Education Scotland’s
EARLY YEARS
MATTERS
MAKING SCOTLAND THE BEST PLACE TO GROW UP
Early Intervention
and Prevention:
Attachment Theory
and Practice
Tests of change in
practice across Scotland
Space and the way it is
used at Cowgate Under 5’s
Centre
Insight into the role of
a childminder
ISSUE 7 / AUTUMN 2014
WELCOME
Contents
10
02 Welcome
Maureen Mallon, Assistant Director:
Children and Families
03Attachment Theory and Practice
Overview from Elizabeth King,
Principal Psychologist, South
Lanarkshire Council
04Improving Attachment-led Practice
Sacha Will, Lynsey Logan and Jan
Massie discuss their approach to
the attachment improvement journey
within Aberdeen City Council
06Opening Up Play Spaces
Lynn McNair, Head of Centre at
Cowgate Under 5’s Centre, describes
how they have created open, fluid
spaces where children can freely
choose where they want to play
08HEART in South Lanarkshire
Joanna Gray and Angela Heasman
share the background of the HEART
(How Early Attachment Relationships
support Transition) multi-agency group
in South Lanarkshire
10Koala Chef
Margaret Dorrans, explains how
Bishopbriggs Childcare Centre used
the model for improvement to measure
the impact of their healthy eating initiative
Welcome
A few words from Maureen
Mallon, Assistant Director,
Children and Families
Welcome to the latest edition of
Early Years Matters magazine.
Reading the copy for this edition a
few weeks into my new remit has
confirmed my view that the area of
children and families work is a very
positive and innovative place to be.
This a time of much legislative and
practice change so it is critical to
take stock of what we are all doing
and why. In Education Scotland we
are in the process of agreeing our
vision for the children and families
team and recruiting a number of
key personnel to join an already
passionate and innovative team.
More on that in the next edition!
The big themes for this edition
focus on early intervention and
prevention through attachment and
transition. A number of the early
years collaborative approaches
we are highlighting focus on these
topics and hopefully the run charts
and narrative will provide food for
thought and inspiration for some
of you. The timing of this issue is
perfect to highlight the new national
practice guidance on early learning
and childcare. The coming together
of early learning and care and the
real focus on learning and the needs
of families will lead to a number of
changes in priorities, not least in
workforce support and development.
The cultural shift in acknowledging
the deep learning that takes place
in families is picked up within our
recent family report on work in West
Dunbartonshire. There are many
great aspects of practice across the
country and we’ll continue to work
with colleagues to ensure that this
practice is celebrated and shared.
Happy reading!
Maureen Mallon
Assistant Director, Children and
Families, Education Scotland
12Family Learning in West
Dunbartonshire
Report on the impact of family learning
within West Dunbartonshire Council
13Building the Ambition
Liz Paterson, Professional Adviser at
the Scottish Government, introduces
the new National Practice Guidance
on Early Learning and Childcare
14Insight into the role of a Childminder
Sarah Caie describes how she
manages her childminding role
within a rural setting
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 | AUTUMN 2014
The Children and Families team work with others to support family
engagement in children and young people’s learning, families
learning together, and to improve outcomes across early learning.
You can contact us by:
E-mail: enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk
Website: www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Follow the Children and Families team on twitter: @CaFTeam and
Education Scotland @EducationScot
Glow users can join our Early Years Professional Learning Community at
www.bit.ly/earlyhome
ATTACHMENT THEORY
Attachment Theory
and Practice
Elizabeth King, Principal Educational Psychologist in South Lanarkshire
Council and Editor of the Scottish Attachment in Action (SAIA) newsletter,
discusses one of the most prominent psychological theories influencing
clinical interventions, teaching approaches and child-care policies.
Bowlby defined attachment as a “lasting psychological
connectedness between human beings”. Attachment
theory describes ‘attachment’ as the quality of the
relationship from the child’s perspective, i.e. the enduring
relationship which develops between a child and their
caregiver prenatally and during the first two years of life.
A wealth of research across cultures has tested,
challenged and advanced Bowlby’s theory (1958,
1961), and it is widely acknowledged as one of the
most empirically-based conceptual frameworks with
which to understand social and emotional difficulties
across the lifespan. There is wide-ranging evidence
that people with close social attachments are happier,
healthier and live longer. Working out how we can
promote meaningful attachments from infancy has
great potential for our communities.
Attachment is a process which takes place within
the child’s development process, although there are
individual differences in how children respond to similar
life conditions. Findings would indicate that this ongoing
attachment process between the infant and caregiver
has a direct impact on all aspects of childhood
development – emotional, social, psychological,
neurological and physical.
Attachment patterns can be transmitted across
generations and early intervention is therefore crucial.
To support children and young people with insecure
attachments, we need a developmentally sensitive
informed approach which creates experiences for
vulnerable young children that can shape, reshape
and transform their developmental journey. We need to
promote emotional and social experiences for children
which give them the confidence to explore the world
around them and begin to learn important skills for life.
Within the last decade, there has been an increasing
Scottish Government focus on prevention and early
intervention in children’s services. National and
international figures, as well as a range of national
organisations have been promoting attachment
informed practice as an essential knowledge and
skill base for the workforce in Children’s Services.
The National Practice Guidance on Early Learning and
Childcare will include a focus on attachment theory.
A number of questions arise:
(1)How can strategic leaders in Education promote
attachment informed practice in their policies
and procedures?
(2)How does attachment theory integrate with
other key theories and models for the
education workforce?
(3)What would practitioners be doing differently
if their practice was informed by attachment
theory?
(4)What difference does it make to children?
What is the impact?
A programme of research in South Lanarkshire Council
is planned to investigate these questions. This research
will include an exploration of the impact of a training
programme for Education staff on attachment theory
and practice. This training programme will be developed
over the next year by Elizabeth King and the Service
Development Consultancy Lead from the Centre
for Excellence for Looked after Children in Scotland
(CELCIS). Please contact Elizabeth King for more
information at enquiries@slcpsych.org.uk.
Useful links:
Scottish Attachment in Action – http://www.saia.org.uk/
Suzanne Zeedyk – http://suzannezeedyk.com/
Wave Trust – http://www.wavetrust.org/
EARLY YEARS COLLABORATIVE: ATTACHMENT
Improving
Attachment-led
Practice
Children’s services staff across Aberdeen City Council develop a shared
understanding of attachment-led practice. Dr Suzanne Zeedyk supports the
beginning of their attachment improvement journey.
Lynsey Logan, Riverbank Nursery Class and Jan Massie, Step by Step
Nursery, share their experiences using the Early Years Collaborative
improvement methodology.
Sacha Will, Early Years Programme
Manager, Aberdeen City Council
Lynsey Logan, Riverbank Nursery
Class, Aberdeen City Council
In 2013, Aberdeen City Community Planning
Partnership began a programme to provide
attachment training to all staff working with children
and families. We had identified that ‘Improving
Attachment-led Practice’ would be key to helping us
achieve the aims of the Early Years Collaborative. We
hoped that all children’s service staff would develop
a shared understanding of attachment processes to
provide consistent messages and support to children
and families in Aberdeen. Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, a
specialist in parent-infant interaction, was engaged
to deliver training for Early Years staff from across all
sectors. Learning sessions took place that included
conversations with her, whilst we continued to
develop our strategy and understanding of the Early
Years Collaborative and the Model for Improvement.
We wanted to ensure that the next steps on our
attachment improvement journey made best use of
our growing understanding of improvement science.
As a member of the staff team in Riverbank Nursery
Class I have had the privilege of taking part in a
study with an educational psychologist, focusing on
attachment behaviours. It involved the use of Video
Interactive Guidance, an intervention which builds
positive relationships through filming and feedback
sessions. I was filmed working with children in the
nursery setting followed by a session to micro-analyse
my actions and communications.
The pre-school settings, family support teams,
and integrated children’s service groups agreed
an operational definition to describe our ambitions
for attachment-led practice in the city. Our shared
definition challenges us to value and improve our
interactions with children, families and each other.
4 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | AUTUMN 2014
After the initial feedback session, I was astonished
to see my interactions with one of the children in
the nursery. The clips showed the expression on the
child’s face as I helped her, how I reacted to her needs
and how her eyes grew bright as we shared a laugh.
I saw the child’s face scrunch just before she turned
to me to look for help and her trusting response to
my positivity, care and interest. This made us reflect
as a team on our interactions with children, and how
important they are in building a secure base to help
children learn and grow.
As a result of the study, we have adapted our
approaches to consider what children say through
their body language. The impact has been evident
across the nursery. Moving forward we plan to share
our knowledge with the school staff team. We have
the capacity to create a secure environment where the
child feels capable and loved and build a secure base
on their journey of learning and development.
EARLY YEARS COLLABORATIVE: ATTACHMENT
Riverbank Nursery’s journey can be
followed by viewing my blog:
bit.ly/lynsey1 and: bit.ly/lynsey2
As Early Years Practitioners our team felt a
responsibility to highlight the importance of good
attachment, so we attended the learning sessions
organised by the local authority. Creating our own
attachment team, we discussed our current practice
and areas for improvement. We agreed that periods
of change and transition should be a priority. Using
the Early Years Collaborative Model for Improvement,
we decided our aim should be to improve settling
and transition practices. The following questions
were considered:
WEEKLY AVERAGE SCORE
Jan Massie, Step by Step Nursery,
Aberdeen City Council
Further PDSAs were developed, such as amending
our existing paperwork and the implementation of
new documentation. Combined, these ensured we
could accurately measure our tests of change with
both quantitative and qualitative data. During all of our
tests we amended, extended and revisited the PDSA
cycle. We acknowledged some issues were difficult to
predict or prepare for but were unanimous in agreeing that
positive outcomes were clearly evident. After a period of
time, we met to collate our data and detailed our findings
onto simple run charts. This highlighted that the settling/
transition process was more individual, consistent and
organised. Run Chart 1 shows a steady increase in
Child A’s confidence over the 4-week observation period
and Run Chart 2 displays the confidence in Child B
returning to nursery after an absence from nursery.
Specific information from staff and parents was used
to support the child at their next session. This reduced
emotional distress and fostered positive attachments
more quickly than we had previously anticipated.
• What are we trying to accomplish?
Run Chart 2: Child B Transition to 2-5 room
•What changes can we make that will lead to an
improvement?
Our plans were developed using the PDSA model and
we identified possible tests of change. The first test
looked at policies and practices for children starting
nursery and their transition through playrooms. This
led to our next test, the implementation of ‘New Start
and Induction Coordinators’ within the staff team. The
new roles, guidelines and responsibilities, ensured
consistency in overseeing a child’s induction and
transition. We hoped that by providing an individually
tailored process this would minimise emotional
distress and support the child and their family in
building positive and secure attachments with staff.
WEEKLY AVERAGE SCORE
• How will we know that a change is an improvement?
Run Chart 1: Child A Transition to 2-5 room
5
4
3
2
1
0
0
1
2
WEEK
3
4
3
4
5
4
3
2
off ill
1
0
0
1
2
WEEK
5 Excited/keen
2 Upset/distressed
4 Growing in confidence/
appears more comfortable
3 Making positive
progress
1 Very upset
We continue to test, review and improve our attachment
practices using The Model for Improvement. It has
helped improve our relationships with children and
families, better support their emotional wellbeing and
strengthen teamwork.
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: SHARING PRACTICE
Space and the way we use it
at Cowgate Under 5’s Centre
Cowgate Under 5’s Centre in Edinburgh have created open play spaces for all
ages of children to move freely indoors and out. Lynn McNair, Head of Centre,
shares how staff researched the change and the benefits it has made to practice.
At Cowgate Under 5’s Centre
we have opened up our three
play spaces to enable all our
children (and team members) to
choose where to spend their time,
intertwine and jostle along together.
Historically our play spaces
were demarcated places where
children were segregated by age.
That is, in Cowgate we had three
playrooms, infants between 0-2
were in one space, children aged
2-3 were in another and children
from 3-5 years were in another.
Not uncommon practice for many
day care settings. Now, children
at Cowgate can freely choose
where they wish to spend their
time, whether it be in one of three
playrooms or in the garden.
The opening up of these spaces
was the result of a research study
carried out by Karen Thomson,
Deputy Head of Cowgate under 5’s
Centre. Karen noticed our youngest
children were demonstrating a
desire to move freely throughout the
centre, rather than being restricted to
one space. Karen reflected on what
she was observing, she then carried
out more detailed observations
and facilitated ongoing discussion
with parents and team members.
Sharing her observations she asked
individuals to consider “What if the
spaces were opened up?” Change
can be challenging to some and
an opportunity to others. Aware of
this, Karen was keen to have the
support of the whole community.
She therefore gave space and time
to everyone who needed it. Karen’s
findings were very persuasive
and this resulted in the traditional
segregated spaces becoming open,
fluid, rhizomatic spaces – that is,
spaces that are always evolving
never static.
Opening up our spaces has greatly
influenced our practice in a myriad
of ways. For example, significantly,
the team have noted particular
benefits to our babies – increased
confidence and competence in
language acquisition, motor skills
and self-generated movement
around the spaces. Further, we
have noticed that children (and
their families) transition more easily
between spaces. This change
has also provided countless
opportunities for us to understand
the valuable contributions of siblings
playing together; additionally
siblings’ friends become more
accessible (see photographs); and,
somewhat encouragingly, we have
noticed how children of all ages
learn from each other, demonstrate
mutual respect, cooperate and
illustrate the ability to problem solve.
Figure 1: Sibling’s friends become
accessible
Figure 2: Gaining familiarity with
another age group
Figure 3: Learning from each other
Transitions between spaces are more fluid and ephemeral.
“It’s quite good because you can choose where you
want to be.”
(Anna, May 2014)
6 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | AUTUMN 2014
Figure 4: Problem solving
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: SHARING PRACTICE
As the quote from Anna highlights, children have the freedom to move between spaces, selecting where they wish
to spend their time, for how long, and who with. This has resulted in children experiencing the centre as one large
space and therefore previous practice of preparing children to move up into spaces when they reached a certain
age no longer happens. Children move themselves. They develop relationships with children of all ages, gender
and abilities. In this way, our children are in a position to select their preferred environment (see figure 5 below).
I like to go in the music room because you get
to read stories in there (Ross).
James might be going in the garden. I like
going out in the garden because I like being
with James (Kiran).
Inside. Because I don’t want to get wet boots
(Hedda).
The big room – I like the bricks (Katrine).
I like playing in the baby room (Amy).
I like playing in the baby room cos Hannah
makes me a fright there. Cos I like jumping
out, cos I can jump high. When Hannah comes
before me I give her a fright! (Chiara).
Outside, playing in the sand (Theo).
The room in the back is best because you can
be quiet in there (Anna).
The Croilean, it’s warm (Ella).
Croilean…and the garden (James).
I love the bricks best because I always want to
build things in the bricks (Wilder).
Drawing in the art room (Lauren).
The big room – I like the horsey..and the
Croilean, I like the curtains (Rei).
Figure 5: Mind-mapping session – What spaces do you like at nursery and why?
Parents have also reported on the success of this way
of being, for example:
“When I asked Beni what he felt about moving to the big
room he told me that he is happy to spend time in the
big room and does so anyway so isn’t worried about that
at all... The Cowgate integrate the children from the very
beginning. The working/playing spaces are so sensitively
managed in my opinion. There is a fluidity and natural
balance to the whole environment which so supports
togetherness and community. I was so happy within
myself as I knew the grown-ups would listen to Beni if he
did express concerns. To know this and believe it is a joy,
a sense of absolute trust that my child’s opinion matters.”
(Helen McElhinney, mother of Beni, May 2014).
“I think the opening up of Bambini to Salle de Jeux
(previous room names) has been really beneficial.
I remember thinking when they weren’t together that
the nearly 2 years olds seemed like giants next to the
babies! Having more space allows them to spread
out and engage in a range of play and places...”
(Gemma Hay, mother of Magnus and Felicity, May 2014).
Additionally, we received feedback from S6 volunteers
from George Heriots School in Edinburgh:
“[Children have] complete freedom to play in all of the
centre. Can choose to go outside – can ask staff to go
outside if no one is out there.”
Figure 6: Siblings have opportunities just to ‘be’ together
“Siblings can be together – they can choose to be in
each other’s rooms. Older children know how to look
after younger ones.”
Opening up our spaces was inspired by one very
sensitive, attuned practitioner. As a community we cannot
imagine ever returning to our previously segregated
ways of working. The benefits to the whole community
have been life changing. Finally, we could not agree
more with the wise words of Friedrich Froebel:
“Early childhood settings should be democratic,
respectful communities of learners where adults and
children learn from each other”
(Froebel, The Education of Man, 1885).
ATTACHMENT INFORMED PRACTICE
HEART in
South Lanarkshire
Joanna Gray, Educational Psychologist
(Probationer) and Angela Heasman, Head Teacher,
share the background of the HEART (How Early
Attachment Relationships support Transition)
multi-agency group in South Lanarkshire.
A multi-agency steering group has been set up
within Glenlee Primary School, South Lanarkshire, to
promote attachment informed practice with a focus
on improving the home to nursery transition. The
group known as ‘How Early Attachment Relationships
support Transition’ (HEART) had its first meeting
in October 2012 in response to the shared vision
developed by the previous Head Teacher, and the
Principal Psychologist who shared a commitment
to support vulnerable families. They recognised
that promoting attachment informed practice within
education, specifically in early years, can more
effectively meet the needs of vulnerable children.
Whilst the vision for HEART emerged from recognition
of need in the local area, it also contributes to national
and local agendas such as GIRFEC, the Early Years
Framework and South Lanarkshire Council’s Children’s
Services Plan. Likewise it responds to the recent Scottish
Government funded ‘Attachment Mapping Exercise’
(CELCIS Report, 2012) which highlighted significant
gaps in the understanding of attachment theory and how
the multi-agency group around the vulnerable child and
family use attachment informed practice.
Members of the group therefore include ‘like-minded’
professionals from education, social work, health and
the voluntary sector. The group is ably supported by
a critical friends group which includes professionals
across all sectors including the Scottish Government.
The critical friends group allows HEART to tap into
wider experience to provide constructive, critical
comments on ideas and developments. The HEART
steering group is keen to include the voice of parents
in the initiative and a member of the steering group
is meeting with parents soon to establish an ongoing
dialogue.
Our Journey
In order to build a shared understanding of the
implications of attachment theory we engaged in a
range of scoping exercises which included training
on attachment theory and resilience, consultation with
the Jeely Piece Club in Castlemilk, and a preliminary
survey of early years practitioners’ knowledge
of attachment theory and their current practice.
Consequently, the activity of the HEART group is
underpinned by attachment and resilience theory and
adopts a holistic view of supporting the child.
Research highlights that although a minority of
children with attachment difficulties can navigate
their way through the school system, “many need a
‘human bridge’, someone who will learn about them
and their experiences and gently challenge them into
the world of secure attachment” (Bomber, 2007). We
are committed to identifying effective ways of building
the knowledge and confidence of early years’ staff in
attachment informed practice and are exploring ways
to support relationships around the child.
So far, all early years workers in Glenlee Nursery have
been trained in the Early Years FAIAR (Framework
of Assessment and Intervention for Attachment
and Resilience) developed by South Lanarkshire
Council Psychological Service. The programme is
8 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | AUTUMN 2014
ATTACHMENT INFORMED PRACTICE
aimed at building the capacity of parents, of children
from 0 to 8 years old, to promote resilience for their
child through developing the basic building blocks
of attachment. It is grounded in attachment and
resilience research, and provides a framework for
early years’ workers to assess the needs of individual
children, reflect on practice and identify appropriate
areas for intervention.
Fundamental to the aims of the group, the local social
work Family Support Team has allocated a Family
Support Worker (FSW) to link directly with Glenlee
nursery and support the home to nursery transition.
At present we are devising a new procedure where
every child enrolled in the nursery will receive a home
visit from the FSW and a member of the nursery staff.
The aim of the home visits is to: create a relational link
to nursery for the child and parent prior to starting,
gather information that will enable a supportive home
to nursery transition, and assess the attachment
relationship of the child, all of which will be discussed
at a transition planning meeting. It is hoped that
this process will inform the nursery of possible
vulnerabilities and enable early identification of support
systems. In addition, a ‘Getting Ready for Nursery’
resource pack is being created by members of the
critical friends and the steering groups, which will be
distributed at the home visit. This includes information
on child development, useful contacts and the ‘A-Z of
Attachment and Resilience’ leaflet, produced by South
Lanarkshire Council Psychological Service.
In line with the Early Years Collaborative improvement
approach we identified a number of possible tests
for change to effect improvement in our transition and
enrolment process. Currently, the nursery is running a
PDSA (plan, do, study, act) testing cycle regarding their
‘All About Me’ form and is reviewing other possibilities.
Ultimately, we are committed to exploring and sharing
learning with regard to the most effective methods
of building the knowledge, skills and confidence
around the vulnerable child and family in attachment
informed practice.
References
Bomber, L, (2007) ‘Inside I’m Hurting: Practical Strategies For
Supporting Children with Attachment Difficulties in Schools’.
London: Worth Publishing
Furnivall, J., McKenna, M., McFarlane, S., & Grant, E. (2012).
‘Attachment Matters for All - An Attachment Mapping Exercise
for Children’s Services in Scotland’. Glasgow.
EARLY YEARS COLLABORATIVE: TESTS OF CHANGE IN PRACTICE
Koala Chef
Margaret Dorrans, Manager at Bishopbriggs Childcare Centre, shares how
the centre has used the Early Years Collaborative Improvement Model to
encourage healthy eating and cooking at home.
Through seminars and training sessions, East Dunbartonshire Council have been encouraging everyone in their
Early Years establishments to become involved in making small ‘tests of change’, highlighting the message that
collectively we can assist in making transformational change.
As a staff team, we asked ourselves what it was we wanted to achieve and what small changes would make an
improvement? We used the plan, do, study, act (PDSA) cycle of improvement.
PLAN – Our first idea sprang from the recruitment
of a new nursery chef, who came with fresh ideas
and offered us the perfect opportunity to revamp
our menus. Our aim was to see a rise of at least
10% in the number of children eating all of their
lunch, including more fruit and vegetables, and
to have a greater promotion of healthy eating in
general.
DO – After changing the 4-weekly menus we kept
a record of how many more children ate their lunch
over a 2-week period. We consulted daily with the
children to ask what meals they liked best, either
through comments from the older children, or by
the thumbs-up, thumbs-down method for younger
children.
10 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | AUTUMN 2014
STUDY – We then measured the results against the
data from the last 2 weeks of the old menu. The results
were better than we had anticipated, with nearly
every child during the second week eating all of their
lunch. This can be seen on Run Charts 1 and 2.
ACT – We have now modified our menus and
moved to stage 2 with the development of a fun,
healthy eating initiative to target children who don’t
eat as well. We introduced ‘Koala Chef’ which
was a resource that I had witnessed being used
in Govan Family Learning Centre (FLC) where
I completed my practice placement during my
degree course. In Govan FLC the initiative was set
up to develop a culture of family and community
learning and this was what I wanted to take
forward and develop within my own centre.
EARLY YEARS COLLABORATIVE: TESTS OF CHANGE IN PRACTICE
Run Chart 1: Percentage of total roll of children eating lunch
at Bishopbriggs Childcare Centre
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
The dip on Friday is due to
less children being present
for lunch.
50%
40%
30%
Monday
15/07/2013
Tuesday
Wednesday
22/07/2013
Thursday
30/09/2013
Friday
07/10/2013
Run Chart 2: Weekly average % of children eating lunch at
Bishopbriggs Childcare Centre
100%
90%
80%
This chart shows
clearly the upward
increasing percentage
of children eating
lunch.
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
15/07/2013
22/07/2013
30/09/2013
07/10/2013
WEEK BEGINNING
We wanted to further develop our home-links with
parents. We have a high percentage of working
parents and they appreciate that they can support
their children’s learning from nursery at home. We
began with two koalas (dressed as chefs), together
with wipe-clean easy recipe cards, that the parent and
child could choose together to take home for a few
days. We also included a ‘learning through cookery’
sheet for parents, to give them information about
different aspects of their child’s learning that they
would be supporting though cooking simple recipes
at home for example, literacy and numeracy. A parent
commented on this learning at home stating:
“Our boys learned to follow instructions, to share, to watch
the clock for timings, and weighing.”
In this short period of time we have already seen
positive results. Feedback from both children and
parents has been very positive. Children are developing
a keen interest in a wide variety of foods and are now
growing lots of different fruit and vegetables in our
garden. A child added: “We made smoothies and I
Iearned that the strawberries were from Spain and the
bananas were from South America, a country far away.”
The children being able to grow their own food and then
to eat it has had a positive impact on the number of
children eating lunch at nursery.
The initiative has been so popular with both children
and parents that we are now increasing the number of
toy chefs to accommodate the amount of children who
want to take the koala home and who want to keep
the koala for longer periods of time to cook with their
parents and siblings. We now have ‘Koala Chef and
Friends’ and so the PDSA cycle continues!
FAMILY LEARNING REPORT
Family Learning in
West Dunbartonshire
Partnership working between Education Scotland and West Dunbartonshire
Council has a focus on family learning. The research looks at the impact on
families and communities within the local authority area.
Education Scotland, in partnership with West
Dunbartonshire Council, looked at how family learning
was delivered within the local authority, and what
impact this had on families and communities. The
main aims of the project were to identify:
•current practice in family learning across West
Dunbartonshire,
In November 2013, 11 schools and centres were visited
by Education Scotland. The project team met with
families, school, centre and local authority staff, and
partners such as health and voluntary organisations.
The discussions were focused around whole family
engagement and learning opportunities, partnership
working, and the GIRFEC agenda.
• which partners were involved, and
“I think more now about being a parent.”
•how the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)
agenda was being embedded into practice.
a parent, West Dunbartonshire.
Family learning in West Dunbartonshire is defined
as: “...aiming to encourage family members to learn
together. They are learning as or within a family. They
should include opportunities for intergenerational
learning and wherever possible, lead both adults and
children to pursue further learning.”
“I felt isolated after moving to this area,
coming to this group has made me feel
part of the community and my family
have made friends with other families that
come here.” a parent, West Dunbartonshire.
West Dunbartonshire’s parenting strategy aims to
improve the co-ordination, integration and delivery
of evidence-based parenting programmes. The
strategy sets out how West Dunbartonshire Community
Planning Partnership works to support parents to raise
healthy and achieving children and young people. The
provision of a comprehensive suite of interventions
increases parenting skills, and supports parents as
lifelong learners in their own right.
12 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | AUTUMN 2014
Throughout our visits we were able to see how the
co-ordination of programmes reduced duplication and
supported referral routes and progression for families. The
project team wanted to explore this further and determine
what impact this was having on children and their families.
In order to do this we focused on three main case studies:
• Auchnacraig Early Education & Childcare Centre,
• Y Sort-it, and
• Bonhill Primary School.
In each of these environments we were able to see
that utilising a family learning approach had an impact
on both the child and the significant parent or carer,
as well as staff and services, through shared skills,
knowledge and resources.
The full report will be available to access on the
Education Scotland website by following this link
http://bit.ly/FLWDSP
NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Building the Ambition
Liz Paterson, Professional Adviser at the Scottish Government,
explains the new National Practice Guidance on Early Learning
and Childcare.
In 2013 the Scottish Government launched ‘A Scotland
for Children: A Consultation on the Children and Young
People (Scotland) Bill’. The consultation proposed
a Bill that would realise the Scottish Government’s
ambition for Scotland to be the best place to grow up.
Amongst other sections, the guidance also addresses
essential aspects which drive early learning. These are
closely linked with curriculum for excellence but written
in a meaningful, practical way for babies, toddlers and
young children.
A renewed focus on our youngest
children.
The guidance addresses essential
aspects which drive early learning.
The proposals were passed by the Scottish
Government and became a reality in the Children and
Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. Within the Act
proposals there is a renewed focus on our youngest
children particularly those from birth to starting school.
This reflects the importance and commitment of early
learning and childcare for the future of individual
children and families, and wider society as a whole.
The new National Practice Guidance, ‘Building the
Ambition’, sets the context for high quality early
learning and childcare. It complements statutory
guidance which outlines the policy changes which
are necessary to implement the provisions in the Act.
The aim of ‘Building the Ambition’ is to support all
practitioners who are delivering early learning and
childcare in different settings and areas of Scotland.
The aim of ‘Building the Ambition’ is
to support all practitioners who are
delivering early learning and childcare in
different settings and areas of Scotland.
It is written to answer some big questions and
highlights best practice in early learning and
childcare. It is written with case studies, sections on
putting policy into practice and links to find out more
about specific interest areas. For example, one of
the changes that the Act introduces is a move away
from the term ‘pre-school education’ to a much more
inclusive definition of ‘early learning and childcare’.
Other sections look specifically at what children need
and what makes the difference to their experience in
an early learning and childcare setting. For example,
there is a focus on the developmental stages of the
baby, toddler and young child and what they need at
different times in terms of the experiences offered,
what high quality adult interaction should be like and
what their environment should contain.
During May 2014, we undertook a series of
engagement visits across Scotland to gauge
practitioner and other views from the sector. This was
extremely valuable in making sure that the content of
‘Building the Ambition’ did indeed set out to support
practitioners, reflect their views and reassure the
sector of the direction of travel of the policy changes
in the Act. Suggestions for changes were incorporated
into the guidance which is now available.
Over the coming months a series of implementation
events will be held across the country to highlight, and
support staff in their use of, this new National Practice
Guidance. We hope you enjoy reading it and putting it
into practice.
For any further information please contact
Liz.Paterson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
INSIGHT INTO
Insight into the role of a
Childminder
An interview with Sarah Caie
A childminder in Fetterangus, Aberdeenshire
Tell us about your childminding service
I am a childminder working in the Fetterangus area of
Peterhead. I have eight children on my register at the
moment and they range in age from 1 to 6 years old.
I provide a flexible approach for parents, so I have the
children at various times of the day from 7.30am to
5.30pm, and have catered for parents needs out with
these times too. I do the school and nursery run to local
schools and nursery classes and through the daily
contact I have with them I have developed good links.
“I very much tailor the day to what
the children’s interests are and we go
with that.”
14 EARLY YEARS MATTERS | AUTUMN 2014
Tell us about a typical day
There really is not a typical day for me and the
children, apart from the school and nursery runs,
and that’s what I like about my job. I very much tailor
the day to what the children’s interests are and we
go with that. I have tried to forward plan but find it
is much more effective to plan responsively. I make
use of our local resources so we visit the woods, the
animal sanctuary, the farming museum, the library for
bookbug sessions and soft play areas. Last week for
example, we spent the whole day outside because
the weather was so nice and then we rounded the day
off with an ice cream at St Combs and shell picking
at Cairnbulg. I believe that physical play and getting
INSIGHT INTO
outdoors in all weathers is essential. I have developed
physical play space in my back garden and recently
we added a mud kitchen.
How do you use social media?
I have a Facebook page which is public and all of my
parents have given permission for their child’s photo
to be included. I update the page daily so that parents
can see what their child has been busy doing that
day. Grandparents who live far away have commented
that they enjoy being able to see their grandchildren
regularly too. The parents really appreciate this
information. It means that the children’s daily diary does
not need to be as detailed because the activities that
their child has taken part in have already been seen by
the parent or will be viewed when they get home. The
Facebook page is also a well-used link for parents who
work away from home and enables them to keep in
touch with their child’s learning and development.
Are there any challenges involved in child-minding
in a rural community?
I would have to say that I have not found many
challenges as I believe in using all of the local
resources available to me in an area that is rich in
natural resources. I have very good links with the
Scottish Childminding Association for training, and
another childminder in the village with whom I plan
special events. For example at Easter we hired
the village hall and had a fun day. I would say that
accessing training can be challenging but I think this
would be true for lots of childminders. I have been
lucky this year to access training with Starcatchers and
parents have been very understanding in allowing me
the time to do this from 4-6pm on a weekday.
“I have daily contact with parents and having
this dialogue allows me to tailor my service
to individual children and their parents.”
How do you evaluate your work?
I have daily contact with parents and having this
dialogue allows me to tailor my service to individual
children and their parents. I have a 3-month post
settlement review to ensure that the transition has been
smooth for the child and that parents are also feeling
secure in the knowledge that their child is being well
cared for. I also issue ‘questions of the month’ through
social media to parents, to gather their views on my
service and there is an annual questionnaire.
The warm embrace I get from the children in the
morning and the happy but sad to leave response
when they are leaving me to go home, lets me know
that I am doing a good job and helping them with their
families to have the best start in life.
You can find guidance on the professional use of
social media from the SSSC here:
http://bit.ly/SSSCSocMed
and from the GTCS here:
http://bit.ly/GTCSSocMed
UPDATES
Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate will work
together to support the development and expansion of
early learning and childcare.
For 2014/15 we will continue with our current
programmes of both individual and shared inspection
and evaluation of services for children aged 3 to school
age. In relation to the new entitlement for specified
groups of 2 year olds to early learning and childcare,
our shared activities will focus on building capacity in
partnership with the local authorities and organisations
such as the National Day Nurseries Association
(NDNA), the Scottish Pre-school Play Association
(SPPA) and the Scottish Childminding Association
(SCMA). At the end of 2014/15 we will review our
approaches in consultation with partners to identify
how we can best support the development of high
quality early learning and childcare in 2015/16.
The Care Inspectorate will continue to inspect all
daycare services for children and childminding services
in line with current legislation.
Noticeboard
Updates
New Inspections for Childminders
The Care Inspectorate has started a new way
of inspecting childminders. Inspections are now
focused around the principles of GIRFEC, using
the SHANARRI indicators to ensure that young
people are safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured,
active, respected, responsible and included.
Inspectors will use a new style of inspection
report going forward.
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NHS Health Scotland has launched new content on their
Maternal and Early Years Website: www.maternal-andearly-years.org.uk
It is designed specifically for professionals working in
early learning and childcare environments to support and
improve the wellbeing of the children in their care.
The sciences team in Education Scotland has produced a new
sciences resource guide, a comprehensive information document
for STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
http://bit.ly/1jBtuzj
All Glow users can now access Tigtag,
a new online science resource. Tigtag
provides background information, planning
resources, practical challenges, succinct
clear lesson plans and quality films, to support
and enhance teaching and learning in the
sciences. www.tigtagonglow.com
Be at the heart of your
child’s learning
The newly refreshed Pa
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parents and carers with
up to date information on
what
and how their child is lea
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practical
advice and tips to suppo
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everyday activities, a wh
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parents to be able to sup
port their child with additi
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support needs at home
and information on choosi
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