The question of risk assessment was raised in Dame Clare Tickell's review of the Early Years Foundation Stage and is now up for discussion in the Government consultation on the revised framework. So, do you get stressed about everything that could possibly go wrong, or focus on what positive experiences the children in your care are gaining from taking risks?
While many practitioners still stop children from engaging in challenging activities for fear of them getting hurt, early years experts believe that more are beginning to focus on the benefits of allowing children to take acceptable risks and push against the boundaries of their capabilities.
'I have seen a shift from worrying about nothing but risks, to recognising what children will lose if anxious adults block experiences,' says early years consultant Jennie Lindon. There is less of "we can't go into town because of all the traffic", or "no pond is safe because a child may fall in". Instead, practitioners are led more by what gives children a happy and interesting childhood, and then how can we keep them safe.
'It hugely depends on strong leadership from the manager. If the manager is twitchy, then that permeates down to the other staff.'
Sara Knight, senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, agrees. 'The awareness is there, but what is lacking is the confidence,' she says. 'Unfortunately, a lot of nursery workers can come up against managers who have a different perspective, and they have to be very strong to stand up to a manager. Many managers, especially those in nursery chains, are scared of litigation and also do not see the importance of allowing children to take risks.'
She argues that it is difficult for early years workers to embrace risktaking when they have not had risky experiences in their own childhoods. She says, 'I calculate that we have a lost generation and a half when it comes to taking risks as a child.
'In my training I ask the students to draw play maps. Those aged 40 to 50 draw maps that are always outside and have wild spaces. Under-40s draw smaller maps that tend to be in the area around their own street, while the under-25s are likely to draw their back garden. How can they develop the confidence to draw on if they have not got it in their own memory bank and knowledge?'
BUMP OR BRUISE
Educating practitioners is one hurdle, but parents also need to understand why their child needs to experince risks. It is important to explain the nursery's ethos to parents and say that they may get the odd bump or bruise, while highlighting how much the child is gaining. Some settings have wall displays with photographs depicting how risky play is valued there, which can help practitioners to engage in the debate with parents.
Helen Tovey, principal lecturer of early childhood studies at Roehampton University, says the benefits are far-reaching - from positive self-esteem to developing the drive to learn. 'To be good learners, children need to push the boundaries. The concept of mastery learning is "I can do it and am willing to have a go", compared with the helpless "I can't do that".
'That positive disposition is so important. If adults are there urging children to be careful all the time, it reinforces the helpless approach.
'Children gain confidence and self-esteem from daring and being aware of what they can and can't do. It is not being reckless but learning how to manage risk, which is then transferrable to other contexts. The emotional benefit of overcoming and balancing fear with daring is about learning to manage feelings of being out of control. We do not develop strong, resilient, confident children if we always protect them.'
Enabling children to take risks also helps them develop the mechanisms to keep secure in the future. For example, how can they learn to stay safe around fire if they have never experienced fire?
FOREST SCHOOL ETHOS
The Forest School ethos is thought to have had huge positive effects on practitioners introducing a sensible approach to risk in their settings. When visiting a nursery, Sara Knight likes to see 'clued-up practitioners who provide opportunities to move children along and widen their experience base.'
She adds, 'Nurseries are now starting to be quite adventurous, especially in their outdoor provision. The messier the outdoor play area then the more likely I am to think exciting things are going on.'
Allowing children to take risks is not just about climbing high but giving the children the satisfying feeling of doing something a bit scary, such as negotiating bushes and uneven ground, going into dark places and having tunnels to crawl through, explains Ms Tovey.
'It's about being flexible enough to offer challenges for children of different ages,' she says. 'If the outdoor environment is very fixed it is difficult to offer challenge to older children. There needs to be the flexibility to adjust things, a "can do" environment rather than "can't do". Adults should talk to children if it may be too challenging, and support children to do things rather than tell them to stop. Adults need to be involved rather than in the background supervising.'
Ms Tovey is confident that a sensible approach to risk is starting to permeate the early years sector. 'Through my work at Roehampton it is very positive to see how the students are taking on this issue. They come from different perspectives and cultural backgrounds, but they are going into settings and seeing what children can do. They are also studying the history of play and what used to be allowed, and weighing it all up. We are a very risk-averse culture at the moment, but I think this is all very positive for the next generation.'
RISK ASSESSMENTS
The onus should be on practitioners to demonstrate safety on outings rather than producing detailed risk assessments before each trip, Dame Clare Tickell recommends in the EYFS Review. Practitioners can now have their say on this approach in the Government consultation on the revised framework at: www.education.gov.uk/consultations/
Early years consultant Jennie Lindon says that it will be good to have clarification because, despite it being outlined in the second edition of the EYFS guidance, she believes there is still confusion among practitioners.
'Settings should have done the risk assessment for a type of outing, rather than completing a brand new sheet whenever they set foot out of the door,' she says. 'Of course, the responsibility is on keeping children safe, so it is a good idea to have a discreet checklist. This helps for making sure you have everything before going out, like a mobile phone for emergencies, some money for little purchases or important items for individual children, like an inhaler. This looks like sensible planning to the children, rather than giving the impression that going on local trips is a burden.
'The risk assessment on paper does not keep children safe; practitioners do that by how they behave. Managers need to trust staff to take good care of the children. If you doubt individual staff, then there is serious work to ensure everyone is a safe grown-up.'
Ms Lindon sees the change towards risk-benefit analysis as a positive move. This approach considers what children will gain from an activity or from taking small risks. The aim is to ensure children can do something in safety, rather than avoiding an activity for fear of the worst.
FURTHER READING
- Too Safe For Their Own Good? Helping children learn about risk and life skills by Jennie Lindon (National Children's Bureau)
- Risk and Adventure in Early Years Outdoor Play: Lessons from Forest School by Sara Knight (Sage Publications)
- Playing Outdoors: Spaces and Places, Risk and Challenge by Helen Tovey (Debating Play series, Open University Press)
