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This week

1. Did you know
2. Website of the Week
3. Under5s Download Centre
4. Date for your Diary
5. News
6. International News 
7. More Educational Sites
 
 

1. DID YOU KNOW

Involving young children in design

The latest in the Bernard van Leer Foundation's series of working papers is now available to download and order. Early childhood spaces: Involving young children and practitioners in the design process discusses how under-6s can be involved in designing spaces for early childhood provision

http://www.bernardvanleer.org/
 

Helping children live, play and grow happily

David Cameron has launched a report entitled 'More Ball Games' that aims to make Britain the best place in the world for children to grow up.

It is the second report from David Willetts' Childhood Review, which was set up after UNICEF judged the UK the worst place to be a child out of 21 developed countries.

The analysis done by the Review stresses the need for work in 3 vital areas:

- Making outdoor space safer

- Dealing with bullying

- Increasing accessibility to sports and other activities within and outside school

Speaking at the launch, David stressed, "Together we can create a strong and confident society in which children live, play and grow happily within the boundaries of the common good."

http://www.conservatives.com/
 
 

2. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

UNDER5s SHOP

Re-launched this week is the Under5s Online Store.

Here you can find multi media resources for early years.

Sticky Kids Cds, Little Books etc.

http://astore.amazon.co.uk/under5s

3. UNDER5S DOWNLOAD CENTRE

DON'T FORGET - you can find 24 different plans in the Download Centre and  all of our planning is available to download today. 

Don't miss the fantastic Let's Sign signing resources.

Childminders - if you are struggling with Birth to Three, take a look at the Birth to Three Planning Guidance.

http://cnb-host4.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/under5s?op=merchant-welcome-null

EARLY LEARNING FORUMS

Join Us !

To discuss early years issues. To find support and advice on early years education. To relax and chat amongst friends. Come on in and have a look... 

http://www.earlylearningforums.co.uk/
 

4. DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

Early Childhood Forum Conference 2008: Working for Children 

Tuesday 11 March 2008, Birmingham 

Working for Childrenis the Early Childhood Forum's (ECF) fifth national conference for practitioners, managers and policy makers with a professional interest in the development of the early years workforce. The conference will explore current policy and practice issues in relation to workforce development, including the implications of the Children's Workforce Strategy and developing a sustainable and high quality early years workforce. Delegates will be able to attend interactive workshops on inclusive play, ensuring quality, leading integrated services, building nurturing relationships, and rewards and incentives. Speakers include: Lesley Staggs, Early Years Consultant, Paul Ennals, Chair of Children's Workforce Network and Dame Gillian Pugh, Chair, National Children's Bureau. 

For more information, email conferences@ncb.org.uk, telephone 020 7843 6042 or visit http://www.ncb.org.uk/conferences 
 

RESPONSES TO DAYCARE TRUST FEES SURVEY

NDNA 'Unsurprised' by Rise in Childcare Fees as Increasing Costs put Squeeze on Margins

NDNA recognises difficulties parents face in meeting fees, but highlights rises essential for nursery survival 

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) today responded to Daycare Trust's annual Childcare Costs survey saying that it was 'unsurprised' that the research reveals a general rise in the cost of fees. NDNA highlighted how the ever- rising cost of providing childcare meant that private and voluntary nurseries had little choice but to put the price of services up.
 
Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of NDNA comments: "Parents may be surprised when presented with the figure of an average of £7000 to £8000 per year, but when you break this down it equates to very little. For example, the England average of £149 for a 50 hour place for the over twos is a cost of £2.98 per hour. If you then look at all the items this needs to cover including high staff to child ratios, rent or mortgage, business rates, utilities, snacks, equipment and training, you can see that this amount does not go very far. Indeed, many nurseries are struggling to break even or are even making a loss as they battle to balance affordability for parents with sustainability. NDNA expects that fees will have to go up further as more graduate level leaders come in to place, business rates rise, the EYFS comes into force and nurseries invest in better qualified staff. Quality costs money and without further direct Government investment, private and voluntary nurseries face little choice but to increase parental fees." 

She continues: "In addition, we are seeing further threats to sustainability as a significant proportion of nurseries continue to make a loss on provided the funded sessions for three and four year olds and many settings are concerned about the support for Ofsted fees being potentially handed over to local authorities. It is essential that day nurseries receive increased direct investment so that they can meet the cost of improving quality without compromising affordability for parents. The new duties upon local authorities to secure sufficient, high quality childcare will soon be in force so the need to ensure providers are sustainable becomes ever more pressing. In addition, NDNA believes that support for parents, including tax credits, should go supply side so that childcare is not only cheaper at the point of delivery for parents but also to help reduce incidences of fraud and encourage the take up of this help. Private and voluntary day nurseries play a vital role in th!
 e Government's vision for childcare, but without increased support affordability will continue to be a huge barrier to the achievement of this aim." 

Pre-school Learning Alliance call for a different approach to make affordable childcare a reality

Responding to the Childcare Costs Survey 2008 report, Steve Alexander, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said that the findings were disappointing, and called for a different approach to providing affordable childcare.

Steve said that

'Affordable childcare was a major promise in the ten-year strategy. It is disappointing to see that, despite very significant investment in the early years, childcare is still not affordable for many parents. This report suggests that we have some of the highest childcare costs in Europe.

The government's free entitlement principles should be applauded. However, the tax credit system is inaccessible and unduly complex, meaning that parents are not taking up this assistance - especially so among parents who may need it the most.

But parental choice and availability of childcare also depend on providers having financial stability. Many providers are facing challenging sustainability issues and these look set to increase with the proposed changes to the Ofsted registration fees, among other concerns.

There is an increasing argument that a much simplified system of subsidy would be more effective and greatly benefit both parents and childcare providers. We urge the government to consider other approaches, including funding the supplier for places, rather than the current system where funding follows the individual. We need to ensure that parents can easily access affordable, sustainable childcare.'

CHILDMINDERS NOT AS EXPENSIVE AS SURVEY SUGGESTS

NCMA has commented on the Daycare Trust annual childcare costs survey. 

Liz Bayram, Chief Executive of the National Childminding Association commented:"The costs of childcare may, on first reading of this survey, seem high to many families and indeed hard to afford. But our research shows that childminder fees have only increased in line with inflation in the last year. This survey has to be balanced alongside the fact registered childminders continue to provide a high quality professional childcare and early education service to families and do so - according to this survey - for around £2.88 an hour, almost half the national minimum wage.

"As it did last year, this survey on childcare costs only shows one perspective. Registered childminders' fees are affected by so many factors that national comparisons, even regional comparisons, do not show the complete picture. NCMA's own research shows registered childminders charge on average £3.00 per hour but this often includes the costs for outings, meals, nappies and so on. Most childminding businesses turnover less than £7000 per annum and many don't even manage to break-even, as they struggle to keep their costs down and ensure their hourly fee is competitive with those of other providers, in particular in the maintained sector.

"We support the Daycare Trust's request that Government ensures the availability of affordable childcare and hope it recognizes the best way to support families to access affordable childcare and for providers to offer the high quality children deserve is via a combination of demand and supply side childcare funding. The current government consultation proposing to raise the registration fee for providers legally required to register with Ofsted is likely to make the situation for many providers and the families they support worse."

SCOTTISH CHILDCARE COSTS LEVELLING OFF, SURVEY FINDS

A survey of childcare costs by Children in Scotland and the Daycare Trust has recorded a slight fall in the cost of childcare in Scotland.

A typical nursery place for a child aged under two in Scotland is now £141 and £128 for a child aged two and over - both figures three per cent down on last year. Childminder fees are typically £139 for a child aged under two and £141 for a child aged two and over. The typical cost of an out-of-school club in Scotland is £38 for 15 hours a week - the same as 2007.

Bronwen Cohen, chief executive of Children in Scotland, said:

"We are pleased to see that last year's trend of rapidly rising costs has been slowed with a small drop of three per cent. However, childcare costs in Scotland are still too high. The survey results again underline the need to integrate pre-school education with childcare, and ensure that all young children have access to full-day provision when required in neighbourhood services. This would build better community cohesion and ultimately support more secure childhoods." 

"The fragmented nature of pre-school services for children and the high costs of childcare for parents are two of the key issues needing to be addressed in the national early years strategy currently being developed by the Scottish Government. The continuing divide between childcare and education in the UK is also one of the issues highlighted by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD's) Starting Strong II report, released in 2006."

The results are part of Children in Scotland and the Daycare Trust's annual survey of childcare costs for 2007, published today. They follow the steep cost increases in Scottish childcare found in last year's survey. 

CHILDREN'S CENTRES PROVIDE A RANGE OF SERVICES THAT BENEFIT CHILDREN AS WELL AS PARENTS, OFSTED REPORT FINDS

Children's centres and extended schools make a positive contribution to improving the lives of children and their families according to How well are they doing: the impact of children's centres and extended schools

Ofsted's report evaluates the impact of the services provided by extended schools and children's centres, particularly on vulnerable groups, and on promoting the Every Child Matters outcomes. It follows an earlier report by Ofsted in 2006, which focused on the national roll-out of a programme of extended services for children and young people.

Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector for Education, Children's Services and Skills, said:

    "It's encouraging to see that extended schools, and children's centres in particular, are making good progress overall in the range of services they offer for children, young people and their families.

However, the monitoring and evaluating the impact of these services is an area for improvement - especially in relation to the academic attainment of children and young people. And schools and centres need to do more to attract those families and individuals that are not yet using the services to make sure they have the opportunity to benefit too."

Parents valued the variety of childcare options offered by children's centres, and learning proved more effective when the senior leadership team included staff with a background in education. Another positive sign was that children moving on from children's centres were generally well prepared for school.

The majority of schools offered a variety of out-of-school activities such as homework clubs, study support, sport, music tuition, special interest clubs and volunteering. Those schools with the most effective services integrated the development of extended provision into school improvement plans, and also had a clear focus on improving outcomes for children and young people.

However, despite a multitude of services being offered by the schools and children's centres visited, these were not always well co-ordinated. Where co-ordination was good, take up had improved.

The quality of local authorities' strategic leadership also varied. While they provided a consistent steer on setting up provision, support for monitoring and evaluating the impact of services was rare.

People using extended services already are being well served by schools and children's centres, but more needs to be done to attract individuals and families who are reluctant to use them or are unaware of the benefits available. These individuals and families include minority ethnic groups or individuals with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. 

Ofsted recommendations:

    The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) should:

        * clarify long-term funding arrangements with other partners to promote the sustainability of services and staffing

        * support local authorities to embed the performance management arrangements recommended in the guidance issued in November 2006. 

    Local Authorities should:

        * support schools and children's centres in strategic planning and in monitoring and evaluating the impact of their services

        * ensure that training is available for managers of children's centres to develop self-evaluation

        * support children's centres in improving the link between assessment and planning for children's learning and development. 

    Schools and children's centres should:

        * evaluate the impact of their services on the achievement and attainment of children and young people

        * in planning their extended provision, seek to broaden participation, particularly by the wider community and more vulnerable groups. 

     
    Download the report
    http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/assets/Internet_Content/Shared_Content/Files/2008/jan/
childcentres_exschs.pdf
 
 

6. INTERNATIONAL NEWS

USA

NAEYC Gives Parents New Tool in Annual Search for Early Education Programs

National outreach geared towards Parents and H.R. Professionals looking for high-quality accredited programs

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) today released Choosing Accreditation: A guide to recognizing quality early childhood education for parents, policymakers, and human resource professionals nationwide.  NAEYC's national accreditation system is the largest system for accrediting child care centers, preschool and kindergarten programs, and is recognized by parents, teachers and public officials as defining the highest level of program quality.
 
"NAEYC's system for accrediting early childhood education programs is rigorous and, based on research on what is best for children's development and learning," said Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph. D., Executive Director of NAEYC.  "Programs that achieve NAEYC Accreditation have the mark of high-quality that parents, the public, and policymakers can rely upon to make the right choice for children."

Millions of families use early childhood education programs to nurture and educate their young children.  The range of quality among programs is vast, and parents need ways to understand what signs of high-quality early learning environments for their children.  Simply put, research shows that quality does matter.  

Choosing Accreditation was developed to inform parents in an easy-to-understand way of the standards and reliable process that NAEYC accredited programs meet in order to receive NAEYC's recognition of high-quality.  The chart shows that NAEYC Accreditation is the very best early childhood accreditation system in the nation.  For human resource professionals, this is a tool that will help them inform and advise employees of how to select high-quality child care and preschool programs.  For policymakers, it is a way to ensure that linking their incentives and rewards for programs that achieve NAEYC accreditation is the right policy.  Choosing Accreditation provides publicly available information on national accrediting bodies. according to the elements that establish high-quality early learning environments.  All systems in the guide are national in scope and available to child care, preschool and kindergarten programs regardless of their status as for- profit or nonprofit, religious-affiliated or secular.

NAEYC's voluntary accreditation system, created in 1985, is the nation's largest and most rigorous system for accrediting child care centers, preschools and kindergarten programs.   NAEYC Accreditation revised its standards and criteria as well as the process for programs and assessors in 2006 to keep pace with new research and to improve the system.  Currently, NAEYC accredited programs serve 750,000 families in nearly 10,000 programs in every state.  Currently, the association reaches approximately 8% of the nation's young children in early childhood programs.  Achieving NAEYC Accreditation includes:

Committing to four steps of accreditation (Enrollment in Self-Study, Application and Self-Assessment, Candidacy, and Meet and Maintain Standards); 

Undergoing onsite reviews of programs by well-trained assessors that is part of the decision process for awarding accreditation; 

Meeting each of the ten Early Childhood Program Standards that represent the elements of 
high-quality programs (curriculum, teaching, health, assessment of child progress, relationships, teacher qualifications, partnerships with families and the community, physical environment, and leadership and management); and 

Upholding NAEYC accreditation by continuing to meet all standards over a 5-year accreditation term, submitting annual reports, and undergoing random, unannounced visits by NAEYC. 

Over the years, others have developed national early childhood accreditation systems.  The Choosing Accreditation guide clearly shows the differences among those systems and NAEYC Accreditation.  The chart provides a tool for parents, human resources personnel, child care resource and referral agencies, school systems, and policymakers to help them distinguish these between these systems.  

To search for an NAEYC Accredited program, please visit http://www.rightchoiceforkids.org.
 

7. MORE EDUCATIONAL SITES

For more educational sites visit

Sites for Teachers

http://www.sitesforteachers.com/perl/rankem.pcgi?id=under5s
 

Kind regards
 

The Under5s Team
Http://www.under5s.co.uk