Early Years Leadership Forums Summer 2011

Agenda □ Local updates and celebrations □ The EYFS – the direction of travel □ Workforce development - future needs Following a short break there will be a briefing about the transition document Starting and Staying Strong. Those EYFS leaders who have already attended a briefing are not expected to stay for this session.

Much to celebrate…resources to support practice The journey from principles to practice Planning

Turn to person next to you and share with them something that you wish to celebrate that has happened this year

Early Years (EYFS quality improvement) – the current position In Leeds… □ EYC team 2 years old… □ Penny Vine has left the EYCT… □ Sector representatives… □ Early Language Consultant retained… □ CYPP ( ) and Child Friendly City…

Children and Young People’s Plan Children and Young People in Leeds are 1. safe from harm; 2. do well in learning and have the skills for life; 3. choose healthy lifestyles and 4. have fun growing up and 5. are active citizens who feel they have a voice and influence. The success in these outcomes (in early years) will be measured by: □ Improved attainment at the end of the foundation stage for all children; □ Closing the gap; □ Reduction in referrals to Children's Social Care; □ Reduction in the numbers of children at risk of development delay; □ Promoting the importance of good attendance during early childcare learning experiences.

How will early years contribute? Ensuring sufficient, high quality, nursery education for all young children from birth Targeting those most at risk of relatively poor early learning outcomes Ensuring that vulnerable groups are targeted for appropriate access to quality early education experiences Concentrating intensive support in areas of high deprivation, where sufficiency, take up and quality of free nursery education are key to closing the gap Further developing the quality of the early years workforce Ensuring settings are delivering the EYFS to a high standard

EYCT promote… early years quality improvement in line with the local authority's quality improvement strategy for all settings delivering the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage. The team is committed to the central role of good quality early years experience in improving children’s life chances. The team continue to offer advice, training, challenge and support to ensure high quality early years provision, gaps in achievement are closed and outcomes for our youngest children in Leeds are high or visit the early years collaboration site or Leeds family hub

Early Years – the current position Nationally … “The DfEducation and DfHealth will be publishing a policy statement on the Early Years later in the year, setting out our vision for reform. We know that there have been huge improvements in maternity and early years services over the past years, but we have to keep reviewing and refreshing what we do and how we do it in response to changing pressures and new developments. We want a system that is led by the professionals who understand how best to deliver these services – and so we will be working closely with experts in the early years sector to produce our publication, collaborating on a new vision for the crucial foundation years of each child’s life.” Developing a vision for Early Years DfE website

Two publications to appear shortly The first will be approached from the perspective of parents, and set out the Government’s offer to families from pregnancy until their child reaches the age of five. The second will be for the sector – for all those who work with expectant parents and our youngest children and for commissioners and funders of services.

□ Themes: early years research digest on the theme of early years development home>schools>tools and initiatives>TRIPS research digests>themes:early years □ Early learning and childcare latest news from the Dept. on early learning and childcare home>children and young people> early learning and childcare

Tickell Review of the EYFS Key documents:  The Tickell Review – The Early Years: Foundations for life, health and learning  The EYFS Review: Report on the evidence  46 recommendations covering aspects as  how children learn  how best to support their development  the educational programmes  assessment arrangements  effectiveness of welfare requirements  the early years workforce  partnerships with parents and carers and between LAs and Ofsted

While it is reassuring that the Review report recommends no changes in the aims and philosophy, including retaining the original EYFS themes and principles – there are a number of changes that LA teams and practitioners will need to engage with: □ highlighting the importance of Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, and Physical Development from birth □ changes in emphasis with Literacy becoming a separate area □ renaming and re-arranging some areas of learning and development □ highlighting the commitments from Learning and Development (playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically) as characteristics of effective learning □ a reduction in the number of early learning goals: 69 to 19? □ a progress check at 24 to 36 months

so… □ There is universal agreement on the principles and objectives of the EYFS □ There is clear support for the concept of a single framework to raise standards and further develop partnership working □ There is a call to give more time to ‘bed in’ the EYFS and □ to retain its mandatory nature. “a revised EYFS which is more flexible and more accessible, and which provides a strong foundation for all children and families.”

What does this mean for Leeds? The Early Years Service will continue to promote effective early years practice based on proven research and the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We will contribute to the consultation (expected in the next month). Any changes are not expected to be implemented until September We are continuing to produce guidance and training opportunities that reflect the current statutory framework and will support the implementation of the revised framework next year. Please contact the Early Years Consultant Team if you have any questions or suggestions  

Two publications to appear shortly The first will be approached from the perspective of parents, and set out the Government’s offer to families from pregnancy until their child reaches the age of five. The second will be for the sector – for all those who work with expectant parents and our youngest children and for commissioners and funders of services.

What are your future needs? Discuss in small groups and record on post it notes ….. □ training needs for you □ training needs for other staff in your setting □ suggestions for future leadership forums

To find out more about the YOC or to share an idea…. □ □ □ Twitter Leeds □ □ Hello - National Year of Communication 2011 Hello is a campaign focusing on improving children and young peoples’ speech, language and communication skills.

Be re-inspired…. Beyond Reggio Emilia…Inspirational Practice for Early Years in Leeds September 2011