Nursery World - Learning and Development: Revised EYFS

Engaging with the revised EYFS: the Pen Green team explain why this is a curriculum framework that they can work with.

Early years educators at Pen Green, like many others, were concerned about the provisional revision of the EYFS. Dame Clare Tickell made some important points, but we were concerned about the way her review was being interpreted.

We still have reservations about the understanding of 'school readiness' and some of the inappropriate expectations in the early learning goals. However, there are key features about our new UK curriculum framework that we want to champion and celebrate, in particular - the foregrounding of the characteristics of learning, the retention of an 'enabling environment' and the strong emphasis on working in partnership with parents.

Characteristics of learning

Having played an active role in the consultation, we are delighted that the characteristics of learning are now a key feature and will help to inform practitioners about how to support and enable learning.

The characteristics of learning are:

playing and exploring - children investigating and experiencing things and 'have a go'

active learning - children concentrate and keep trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements

creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things.

The focus on children's dispositions to learn (being curious, having 'a go', being involved, keeping trying and making links in their learning) supports our commitment to engaging with the child as an active learner, engaging with others and learning through their experiences.

CASE STUDY

Aimee (two years and four months) exploring the art and science of building sand castles

Daryl noticed Aimee's deep level of involvement as she played in the sand pit. She wrote in her documentation:

'Aimee, you were so involved as you played in the sand. You were experimenting with lots of different containers and exploring which ones created the best sandcastles.

'You were concentrating so hard. You used the bucket, the bowl and the funnel to make differently shaped castles. You experimented with the bottle but it didn't work very well and you had to shake it to get all of the sand out again. You kept on trying to make different castles for some time.

You seemed to find that it worked better if you filled the container up to the top with sand and if you tapped the container once you had turned it over to help it come out. You seemed to be exploring the properties of the sand, the capacity of the containers and the structure and shape left by an upturned mold. You were gaining mastery in creating sandcastles with different shapes.'

What was this play about?

Aimee was self-motivated and very willing to have a go at the task she had set herself, clearly choosing her own way of doing it. She seemed to be enjoying what she set out to do and pleased with what she had achieved.

Sharon, Aimee's mum, said that Aimee explores with sand and water at home and spends time putting things in all sorts of different containers. She has recently spent a long time exploring her containing schema through putting playdough in pans and putting the pans in the oven in her playhouse at home. Kerry, Aimee's family worker, and Sharon plan for Aimee's learning together. They will enable her to explore her containing schema by providing lots of different materials and containers.

Links with Te Whariki

In conversation with Pen Green researchers, Margaret Carr and Wendy Lee from New Zealand have highlighted how our characteristics of learning relate to the dispositions set out in the Te Whariki curriculum in New Zealand.

An Enabling Environment

'Enabling environments' is far more powerful than the inclusion of 'positive environments' as one of the principles underpinning practice. Enabling environments offer opportunities for children to interact with material resources and the key people in their lives. A key person forms part of an enabling environment.

Involving parents in their children's learning

The strong focus on working in partnership with parents is another feature to celebrate. Feinstein and Blanden's research shows that involving parents in their children's learning is the most important factor in enabling children who are disadvantaged to 'buck the trend' and do well. If we are going to reduce inequality in outcomes for children then working with parents and forming effective partnerships has to be a priority.

Our research has demonstrated that in order to make a difference, the dialogue between workers and parents about a child's learning is crucial. The knowledge that is shared must have an impact on the way parents and workers support the child's learning both at home and in the setting. This is set out in the EYFS progress check at age two, where NCB has drawn on Patrick Easen's work to illustrate that the parent's knowledge and the practitioner's knowledge come together for the greatest benefit to the child. We have developed Easen's work over many years through what we call the Pen Green Loop.

CASE STUDY

The Pen Green Loop

From East Street Children's Centre, Banbury working in collaboration with Pen Green through the 'Parents Involved in their Children's Learning' (PICL) project

Claire noticed Casey (aged three years and ten months) was deeply involved in his play at the water tray and began to video him. He was using two nets to catch toy fish in the water. He ran to the edge and launched himself towards the fish, beaming as he held it up. He fetched a fireman's helmet and carefully put the caught fish in it. At the end of the play he put the helmet in the water and lifted it up, watching the water run through the holes.

Claire watched the video with Kevin, Casey's dad. Kevin explained, 'He's re-enacting when we go fishing. Where he is using what he calls two nets - one is the fishing rod and one is the landing net and when he puts it into the fireman's helmet that's the keep net. He seems to be picking out the bigger fish...and when you put the fish back at the end of the day you put the keep net in and rinse it off which is what he is doing with the helmet.'

Kevin's insight into his son's play enabled Claire to make more sense of Casey's experience at nursery and to discuss ways of supporting his learning with Kevin. The documentation of this episode enabled Casey to revisit his learning with both Claire and Kevin and to talk excitedly about his interest in fishing.

REFERENCES

Bucking the Trend: what enables those who are disadvantaged in childhood to succeed in later life? J Blanden, Working Paper No 31 London: Department of Work and Pensions (2006)