1. © Crown copyright 2008 The Early Years Foundation Stage How’s it going? Opportunities and challenges Helen Moylett Senior Director (Early Years) Children Come First NCMA Childminding Network Coordinator Support Seminar 03.01.09

2. © Crown copyright 2008 What are we doing today ? Reflecting on EYFS implementation so far and the opportunities and challenges for children, families and childminders Sharing experience, asking questions Looking to the future / informing government policy

3. NCMA surveys for DCSF A brief survey of 62 childminders who telephoned NCMA during September 2008, immediately following implementation of the EYFS to determine the extent and quality of training provided to childminders in time to start delivering the EYFS; A second survey of 50 NCMA childminders whom NCMA telephoned during December 2008 to establish how they were incorporating the EYFS into their settings and whether they felt adequately supported; A list of case studies of childminders that have been inspected by Ofsted since September 2008.

4. NCMA national conference survey (n=149) Which trainers or organisations have been most helpful to you in getting to know the EYFS? Local Authority 77 My Network 53 NCMA 51 Other Childminders 10 Own work and research 8 Other training provider 8 None 5 Academic course (eg OU) 4

5. NCMA national conference survey (n=149) Positive things about EYFS (in order of popularity) Provides a Common Framework. Provides guidance More professional image for childminders Child-centred/Play Improves quality for all children Good for working with parents and other professionals Can monitor/evidence progress Improves continuity for children

6. NCMA national conference survey The challenges Time and paperwork Recording expectations and getting it right OfSTED requirements How to link with schools/exchange information Parents not supportive Media

7. Some childminders reported that LAs are giving them more paperwork to do as a result of EYFS. In some cases this seems to be the LA requiring more (despite NS advice to the contrary). In others it may be childminders who are being challenged by minimum levels of professional expectation about recording of children’s progress Paperwork

8. Of the 50 childminders questioned, all but two said that they did use observations to plan future activity or the for the children for whom they care. One childminders said that they did not and one did not know, while one did not answer the question.

10. …. no plan written weeks in advance can include a group’s interest in a spider’s web on a frosty morning or a particular child’s interest in transporting small objects in a favourite blue bucket, yet it is these interests which may lead to some powerful learning.’

11. Ofsted The overwhelming feed back suggests that people are finding the SEF has a lot of teething problems, they have difficulties logging on to the Ofsted site to fill it in and when doing this for the first time, find the whole process very time consuming, usually about 4 hours to fill in. However, despite this lengthy process it seems that childminders feel the process of self- evaluation is useful and it allows them to make notes about their every day good practice which is then available to the inspector so she doesn’t have to ask lots of questions.

13. Theme: A Unique Child Principle : Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured Commitments: Child Development Inclusive Practice Keeping Safe Health and Well-being

14. Theme: Positive Relationships Principle: Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person Commitments : Respecting Each Other Parents as Partners Supporting Learning Key Person

15. Theme: Enabling environments Principle: The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning. Commitments : Observation, Assessment and Planning The Learning Environment Supporting Every Child The Wider Context

16. Theme: Learning and Development Principle: Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected Commitments : Play Active Learning Creativity and Critical Thinking Areas of Learning and Development

17. Quality “Quality is not.. a ceiling that is reached, or a line that is crossed, but it is a continuous and ongoing journey of improvement against outcomes for children.” “The research evidence suggests that the key variable in improving quality and raising outcomes for children is the competent, reflective, well- qualified practitioner ……” Tony Bertram and Sue Owen N ursery World 7 June 2007

18. The 2010 review of EYFS ?