Early Years News
February 10, 2023
For Solihull Early Years and Childcare Managers
In today’s news
Action needed:
- Martyn’s Law- What do settings need to do? …some information about this Law from the Prevent Duty.
- Childcare payments -settings need to pay their staff in full before being paid for childcare in a setting.
Of interest…
- Princess of Wales letter about the importance of early years ‘shaping us’
- Ofsted updates and information
- Mental health week resources
- Good bye’s this term
- Training fliers attached
Martyn’s Law
Martyn’s Law will keep people safe, enhancing our national security and reducing the risk to the public from terrorism by the protection of public venues including education and early years settings. The legislation will ensure those responsible for certain locations are prepared, ready to respond and know what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. It is likely that early years providers will be in the standard tier. Standard Duty holders will need to undertake easy and simple activities to meet their obligations. This will include completion of free training, awareness raising and cascading of information to staff and completion of a preparedness plan.
The Home Office factsheet on Martyn’s law gives more information.
Childcare payments for parents as practitioners
Please ensure that parents who work in your setting, and take up childcare at their workplace, pay for their childcare after they have been paid their full wages. This means the practitioner- parent receives their wage in full before they pay for their childcare. We were sad to hear of the liquidation of two of our long-standing nurseries recently. We know they would want others to learn from their experience.
Catherine says early childhood is key to adult life
The Princess of Wales has launched a campaign on the “critical importance of our early childhood”. Catherine says not enough attention is paid to how children’s first five years profoundly shape “the adults we become”, in the latest stage in the princess’s long-standing efforts to raise the profile of the early years of children’s development.
“Shaping Us” is a major new awareness-raising campaign from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which aims to increase public understanding of the crucial importance of the first five years of life.
Watch how a little girl, Layla, develops from pregnancy to age five and how she is shaped by her interactions with the people and environment around her. The campaign launches as the Centre for Early Childhood released new data on public understanding of child development which shows around one in three (36%) adults report knowing just a little or nothing about how children develop in their early childhood. The long-term ambition is to transform public awareness of this issue over the coming months and years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y_5N1bDWB4
Ofsted- Updated Guidance
Updated page: Early years and childcare registrationUpdated page: Early years: regulation – Guidance on how Ofsted regulates childcare.Updated page: Childminders: report new adults in the homeUpdated page: Childminder agencies: inspection guidanceUpdated page: Ofsted inspections: what EY providers and practitioners need to knowAlso an early years themed commentary on inadequate inspections – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspections-statistical-commentaries-2022-to-2023/a-focus-on-inadequate-early-years-providers
Early years curriculum roadshow for childminders – webinar – YouTube
This webinar explains about the curriculum for communication and language in the early years and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s learning and development.
This week is Children’s Mental Health WeekThe Anna Freud website has a collection of useful resources. Their Helping young children to think about race booklet highlights the various ways that race and racism can impact under -fives. The free Cost of living webinar will look at how nurseries can support families who may be struggling financially and manage the crisis in their setting. UK Trauma Council have launched their Critical incidents in schools and early years settings to help prepare and manage the response to potentially traumatic events.
We will say goodbye to three of our team this term. As well as Deb Mould leaving us, we celebrate Jayne Draper and Lesley Bartlett’s retirement later in the term. We wish you all the best Jayne, Lesley and Debs.
We are currently recruiting. I will be listening to the advice from the Growth Hub in the Recruitment and Retention training – one of our training sessions available in the spring term. Fliers attached detail some of our training and these are also at www.solgrid.org.uk/training.
It reminds me of a great book by Oliver Jeffers ‘How to Catch a Star’ – wish us luck in our recruitment. Our three leavers will leave a big gap in the team. You have already been notified of alternative contacts and continue to contact eyenquiries@solihull.gov.uk or the 0121 704 6150 number for support.
Have a lovely weekend when it arrives
