an Early Years worker
is providing nursery education. If
we start to understand that the
Convention affirms a lot of the good
things that we’re already doing, that
will help us get a better understanding
of where we need to do better for
children and young people.
The second is about capturing
the voices, experiences and opinions
of young people, and making sure
that they influence the work of our
office and general policy. In particular,
nurseries are a major issue because
there’s the challenge of finding ageappropriate ways of engagement.
The third area is discrimination.
There are a whole group of youngsters
for whom we do need to do things
better, and we will highlight that
through specific areas of work.
How do you view the importance of
the Early Years Framework?
I believe it is the most important
policy development within Scotland.
In my opinion, placing a greater
emphasis on Early Years development
and our Early Years services is the
biggest single chance we have to
create a generational change to the
future wellbeing and resilience of our
children and young people.
The key is to get the right support
to parents early on, and for me that
means combining our health services
with an element of family and
parental support. If we are going to
achieve some of the changes we’re
looking for, that’s where we’ll have to
put our time and energy.
What do you think are the strengths
of our current system?
I’m very encouraged by the Scottish
Government’s response to the
conclusions of the United Nations
Rights of the Child monitoring
committee and its decision to publish
an action plan. It forms a good basis
for the future direction of my office.
We also have international
recognition for our Children’s Hearing
system, and we’ve scored consistently
well in our educational outcomes, so
there’s lots of things that we can build
on. But we mustn’t be complacent.
Where would you like to be in five
years’ time?
I would like us to be where a lot of
our policy plans say they want us to
be. We’ve actually got very good and
positive aspirations for our children,
we have a number of policies and
pieces of legislation in place. The
issue is about the good and consistent
implementation of that.
If there was one thing I could alter,
it would be the level of inequality
that we have in Scotland. We have an
unacceptably high number of children
brought up in poverty, so we have
to have a renewed and refreshed
approach to that.
7
snapshots
tim wallace: curriculum for excellence
Equal health opportunities
LTS Early Years Online
www.LTScotland.org.uk
/earlyyears
New
downloadable
resources
Image Library
New downloadable images
have been added to the
website to depict food, drink
and physical activities. Visit
the resources section to find
out more.
The Curriculum for
Excellence Early Level
DVD resource
A promotional video has
been produced to promote
a forthcoming Curriculum
for Excellence Early Level
DVD Resource entitled,
‘Curriculum for Excellence Supporting the Early Level.’
This DVD will be delivered
to every pre-school and
primary setting in Scotland
in autumn 2009.
To see the promotional video
and to find out more please
visit:
www.LTScotland.org.uk/
news/2009/educational/june/
news_tcm4552057.asp?strRef
erringChannel=earlyyears
Tim Wallace, Professional Adviser, Scottish Government, shares his
views on the next stages to deliver Curriculum for Excellence
Health
An Early Years test site
centre will address
inequality in service
pathways for children
E
ast Lothian is the Early
Years test site centre for a
new initiative to tackle health
inequality across Scotland. The
local authority has been selected
to pilot ‘Equally Well’, a Scottish
Government project designed to
address the underlying causes
of poor health before they
develop further.
The first priority in East
Lothian will be to review
service pathways of health
and wellbeing for children.
This is being addressed by
encouraging collaborative
working between the
community and service
providers to identify what
needs to be done and how it
can be carried out.
Early Years is a particularly
important part of the
health inequalities jigsaw as
encouraging positive attitudes
towards health at an early age
will have an impact that will
Improving service pathways
for children in East Lothian
influence this generation and
future generations too. The
programme intends to reach
out to children from birth to
the age of 8, by improving
community engagement, and
providing extra support to
those families who need it.
‘This is a new approach
for Scotland,’ says Karen
Grieve, Programme Manager,
Health Improvement and
Health Inequalities for the
Scottish Government. ‘We are
putting into practice ideas that
could make a real difference
in improving the way public
services work together.’
A further seven test centres
will look at other areas of
health inequality.
more information:
www.eastlothian.gov.uk/site/
scripts/documents_info.php?doc
umentID=392&pageNumber=2
SSSC Early Years toolkit coming soon
Support
T
o support Early Years and
child care workers, and
those interested in pursuing a
career in this area, the Scottish
Social Services Council (SSSC)
will launch an online Early
Years toolkit later this year. ‘In
2006, the National Review of
the Early Years and Childcare
Workforce identified a need
for clearer career pathways
within the sectors,’ says
Nina Roberts, Learning and
Development Adviser, Scottish
Social Services Council. ‘The
Scottish Executive’s response in
‘Investing in Children’s Futures’
8 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
Making Curriculum for
Excellence happen in Early Years
asked that a toolkit which
supports career pathways be in
place by September 2009.’
The online toolkit will
be a one-stop shop, helping
anyone currently working in,
or considering a career in, Early
Years and child care, such as
nursery workers or play workers,
to identify career pathways.
It will include an interactive
section showcasing case studies
of Early Years practitioners
explaining how they have
developed their careers.
The SSSC was established
in October 2001 under the
Regulation of Care (Scotland)
Act, as part of a drive to raise
standards in social services
and to promote a competent,
confident workforce. Registration update
Following the announcement
of required registration,
managers and lead
practitioners of day care of
children services must register
with the SSSC by 30 November
2010, practitioners by 30
September 2011 and support
workers by 30 June 2014.
We are now entering a really
important phase when all
establishments should be moving
forward with the implementation
of Curriculum for Excellence. Most
of the guidance is now in place to
support this implementation: the
values, purposes and principles
have been shared, ‘Building the
Curriculum 1, 2 and 3’ have been
published, and, in June of this year,
the final set of experiences and
outcomes for each of the eight
curriculum areas were distributed
to all practitioners. Further
guidance on skills development and
assessment will be published over
the coming months.
From August 2010, all learners
should be experiencing learning
and teaching based on the
guidance provided. Central to this
is a description of the curriculum
that encompasses the experiences
and outcomes, interdisciplinary
learning, opportunities for personal
achievement and the ethos and life
of the school as a community.
This is certainly not about
‘throwing the baby out with the
bath water’ but is about building on
current good practice. The journey
that each practitioner, pre-school
establishment and school takes is
a local decision based around their
identified development needs.
There are, however, some
additional sources of support
From August 2010,
all learners should be
experiencing learning and
teaching based on the
guidance provided
available to help Early Years
practitioners on this journey:
• Curriculum for Excellence website
– Learning and Teaching Scotland’s
Curriculum for Excellence
website has been updated
to provide specific support in
building the curriculum. It also
links to a section called Sharing
Practice, which demonstrates
how establishments and local
authorities are approaching
Curriculum for Excellence in
their local contexts (www.
curriculumforexcellencescotland.
gov.uk sharingpractice/index.asp).
• A video clip that provides
a flavour of the new DVD
resource, ‘Curriculum for
Excellence: supporting the Early
Level’ can be viewed at: www.
curriculumforexcellencescotland.
gov.uk/buildingthecurriculum/
stages/earlylevel/purpose.asp
These materials aim to support
practitioners as they implement the
early level. As Early Years Matters
goes to press, the design and
production of the resource is being
finalised, so that every pre-school
and primary setting can receive their
materials in the autumn.
This is an exciting time for
Scottish education. Across the
country, we continue to see
examples of innovative and creative
practice, building on the values,
purposes and principles as outlined
in ‘Building the Curriculum 3’ and
earlier guidance. There is a clear
focus on the child at the centre
and a real understanding that
change is necessary when striving
for an education system fit for the
challenges of the 21st century.
Curriculum for Excellence offers a
real opportunity to ensure that our
young learners really do become:
• successful learners with
enthusiasm and motivation for
learning, an openness to new
ideas and a determination to
reach high standards
• confident individuals with physical,
mental and emotional wellbeing,
self respect and ambition
• responsible citizens with respect
for others and a commitment to
participate responsibly in society
while developing a knowledge of
the world and Scotland’s place in it
• effective contributors with
resilience and self-reliance, who
can communicate in different
ways with an enterprising attitude.
more information:
The Early Years toolkit will be
available at www.sssc.uk.com
later this year
9
kate cherry: curriculum for excellence
Adam Ingram: The view from Holyrood
The HMIE perspective
the early years framework
Kate Cherry, HM Assistant Chief Inspector at HMIE, provides a progress
report on Curriculum for Excellence within Early Years settings
Adam Ingram MSP, Minister for Children and Early Years, explains
why developing the Early Years workforce is a key priority
In HMIE inspections over the
last year, inspectors have had
discussions with staff in all centres
and nursery classes about how they
are engaging with Curriculum for
Excellence. We have highlighted
good practice and positive progress
being made with the curriculum.
Our new inspection models have
given us more opportunity for
professional dialogue with all
staff. Staff have found this a very
helpful part of the new inspection
process and have readily shared
their ideas and sought information
about developing their curriculum.
We have been encouraged by the
work being done in many centres.
The existing willingness of staff in
the Early Years sector to embrace
change has encouraged them to
take a new step on the road of
continually improving children’s
learning experiences. Developments
such as outdoor learning, children
taking decisions in their learning,
and staff liaising with colleagues
across sectors on the Early Level
have been most encouraging.
In the HMIE report on inspection
and review 2005–2008, we said:
‘Curriculum for Excellence embodies
a new way of working. It recognises
that sustained and meaningful
improvement should, to a significant
extent, be shaped and owned by
those who will put it into practice.’
In the Early Years, we need
to build confidence on the firm
foundations already in place with
the 3–5 Curriculum Framework.
Staff now need to look much
more closely at the Curriculum
for Excellence Principles and
Practice Papers and engage with
the Experiences and Outcomes
now published. As the Curriculum
for Excellence itself puts it: ‘The
The Scottish Government is strongly
committed to giving every child in
Scotland the best possible start.
In December 2008, we published
the Early Years Framework in
partnership with COSLA, setting
out a vision for long-term,
transformational change in the
Early Years. High-quality, pre-school
education has a vital role to play
in the successful implementation
of the Framework, and there is a
significant volume of evidence on
the relationship between quality and
the presence of well-qualified staff
in pre-school settings, particularly
teachers. That is why, in our
concordat with COSLA, we pledged
to ensure that all pre-school children
have access to a teacher.
In May 2009 we published
supportive guidance for pre-school
providers on the implementation
of this commitment. As research
into how much of a teacher’s time
is required to improve children’s
outcomes in a pre-school setting is
not conclusive, there would be no
basis for setting a minimum level for
what counts as ‘access’ and that is
not what the guidance aims to do.
What we do say, however, is that,
given the strong evidence base on
the benefits brought by teachers in
pre-school settings, it is important
that teachers are deployed in ways
that make the best use of their skills
and experience.
It is important that teachers
are utilised in ways that contribute
positively to the learning experience
for children, and it is likely that
this will entail the provision of
teacher input on a regular and
consistent basis. For some providers,
deploying teachers on a full-time
basis in centres will prove difficult –
particularly in remote or rural areas.
10 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
It will be important
to ensure children’s
experiences are planned
across the Early Level
from age 3 to 6’
title ‘Experiences and Outcomes’
recognises the importance of the
quality and nature of the learning
experience in developing attributes
and capabilities and in achieving
active engagement, motivation and
depth of learning.’
Over the inspection programme
for 2009 and 2010, HMIE will
be looking for clear signs that
Curriculum for Excellence is being
taken forward. From August 2009,
we will still be looking at examples
of good practice and, from January
2010, we will expect to see a more
coherent curriculum strategy having
an impact on each school or centre.
In particular, we will look for
an understanding by teachers and
other educational staff of what
Curriculum for Excellence is about
and how they will approach the
change. Curriculum for Excellence
should be reflected in selfevaluation and improvement
plan priorities.
In pre-school and early primary
settings, it will be important to
ensure children’s experiences are
planned across the Early Level stage
from age 3 to 6. This will mean even
better liaison and transition within
and across the sectors. Staff will be
using the experiences and outcomes
to improve teaching, learning and
achievement for children. The
existing good practice in the Early
Years of delivering the curriculum in
an active and integrated way offers
an exciting chance for learning and
teaching to become even more
innovative and creative.
There is a significant
volume of evidence on
the relationship between
quality and the presence
of well-qualified staff in
pre-school settings’
We acknowledge that, in this case,
alternative models of deployment,
such as part-time or peripatetic
models, may need to be explored.
Working together
As the guidance makes clear, the
role of teachers in pre-school must
be considered in the context of the
wider workforce in centres. The
Scottish Government is committed
to developing the Early Years
workforce – we have already made
significant progress on this through
the introduction of the Childhood
Practice qualification for Early
Years and childcare managers,
and the ongoing process of SSSC
registration for the wider Early
Years workforce. As set out in the
Early Years Framework, we are
also looking at the development of
roles working across sectors. While
teachers have an important and
distinct role to play in the delivery
of pre-school education, centres
should consider how teachers
can be deployed in ways that
complement the valuable work
done by all members of the team
in pre-school settings.
In Scotland, we have much to
be proud of in terms of our preschool education provision. To give
all our children the best possible
start, we must now build on the
high-quality practice that already
exists, and increasing the overall
level of teacher involvement is
key to this.
11
wo rking with par e n ts
Meet the
parents
particular attention. ‘It’s impossible to
underestimate the role of practitioners in
supporting parents and raising awareness
of their rights,’ says Linda Alexander,
Senior Manager at Enquire, the national
advisory service for additional support for
learning. ‘Enquire exists to help practitioners
and parents, and young people, get the
information and advice needed to ensure
children are supported towards maximising
their potential.’
Enquire urges Early Years staff to raise
awareness among parents of the services it
offers. ‘No problem is too small or too big,
and we are here for practitioners as well
as parents through our information service
and telephone helpline. Partnership working
is crucial for effective communication and
it’s what works in the best interests of the
child,’ says Linda. Full details of the service
provided are available on the Enquire
website (www.enquire.org.uk).
With a shared agenda, joint planning and
a true partnership with parents, the potential
rewards for children in Early Years are very
exciting. Parents and practitioners have made
great strides working independently, but
together they will achieve so much more. ●
The opportunities for parental involvement in early
years provision are more plentiful than ever as
Curriculum for Excellence becomes embedded in
practice. Charlotte McNeill reports
W
ith the number of
lone parent families
on the increase and
the pressure of work
commitments, life
can be a juggling act
for families with young children. Another
factor to consider is the decline of the local
extended family, and the opportunities for
young children to enjoy quality time and
interact with adults are not as plentiful as
they might once have been.
Yet, as practitioners know, playing
with children and talking and listening to
them is paramount to their physical and
mental wellbeing and development. The
role of parents in nurturing their children’s
development doesn’t end at their own front
door – parents also have an important role
to play working in partnership with Early
Years practitioners. ‘Research tells us that
the life chances of a child can be hugely
enhanced if parenting is right in the early
stages,’ says Lorraine Sanda, National
Parental Involvement Co-ordinator at
Learning and Teaching Scotland. ‘There’s
no doubt about the gains for the children,
families, communities and practitioners of
getting the partnership with parents right.’
While true partnership cannot be
achieved overnight, Lorraine is confident
that it can work. ‘The starting point in terms
of developing real parental involvement
is the shared belief that practitioners are
working alongside parents to get the best
outcomes for children in Early Years. If we
truly believe this, we can start working
towards creating a partnership. This means
asking ourselves how we can support
parents, how we can involve them at all
12 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
stages of their children’s learning, and
thinking about how parents can support
us in what we are trying to achieve,’
explains Lorraine. ‘I would encourage
all Early Years practitioners to self-evaluate
how they involve parents at present,
and to meaningfully involve parents in
that evaluation.’
How can practitioners help these
partnerships thrive? ‘Building trust, respect
and open, two-way communication is crucial
to forming the relationships that lead to real
involvement. So much of a child’s learning
in the Early Years takes place outside of
nurseries and we have to think about how
we can work in partnership with parents,
grandparents and other key people in
children’s lives,’ says Lorraine. ‘When you
think about ‘relevance’, ‘personalisation
and choice’ and ‘challenge and enjoyment’
– three of the principles for design used
in Curriculum for Excellence – how more
relevant can you make the curriculum to
young children’s lives than by involving
their parents?’
Early Years settings across Scotland
are introducing innovative approaches
to capitalise on the valuable contribution
parents and other family members can make
to their children’s development. Highlighted
on the Learning and Teaching Scotland
Video website (www.LTScotland.org.uk/
video) is Inveralmond Early Years Centre
Nursery School, West Lothian, where they
are supporting parents through the Peers
Early Education Programme (PEEP). The
programme gives parents tips on how to
play and interact with their children, and
provides opportunities to meet with other
parents to share experiences.
Find out more
‘PEEP aims to help parents learn to
interact with their babies and children
from a very young age, and to create
an interest in literacy and numeracy
experiences among young children before
they come to school,’ says Aileen German,
Headteacher at Inveralmond Early Years
Centre Nursery School.
In it together
Meanwhile, Clentry Nursery in Fife adopts
a whole-nursery approach to involving
parents in their children’s learning. Listening
to parents’ views at the planning stages of
Early Years experiences and encouraging
their active involvement in the life of the
nursery has paid dividends. ‘The nursery
does a lot of work around health promotion,
involving parents in cookery lessons and a
fruit and vegetable stall for families who
use the nursery,’ says Lorraine. ‘Parents
also take part in positive parenting classes
and regularly volunteer to participate in
forest walks and swimming trips. It’s a great
example of sharing learning experiences.
Parents really appreciate the advice they
receive in the non-threatening Early Years
environment, so we have a wonderful
chance to gain parents’ support.’
In Argyll and Bute a group of 10
nurseries and schools have come together
to develop parental involvement in active
learning. One of the initiatives introduced,
‘Shared Start Shared Finish’, sees parents
join the classroom each week either for
the first or last half hour to work with the
children and see active learning in action.
‘This enables parents to understand the
benefits and rich experiences that active
learning facilitates,’ says Lorraine.
Another approach involves parents and
staff sharing ideas on planning learning
opportunities. Lorraine states, ‘This is real
partnership, parents and staff are learning
from each other, valuing and taking account
of each other’s experiences and perspectives,
and at the same time getting the best
possible learning experiences for children.’
Further details can be found at: www.
parentzonescotland.gov.uk/getinvolved/
sharingideas/argyllandbute.asp
Additional support needs
The involvement of parents of children
with additional support needs demands
Visit www.hmie.gov.uk/GoodPractice/
Default.aspx to find out more about
Clentry Nursery and other examples
of good practice.
Shifting focus from simply
communicating to true involvement
emerged as a key finding of the Parents
as Partners in Early Learning (PPEL)
Project, which provides a snapshot of
policy and practice in Early Years Settings
in 150 local authorities in England.
• To find out more, visit: www.surestart.
gov.uk/_doc/P0002435.PDF
A Scoping Study commissioned by
the South East Forum illustrates how
Family Learning approaches can support
children’s learning and development, and
raise parental aspirations.
• For further information, visit: www.
lwtt.org.uk/Family%20Learning%20
Final%20Report.pdf
Lorraine Sanda will deliver a session
on making parental partnerships work
for Curriculum for Excellence, at the
Scottish Learning Festival on Thursday 24
September at 2pm.
• For further ideas on involving
parents, visit: www.parentzone
scotland.gov.uk/getinvolved/
sharingideas/index.asp
13
li teracy, Numera cy, H e alth an d W e l l b e i n g
The big three
essentials
1 Literacy 2 Numeracy 3 Health and Wellbeing
By the time a child reaches three, 85 per cent of the
brain’s core structure is formed. Most of the brain’s
growth occurs during the first two years of life,
when vital neural connections are made in response
to the child’s environment. A newborn baby’s 100
billion neurons have tentative connections which,
through the child’s experiences, will become the
hard-wired connections responsible for all their
major cognitive and emotional functioning
B
ut science is only one
side of the coin. Anyone who
has ever spent time with small
children will have witnessed
for themselves the remarkable
transformations that take place
from one day to the next. New skills are
learned, new words are spoken and young
personalities come to the fore.
Set against the backdrop of Curriculum
for Excellence, Early Years practitioners,
families and communities across Scotland
are recognising the importance of literacy,
numeracy and health and wellbeing as
building blocks for lifelong learning. Even
for our very youngest children, knowledge
and awareness of these three key areas
can have a powerful impact. But with that
power comes great responsibility, as three
specialists in each of the fields explain.
Bringing words to life
‘Over the last year we have been developing
the concept of literacy across learning,’
says Fiona Norris, Literacy and English Team
Leader at LTS. ‘The phrase ‘literacy across
learning’ wasn’t a well-known phrase
in the past, we had “literacy across the
14 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
curriculum”, but this needed to change in
order to emphasise the fact that literacy is
not a subject,’ she says. The embedding
of basic literacy skills is something that
cannot be taught in isolation. ‘You cannot
access other aspects of learning unless you
are literate. It is not just down to language
teaching,’ says Fiona.
Curriculum for Excellence has helped to
bring about a change in thinking regarding
the teaching of literacy. ‘Good primary
school teachers have always understood
that literacy is not a subject, but something
that needs to be taught in conjunction with
every other curriculum area,’ she says. ‘The
5–14 curriculum encouraged teachers to
split the language modes into discrete
subjects: reading, writing, listening and
talking. This resulted in each component
being taught in isolation and removed the
possibility of language developing in an
interconnected way.’
Fiona talks positively about the impact
that Curriculum for Excellence will have on
the teaching of literacy. ‘The great thing
about Curriculum for Excellence and literacy
is that people now have the freedom to
develop language within a context,’ she
says. ‘It is through listening and talking in
the Early Years that children develop many
of their skills.’
Kilmacolm Primary School in Inverclyde
has introduced innovative approaches to
help its pupils develop skills in this area.
‘From the Early Years, the children are
introduced to the benefits of questioning,
through using Bloom’s Taxonomy,’ says
Fiona. ‘Staff have established a colour
coding approach, where each of Bloom’s
questions is written on a different coloured
flower.’ This was a particularly innovative
system, as it could be easily adapted to the
home environment. ‘In order to ensure that
parents were fully involved, the school put
together a workshop on Bloom’s Taxonomy.
This gave parents an insight into this talking
and listening strategy, and allowed them to
continue developing it at home,’ says Fiona.
This approach is particularly relevant
in light of the many references made to
questioning in the Literacy and English
Early Level experiences and outcomes. ‘The
words that are appearing are questioning,
exploring, playing and choosing,’ says Fiona.
‘What we are seeing is that literacy is best
developed in an active, collaborative and
li teracy, Numera cy, H e alth an d W e l l b e i n g
interactive way. Curriculum for Excellence
has really given us an opportunity to
reinforce this.’
child has learned at home, before they even
start nursery, links in with what they learn at
nursery. And, going forwards, how that knits
in with what they’ll learn when they move on
to primary and eventually secondary school.
Health and wellbeing runs right through the
Curriculum for Excellence from 3–18, but for
the Early Years it’s about building on what has
gone before,’ adds Iain.
Iain says that an awareness of health
and wellbeing at all levels, in families and in
the nursery or school, helps nurture social,
emotional and mental skills that form the
basis for a child’s lifelong development. ‘It’s
vital that everyone who works with children
understands the social and emotional
impact of their actions and behaviour,’ he
says. And it’s in the process of ensuring
• For more information on Bloom’s
Taxonomy, follow the link: www.teachers.
ash.org.au/researchskills/Dalton.htm
Counting on us
Joe McLaughlin heads up Learning and
Teaching Scotland’s Numeracy team. His
experiences echo those of Fiona and the
belief that effective teachers are teachers of
children, not solely teachers of a particular
subject. ‘Creating the foundations for
good numeracy skills and a well-rounded
understanding means creating a real buzz,
an excitement about numbers, right from
the very Early Years upwards,’ says Joe. For
children from the earliest of ages, numeracy
can translate into simple everyday examples,
like dividing an orange into equal parts,
sharing their lunch with a friend, or simply
recognising their front door number.
‘Numbers can become very personal to
children,’ says Joe. ‘Even something as simple
as their age or the number of the bus they
get to nursery. It’s important we acknowledge
this early recognition of numbers and use
the numbers that already exist in a child’s
environment to best advantage.’
It’s here that active learning has a part to
play. Joe points to instances where even very
basic ‘active’ techniques such as dropping
objects into a cup and listening for the noise
as they hit the bottom, one by one, can
form an early awareness of ‘adding up’ and
help young children understand the idea of
progression in a sequence. ‘Capturing young
children’s imagination is key,’ he says.
Early exposure to numbers and sharing
best practice has been boosted by the ability
of nurseries and schools to log on to the
virtual learning environment Glow. ‘Glow
can really help generate fresh ideas and
allow practitioners to talk openly about
what works well for them and share what
might be helpful to another nursery or
school. The chat board is also a great source
of inspiration,’ says Joe.
With health in mind
‘Early Years development is about learning
and living,’ says Iain Ramsay, Health and
16 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
It isn’t only the children’s awareness
we need to raise and harness, it’s the
adults’ and the learning communities’
the children are part of
Wellbeing Team Leader at Learning and
Teaching Scotland. For Iain and his team,
a holistic ethos underpins every aspect of
health and wellbeing and the way these
areas interact with each part of a child’s
learning. ‘Everyone who makes up part
of a child’s learning environment has a
responsibility to develop, reinforce and
extend learning in these areas. And it’s
about so much more than learning, it’s
about developing a real awareness of how
learning works in practice,’ he explains. While the phrase ‘responsibility of all’
might sound like jargon, Iain stresses the
importance of breaking down what it means
in hands-on terms. ‘That means thinking
about how we engage with children.
We’re all key in relation to their mental
and emotional health. In real terms, that
might be about celebrating achievement
but it might just as importantly be about
teaching coping skills and resilience. Health
and wellbeing isn’t as simple as teaching
children about eating healthy foods or doing
exercise, it crosses all disciplines,’ says Iain.
Wellington School Nursery in Ayrshire
fully understands the impact health and
wellbeing has on a child’s development.
Nancy Allan, Head of Nursery, ensures that
a range of activities are available each day
which demonstrate its commitment to health
and wellbeing. ‘There are a number of
physical activities available for the children to
participate in on a daily basis, and we ensure
that the children spend part of each day
outside,’ Nancy says. ‘The children consider
hand hygiene carefully, and understand the
importance of tooth brushing.’
Iain says a holistic approach to health
and wellbeing extends beyond the nursery
or school setting. ‘Health and wellbeing
must be supported by knowledgeable
adults. It isn’t only the children’s awareness
we need to raise and harness, it’s the adults’
and the learning communities’ the children
are part of. The environment that the school
or nursery provides to support all this is
also key,’ he says. Iain calls these ‘enabling
environments’ and explains: ‘Things like
what food they serve, and how play time
and rest time are organised are important.
These are day to day examples of how the
issues on paper translate into practice.’
Wellington School Nursery recognised this
need to improve its partnership with parents.
“We wanted to get parents fully involved in
health promotion at Early Level. In order to
do this effectively, we decided to organise a
Health and Wellbeing Fair. We also got the
local health community to raise awareness of
the services they provide.’ On the day of the
event, displays were set up by a professional
who provided key information about health
and wellbeing in the Early Years. The event
turned out to be a success as Nancy explains:
‘The Health and Wellbeing Fair was very well
attended by parents who commented on the
usefulness of the information provided,’ she
says. ‘They also appreciated the opportunity
to learn more about Curriculum for
Excellence Early Level, and the importance it
places on health and wellbeing.’
‘Consistency is also crucial and that’s
where we need to think about how what a
good transitions that partnership working
and joined up thinking has a valuable role
to play. ‘Health and wellbeing crosses all
disciplines. It has to be a partnership effort
between schools, communities, parents and
carers, in fact all those who interface with
children,’ he says.
Considering that health and wellbeing
is broken down into six ‘organisers’ with
issues such as relationships and substance
misuse making up two of the curriculum
categories, you would be forgiven for
thinking these aspects simply don’t apply
to the Early Years. But they do. Iain explains
that substance misuse could cover making
sure young children understand that some
dangerous items are stored in kitchen
cupboards and medicine cabinets. ‘It might
also cover making young children aware of
how and when to get help in an emergency
situation,’ he explains.
All teachers and Early Years practitioners
have a responsibility to promote literacy,
numeracy and health and wellbeing. These
core building blocks will enable children in
the Early Years to be successful learners,
confident individuals, effective contributors
and responsible citizens. ●
more information?
To find out more, visit: www.
curriculumforexcellencescotland.gov.uk
17
Th e great outdoo r s
Take
learning
outside
If education is a voyage of discovery, why not
explore the opportunities to take learning outside?
Chiara Pannozzo reports
T
he Early Years are a time of
unrivalled personal discovery,
in which each day holds the
potential for adventure for a
child – and nowhere offers
greater potential for adventure
than the great outdoors.
‘The benefits of outdoor play are
really very basic,’ says Harry Harbottle, a
consultant in play and risk management,
who was formerly appointed by the EU
as a child safety expert to the European
Standards Organisation. ‘If children aren’t
allowed to engage with the elements – mud,
water, air, even fire – how can they begin to
understand the world that they live in?’
Harry argues that there is a need to
move away from a culture of reluctance to
let children explore outdoors. ‘We are at
last realising the consequences of children
spending most of their time indoors,’ says
Harry. ‘There are too many children who
have been adversely affected by a lack of
exercise and stimulation.’
A solution to counteracting the effects
of spending too much time indoors is to
begin to embrace outdoor learning. ‘From
working across the EU, I have seen the
benefits of taking learning outdoors,’ says
Harry. ‘Children in Northern Europe, in
particular Germany and Scandinavia, have
much more independent mobility.’ In order
to create a similar effect in Britain, official
guidance on play now advises practitioners
to undertake a risk ‘benefit’ analysis, when
they are concerned about the nature of a
certain activity. ‘Perceived negative risks
18 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
surrounding health and safety seem to have
become part of our culture,’ says Harry. ‘It
is often hard for practitioners to remove
this barrier. However, a risk benefit analysis
encourages practitioners to look more
closely at the associated benefits rather than
just the risks. By doing this, practitioners
can take a more balanced approach to
ensure that only relevant and proportionate
provisions are put in place to reduce the
likelihood of accidents. It is important that
practitioners use safety rules and regulations
to enable children to do things, rather than
stop them from doing things.’
Harry also believes that parents and
practitioners should not underestimate the
level of expertise they already possess in
the field of risk benefit analysis. ‘In my view
teachers, rather than parachuted-in experts,
are the real specialists,’ he says. ‘They know
the children and the area, and are better
equipped to handle any behavioural issues,
which very often are the causes of problems
rather than technical ones,’ says Harry. It is
important to remember that accidents are
rare. ‘Provided you have taken the proper,
logical steps, and have completed a risk
benefit analysis, then you should have
demonstrated that you have taken the
appropriate level of care,’ he says.
In addition to the health and
developmental benefits, outdoor education
also helps to increase awareness of the
environment. ‘If we want people to become
more environmentally conscious, what
better way to do this than to encourage
children to engage with nature?’ asks Harry.
Children at the Cowgate Under
5’s Centre develop Early Level
science experiences and
outcomes whilst outdoors
North Lanarkshire
So what is happening in Scotland? Well,
one local authority that has been active
in the outdoor learning arena is North
Lanarkshire Council. ‘There is now much
more of a focus on going outside with the
children,’ explains Marian Cairns, Early Years
Development Officer. ‘These experiences
cannot be recreated indoors. It would be
easy to mistake outdoor learning as simply
expanding children’s knowledge about
nature and the ever changing landscape.
While of course these factors are one of the
main benefits, being outdoors lends itself
to the whole curriculum. We do not see the
outdoors as a separate area but as indoors
and outside being one planned learning
environment. Staff are encouraged to view
the area they plan for as being from the
nursery entrance to their perimeter fence –
and beyond. They are encouraged to use the
learning potential of the local community,
and country parks.’
Embracing outdoor learning has required
a great deal of hard work, but the rewards
make it all worthwhile. ‘We knew if this
were to be a success, we would have
to support our early years practitioners
appropriately,’ says Marian. This process
began by accessing New Opportunities
funding to provide safe and secure play
areas and by North Lanarkshire Childcare
Partnership funding training opportunities to
all of its nursery establishments. This allowed
staff to explore opportunities for children
to learn outdoors. Furthermore, Early
Years establishments were provided with a
number of resources, guiding them in how
to use the outdoors appropriately to create
worthwhile learning experiences. Materials
such as Mindstretchers ‘We Go Outside’,
began to be distributed to facilitate their use
of the outdoors as a challenging learning
environment. Conferences, specialist site
visits, Forest School Taster sessions, resource
allocation and development officer support
have assisted staff in recognising the value
of being outdoors.
If children aren’t
allowed to engage
with mud, water,
air, even fire – how
can they begin to
understand the world
that they live in?
19
Th e great outdoo r s
re se a rc h in to pra c tic e
The importance of play
Early Years practitioners could clearly
see the benefits for children. Not only
were they more comfortable in an
outdoor environment, the children were
being presented with more spontaneous
challenges, encouraging their holistic
development. ‘The colours change, the
temperature changes, the feel of the
outdoors changes all the time, and that
in itself creates a more sensory outdoor
Practitioners have
reported that taking
learning outdoors
has had a positive
effect on them –
they are healthier
and less stressed
experience and offers greater challenge,’
says Marian. ‘Taking learning outdoors also
provides the children with more freedom
to explore. Indoors they can take part in
activities that are stimulating and interesting,
however, outside children are exposed
to more opportunities to explore and ask
questions about the natural environment.’
The benefits of outdoor learning have
also extended to practitioners, some of
whom have reported feeling healthier and
less stressed.
20 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
Aberdeen and Edinburgh
The Nature Nurture Project is an early
intervention programme, that runs in
partnership with Aberdeen City Council and
Camphill School. It accredits its success with
using woodland spaces to provide a calm
environment for the children. Terri Harrison
of Camphill School describes the positive
effect the outdoors has on children: ‘Being
out in nature with staff that are focused
on understanding their needs, gives them
the opportunity to test their skills, push
themselves a little further each time and
then celebrate their success.’
The Cowgate Under 5’s Centre in
Edinburgh also has a strong ethos in
outdoor learning. Lynn McNair, Head of the
Centre, discusses their ethos: ‘Our aim is to
help the children become experienced risk
assessors who are resilient and thoughtful
about their own personal safety, and
who can make good choices about what
risks to take.’ Lynn believes that anxiety is
underpinning a reluctance to take learning
outside, and it is crucial that this anxiety is
not passed onto children. ‘If we are anxious
and prevent children from taking risks, we
are not encouraging them to persist with
challenging tasks,’ she says. ‘By removing
the challenges, we are not developing
resilience in our children.’
In order to help facilitate outdoor
education, Curriculum for Excellence has
embedded a number of principles associated
with outdoor learning in the experiences
and outcomes for the Early Level. ‘There
are a number of references to exploring
the outdoor environment,’ says Juliet. ‘And
there is clearly going to be a great deal more
expectancy about what is possible.’ ●
‘Play is central to how
children learn, both in
terms of cognitive skills
and softer skills around
relating to other people.
It is a fundamental part
of children’s quality of
life and is enshrined in
the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child.
Outdoor play in particular
can also be a major
contributor to outcomes
around physical activity
and healthy weight.
Developing play spaces
and play opportunities
for children and removing
barriers to play is
therefore a priority.’
Early Years Framework, p11
Waken the
sleeping giant
Research is all too often
left to gather dust on
library shelves. Jean
Carwood-Edwards
explains why it’s time to
waken the sleeping giant
and bring research to life
T
he Early Years Framework,
which is designed to give
our children the best start in
life, stresses the importance
of research to ensure that
our work is rooted in robust
rationales, rather than habit and hearsay. Most
practitioners would agree that being able
to explain their practice by citing evidence
gives confidence and credibility to both the
providers and the users of a service. So why
does the mere sight of the term ‘research’
often make people run for cover?
There is no doubt that some research
findings are so camouflaged by obscure and
complex terminology that any potential value
is easy to miss. For this reason, some research
is destined sadly to reside in dusty library
tomes, never achieving a practical impact.
Practitioners also speak of difficulties of time,
finance or distance that prevent them from
accessing continuing professional development
(CPD) initiatives that might otherwise provide
opportunities to engage with research.
If relevant information that could inform
and improve our practice is available but is
not being accessed, we could view research
as a ‘sleeping giant’ – a great force that lies
dormant but has explosive potential if roused.
So how can we stir this giant? How can
we begin to remove some of these barriers
to promote professionalism and strengthen
evidence-informed practice?
It’s sometimes easy to forget that
‘research’ is actually a simple everyday activity
about ‘finding out’ so that you can then make
informed decisions – such as buying a mobile
phone or switching insurance provider.
The principle is the same in Early
Years education – and finding out which
approaches and activities have been proven
to work makes sense. Indeed, it may be that
by making some fundamental changes, we
could all work together more effectively
to strengthen the ‘research into practice’
bridge. This is an agenda that Learning and
Teaching Scotland is very committed to
promoting and supporting.
A recent piece of research commissioned
by Learning and Teaching Scotland and
undertaken by the University of Strathclyde,
reviewed CPD provision for Early Years
practitioners and managers who work with
children under 3 years of age. Involving staff
in 29 local authorities, the research set out
to look at the ways in which CPD could be
improved to more effectively support and
equip practitioners. The full research
report with the key findings, messages
and recommendations can be accessed
at www.LTScotland.org.uk/aboutlts/
whatwedo/research/publications/
ltsearlyresearch/index.asp.
Learning and Teaching Scotland placed
an emphasis on the practical impact of the
research from the initial planning stages
by incorporating case study examples
and agreeing that the publication of the
report would be followed by extensive
dissemination, including conferences,
publications and online communications.
It was also agreed that LTS would help
practitioners and policymakers interpret
some of the recommendations and
implement them in practice contexts
(see recommendations on p22).
more information?
Jean Carwood-Edwards is Leader of the
Early Years team at Learning and Teaching
Scotland. She will present the full paper,
‘Research: A Sleeping Giant’ at the
EECERA Annual Conference in Strasbourg
on 27 August 2009 when Learning and
Teaching Scotland will share its role in
supporting research into practice with
colleagues across the world. Visit http://
crec.co.uk/ to find out more
21
r esearc h into p racti ce
Bringing research to life
®
Looking for effective ideas for converting research into practice?
Jean Carwood-Edwards offers some recommendations from the
Early Years team at Learning and Teaching Scotland
What can researchers do to
strengthen the research into
practice bridge?
• Plan the timing of research projects
so that findings will fit with priorities.
• Involve the end users at the outset
to enhance awareness and ownership.
• Ensure the focus is relevant and will
be regarded as useful by end users.
• Build practice links into the research
brief to aid conversion into practice.
• Use inclusive language that will
be meaningful to the majority of
end users.
• Produce tailored summary reports
as well as full technical reports.
• Make the research findings accessible
to end users.
• Agree the presentation format
and style at outset, in line with
target users.
• Generate curiosity and expectation
by communicating intentions and
keeping in touch with end users
through updates as the research
process progresses.
What can practitioners do to
strengthen the research into
practice bridge?
• Make known the questions you
think need to be explored to
improve the quality of provision
for children and families.
• Overcome the notion that research
is ‘academic territory’.
• Talk about research findings with
colleagues, children and parents.
• Use online facilities such as the LTS
websites and Glow to keep up with
new research.
• Share your own experience of what
works with others via LTS online,
Glow and other websites.
• S elect different aspects of practice
with colleagues and discuss why
you do what you do in the way
that you do.
• Acknowledge elements of practice in
your setting that are underpinned by
evidence and discuss this with others.
• Subscribe to a new e-bulletin,
publication or website.
• Encourage children to adopt a
‘finding-out’ culture so that research
is regarded as a natural tool.
What can LTS do to strengthen
the research into practice bridge?
• Ensure relevant research evidence
is made accessible and available.
• Influence researchers to undertake
studies that fit with practitioners’
needs and interests.
• Encourage researchers to build
explicit practice links into
research plans.
• Examine existing research
messages and make available
to the Early Years community
in accessible forms.
• Use research findings as a starting
point for dissemination rather than
regard it as the end of a project.
• Identify potential users of the
research in policy and practice
contexts and communicate
with them.
• Organise online and other
CPD opportunities and invite
practitioners and others
to participate.
• Build research findings and
related practice examples into
publications, conferences and
other media.
• Convert research messages into
practice by highlighting case studies
that exemplify key findings.
• Facilitate practitioners and
policymakers to plan how they
can convert research into practice
in line with their own context.
• Assist practitioners, policymakers
and researchers to identify key gaps
and priorities for future research.
• Support practitioners and
policymakers in sourcing, making
relevant connections and using
existing research.
• Disseminate research findings
which encompass international,
national and local perspectives.
• Communicate effectively with
researchers to help mediate
and strengthen the research
into practice bridge.
• Provide mechanisms for
planning, debating, evaluating
and sharing across the children’s
workforce to help build capacity
and improve evidence-informed
practice.
22 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
Glow – An
Example of
Research
into Practice
in Action
Jane Stirling explains how
Glow makes a perfect
medium for effective
research into practice
W
hen Learning and Teaching Scotland
carried out research into Continuing
Professional Development (CPD)
provision for practitioners working with children
under the age of 3, the following barriers were
among those identified:
• lack of time to participate in CPD
• lack of funding to access CPD
• lack of suitable CPD opportunities for staff
working with this age group.
As a result of the research, a number of
recommendations were made. North Lanarkshire
Council (NLC), which was identified within the
study as one local authority demonstrating
effective practice with this age group, has been
working in partnership with LTS to examine and
implement the following two recommendations:
•C
PD initiatives with a specific focus on the
under-3s should be developed on a multiagency basis, including key stakeholders
such as education, health and social work.
Such initiatives should involve managers and
practitioners from private, voluntary and local
authority sectors.
• L ess frequently used approaches such as
distance and online learning, staff exchanges
and job shadowing should be encouraged
p24
and supported.
Growing up
in Scotland
Growing up in Scotland is a valuable example of
how research can influence and inform practice
‘B
efore GUS was set up, our only
source of data was from a UK
study, which only incorporated
the results of 2500 children living in
Scotland,’ says Lesley Kelly of Growing
Up in Scotland (GUS). ‘Since GUS is solely
representing children in Scotland, we have
now been able to study 8000 families,
which will give us a great deal more data.’
GUS was commissioned by the Scottish
Government in 2005, in response to a
lack of information regarding the lives of
children under the age of 5. The 8000
children were divided into two cohorts. The
birth cohort consisted of 5000 children,
who have been interviewed annually since
birth. The remaining 3000 children were all
under the age of 3 at their first interview.
This allowed the researchers to make
comparisons in their data early on.
‘When interviewers visit participating
families, they ask a number of questions
regarding the child’s development,’ says
Lesley. ‘They also measure their height
and weight. The children will also have
been participating in exercises prior to
the visit, which test their vocabulary
and problem-solving skills. These
results give us an insight into the
child’s cognitive development.’
In recent years the style of GUS
reporting has been adapted. ‘For the
first two years, we produced lengthy
reports, covering all of our findings,’
says Lesley. ‘More recently, we have
moved towards producing shorter
reports, which provide more detailed,
comprehensive information.’
The topics of these reports have
varied, along with their findings,
but a recent report on the effects of
parent–child interaction on cognitive
development, generated a great deal
of media attention. ‘We removed the
effect of socio-economic disadvantage,
and looked purely at the developmental
impact of parents and children spending
time together,’ says Lesley. ‘Activities such
as reading and talking produced positive
results, reinforcing the notion that, from
a young age, parents should be spending
time with their children.’
This will be further highlighted
in autumn when a social advertising
campaign funded by the Scottish
Government will appear on television. ‘We
are hoping our research findings will impact
on parents, and encourage them to see the
advantages in spending time and engaging
with their children.’
more information?
All of the report findings are available
to be downloaded from the GUS website
(www.growingupinscotland.org.uk)
23
r esearc h into p racti ce
Glow, the Scottish national intranet for
education, provides the infrastructure to
enable online learning and the exchange of
ideas and practices to support virtual learning
communities. Glow provides a range of web
resources that can offer unique learning
opportunities. Chat rooms (Glow Chat),
newsgroups and instant messaging are built
into the system, along with resources on net
conferencing (Glow Meet), which allows text,
voice and video conversations between users
across the intranet. Practitioners can also use an
online whiteboard to share their presentations
with others.
Evidence-based
practice can
be improved
through effective
CPD opportunities
Through this partnership working with
North Lanarkshire, Learning and Teaching
Scotland organised two Glow Meet sessions:
• The North Lanarkshire Council Early Years
settings along with their multi-agency partners
(eg health, social work, psychological services
and so on) shared examples of practice in
real time, facilitating multi-agency group
discussions.
• Jacqué Fee, from the University of Strathclyde
Research Team, linked up with the NLC Early
Years Centres and their respective multiagency partners.
The session focused on the theory and
practice of how to achieve effective integrated
working and included interactive question and
answer opportunities.
This partnership has highlighted that
evidence-based practice can be improved
through effective CPD opportunities, enabling
practitioners to discuss, collaborate and share
their practice through the use of online learning
environments. ●
Speak to me
Liz Attenborough, Manager of the National
Literary Trust campaign, ‘Talk To Your Baby’,
reveals how a simple research project could
change the way buggies are designed
I
n November 2008, ‘Talk To Your
Baby’ published the first ever
research into the psychological
effects of life in a baby buggy. The
report set out to answer a simple yet
important question: does the direction
a buggy faces alter the quality of
interaction that parents and carers
have with children?
A study of nearly 3000 parentinfant pairs across the country was
carried out by Dr Suzanne Zeedyk,
from Dundee University’s School of
Psychology. The findings revealed
that 62 per cent of all children were
travelling in away-facing buggies,
and only 22 per cent of carers were
observed speaking to the child.
Dr Zeedyk also carried out a
study of 20 babies being wheeled in
pushchairs across a one-mile stretch
in the centre of Dundee. Half the
journey was spent in an away-facing
buggy and half in a towards-facing
buggy. Only one baby in the group of
20 studied laughed during the awayfacing journey, while half laughed
during the face-to-face journey. One
factor was startlingly clear – infants
and carers were twice as likely to be
interacting when using face-to-face
buggies.
There is no doubt that
communicating with babies and
toddlers – making eye-contact, talking
and singing, listening and enjoying
‘conversations’ with them – helps
to develop their speech, language
and communication skills. In today’s
modern, fast-moving society, babies
are spending more prolonged periods
of time in buggies and prams.
What better way to make that time
stimulating for both the child and
the carer than by talking, laughing
and engaging with each other along
the way?
A flurry of media coverage
after the publication of the research
has brought the issue to the top of the
agenda. We hope that this increased
awareness will inspire manufacturers
to make front-facing buggies more
affordable and readily available.
24 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
features
of effective
planning
Planning is a big issue for practitioners preparing to implement Curriculum for
Excellence – and there is a thirst for guidance and examples of best practice. So what
lead can local authorities take to help? Fraser Allen spoke to three participants from
this summer’s National Early Years Local Authority Forum (NEYLAF) in Stirling
The panel
Kirsteen McCartney,
Quality Improvement
Officer, East Ayrshire
Council
Frances Rodman,
Quality Improvement
Officer, North Ayrshire
Council
Myra Struthers,
Quality Improvement
Officer, Glasgow City
Council
lores
1 Support for Practitioners
more information?
Jane Stirling is a Development Officer with
the Early Years team at Learning and Teaching
Scotland. She will deliver a session entitled:
‘Making Connections Across the National
Landscape’ along with Jean CarwoodEdwards at the Scottish Learning Festival on 24
September at 2pm
8
e ffe c tive pl a n n in g
Enjoying conversations
with babies and toddlers
helps to develop their
communication skills
Myra: In Glasgow we used to have
a very prescriptive approach to planning
and paperwork but the Curriculum for
Excellence ethos promotes autonomy –
and with autonomy comes responsibility.
However, we’re certainly not abandoning
practitioners, or saying ‘do whatever you
want’. People need guidance to point them
in the right direction and we’re offering a
flexible approach to providing support when
and where it is needed.
Frances: I agree. We’re trying to ensure
that practitioners are fully supported. The
Local authorities can point
practitioners in the right
direction to make their
planning more effective
25
effective p l annin g
5 Encourage Reflection
process should be focused on opportunities
for the child’s development through
Curriculum for Excellence rather than trying
to fit the child into the outcomes. Planning
should not be about ticking boxes, it should
be a process to support children’s learning
and development.
Myra: In both the guidelines that we
have produced and the planning proforma
that practitioners can use, we have stressed
the value of ‘reflection’. That means
practitioners are reflecting on learning
as it happens, and also encouraging the
children to reflect. We have also stressed the
importance of play in learning.
Myra: We have commissioned a working
party this year, made up of the Early Years
Quality Improvement Officers, of which
there are four at present in Glasgow, and
the heads of various different centres
across the whole city. We’ve discussed our
thinking with them and other practitioners
and will gain more feedback in the months
to come. Glasgow’s vision so far is based
around a general set of guidelines and a
graphic device, a bit like a pie chart, that
emphasises principles of effective planning –
from observation and consultation, through
to sharing outcomes for learning, and then
reviewing your work. It’s still in draft form
at the moment, but it does give exemplars
of good practice and we feel it is quite
innovative. It provides a starting point.
6 Incorporate Transition
Kirsteen: Reflecting on the transition
process is also important. We have changed
what we called the ‘skills profile’, which
was created during the nursery stage and
passed on to be validated in October by the
P1 teachers. We thought it was impractical
to say a child had developed specific skills
within that time frame. Instead we are
placing an emphasis on involving the child
and their parents in identifying what the
child’s interests are and what he or she
needs to learn. We call this a ‘transition
profile’, which is completed in stages from
home to nursery and nursery to primary.
It puts a greater focus on continuity and
progression in their learning.
2 Sharing Best Practice
7 Opportunities for Training
Myra: We have looked at some useful
exemplars from England and have also
urged our own practitioners to share their
Having more time to spend
tapping into children’s
interests is a key priority
To gain the biggest impact on
a child’s learning, practitioners
should plan an activity that they
would expect children to enjoy
best practice ideas with us. People can be
apprehensive about this, – especially when
it involves other local authorities. Putting
your thoughts ‘out there’ can seem a bit
frightening. The meeting in June this year
of the National Early Years Local Authority
Forum (NEYLAF) was a really good approach
to sharing approaches and ideas. It gave
people the opportunity to talk to each
other and share ideas about good practice,
without having to publish anything for the
whole world to see.
Kirsteen: Working together and sharing
best practice is helpful in understanding
what Curriculum for Excellence is all about.
The NEYLAF forum was a great idea.
Meeting people in the same field is so
valuable and it’s very important to receive
information from a strategic point of view.
26 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
3 Less Paperwork, More Action
Kirsteen: We are trying to move
away from driving practitioners into filling
out countless sheets of paper and instead
ensure that it’s more about working with
the children and tapping into their interests.
Although we have issued general guidelines,
we are very much encouraging people to
develop what suits their situation best. We
have developed an A3 planning sheet but
if practitioners are using their own format
that they are happy with, they can continue
to use it, providing they are consistent with
Curriculum for Excellence.
Frances: Any format that we pursue has
to be manageable for practitioners – it’s
important to minimise the paperwork and
maximise the time that they can spend
working with children.
Myra: We don’t want to swamp people
with paperwork. Also, the planning process
must have the flexibility to reflect the
needs of each establishment, rather
than restricting practitioners.
4 Know the Child
Frances: It is important to ensure
that planning always starts from a sound
knowledge of the child. There should
be a focus on individual children,
with individual planning for each child
– and regular evaluation built in around
it. That means speaking to the parents
about their child’s development and
interests, and enabling the child to
have a say in what they do too.
We also believe there should be
involvement from the whole staff
team and any relevant agencies.
Kirsteen: More and more practitioners
are asking for training in planning. We
have been holding twilight sessions, with
homework assignments and quiz elements
that make planning issues more relevant to
participants’ own settings. We also started
providing one-to-one surgeries last year.
Initially it was offered to support partner
providers in the voluntary and private sector,
but it is now being offered to anyone who
requests it.
it Relevant
and Enjoyable
8 Make
Kirsteen: Kate Cherry from HMIE
(see p10) made a simple but illuminating
observation at the NEYLAF event when
she pointed out that some evaluations
contain comments relating to how the
children have enjoyed an activity. As she
quite rightly said: ‘Who would plan an
activity that they wouldn’t expect
children to enjoy?’ Our message is
very much that we shouldn’t just hope
children enjoy activities; we should
be actively planning to ensure that
experiences are also relevant, challenging,
developmentally appropriate and have
an impact on learning. ●
more information?
To find out more about planning, contact
Kirsteen: Kirsteen.McCartney@eastayrshire.gov.uk
Frances: frodman@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
Myra: Myra.Struthers@glasgow.gov.uk
27
ge t active
What is active learning?
Bright
ideas for
active
learning
‘Active learning is learning which
engages and challenges children’s
thinking using real-life and imaginary
situations. It takes full advantage
of the opportunities for learning
presented by:
• spontaneous play
• planned, purposeful play
• investigating and exploring
• events and life experiences
• focused learning and teaching
supported when necessary through
sensitive intervention to support or
extend learning.
All areas of the curriculum can
be enriched and developed
through play.’
An initiative in the
Scottish Borders is
pioneering fresh
approaches to active
learning. Chiara
Pannozzo reports
‘A
ctive learning allows
children to be more
involved in decisionmaking,’ says Susan
Sutherland, a nursery
teacher at Newtown
Primary in Newtown St Boswells. ‘We use
the children’s ideas to find out what they
would like to learn, then we take their ideas
forward. This allows the children to take
greater responsibility for their own learning,
rather than dictating what they are to learn.
As a result, children are now more fully
engaged in their learning.’
Susan was a member of a working
group created to help pioneer a fresh
model for active learning across the Scottish
Borders. The group, which was co-ordinated
by Eleanor Byrne, Quality Improvement
Officer at Scottish Borders Council, has
recently created a set of active learning
guidelines for the Scottish Borders authority.
28 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
Active learning creates
opportunities for investigation
and exploration, taking full
advantage of spontaneous play
‘The working group was made up of
a number of Early Years practitioners from
both pre-school and primary, who were
committed to reviewing current thinking
on active learning,’ says Eleanor. ‘We
recruited a diverse group of people in order
to cover as wide an area as possible. The
practitioners were already committed to
developing approaches to play and active
learning in the Early Years, which was to
prove invaluable when citing good practice.’
The aim of the group in putting together the
guidance was to look closely at reviewing
current thinking in conjunction with the
‘Building the Curriculum 2’ document.
They also looked at learning and teaching
approaches to develop current practice.
One of the first discussions the group had
was to agree on what was meant by the
term ‘active learning’. Susan wanted to
remove any confusion surrounding this.
‘Some practitioners are under the impression
that active learning is mostly concerned
with play, but this is not the whole story,’
she says. ‘Active learning promotes wellplanned, purposeful play and learning,
where direct teaching does take place, but
in a more discreet fashion.’
To build upon this understanding, it
was important for the group to develop a
cohesive approach across the Early Level – for
ages 3 to 6. This would set out the necessary
continuity and progression, and would take
account of prior learning. Susan emphasises
the importance of continuity between nursery
and primary one. ‘It is essential to ensure
continuity between the stages as it allows for
a more seamless transition. As children in P1
and pre-school work together, they become
more aware of similarities in their day, thus
making the transition process smoother.’
The Curriculum for Excellence Early Level
is now giving practitioners the opportunity
to develop a more progressive curriculum.
As practitioners make connections
between nursery and primary one,
the working party is moving forward
with a number of recommendations to
Borders Council, in order to develop
this way of working.
‘One of the main recommendations we
put forward was that future CPD should
be a joint experience between nursery and
P1,’ says Eleanor. ‘Not only would this allow
for the development of the Early Level,
but it will help to eradicate the boundaries
between nursery and P1.’
As well as developing the guidance
in line with the main reference point of
‘Building the Curriculum 2’, the working
group was keen to ensure that the finished
document was workable. ‘We wanted
to present the information in a way that
would be easy to follow,’ says Eleanor. ‘This
prompted us to produce a single set of
guidance for managers and practitioners
that would provide a clear message to
whoever was reading it.
We also wanted it to be rooted in best
practice. A number of the comments and
exemplars were based on practical examples
from practitioners.’
Susan Sutherland adds that her school
has since adopted some of the principles
from the guidance. ‘We have now adapted
the start of day routine in primary one to
reflect the nursery morning,’ she says. ‘For
example, rather than the children gathering
together on the carpet, we have introduced
“Soft Start”, where the children have 20
minutes free play. Here they are able to
choose from planned play activities, which
has proved to be very effective in primary
one and primary two.’
Christian Robertson, Head Teacher at
St Peter’s Primary School in Galashiels and
a member of the working party, firmly
believes that the guidance will be helpful in
Building The Curriculum 2, page 5
smoothing the transition between nursery
and P1. ‘Our nursery nurse has been
working alongside teachers in the infant
department, supporting them in taking
active learning into the primary one and
two classrooms,’ she says. ‘It has proved
very successful.’
Eleanor and her team have worked
hard to produce a comprehensive set of
guidelines that will continue to support the
early years in creating more active learning
experiences. This guidance is expected to be
with nurseries and schools in the Scottish
Borders for the start of the 2009/2010
session. Initially, this guidance will only
be distributed in the Borders region, but
Eleanor will be happy to share this guidance
with other local authorities in the future. ●
more information?
To contact Eleanor Byrne, email:
EByrne@scotborders.gov.uk
29
a postcard from...
A new regular featu
re
highlighting exciting
n
projects across Sco ew
tla
kicks off with a look nd
a
collaborative workin t how
g
the Highlands is he in
lp
to improve outcom ing
es
children and young for
people
c
onfident individuals, effective
contributors, responsible
citizens and successful learners – the
four capacities of Curriculum for
Excellence paint an attractive vision
for Scotland’s children and young
people. Achieving these outcomes
will not be simple but Getting
it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)
is one initiative which is helping
to make it happen. GIRFEC is a
Scottish Government programme
that aims to improve the outcomes
for all children and young people by
ensuring that all relevant agencies
– education, health, social services,
All the key agencies have a
role to play but this should
not supersede the needs of
the child and their family
What’s
happening?
Calendars to the ready – here are some exciting
training and networking events for the autumn
The Highlands
police and the voluntary sector – are
working together and sharing key
information to get the right help
to children at the right time in their
lives.
The Highlands local authority
has been working as a pathfinder
area, pioneering the principles
of GIRFEC for three years and
is reaping the rewards from
interagency working. ‘All the key
agencies have a role to play and
the main focus must always be
around the needs of the child and
their family,’ says Ann Brady, Chief
Executive of the Care and Learning
Alliance, which offers a broad range
of childcare and family support
services throughout the Highlands
and promotes the importance of
collaborative working. ‘A unified
approach from all agencies at the
right time is important in ensuring
that each child gets the help they
require,’ explains Ann.
Every child is different
Recognising each child’s individual
needs and gaining a holistic view
of their circumstances – family
life, health and their community
– is vital. Once this has been
established, agencies can then pull
together to put into practice a plan
for each child.
GIRFEC allocates each child
a named contact who ensures
the plan is followed and that all
agencies do what is required of
them. In an Early Years context, this
is likely to be the child’s designated
health visitor, so it’s essential that
the health professional can liaise
effectively with other agencies.
‘Each professional must be aware of
their individual responsibilities to the
child and, when appropriate, how
to work effectively with others to
ensure they are met,’ explains Ann.
For Gillian Newman, Voluntary
Sector Lead of the Getting it Right
for Every Child team, although
it may signal a step change for
many organisations, the positive
results of the GIRFEC approach
are indisputable. ‘Working in the
Getting it Right for Every Child
processes will bring changes
in culture and practice for all
practitioners working with children
and families,’ says Gillian. ‘As it is an
early intervention model, some of
the most powerful benefits will not
be seen until the children grow up
but we’re already seeing many great
benefits from this collaborative,
child-centred way of working.’
The rollout of GIRFEC across
Scotland could help make the aim
of providing a personalised level
of care for each child in Scotland
a reality.
Further Education
Conference for Lecturers
Strengthening Connections between
Curriculum for Excellence and Early
Education and Childcare Courses
Other Events
The Scottish
Learning
Festival
Date:
23–24 September
Venue:
SECC, Glasgow
Date:
7 November
Venue:
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Following the success of last year’s conference for Further Education staff
who are involved in the Early Years and Childcare Programmes, we are
delighted to offer a second event, which will consider how Curriculum for
Excellence can become embedded into Early Years Training Programmes.
Invitations to this conference will also be open to private training providers.
This year’s Scottish
Learning Festival will
include a variety of
exciting Early Years
events, including
Professor Carlina Rinaldi
as a spotlight speaker and
Professor Ferre Laevers,
who will deliver a keynote
presentation and an Early
Years seminar. There will
be a number of other
Early Years seminars and
discussions, an education
showcase area, the
Scottish Education Village
and the Early Years zone.
Further information:
Visit: www.scottish
learningfestival.org.uk
Further information:
Email Felicity Bowen at F.Bowen@LTScotland.org.uk
30 early years mat te r s | Autum n 2009
31
Play and Active Learning
in the Early Years
An Early Years Curriculum for Excellence Saturday Conference
Date:
3 October
Venue:
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Further information:
Visit www.LTScotland.org.uk/earlyyears/index.asp
Come along and join in the debate on the role of play and active learning as our new Scottish Curriculum is implemented.
This is a unique opportunity, not to be missed, to engage with first-class speakers who are experts in the field:
• Pat Kane (accomplished Scottish musician/songwriter and author of ‘The Play Ethic’)
• Dr Christine Stephen (Institute of Education, University of Stirling)
• Kevin Kelman (Programme Leader, BA Childhood Practice, Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow)
• Juliet Robertson (Creative Star Learning Company)