With a soaring birth rate and the ramping up of free nursery entitlement, practitioners can justifiably feel that their skills and expertise will have a real impact on the next generation.
Having bedded in the revised EYFS and got to grips with changes to the Ofsted inspection framework, the sector seems to have a pretty clear idea of where its continuing professional development (CPD) priorities lie.
To meet these CPD objectives there is a dynamic and ever-expanding independent training sector, which is focused on finding new ways to deliver - creatively and cost-effectively.
So what are the CPD priorities?
UNDERSTANDING CHANGE
At Lifetime Training, business manager Alison Simpson reports demand for short, cost-effective courses in areas such as paediatric first aid, parent partnerships and SENCO working. There is also a continuing emphasis on child-led practice, developing language and communication skills,and boosting physical development.
She identifies the importance of working with clients to help them understand the effects of changes in policy on their organisations.
'Our trainers are aware of what our customers are experiencing and adapt their training delivery to ensure we are supporting learners,' she says.
'Our regional trainers keep up to date with changes in their areas and cascade this to their learners who are then able to support their settings with best practice.'
Best Practice Network takes the view that when there are new proposals at a national level it is important to look at what is being proposed in a balanced way and to consider if practice will need to change in any way should those proposals be put in place - remembering that these are only proposals and not definite until confirmed.
The organisation is currently a training provider for the Early Years Teacher Programme (formerly EYPS) in the South West, South East, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber. It is planning to run the new Early Years Educator qualification.
Maureen Lee, director of early years at the Best Practice Network, says, 'The draft Teachers' Standards for Early Years and draft level 3 Early Years Educator (EYE) standards set out the Government's proposals for supporting children's learning. In the EYE standards, for example, it is suggested that free-flow and structured activities should be planned in equal measure. Both sets of draft standards refer to both individual and group contexts for learning.'
Ms Lee believes that once proposals are confirmed it will be a good idea for settings to reflect carefully on their practice and identify where it can be enhanced.
'It may be that they decide to engage an external improvement consultant or facilitator to focus this review,' she says. 'At Best Practice Network we offer that service. We are committed to the view that CPD is not the old ad hoc process that stopped between training courses and only started up again with the next course.
'Professional development is a much broader set of activities - including workplace, collaborative learning approaches, and innovative use of technology for interactive and collaborative e-learning. Of course, face-to-face training still works well but as part of a varied and rich CPD menu.'
She adds, 'At the same time, home-spun, work-based learning is growing in popularity for its impact on professional learning and prudent management of restricted budgets.'
EFFECTIVE LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
It is increasingly recognised that to be a truly effective practitioner it is vital to have a solid knowledge of child development. This has been reinforced under the revised EYFS and is also reflected in the way Ofsted now judges provision.
For Laura Henry, managing director of the Childcare Consultancy, a priority is the need for more support and guidance on the characteristics of effective teaching and learning, sustained shared thinking and openended play.
She says, 'Understanding how to empower children to learn in a broad variety of contexts is a really important priority and one that early years settings see as very important on their improvement agenda. It is an area that everyone needs to continually focus on.
'There is always more for practitioners to learn about when it comes to extending children's learning opportunities and catering for their individual needs, as well as refreshing and consolidating understanding of a concept or skill.'
Ms Henry believes that practitioners can be a little daunted by the term sustained shared thinking.
'It sounds as if it is something unattainable or at least very difficult to plan for ... and ensure for all children,' she says. 'The skill in joining in with children and thinking with them is being able to seize unplanned opportunities to engage them in high-quality interactions - both verbal and non-verbal - and being able to help them make connections in their knowledge and understanding.
'This can seem a particular challenge with children who find it difficult to concentrate, but engaging them in thinking in this way really helps them to focus and improves concentration levels.'
According to Ms Henry, using a single lecture or the information-giving type of training to enhance practitioners' skills in engaging with children in sustained shared thinking is not the best approach.
'Training needs to be over at least a couple of sessions (sustained), should draw on discussions of practitioners' own experiences with children (shared) and must challenge learners to go more deeply into why they respond the way they do to children's interests and how they could do this even better (thinking),' she says.
'Indeed, setting-based training is often the best way to address this topic, so the facilitator can encourage and train practitioners to capitalise on the resources and opportunities that are there to engage the children in high-quality sustained shared thinking.'
Cathleen Hassett, deputy head of programmes at Smart Training, agrees there needs to be emphasis on this aspect of CPD.
'By looking at the characteristics of effective learning, the practitioners will be able to plan adult-led activities with the child as the main focus and this will ensure that the child is engaged in the activities and is learning and developing their skills and knowledge.
'Shared sustained thinking will give the practitioner a chance to see how the child views the world around them and their current interests. From this, the practitioner can then ensure that the environment is planned around the children's interests to create a stimulating learning environment for the children in their care. It will also give the children a sense of involvement and appreciation of their views and interests and will engage them in the activities as they will be interested in what is being offered. By providing this the children will learn and develop by using their own interests.
Ms Hassett outlines that by providing open-ended play where there is no adult-planned goal, children are encouraged to learn a variety of skills rather than having an end in sight. It will also encourage the children to build on their current interests.
'Through the training we offer we teach the learners how to use these skills in the workplace to ensure a stimulating learning environment for the children they care for by using appropriate methods.'
Two-year-olds
Those nurseries and settings that are expanding provision for two-year-olds or are taking this age group for the first time, will need to think carefully about their CPD requirements in this area.
According to Margy Whalley, director of Pen Green Centre for Children and their Families and its Research, Development and Training Base - 'Infants and the youngest children require early years practitioners to have an in-depth understanding of infant mental health, children's well-being and attachment patterns.
'Provisions should be moving away from the concept of baby rooms to baby nests, creating challenging and containing environments for the youngest children.'
Ms Whalley believes the 'core basics' in terms of understanding child development, observation, assessment and engagement with parents should contribute towards any quality training programme.
'We often find that it's in provision for the youngest children where the workforce is the least qualified, as well as frequently being the youngest workers,' she says. 'These professionals, as well as the children in their care, need both challenge and containment. We should be championing professional development that offers challenge and containment for staff in all our baby rooms.'
Undoubtedly, with an increased number of two-year-old places being offered there is now even greater need for emphasis on children's learning and development, characteristics of effective learning, sustained shared thinking and open-ended play.
'Workers need to consider how it feels to be two and should understand that children often regress before they progress,' she says.
James Hempsall, director of Hempsall's, which is working with Mott MacDonald to support the twos roll-out, says, 'We are seeing the benefits of settings carefully considering the essential characteristics of two-year-olds, taking a good look at their child development. Settings need to think about offering a special approach to two-year-olds, differentiating their approaches from those used for threeand four-year-olds through appropriate environments and learning activities.
'Some two-year-olds will be coming from vulnerable families (as do some of the threeand four-year-olds accessing their early learning). Where this is the case, nurseries should access training for working with vulnerable families, which in our experience has transformed approaches for safeguarding, working in partnership with other agencies and dramatically improved staff awareness, understanding and confidence of working with parents.'
CHALLENGING VALUES
At Best Practice Network, Ms Lee says nurseries are recognising the huge potential of supervision, mentoring and coaching approaches.
'Some schools and settings have established an entitlement for all staff to a trained mentor or coach - to set achievable goals, provide regular, positive feedback and keep an overview of their development. Confidence levels rise quickly and practitioners realise they are more capable than they thought they were.
'We provide training in coaching, mentoring and supervision, which then enables the setting to take charge of its own professional development from then on. This training can, if the setting wishes, be accredited through the Institute of Leadership and Management.'
Ms Henry agrees that CPD is about empowering settings to take control and get everyone involved in on-going improvement.
'In one of my most popular courses called, "Training and More", I unpick CPD and use a template where managers can audit the skills and expertise within their setting,' she says.
At Pen Green, Ms Whalley believes CPD needs to be transformational. 'It should challenge values and attitudes, and be project-based and context-specific to effectively promote changes in practice.'
She adds, 'All high-quality professional development should be accredited, giving the workforce a route for progression.'
BEST PRACTICE NETWORK PRIORITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
- Enhancing learning opportunities for children across EYFS
- Developing children's creativity and thinking
- Two-year-olds
- Coaching, supervision and mentoring
- Early literacy and mathematics development
- Group learning - ensuring it is appropriate to stages of children's development.
www.bestpracticenet.co.uk/earlyyears
MOTIVATE STAFF WITH ONLINE LEARNING
Alexandra Ferguson, business development manager at The Childcare Company, offers short online courses in areas such as first aid, safeguarding and food hygiene.
'These courses are an affordable alternative to local authority training, and deliver a thorough learning experience while enabling staff to pursue extended learning in the areas they may be interested in,' she says.
'Completing learning online gives staff control of their learning experience and means they feel relaxed and focused on their course.
'Other courses such as Leadership and Management are popular as they encourage staff to progress in their role or increase their skills without the pressure of a full qualification.'
She adds that in order for CPD to be effective, staff must enjoy the training they undertake. 'Any setting that focuses on CPD will enthuse and motivate staff members and sustain their learning experience. Their enthusiasm for learning will be passed on to the children, and staff are encouraged to approach the children's learning from exciting new angles.
'Learning can only be effective for children when staff have the knowledge, experience and confidence to make it worthwhile.'
PEN GREEN KEY FOCUS AREAS
Training for the workforce working with children from birth to five, needs to focus on:
- An in-depth understanding of the key worker role
- How children learn and develop, both cognitively and emotionally
- Appropriate pedagogical responses to children of varying ages
- Working with the whole family - home visits should be 'the norm'
- An integrated approach to assessment including health development checks.
CASE STUDY 'IDENTIFY YOUR STAFF'S FASCINATIONS'
Sarah Fletcher is an EYP at Loddiswell Pre-School in Devon, and believes that the best starting point for deciding on what training to provide for practitioners is to identify their fascinations.
She has found that a fascination about an aspect of child development is an excellent starting point, a real motivation for professional learning.
'Continuous professional development is on the agenda for everyone's termly supervision meeting, in addition to their annual appraisals,' she says. 'We talk about two things - what is fascinating them at the moment and what would they like to be able to do better? Together we plan a course of action (that we make sure we follow) to meet those needs. We also discuss long-term career aspirations and what's available, or will soon be available, as a pathway to achieve these ambitions.'
