Education Scotland’s
EARLY YEARS
MATTERS
MAKING SCOTLAND THE BEST PLACE TO GROW UP
ISSUE 9 / SEPTEMBER 2015
Progressing
the Ambition
Effective learning environments, indoors and out
FEATURING
• Words of encouragement from Fiona McLeod MSP,
Acting Minister for Children and Young People
PLUS
• Get Glowing
• Making a difference through further study
• Approaches to assessment in Argyll and Bute
WELCOME
Contents
03
02 Welcome
Maureen Mallon, Assistant Director
(Children and Families).
03 Environments to Inspire:
Call to Action
Get an insight into the inspiration environments for learning in North Ayrshire. Plus, a call to action.
04Quality Improvement Matters
Update on the Early Years
Collaborative and the opportunities of having play as a new key change area.
06Helping Children Reach Their
Communicative Potential
Speech and Language Service Lead
in Ayrshire and Arran NHS, Louise
Steel, talks about the fundamental
place of communication in achieving
positive outcomes.
08Learning Outdoors with Confidence
Newmains Family Learning Centre in
Wishaw make the most of woodland
visits.
10Connected Colleagues
Colleagues from Inverclyde and
Dundee talk about the impact on them of being active members of Glow Early Learn.
12Knowing Each Child as a Learner
Welcome
Welcome to the latest edition of
Early Years Matters magazine
A few words from Maureen Mallon, Assistant Director
(Children and Families).
It’s wonderful to reflect on the
increasingly positive profile of early
learning and childcare. Over the
past six months we have seen an
expansion in the use of Glow by early
learning practitioners to share ideas
and materials and have lots of good
professional chat. In a great recent
example, one colleague asked
about whether others were using
‘I can statements’ effectively and a
really helpful conversation broke out
across the country. Using the Glow
community to tease out ideas with
like-minded colleagues is a fantastic
way to learn about the approaches
used by others.
The team at Education Scotland
works closely with other national
partners to secure improvements
in the outcomes for practitioners,
children and their families. The team
is expanding through the recruitment
of more Associate Assessors from
across the country. We are also
busy developing the How Good is
Our Early Learning and Childcare
Framework to reflect all of the
changes since the publication of the statutory guidance and Building
the Ambition.
I hope that you have a sense of our
increasingly joined-up approach
to ensuring that what we all do
is clear and support is easy to
access. The Scottish Attainment
Challenge provides a great
opportunity for the sector to work
with colleagues across education
to ensure that work on decreasing
the attainment gap starts at the very
beginning of children’s learning.
On a final note, we need you to help
us to improve Early Years Matters by
completing this short Survey Monkey
questionnaire www.surveymonkey.
com/s/ZG95WCH
We look forward to hearing your
views. Happy reading.
Maureen Mallon
Assistant Director (Children and Families)
Read how Kilmartin Primary School
and Nursery Class in Argyll and Bute
are taking a developmental approach
to profiling children’s learning.
14 Meeting of Minds
Get insight into the impact of further post-qualifying study at the University of Strathclyde.
16Updates
News from Education Scotland and
National Partners.
Throughout the magazine
the term ‘parents’ has been
used to mean mothers,
fathers, carers, and others
with responsibility for caring
for a child or young person.
2 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | SEPTEMBER 2015
What is the future of
Early Years Matters?
Give us your view by
completing this short Survey
Monkey questionnaire:
www.surveymonkey.com/
s/ZG95WCH
What is the future of Early Years Matters? www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZG95WCH
HIGH QUALITY ENVIRONMENTS
Environments to Inspire: Call to Action
Children learn from all that is around
them. As they begin to make sense
of their world, children grow more
adept at making choices which
meet their needs. Young children
are learners with already developed
skills and attributes. Therefore, it is
essential that the environments that
children inhabit support the widest
range of their capability.
Environments need to set the right conditions for learning
and, above all else, support the centrality of relationships
for the youngest learners. We know that it is possible
to improve children’s engagement and involvement
through making well-timed and well-judged changes
to their environment. Practitioners who are well attuned
to children’s developmental needs do this effortlessly.
LEUVEN SCALE OF INVOLVEMENT –
TEN ACTION POINTS
1.Rearrange the playroom in
appealing corners or areas.
2.Check the content of the corners and replace
unattractive materials by more appealing ones.
3.Introduce new and unconventional
materials and activities.
4.Observe children, discover their interests and
find activities that meet these orientations.
5.Support ongoing activities through stimulating
impulses and enriching interventions.
6.Widen the possibilities for free initiative and
support them with sound rules and agreements.
7.Explore the relation with each of the children
and between children and try to improve it.
8.Introduce activities that help children to explore
the world of behaviour, feelings and values.
9.Identify children with emotional problems
and work out sustaining interventions.
10. Identify children with developmental needs
and work out interventions that engender
involvement within the problem area.
Read the full article http://ow.ly/QeSPI
Come into Glow. Share your inspirations. Share
photos of your environment.
#youinyet #inspired
Photos courtesy of Springvale Early Years Centre, North Ayrshire and Croftamie Nursery, Stirling.
@CaFTeam
NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Quality Improvement Matters
Fiona McLeod, Acting Minister for Children
and Young People
We all want our children to
get the best possible start in
life. It’s why this government
wants Scotland to be the
best place for children to
grow up, so that every child
in every community has
every chance to succeed
throughout life.
As a mum, I am all too aware of the joys and
challenges of being a parent, particularly in those
early, formative years: what happens before birth and during early childhood impacts on the rest of our children’s lives.
working towards achieving the four ambitious Stretch
Aims. The quality improvement activities undertaken
locally through the EYC are key to building stronger,
evidence based services that will make a positive
difference as early as possible in children’s lives.
In my time in government, I have enjoyed visiting and
learning about a wide range of early years services.
I have seen innovative activity delivering on our
approach to Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC);
I have seen Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs)
use the Early Years Change Fund and national
voluntary organisations use third sector funding to
shift towards prevention and early intervention in line
with the Early Years Framework; I have met parents,
carers, volunteers and staff who share the same aim
– to improve children’s life chances.
The link between a good start in life and success
at school is stark. On average, children from more
advantaged households have better vocabulary and
problem solving ability at ages three and five than
those children from less advantaged households.
By age five, the gap in vocabulary between children
from low-income and high-income households is
already 13 months. This often translates into being
less confident or doing less well in exams or in
class as children grow up, potentially leading to less
successful adulthoods too.
I have also seen how CPPs and national partners are
engaging with the Early Years Collaborative (EYC) and
So we must improve the early years experience if we are to get it right for every child, every time.
4 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | SEPTEMBER 2015
What is the future of Early Years Matters? www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZG95WCH
NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
I am proud that right now, that at the end of July
2015 there are over 530 government supported EYC
improvement tests underway all over Scotland. These
plus the eight Key Change themes, are helping us all
identify what works to make the biggest difference in
children’s lives.
Already we know some of that: ensuring more eligible
women access the Healthy Start Scheme so their
babies get the nutrition they need; training midwives
to signpost more families to income maximisation
services so that they receive all they are entitled to;
promoting healthy eating and exercise to improve
children’s engagement within nursery and school
settings; encouraging more parents to read and
play with children – right from birth – to support
attachment, child development and learning.
As an ex-librarian, I rejoice at this last one!
Play is vital in the early years which is why it
is now one of the EYC Key Change themes.
Not only is play fun and a great way for parents
and families to bond with their wee one,
we know it also helps children develop and
learn vital skills. I would encourage everyone
involved in the EYC to ensure the key play
interventions happening in their area are tested
and measured, implemented and shared to
ensure all children everywhere get the same
opportunities to play.
Improving the early years experience is also about
working strategically and collaboratively across
policies and services and with families themselves to build capacity in line with GIRFEC. While the EYC is focused on the needs and interests of children from
pre-birth to eight, we must carry this focus forward
into children’s primary school years too.
That is why the EYC is linking with the Raising
Attainment for All Programme (RAFA), part of
our approach to closing the gap in attainment
between children from the least and most deprived
communities. Involving 24 local authorities and
over 250 schools, RAFA brings groups of schools
and local authorities together for ‘all teach/all learn’
national learning sessions, enabling them to identify
their own priorities for improvement.
Moreover, PlayTalkRead for early years families
is joined this autumn by ReadWriteCount
(www.readwritecount.scot) for primary one to three
children and their families. We know that these
are all essential core education and life skills and
that activities involving and including parents and
families have a better chance of success.
This targeted activity is about strengthening and
building upon the great work being delivered for
children and families every day, in services like the
ones you work in.
I have been proud to play a small part in this
incredible journey. Throughout my political career,
I have championed children’s needs and interests at
all ages and stages and I will continue to do so. Most
especially, I look forward to seeing your leadership,
dedication, knowledge and skills transform the lives
of all of Scotland’s children.
MORE INFORMATION
EYCollaborative@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/early-years
Go to Glow http://bit.ly/earlylearn
#youinyet
@CaFTeam
HIGH QUALITY ENVIRONMENTS: AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN NHS
Helping Children Reach Their
Communicative Potential
Louise Steel, Speech and Language Therapy Service
Lead for NHS Ayrshire and Arran, talks about how the
development of speech, language and communication
is fundamental to all wellbeing and to the achievement
of positive outcomes for children. In this article, she
focuses on the key role of ELCC settings in offering an
effective language-rich environment within which the
right conditions for language development are set.
We start to develop communication skills before we are
even born (babies are listening and can interact from
the womb) and as children grow and develop; strong,
nurturing home environments play a central role in
the development of these core skills. Through positive
interactions, a range of communicative opportunities
and many conversations, children develop an
understanding of language, a rich store of words and
expressions and the confidence to use speech and
language meaningfully.
The early years of a child’s life are often described as
a ‘window of opportunity’. Early learning and childcare
practitioners are experts in adopting a nurturing
approach and uniquely placed to support language
and communication development in young children.
We know that the provision of high-quality and wellplanned communicative environments is crucial to
future development and improved outcomes.
Language – rich environments are those where the
children are exposed to an appropriate quantity and
quality of language. In the best examples, adults adapt
to children’s level of understanding, promoting positive
peer interaction. They contain plenty of opportunities
for interaction and language learning, where daily
routines promote interaction and conversation. When
children speak they should be heard. In essence,
communication is prioritised and is highly visible.
Our team believes it is crucial to support and build
capacity, capability and confidence in parents,
carers, early years practitioners, education and
health colleagues and the wider community to
develop approaches which support the development
of language and communication skills in children
and young people. By making language and
communication everyone’s business, we can work
together to give our children the best possible
opportunities to grow and thrive.
6 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | SEPTEMBER 2015
Courtesy of Castlepark Early Years Centre, Irvine
SCAFFOLDING COMMUNICATION
Much of communication is non-verbal.
Babies, toddlers and young children use
actions, movements and gestures to
communicate their needs, thoughts and
feelings.
The development of young children’s
communication skills is deeply embedded in
their social and emotional development and
within a context of rights, relationships,
respect and responsive care.
Want to talk more about this? Come into
Glow Early Learn and use #communication
For more advice about developing the communication
skills of babies, toddlers and young children go to
Building the Ambition – Section 7: Putting pedagogy into
practice http://ow.ly/R5GOo
What is the future of Early Years Matters? www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZG95WCH
HIGH QUALITY ENVIRONMENTS: AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN NHS
COMMUNICATION CHAMPIONS
child?
Are you a parent of a pre-school
Do you work in Early Years and
support children and families?
Looking for ideas to help develop
children’s speech, language and
communication?
Early years practitioners in North Ayrshire
have embraced the opportunity to develop
language-rich environments in their settings.
e
Therapy on Twitter to help improv
Then follow Speech and Language
es for all children in Ayrshire.
language and communication outcom
SLT14-004-CC
@weepeoplechat
Our purpose
healthiest
Working together to achieve the
ire and Arran
life possible for everyone in Ayrsh
Follow us on Twitter @NHSaaa
ok.com/nhsaaa
Find us on Facebook at www.facebo
in other formats
All our publications are available
Visit our website: www.nhsaaa.net
One of the ways we are doing that is through the
use of Twitter to give important messages about
communication. Our aim here is to give practical
ideas and suggestions to find opportunities for
communication in everyday routines and experiences.
Follow us @weepeoplechat #weepeople
Those working with children know that
the needs of children can be very diverse,
therefore staff need to feel confident
supporting all children’s language
development and have practical strategies
to turn every nursery activity into a language
learning opportunity. In order to support
this, we are working together to develop
a network of ‘Communication Champions’.
Having created a nurturing language
environment, the champions are keen to pass
knowledge and information on to parents and
carers. Settings are encouraged to develop
a ‘communication board’ which they use to
display top tips for encouraging language
development at home and provide guidance
for parents around speech and language
milestones. Parents are also encouraged to
join facilitated workshops and language focus
‘stay and play’ sessions within the friendly
and familiar nursery environment resulting
in an improvement in parents’ confidence
around supporting language development.
Have you seen the Building the Ambition case studies on communication? http://bit.ly/1Nna0L6
www.ican.org.uk | www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk | www.rcslt.org | Go to Glow http://bit.ly/earlylearn #youinyet
@CaFTeam
HIGH QUALITY ENVIRONMENTS: NORTH LANARKSHIRE
Learning Outdoors with Confidence
Since 2012, North Lanarkshire Education Service has been working in
partnership with Forestry Commission Scotland to promote high quality
outdoor learning experiences to young children through a ‘Forest Kindergarten’
approach. The Commission’s three-day training course, ‘Forest Kindergarten:
A Natural Approach to Learning’, is a practical, hands-on programme designed
for early learning and childcare practitioners. Newmains Family Learning Centre
is one of the settings where the approach has really ‘taken root’ and is now
regarded as core to children’s learning.
Forestry Commission Scotland promotes the Forest
Kindergarten approach as a means of offering
young children frequent play opportunities in
woodland or other natural settings throughout the
year in almost all weathers. A core element of the
approach is to identify an area of woodland space
over which children have a certain ownership. The
area will be the visited and revisited by children over
a sustained period of time. Being familiar with the
area allows child to develop it in their own way.
During their time at the forest, children take part in
a wide range of activities including exploring for
bugs, tracking animals, building dens and designing
games for others to play. A core set of materials is
taken along to give children ideas about how to take
learning forward. Ruth, Development Officer, says:
The training course emphasises that
children take responsibility for the
Forest Kindergarten before they even
leave the nursery. At Newmains, we
involve the children in gathering and
selecting the equipment. By involving
them in every part of the process,
children are developing leadership
skills that they will carry with them
through their future learning.
8 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | SEPTEMBER 2015
The approach promotes child-led learning
where children are encouraged to bring forward
their own ideas and to build – on the ideas of
others. The role of the adults in the learning
process cannot be overstated though. Karen
Gibb, Depute Head of Centre and trained
Forest Kindergarten practitioner says,
Staff have been struck by the difference
in children when at the forest, how
capable they are. This has really driven
home the value of the approach and has
helped staff make a commitment to it.
The approach helps children enjoy open
spaces of woodland with an emphasis
on freedom, exploration, imagination
and enjoyment. By spending time
there, Newmains children are learning
how to respect their environment and
to take responsibility for themselves
and others. We see this developing
with each and every visit.
What is the future of Early Years Matters? www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZG95WCH
HIGH QUALITY ENVIRONMENTS: NORTH LANARKSHIRE
Karen and her team have had reinforced their
belief about the value of play-based learning.
Using the stimulus of the available natural
elements the woodland offers, children exhibit
instinctive and adventurous play behaviours.
Staff have found that, particularly in the woodland
setting, children are more inclined to explore
the potential offered by the environment.
We see children being curious about
what they see and what they find.
Sometimes they bring forward existing
knowledge, which we otherwise
would not know that they had.
We know what research has shown
about outdoor learning leading to
a range of benefits for children’s
development and general wellbeing
including better concentration, better
communication skills, greater stamina,
improved balance and coordination,
increased confidence and appreciation
and understanding of the outdoors.
We have observed children demonstrating
a range of skills that we would not
ordinarily see in such depth. Our children
are problem solvers and creative
thinkers. They are also developing
positive attitudes to learning shown
through their increasing confidence to
co-operate with peers and adults alike.
MILLER’S STORY
Miller was a little boy who loved playing
outdoors in the nursery garden so it was
important that the forest experience offered
him additional challenges. At each visit to the
forest, Miller was drawn to the wide range of
natural materials he would find, for example,
brick, slate, stone, and sticks. Miller became
interested in how these materials could be
used all together to make various bug hotels.
Miller’s creativity and imagination had no limits
and it was obvious that he drew inspiration from
the shape and properties of the materials. Miller
was known to start his design on one visit but
then leave it unfinished until the next time he
visited. He was always delighted, and relieved,
to find his structure had remained intact when
he revisited the following week. The staff at
Newmains began to give consideration as
to how challenging the nursery garden and
indoor environment of the nursery had been.
In consultation with the children, a number
of ‘wish lists’ were created. On the arrival of
the new materials, staff were struck at the
level of co-operation, negotiation, resilience,
imagination and confidence shown by the
children who had previously
had the experience of the
forest. Having been inspired by
Miller and his friends, the staff
at Newmains are evermore
encouraging of children to
use open-ended, natural
resources in their indoor play
just as they do in the forest.
Professional development resources –
Forest Kindergarten http://ow.ly/QeTtF
Go to Glow http://bit.ly/earlylearn #youinyet
@CaFTeam
CAREER LONG PROFESSIONAL LEARNING: GLOW
Connected
Colleagues
Since its inception in January 2015, Glow
Early Learn has gone from strength to
strength. The community offers ELCC
practitioners based in settings across
the country the opportunity to connect with colleagues
to share thinking and practice. Ailie Rankin, Peripatetic
Nursery Teacher in Inverclyde, talks about the impact of
being a Glow Early Learn member on her.
Ailie confesses to having previously found Glow a
little difficult to navigate. She says, “Following the
input from the Education Scotland team at the ELCC
Conversation Day, I was awakened to the potential of
Glow in supporting my own and others’ development.
I went home that night, clicked on the link and joined.”
Since then, the impact on Ailie appears to be
considerable. She is an active ambassador for the
community and has contributed a great deal, “I think
you always have to be wary of just simply lifting ideas
from others and adopting these but discussions
in Glow Early Learn allow you to understand and
explore the thinking behind practice. I have not felt
as professionally energised as this in a long time.”
Patricia Wylie, Acting Head of Centre of Kelly
Street Children’s Centre says of the impact of
Ailie’s involvement in Glow Early Learn, “There is
a real buzz about the place with staff discussing
ideas and practice that they have read about
and are studying. It has relit enthusiasm for
personal improvement and raised the professional
development of all the staff new and experienced.
Ailie has shown real leadership and drive. ”
Ailie talks about the benefit to her of networking
with colleagues from across Scotland.
“One of my first connections was with Stephanie
Porteous, a Dundee-based colleague. I feel like I know
Stephanie although I have never met her. She and
many others are always very responsive when you
have a question or need an idea and it often spirals
off into other interesting discussions about practice.
Seeing how colleagues in other places approach
issues has helped me look at things differently.”
Being able to connect
with other professionals
and sharing ideas is a
huge positive for me and
the way ELCC has been
set out makes it feel like
a social platform as well
as professional. It’s easy
to navigate your way
around and nice and simple to upload
your resources, which is a great tool.
Read our interview with Stephanie Porteous about Glow Early Learn
http://ow.ly/QkvL4
Why not join Glow Sciences too?
http://bit.ly/scienceshome
10 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | SEPTEMBER 2015
What is the future of Early Years Matters? www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZG95WCH
CAREER LONG PROFESSIONAL LEARNING: GLOW
Ailie sees Glow Early Learn as about sharing
“next practice” rather than “best practice”.
“I’m okay with others learning from my mistakes
knowing that I can learn from them too. Being
able to help others and to effect improvement
beyond your own setting is a real privilege. When
colleagues thank me for my ideas or then come
back saying they have tried something out, it
makes me feel good, very good indeed.”
The success of Glow Early Learn has received
recognition from within Education Scotland. Con
Morris from Education Scotland’s Digital Teaching
and Learning Team says, “I love the show of
confidence from Glow Early Learn colleagues.
We are seeing cross-fertilisation with colleagues
in other communities like sciences. I also love
the fact that the conversations about learning are
happening quite naturally and that they are often
backed up with the sharing of learning resources.”
For Ailie the discussion about Early Level Science
generated for her a “light bulb moment”.
“We now see the difference between science
activity and science investigation. Being able to
see examples of investigations being recorded by
children gave us the confidence to try to improve
our own approach and become more child-led.”
THE FUTURE FOR GLOW EARLY LEARN
•More ‘Glow Meets’ showcasing practice from
around the country
•Exploring the involvement of key partner
organisation to enrich the community,
including Scottish Childminding Association
(SCMA) and Care Inspectorate.
JOIN THE EARLY LEARN COMMUNITY
Step 1 - Login to Glow via
http://connect.glowscotland org.uk/
If you have lost your username and
password, click on How do I get a login?
Step 2 - When in Glow, type http://bit.ly/
earlylearn into your browser.
Step 3 - Congratulations. You are in Glow Early
Learn. Make sure you follow the community by
clicking on the star at the top right-hand side.
Step 4 - Say “hello” in the newsfeed
and start talking and sharing.
We are looking for more Early Learn Glow Ambassadors.
Interested? Type 'I'm in' in the newsfeed.
@CaFTeam
ASSESSMENT: ARGYLL AND BUTE
Knowing
Each
Child as
a Learner
Recently there has been a renewed focus in Argyll and Bute on assessing
young children’s learning. A comprehensive approach has been taken towards
offering support to educators to understand how the different national
frameworks connect together, with the aim of improving their confidence to
see significant learning within the ‘whole child’. Quality Improvement Officer
Kathleen Johnston, and Fiona Johnson, Head Teacher at Kilmartin Primary
School, explain the impact of these local developments, particularly in
achieving more consistently across the Early Level.
The starting point was to eradicate unnecessary
duplication of effort in how progress was being
recorded against the current frameworks: Pre Birth
to Three; Curriculum for Excellence; GIRFEC; and
Building the Ambition. Kathleen said:
We all know the enormous amount of
activity which is happening within Early
Years just now. We have taken ‘time out’
to reflect on how we can best use these
national developments and absorb them
into an approach which will build even
greater confidence and capacity within
our teams, as well as engaging parents
through a shared understanding of
children’s developmental milestones.
The work to streamline assessment materials
involved a range of stakeholders and focused on
the principle of recording ‘significant learning’.
There have been a number of tests of change
looking at the best use of frameworks for
assessment; however, the real success is in the
improved professional behaviours of staff in
carrying out assessment. Kathleen explains:
12 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | SEPTEMBER 2015
By equipping our staff with the tools
and support to face future change and
challenges, and by working in partnership
with our parents, we are in the best place
to help our children learn and grow up
into happy, healthy people. It is early days
for us, but we are very pleased by the initial results.
The arrangements in Argyll and Bute favour a
more skills-based approach with an emphasis on
measuring a child’s progress in their learning. Fiona
Johnson, Head Teacher of Kilmartin Primary School,
says of the revised approach:
It is giving staff an agreed structure to
work within, building confidence in their
observations and assessments. Writing
next steps for individual children can
also be based on specific, clearly defined
milestones, which we find is helpful when
speaking to parents.
Kilmartin Primary School
www.kilmartin.argyll-bute.sch.uk/index.asp?navID=1
What is the future of Early Years Matters? www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZG95WCH
ASSESSMENT: ARGYLL AND BUTE
The approach in Argyll and Bute
requires there to be a demonstrable
blend of the following characteristics
in the assessment of young children:
Fiona has really embraced the opportunities
provided by the Early Level of Curriculum for
Excellence. She explains:
In Kilmartin Primary, we have established
an Early Level class which brings together
children in our school where children at the same or similar stage of learning have
the opportunity to develop important skills together.
With the emphasis on skills and with
being a very small school, we have been
enabled to think a bit differently about
how to best organise learning for young
children. We have to get the building
blocks in place for our children to create
firm foundations for learning and ensure
there are no gaps and no wobbly bits, and
if there is a wobbly bit, we need to work
together to fix it.
At Kilmartin, a great deal of emphasis is paid to
oracy. Fiona says:
We believe that talking and listening
act as the foundation of all learning and
therefore, this is a high priority in the
Early Level Class with the children having
opportunities every day to share their
stories, ideas and opinions. As young
learners, having such experiences lays
down the pathway for literacy.
•
Working with colleagues to assess skills
•
Building confidence in judgements
•
Clearer focus on skills to be
observed and assessed
•
Professional dialogue
•
Specific action points from assessments
•
Holistic view of progression
Using the developmental materials we
have devised, I have been heartened by
the way that staff across the Early Level
are able to discuss the components of
early literacy and are able to provide rich
experiences for children so that they
develop these essential skills.
Our skills focused approach, which is now
in place across the authority, is bringing
about a shared understanding of what a
competent young learner looks like.
Kathleen and Fiona agree that the confidence
of staff to use their knowledge when planning
children’s stage of development has been key to
their success so far. ELCC and primary 1 staff have
worked together to look critically at the experiences
on offer to children and to ensure that these are
developmentally appropriate. Kathleen explains:
To do this we have developed a set of
high-level reflective questions. During
training we talk to staff and managers
about the importance of having these at
the forefront of the mind when planning
learning and planning assessment. We
talk about the importance of professional
dialogue centred on learning to achieve a
holistic view of progression.
Join Glow Early Learn to view Argyll & Bute's high-level questions http://ow.ly/QkzdQ | #youinyet
@CaFTeam
CAREER LONG PROFESSIONAL LEARNING: STRATHCLYDE UNIVERSITY
Meeting of Minds
In this article, academics Jenny Carey, Joan Martlew,
Elizabeth MacAulay, Eleni Karagiannidou and their
students from Strathclyde University, School of
Education, share some insights into their learning
experiences and how they use these to make a
difference to children’s learning and lives.
Left to right: Dr Eleni Karagiannidou, Gillian Inglis, Joan Martlew, Jenny Carey, Elizabeth MacAulay
Understanding what contributes to effective practice
in the Early Years is a much debated subject (Sylva
et al., 2004). What comes through from much of the
current research is the positive impact that “welltrained and qualified staff with a good understanding
of child development and pedagogy” has on the
provision within settings and the outcomes for
children (Siraj-Blatchford & Kingston, 2015).
In addition, consideration must be given to
strengthening theory-to-practice links by providing
space for professional and academic reflection
and networking, in order to broaden professional
development alongside levels of qualifications
(Sheridan et al., 2009; Zaslow, 2012). This year, the
current cohort of the Early Years Pedagogue Masters
and BA Childhood Practice students have adopted
14 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | SEPTEMBER 2015
a collegiate approach to enhancing conversations
around the issues and positive challenges affecting
the Early Years workforce by setting up the
Strathclyde Early Years Network Group (SEYN).
The SEYN group have come together to encourage
open debate about the links between their studies
and practice. Conversations are considering
professional empowerment, the process of change
and challenging the status quo. The importance of
continuous reflective practice to facilitate change
is being discussed, with one student stating
she “was inspired and eager to change”, whilst
another noted: “this allowed me to be a more
reflective P1 teacher and implement evidencebased practice in my daily teaching.” The impact
on children is at the heart of this process:
What is the future of Early Years Matters? www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZG95WCH
CAREER LONG PROFESSIONAL LEARNING: STRATHCLYDE UNIVERSITY
“The children are also more empowered.
They are more aware of the role they play
in their education and that I am a partner,
not just the leader, of their learning.”
Empowerment and change are often part
of the subtext of dialogues around the ways
that practice-linked course assessments
inform evidence-based change:
“As a P1 teacher my priorities were
often to support the child in sitting in
their seat and tackling work straight
away. The EYP course holds a mirror
to your practice and asks the students
to reflect on ways they can improve the
experiences of young children. Peer
support has ensured that my priorities
are re-examined and the pace and
challenge of P1 is dictated by the child
and not the needs of the curriculum.”
Learning about the roots and benefits of being
responsive to supporting and leading active
pedagogy requires adults being confident to take
the lead from the child by listening and responding
to their interests and offering meaningful and
relevant experiences. The term “adults” includes
parents being involved in their child’s learning:
“the parents’ thinking and problem solving… with
the theory of scaffolding reversed as the children
supported and developed their parents’ skills”.
The challenge of engaging parents in the school
community has always been an area of interest for
EY staff. Further specialised studies seemed to have
offered students a chance to think about creative
ways to encourage parents through the school
doors: “Involving parents in the afterschool club
system has provided a relaxed environment for true
collaboration. Parents commented that an increase
in responsibility has created a sense of confidence
that their contribution can make a real difference”.
Studying on undergraduate and postgraduate
pathways helps EY staff engage in relevant issues
about the rights of the child, learning through
play, empowering children, working with parents
and creating stimulating learning environments.
Part of the change can be building “the confidence
to admit when you have been wrong”. It is often
the meeting of minds that create “that lightbulb
moment” when theory contradicts existing practice
and leads to informed change. Networking across
a wide range of establishments and LAs helps to
provide an overview of the “what”, “how” and “why”
of our practice. This reverberates back to individual
settings to all staff not just those involved in study:
“Introducing the weekly themes from
the modules to the staffroom has
opened up debates amongst peers and
challenged the existing status quo. My
course arms me with the knowledge and
theory to form opinions and challenge
existing ideas within the establishment
and this in turn can provide colleagues
with the confidence to do the same.”
Strathclyde University have a proud tradition of
supporting and developing EY and childcare
teachers and professionals. The various
courses offered are designed to develop
advanced professionals and future leaders
in Early Childhood Education and Care.
“I am privileged to work with wonderful
children and dedicated EY practitioners.
I would encourage anyone who wishes
to develop their knowledge and practice
in the Early Years to go for it!”
Contributors: Jacqueline Church, Jacqueline Craig,
Linda Cunningham, Laura Gilbertson, Lyndsey
Houston, Elspeth McCoull, Lynne McDonnell, Wendy
McLauchlan, Sarah Robb, Rosamund Rodriguez,
Gillian Simpson, Lynn Taylor, Kirsten Thomson.
Contact:
Jenny Carey, Course Leader Early Years Pedagogue,
Tel: +44 (0)141 444 8035
Elizabeth MacAulay, Course Leader BA (Honours) in
Childhood Practice, Tel: +44 (0)141 444 8119
Go to Glow http://bit.ly/earlylearn #youinyet
@CaFTeam
NATIONAL PARTNERS
Care Inspectorate
SCMA Launches Building
the Ambition Workshop
Scottish Childminding Association has launched
its latest workshop ‘Building the Ambition’ to help
childminders implement the guidance in their
childminding service.
The programme – designed from material
provided by the Scottish Government – explains
how childminders can develop their practice using
practical examples, explores the resource and
how to apply its theory, stimulates discussion and
encourages self-reflection.
Each workshop costs £40, which is payable by
ILA or credit/debit card.
Visit www.childminding.org to find out more.
Noticebo
ard
Updates
Marte Meo Masterclass Friday 2 October:
“The Golden Gift from early years
workers to children and their families”
Early Years Scotland’s National Conference:
Building our Ambitious Early Years Workforce
– Saturday 3 October, Hilton Hotel, Glasgow
City Centre
Johnson www.earlyyearsscotland.org/aboutus/conference/online-booking
Scottish Parent Teacher
Association (SPTC)
The Scottish Parent Teacher Council
(SPTC) is a membership organisation for
parents around Scotland. We’re dedicated
to sharing advice and information to make
parental engagement in education as
good as it can be. Working for parents
with children in nursery, primary and
secondary schools, membership with SPTC provides many
benefits; free information and training sessions, advice via our
email and telephone helpline, an insurance package tailored
for parent groups’ needs … and much more! You can contact
SPTC on 0131 474 6199 or sptc@sptc.info or find out more
information at www.sptc.info.
The Care Inspectorate, which insp
ects
all care services in Scotland, is
currently recruiting for inspection
volunteers to work with its inspecti
on teams to assess
the quality of care provided by earl
y years services.
Inspection volunteers will use, or have
used an early
year’s service, such as a childmin
der, nursery, crèche
or out of school care service. The
role involves talking
to parents and carers of children
using services, so
their views can be included in insp
ection reports.
Inspection volunteers don’t need care
qualifications
– its personal experience that cou
nts.
To find out more, email getinvolved
@careinspectorate.com
or call 0345 600 9527
Scottish College
for Educational
Leadership (SCEL)
SCEL is a recent development for education in Scotland
that aims to suppor t teachers and early years practitioners
to make a difference to the outcomes for children and
young people through access to innovative and quality
leadership programmes and services. SCEL is currently
engaged in a scoping exercise being carried out by Dr
Mary Wingrave to review SCEL’s strategic plan and work
plans in professional learning in leadership, identifying
gaps and enhancements /adaptions that would be required
for the Framework for Educational Leadership to meet
the needs of early years practitioners and to provide
recommendations for next steps. For further information
on this area of SCEL’s work please contact Orville Scott
orville.scott@scelscotland.org.uk
SCEL is also now recruiting for Cohort 3 of the SCEL
Fellowship Programme designed for experienced Head
Teachers and Heads of Establishment and who have an
interest in contributing to system leadership and becoming
a SCEL Fellow. Please visit our website for Information on
the Fellowship Programme and SCEL’s other professional
learning in leadership opportunities.
Scottish Social
Services Council
(SSSC): Launch of New App
The SSSCs new app, Engaging with
Children and Young
People, explores what you need to
know and be able to
do, to engage effectively with child
ren and young people.
If you’re new to the sector or just wan
t to refresh your
knowledge, this app is for you.
Click here for more information and
to download the app
http://learningzone.workforcesolut
ions.sssc.uk.com/
course/view.php?id=50