Finding Childcare Made Easier with New Herts Website
A new website launched by Hertfordshire County Council will help parents to find the right childcare.
The Hertfordshire Childcare Directory contains information and contact details for thousands of childcare and play providers registered with the Hertfordshire Family Information Service.
The short film below is well worth watching and sums up in just a couple of minutes how to make the most of Hertfordshire’s Family Information Service which is great news for busy parents who don’t have a lot of time on their hands.
The Hertfordshire Family Information Service can also provide information and advice to parents by telephone. Call 0300 123 4052 Monday to Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm
To view YouTube Videos from within a Hertfordshire school you need to have web filtering, Web Factor 1 set up.
Further information about filtering can be found here:
Early Support Training for Parents and Multi-agency Professionals
Early Support: a national programme which provides information and resources for parents and practitioners to work together to get the very best for families of disabled children
We are delighted to announce that Childhood Support Services has commissioned an accredited Early Support training provider, Business Solutions, to deliver Working in Partnership through Early Support training across Hertfordshire. This training is available to all multi-agency professionals and now excitingly to parents, with a Train the Trainer component for parents so that they can also become trainers, as part of the ethos of Early Support.
The commitment to increase confidence and capacity in Early Support within local communities, and the training opportunities have been supported by the Aiming High team and members of the Early Support Steering Group. This year will be an exciting opportunity to increase knowledge and confidence.
‘Business Solutions’ are going to be running a series of workshops across the county which are being facilitated by two Parents, Anna and Karen, both of whom have disabled children and were authors of the Early Support Workshops for Parents. For details of the course content, workshop dates and FAQ, please see our website:
To book a place or for further information or queries relating to the content of the training please contact: Anna Gill on anna@bness-solutions.co.uk or call on 07732 176088.
Young in Herts News is a publication aimed at providers of childcare in Hertfordshire.
Published three times a year our newsletter keeps you up to date with current projects and good news stories, and you can also discover what's going on in your area. The newsletters can be downloaded from Herts Direct at:
DFE 20th December 2011: Revised Early Years Foundation Stage (Learning and Development Requirements)
This consultation seeks views on proposed changes to some parts of the learning and development requirements in the revised early years foundation stage framework: the early learning goals; and the educational programmes. It is also an opportunity to comment on the statutory instrument that gives legal effect to these.
DfE 24 November 2011: Better Communication Research Project: Language and Literacy Attainment of Pupils during Early Years and through KS2: Does Teacher Assessment at Five Provide a Valid Measure of Children's Current and Future Educational Attainments?
This study aims to investigate whether teacher assessment at the end of the EYFS around 5 years, based on ongoing observation, provides a valid measure of children’s current development and their educational attainments in future years.
Full report:
DfE Consultation: Supporting Families in the Foundation Years: Proposed Changes to the Entitlement to Free Early Education and Childcare Sufficiency
This consultation sets out proposals on the new entitlement for two year olds from September 2013, including which children will be eligible. It also includes proposals on the quality and flexibility of the entitlement for two, three and four year olds.
DfE 28 Oct 2011: Review to improve the training and qualifications for people working in the early years
An independent review to strengthen the training, qualifications and career opportunities of people working in early education and childcare was launched today.
Children’s Minister Sarah Teather has asked Professor Cathy Nutbrown, an expert in early childhood education from the University of Sheffield, to lead the review. Today Professor Nutbrown launched a call for evidence to hear from people working in the early years about the training and qualifications they think they need, and from employers, trainees, and parents.
DfE 19 September 2011: Government sets out which two-year-olds will be eligible for free early education
In October 2010, the Government announced, as part of the Fairness Premium, that it will extend the free entitlement of 15 hours per week – available to every three and four year old – to all disadvantaged two year olds. Plans, to be consulted on this autumn, will propose that the criteria for measuring disadvantage should match the criteria used to assess free school meals eligibility.
The Government also wants local authorities to provide free early education for all two year olds who are looked after by the state. In total, approximately 140,000 two year olds each year will be able to benefit from an extra year of free early education from 2013.
DfE 19 September 2011: Parents to be given new freedoms to run their local children's centres
The Government will consult in the autumn on changes to children's centres, including proposals that will enable parents and community groups to apply to their local authority to run a children's centre in their local area. Under the plans, local authorities, not the Government, would have the final say on whether projects go ahead.
The Government also confirmed today that a further 18 local authorities (including Hertfordshire) will trial payment by results for children's centres. Together with the first wave announced in July, 27 local authorities will be testing rewards for reaching the most vulnerable families, improving family health and wellbeing and raising attainment of children at age five.
DfE 19 September 2011: Government trials parenting classes for all parents of children under five
The Government today announced a trial to offer vouchers for parenting classes to mothers and fathers of children under five. This is part of plans to increase support for parents to help them communicate better with their children, encourage good behaviour, and prevent problems developing later on.
The trial is likely to run in three or four areas of the country. The Government hopes to encourage demand for parenting classes and reduce the stigma of asking for information, advice and help with parenting.
DfE 18 July 2011: Government sets out vision to support parents and families
Early years qualifications are to be reviewed to make sure they are sufficiently rigorous and high quality, Children’s Minister Sarah Teather announced today as part of wider reforms to early education.
The Government has also today confirmed that nine local authorities will be the first to trial payment by results for children’s centres. They will test rewards for reaching the most vulnerable families, improving family health and wellbeing, and raising attainment of children at age five.
Today’s announcements are included in a new vision set out by the Government for Families in the Foundation Years. Families can access a parent-friendly version by the charity 4Children, Families in the Foundation Years: From Pregnancy to Five, which sets out what mothers and fathers can expect from pregnancy until their child reaches the age of five.
The Government has today set out plans to strengthen the early years workforce, including:
An independent review of early years qualifications. The review will consider the content of current early years qualifications and how they could be strengthened.
10 new ‘Early Years Teaching Centres’ to be developed by Pen Green Research Base. Based on the teaching schools model, the centres will help to raise standards across the early years workforce. The 10 centres are being selected over the summer.
Looking at how the specialist leader of education (SLE) role could be adapted to the foundation years for qualified teachers and early years professionals.
Funding for the National College to provide 800 places on the National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership course over the next two years. The Government expects all existing and aspiring children’s centre leaders to take this qualification in due course.
DfE: New Government Vision for the Foundation Years (June 2011)
Two policy publications are due shortly. The first of these will be approached from the perspective of parents, and set out the Government’s offer to parents from pregnancy until their child reaches the age of 5. 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. Importantly, it will build on Dame Clare Tickell’s review of the Early Years Foundation Stage, Graham Allen’s review on Early Intervention, Frank Field’s on Child Poverty, and Professor Eileen Munro’s.
Early Years Foundation Stage Reform- Tickell Review (March 2011)
Dame Clare Tickell has recommended that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is radically slimmed down to make it easier to understand, less burdensome and more focused on making sure children start school ready to learn.
To reform the current framework and make it less bureaucratic, Dame Clare’s recommendations include:
Significantly reducing the number of early learning goals children are assessed against at age five from 69 to 17.
Parents to get a summary of their child’s development, alongside the health visitor check at age two, to help identify any early problems or special educational needs.
A new focus on three prime areas which are the foundations for children’s ability to learn and develop healthily: personal, social and emotional development; communication and language; and physical development.
Beneath these should be four areas of learning where these skills are applied: literacy, mathematics, expressive arts and design and understanding the world.
With the three new prime areas of learning, a greater emphasis on making sure children have the basic social, emotional communication and language skills they need to learn and thrive at school – things like being able to make friends and listen effectively. There should also be a stronger link between the EYFS and what is expected of children in KS1.
Freeing the workforce from unnecessary bureaucracy so they can spend more time interacting with children – including scrapping written risk assessments for nursery trips and outings.
All early years practitioners to have at least a level 3 qualification (which is equivalent to A level) and the Government should consider applying the ‘teaching schools’ model to the early years.
Ofsted should be clearer on what is required of settings when they are inspected to help reduce high levels of paperwork.
Independent schools should be allowed to apply to opt out of the learning and development part of the EYFS, and the exemptions process should be made easier.
Changes will come into force from September 2012 at the earliest.
Ofsted Consultation on the Regulation of Early Years and Childcare Providers New
Ofsted is consulting on changes to the way it registers and inspects early years providers, including nurseries and childminders, following the recent review of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The changes will coincide with the revised EYFS, which the Government intends to publish in September.
Inspecting Registered Early Years Provision Managed by the Governing Body New
The purpose of this document is to support inspectors in judging registered early years provision delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage as part of school inspection (section 5)
Ofsted: The impact of the Early Years Foundation Stage(February 2011)
This survey evaluated the impact that the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage has had on provision and developmental outcomes for young children, with a particular focus on their personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy skills. It also considered a range of other factors that are drivers or barriers to improvement. Download from:
Communication is the way we connect with other people. It underpins learning and development in children of all ages and is a skill that can always be developed and improved.
Learning a first language is the most important thing a child will ever do. Young babies and children need to learn how to:
understand what people are saying
use words and sentences properly
speak clearly
look, listen and take turns
People sometimes assume that speech, language and communication skills develop and flourish no matter what. This is not the case... children need adults to encourage and support development of their language and communication.
Universally Speaking
The ages and stages of children’s communication development from birth to 5
Hello has worked with the Times Education Supplement (TES) to produce a special Hello supplement Talk,Listen, Take Part. The supplement has been co-funded by the Communication Champion, Jean Gross, and Hello sponsor BT to a brief developed by The Communication Trust.
It was distributed with the TES on September 2nd 2011. The supplement looks at some of the issues explored by the Hello campaign and focuses on a number of schools that have developed effective strategies to develop their pupils’ speech, language and communication skills.
A digital edition of the supplement will be available on the TES website.
Children can all be great communicators