Every Child Matters

Explain the legal status and principles of the relevant early year’s frameworks and how national and local guidance materials are used in settings. Children deserve and need the best possible start in their lives in order for them to fulfil their full potential in their learning and development. A happy, healthy and supportive childhood will help children to achieve the best that they possibly can. In 2003 the Laming Report was written following a very serious case of child abuse involving a girl called Victoria Climbie who was physically abused by her great aunt and another adult male. The abuse was so bad, a doctor involved in Victoria’s post mortem stated that “there really is not anywhere that is spared – there is scarring all over the body. ” The report then goes on to explain how the local authorities involved in the care of this young girl were to blame for her death, as there was evidence of deliberate harm and nothing was done.

The local social services department dealing with her case closed it on the day that she died. Following the Laming Report the government green paper was written in 2003 ‘Every Child Matters’ (ECM). The aims of this were to reduce the occurrences of education failure, ill health, abuse and neglect, teenage pregnancy, substance misuse and crime and anti-social behaviour among children and young people. It also gave children a voice and allowed them to decide what they want by creating the five outcomes, which are: * Being healthy Staying safeEnjoying and achieving Making a positive contribution Economic well-being The Children Act 2004 enabled the ‘Every Child Matters’ to be established and was written next in order to provide the legislative spine on which the reform of children’s services is based. ‘It aims to improve and integrate children’s services, promote early intervention, provide strong leadership and bring together different professionals in multi-disciplinary teams in order achieve positive outcomes for children and young people and their families.

Next came the Childcare Act 2006 which gave a new role to local authorities in the improvement of the ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes, providing childcare for working parents and providing parental information services. This act also introduced the inspection of childcare premises and the registration of childcare workers as a must. This was then, when the implementation of the EYFS came into play. The ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ was brought in to achieve the five ECM outcomes and it did this by: Setting the standards for learning and care received in child care settings Providing for equality of opportunity and ensuring that all practice is anti-discriminatory and all children are included in activities despite culture, race, religion and gender Working in partnership with parents and also maintaining multi-agency working to ensure the best possible education and care for children.

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Improving quality and consistency to give all child care settings a universal set of standards that must be followed and also giving the right to have all settings inspected. Laying a secure foundation for each child’s future learning and development to be planned around the child’s individual needs and interests”. There are six areas that are covered by the EYFS and they must all be taken in to account as they are very important in each child’s development. These areas are:Personal, social and emotional development * Communication, language and literacy Problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy Knowledge and understanding of the world Physical development Creative development. The 4 themes of the EYFS highlight how we can help children to develop and learn and enjoy their childhood, these are: A unique child- this looks at all children being competent learners and having their own unique ways in which they like to learn and explore. Children should be encouraged to be esilient, capable, confident and self-assured in order to be competent learners from birth.

Child Development- babies and children are all different and therefore have different ways in which they learn best. Children also learn at different rates and some need extra support. This looks at all areas of development including social, emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual. Inclusive practice- this is very important to allow children to feel that the diversity of their families and communities is respected and that no children are discriminated against. Keeping Safe- the vulnerability of young children need to be protected to enable them to develop resilience. This can be done by the adults that care for them protecting their physical and psychological well-being. * Health and wellbeing- a child’s health is a fundamental part of their social, emotional, environmental and spiritual well-being.

All of these areas contribute to and highlight the aims and the role that EYFS plays in the development and learning of all children in early years settings. As childcare professionals we must use all of the resources within the EYFS in our daily practice, including using it when planning, when observing children and linking what we see to aspects of the EYFS, to develop policies and procedures within our setting, to update our childcare practice and to reflect on our current practice. 1. Explain how different approaches to work with children in the early years have influenced current provision in the UK. In the past there have been people that have had theories that relate to child development and learning of children in childcare settings; these people are known as educational pioneers and are well respected as their theories have changed childcare for the better.

“Friedrich Froebel, the great German educator, is famous pre-eminently for his radical insight that the first learning experiences of the very young are of crucial importance in influencing not only their later educational achievements but also the health and development of society as a whole”. Friedrich Froebel had the idea that children learn best through play and by having real experiences and from these theories he was the founder of the first ever kindergarten in 1840. Following the theory that children learn best through play, Frobel introduced toys that he called, ‘Froebel Gifts’ or ‘given’ which included balls, wooden blocks, rings, tiles and sticks which were all the key elements of Froebel’s kindergarten. Froebel’s ideas are very similar to those that construct the EYFS that all childcare providers use today. Here is a table showing a summary of his ideas and how they are similar to and link with the Schools should be closely involved with parents and that they should be welcome to join their children in their learning and development.

“Creating the framework for partnership working between parents and professionals, and between all the settings that the child attends;”  “Positive Relationships describes how children learn to be strong and independent from aBase of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. The commitments are focused around respect; partnership with parents; supporting learning; and the role of theKey person. Creating the Framework for Partnership Parents were the first educators for their children and that childcare providers working with parents will benefit the child greatly, because they know them better than anyone. “The EYFS sets standards to enable early years providers to reflect the rich and personalised experience that many parents give their children at home. Like parents, providers should deliver individualized learning, development and care that enhances the development of the children inTheir care and gives those children the best possible start in life.

“Close working between early years practitioners and parents is vital for the identification of children’s learning needs and to ensure a quick response to any area of particular difficulty. Parents and families are central to a child’s well-being and practitioners should support this important relationship by sharing information and offering support for extending learning in the home. Children needed to have some time indoors and outdoors to enable them to have experiences with movement, games and the study of nature outdoors. The physical development of babies and young children must be encouraged through theprovision of opportunities for them to be active and interactive and to improve their skills ofCoordination, control, manipulation and movement. “Children must be supported in developing the knowledge, skills and understanding thatHelp them to make sense of the world.

Their learning must be supported through offering opportunities for them to use a range of tools safely; encounter creatures, people, plants andobjects in their natural environments and in real-life situations; undertake practical ‘experiments’;And work with a range of materials. The Learning and Development Requirements- Knowledge and Understanding of the World. The introduction of finger play, singing and rhymes into education. The encouragement of arts and crafts, including literature along with a mathematical understanding. Singing songs, moving and dancing. “Children’s creativity must be extended by the provision of support for their curiosity, exploration and play.

They must be provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance, imaginative and role-play activities, mathematics, and design and technology. Children should have the freedom to move around and have healthy sensible food to eat. “The physical development of babies and young children must be encouraged through theprovision of opportunities for them to be active and interactive and to improve their skills ofCoordination, control, manipulation and movement. They must be supported in using all of their senses to learn about the world around them and to make connections between new information and what they already know.

They must be supported in developing an understanding of the importance of physical activity and making healthy choices in relation to food. “Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, these must be healthy, balanced andNutritious. The use of symbolic behaviour within a child’s play. Imaginative play was also important and children should pretend and imagine things to show their highest level of learning. | “Explores different media and responds to a variety of sensory experiences. Engages inrepresentational play. “Children’s creativity must be extended by the provision of support for their curiosity, explorationand play. They must be provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance, imaginative and role-play activities, mathematics, and design and technology.

The use of activities such as modelling with clay, drawing and making collages were useful in imaginative play. “Expresses feelings and preferences in response to artwork, drama and music and makes somecomparisons and links between different pieces. Responds to own work and that of others when exploring and communicating ideas, feelings and preferences through art, music, dance, role-play and imaginative play. ” Encouragement of playing with toys, such as wooden blocks, balls, etc. “Finds out about and identifies the uses of everyday technology and uses information andcommunication technology and programmable toys to support her/his learning. ”Appendix 1- Knowledge and Understanding of the World “Experiments with a range of objects and materials showing some mathematical awareness. Children should be allowed to play freely (free-flow play). “on-going observational assessment to inform planning for each child’s continuing developmentthrough play-based activities.

Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was an Italian doctor who began her work with children with learning difficulties. She was much more focussed on learning through being taught in a structured way, rather than the theory previously discussed of Froebel’s, learning through play. During her studies she found that Froebel’s theory was based more along the philosophical view, rather than the scientific aspect of a child’s learning and development. She came to the conclusion that children were active learners and that they passed through sensitive periods of development whilst being particularly responsive to certain areas of learning. Montessori’s theories link with the EYFS because her methods provide an enabling environment for supporting the learning through the commitment of children within the care of the facility. Here is a table showing a summary of Maria Montessori’s ideas and how they link to the EYFS:Structured teaching programme based on observing children with learning difficulties.

Challenging the difficulties by giving the child a task that they are unable to do, in the hope that they can learn to do it- relates to EYFS Card . Play and exploration The use of ‘didactic materials’ to encourage children to use their hands. Working alone rather than with parents, teachers, carers- this encouraged children to become ‘independent learners. Polarisation of the attention is where the child is completely silent and focussed on what they are doing- relates to EYFS Creativity and critical thinking сhildren should learn as part of a graded learning sequence and not through play. Play was allowed once children had completely their learning. Children are active learners and should learn through role play, working with others, etc.

Margaret McMillan used ideas similar to both Froebel and Montessori. She began looking at manual dexterity exercises, similar to those used by Montessori. But as she continued her work, she used more and more of Froebel’s ideas, so they were much more relative to the EYFS. Here is a table of her ideas and how they relate to the EYFS: McMillan| EYFS| First-hand experience and active learning are important. | | Relationships, ideas and feelings are just as important as physical aspects such as moving and learning. | “Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs areMet and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring for them.

The welfare requirements are designed to support providers in creating settings which are welcoming,safe and stimulating, and where children are able to enjoy learning through play, to grow inConfidence and to fulfil their potential. Overview of the welfare requirements“Positive Relationships describes how children learn to be strong and independent from aBase of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. The commitments are focused around respect; partnership with parents; supporting learning; and the role of theKey person. Children become whole people through play and play helps them to apply their knowledge and understanding to life. “On-going observational assessment to inform planning for each child’s continuing development through play-based activities.  Laying a secure foundation for future learning (p. 10)“None of these areas of Learning and Development can be delivered in isolation from the others.

They are equally important and depend on each other to support a rounded approach to child development. All the areas must be delivered through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. The Learning and Development Requirements- Overview of the learning and development requirements “Children’s creativity must be extended by the provision of support for their curiosity, exploration and play. They must be provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance, imaginative andRole-play activities, mathematics, and design and technology. The Learning and Development Requirements- Creative Development ( Close partnership with parents is important and parents should be encouraged to develop alongside their children. | “Creating the framework for partnership working between parents and professionals, and between all the settings that the child attends.

Purpose and aims of the Early Years Foundation “Positive Relationships describes how children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. The commitmentsare focused around respect; partnership with parents; supporting learning; and the role of theKey person. ”Section 1- Introduction- Purpose and aims of the Early Years Foundation Stage 1. 11(p. 9)| Nursery schools should be an extension of the home environment and should be welcoming to both parents and children. They should enable children to experience fresh air, trees, rock gardens, vegetables, herbs, fruit trees, sandpits, flowers, lawns, and the wilderness. | “Suitable premises, environment and equipmentOutdoor and indoor spaces, furniture, equipment and toys must be safe and suitable for their purpose. The Welfare Requirements- the general welfare requirements (p. 20)“Wherever possible, there should be access to an outdoor play area, and this is the expectedNorm for providers.

In provision where outdoor play space cannot be provided, outings should be planned and taken on a daily basis (unless circumstances make this inappropriate, for example unsafe weather conditions). ”Suitable premises, environment and equipment Children cannot learn if they are undernourished, unwell with health problems or poorly looked after. | “Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring for them. The welfare requirements are designed to support providers in creating settings which are welcoming,safe, and stimulating, and where children are able to enjoy learning through play, to grow in confidence and to fulfil their potential. These different theorists have contributed massively to the ways that our government produces their legislation in order to maintain a safe, healthy and educational environment for children to be cared for.

Explain why early years frameworks emphasise a personal and individual approach to learning and development “Valuing children’s individuality, ideas and feelings is an important aspect of developing a personal and individual approach to learning and development”. What we do for the children in our care must be ‘child centered’ and the child is key in all decisions made about their care and education. All children are different and the EYFS talks about ‘a unique child’ which highlights this point. It recognizes that every child is a competent learner right from birth and that they can be resilient, confident, capable and self-assured. There are different categories of needs that a child may have, which are: * Universal needs- these are fundamental to all children as they are their basic needs including food, drink and shelter. If these are not being met a child will struggle to meet any urther needs, such as education. Psychological needs- these include love, affection, stable relationships and friendships, intellectual stimulation and independence. These are vital to children as they maintain a child’s quality of life be making them feel self-worthy and loved.

Developmental needs- these are what the child needs in order to develop further educationally. It can be difficult to meet the developmental needs of all children in our care, as they may be at different stages of development; therefore it is best to work as a group but to focus individually on each child. The child’s age, intellectual abilities, emotional development, social skills, experiences, physical abilities and relationships must all be key aspects when working with children to assist with their specific developmental needs. “The EYFS states that Children are competent learners from birth and develop and learn in a wide variety of ways. All practitioners should, therefore, look carefully at the children in their care, consider their needs, their interests, and their stages of development and use all of this information to help plan a challenging and enjoyable experience across all the areas of Learning and Development.

When working with children using the EYFS, we value a child’s individuality by considering their ability, personality feelings and ideas to enable us, as childcare workers, to provide an effective learning environment. We have to take into consideration that the rate in which children learn and develop can differ; therefore we must adjust our approaches to each individual child’s abilities. We must recognize and meet each child’s needs considering their age, physical maturity, intellectual ability, emotional development, social skills, past experiences and relationships with others. In order to meet the child’s individual needs, we must observe children in play to establish their current abilities. Explain the partnership model of working with carers “The parent is a deeply important person to the child, and the relationship between parent and child is always very emotional”. As childcare providers we must develop relationships with children and babies in our care that are consistent, affectionate and warm and this must then be coherent with working in partnership with parents to provide the best quality care and education for these children.

It is important to remember that the relationships childcare providers have with the children in their care are very different to those that children have with their parents. One of the main aims of the EYFS is to create the framework for partnership working between parents and childcare providers in order for us to identify and address the needs of the child . As childcare professionals we must remember that all families are different and therefore will have different needs and wants for themselves and their children . Most parents will always want the best for their children but sometimes are not sure what is the best and may ask for guidance. The only experiences we have of family life are our own, therefore we must respect the values and methods that families have and understand that different parents bring up their children in different ways.

Parents will often be open to suggestions from childcare professionals if they seek some guidance but we must not force them to do as we say and must respect their wishes. Parents have the right to bring their children up as they please, although we may not agree with their methods. Here are some examples of different parenting methods: Permissive Parenting- the parents allow the child to do as they please. Childcare providers must have ground rules in place for children to maintain order and calm, but if the child has not been taught that they must abide by rules, this could prove very difficult for the childcare provider and other children. Authoritarian Parenting- the parents are very controlling of the behaviour of their children and children must do exactly as they say. This can be difficult for childcare providers, especially if they are asked by the parents to continue rules that are in place in the family home that the childcare provider does not agree with.

Uninvolved Parenting- the parent is neglectful of their child and allows them to be unkempt, dirty, hungry and not meet their basic needs. This is a safeguarding issue and the childcare provider must report this to the appropriate agencies. Democratic Parenting- the parent sets clear boundaries for the child and shows them physical affection. This would be the way in which many of us will conduct the care of children. A very important part of an effective relationship and partnership between childcare professional and parents is trust. Parents may have had previous experiences where they have been let down by somebody involved in the care of their child and therefore gained their trust is important to be able to communicate, in order to provide the best possible care and education of the child. The partnership model of working with parents and carers is therefore a mix of all the above points- respect, trust, information gathering and sharing. We can promote this by talking to parents and discussing each child’s day with parents and carers. Review barriers to participation for carers and explain ways in which they can be overcome.

The partnership between parents and child care professionals is a viable and essential way to increase developmental opportunities for children. We’ve talked about the importance of partnership with parents, but this can go wrong, as there are barriers to effective partnership working. Here are some examples of barriers and how they can be overcome: Parents can often feel guilty or sad about leaving their child and may feel like they are missing out on their child growing up. This may make them feel paranoid that others may judge them for leaving their child, especially if they leave them to enable themselves to have a break and do something for themselves. It is important to make the parent understand that what they are doing is not wrong and nothing to feel guilty about.

Focus on some of the positive aspects that the child will be having whilst in a childcare setting, for example, the experiences they will have and the friends they will make. Give the parents some sources of support that will be able to help them through this emotional time. Culture and language can be a barrier as our society grows to be more and more multicultural we come across different people from other cultures, some that may not use English as their first language and may not speak any English at all. This can be overcome by using translating devices such as ‘Google translate’ to communicate and also be used to translate written policies and procedures, which can be printed out and given to parents. The same can be done for newsletters, emails, letters, handover books, etc.

This way, the partnership between the parent and childcare professional is not affected because the inability to communicate. We must ensure that parents understand the legal requirements for our country and their rights and responsibilities. This may be different in their country and if it is not explained in the first instance, this could prove a difficult situation. Different methods of parenting can cause barriers in partnership working as they may be clash with how the childcare provider cares for children in their setting. For example, a parent may use the permissive parenting method which can cause problems like the child not following rules and doing exactly what they want.

If a parent uses the authority, this could cause problems because the parent may want the childcare provider to continue their rules from home, which they may not agree with. These can be overcome by ensuring that parents understand the ground rules, policies and procedures before their child starts attending a setting. This way, difficulties can be overcome and the parent’s wishes are respected. A parent may use the uninvolved method of parenting, which could mean children don’t understand boundaries that are set and they can become withdrawn from the rest of the children in the setting. This can be overcome by explaining to parents the importance of routines and consistency. Parents may become defensive if they are approached about something that is causing problems for their child. As childcare providers we must communicate with parents if we have any concerns about children to provide the best possible care and education.

This can be overcome by being open, approachable and having a friendly attitude. Explain strategies to support carers who may react positively or negatively to partnership opportunities. There are a number of different ways that childcare professionals can have good partnerships with parents to enable parents to choose the one that suits them best. Here is a table showing some of the ways in which childcare professionals can work in partnership with parents and the positive and negative aspects of them: Ways to work in partnership| Positive Negative| Learning Journeys- ‘a continuous journey through which children build on all the things they have already experienced and come across new and interesting challenges. Every child’s learning journey takes a personal path based on their own individual interests, experiences and the curriculum on offer’.

Learning journeys with photos and comments are a great way to show carers all of things that their child has been doing as well as charting their progress. We might invite the parent to come into the setting to have a look at the learning journey or we may send it home. Parents that are not so enthusiastic about their child’s learning may not find this method very useful, as they may not want to read through the learning journey. Parents that do not have enough time may not like this method either. | Handover books- a book that goes home for parents to add to, then comes back to the setting for the childcare professionals to write in. Usually, just general information about the child’s day is written in this book. Parents and childcare professionals are communicating regularly about the progress of the child. Any trends in the child’s behaviour can be identified easily by just looking back through the book.

If parents are in a hurry picking up or dropping off they may not always want to have a verbal handover, therefore the handover book is much easier as the parent can read it later when they have more time.  Parents may not find it easy to write down things about the child- may not know what to write. Parents may not have time to write down things and a quick chat when dropping off or picking up may be quicker and easier. Verbal handover- when parents or carers drop off or collect the child they may just want to verbally handover how the child has been or if there is anything that the childcare professional may need to know. Quick chat is beneficial for parents that have little time before and after work. Parents may find it easier just to have a chat rather than writing information. Builds trust and friendship between parents and childcare professionals. Things are not documented therefore there is no proof that something has been said if you may need it for any problems that could possibly occur. Information may not be understood by either party.

Newsletter- a letter containing information about topics that are being covered within the setting, any special activities or trips coming up, holidays, new children starting and just general information that parents may need to know. Fun and informal way of communicating important information. Parents may think it is information that is not important and may not read it. | Partnership with parents can be effective but there may be occasions where it can be particularly challenging. As a childcare professional it is important to remain positive about the situation and not give up. Information must be shared with parents by whatever means necessary, whether they reciprocate or not. Explain how effective multi-agency working operates within early year’s provision and benefits children and carers. When working in a caring profession we have a responsibility and a duty of care to the people we are looking after. This means that we must care for them to the best of our ability.

In order to care for children effectively we must aim to meet all of their needs. As a childcare professional we may not have the knowledge to meet each individual need of the child as it may well be out of our expertise. This is when we must call upon another professional and work together with them to help the child. For multi-agency working to be effective, good communication skills are needed by all professionals involved. The information shared must be relevant and only shared on a ‘need to know’ basis to protect the confidentiality of children and their families.

Childcare professionals must gain consent from parents regarding the information sharing between other professionals, unless there is a possibility of a child protection issue, then this can be overruled. When sharing information with other professionals we must be organized and professional so that we are able to give, receive and record accurate information to ensure that the child’s care is not compromised by poor information sharing. Multi-agency working and partnership with parents are the key factors in good quality care for children. However, partnership with parents can sometimes be difficult but as childcare professionals we must remain positive and not give up as the important thing is to ensure information is given to parents or other professionals by whatever means necessary.

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