Learning Together

Advisory Service Kent

Empowering early years practitioners to improve the

quality of provision

Colleen Marin

Advisory Service Kent

Learning Together

Context: Public Service Agreement (PSA)

“To promote the physical, emotional, social

and intellectual development of young

children so that they flourish at home and at

school.”

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Early Years/Foundation Stage F Baseline (2004)

Target (2008)

%age children with six+ points for Personal Social & Emotional Development in Foundation Stage Profile (excluding Swale, Dover & Gravesham Surestart). PSA 1.3

A 86.7% 89.7%

%age children with six+ points for Communication, Language & Literacy in Foundation Stage Profile (excluding Swale, Dover & Gravesham Surestart). PSA 1.3

A 71.5% 74.5%

Public Service Agreement Target 1) To improve the outcomes for children

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Swale, Dover, Gravesham F Baseline (2004)

Target (2008)

Gap to county for PSED in Foundation Stage Profile for Surestart postcode area. LPSA 1.4

A 9.7% 6.7%

Gap to county for CLL in Foundation Stage Profile for Surestart postcode area. LPSA 1.4

A 16.6% 13.6%

Public Service Agreement Target

2) Reduce the outcomes gap between the areas of high social deprivation and the rest of Kent

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The PSA Steering Group

Acting Principal Educational Psychologist

Specialist Teaching Service Manager

Adult Education Strategic Manager

Senior Adviser Early Years (Chair)

Strategic Manager Libraries

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The Advisory Team

The team of 47 advisers comprised: Early Years Advisory Teachers

Early Years Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs)

Birth to Three Advisers

Early Years Quality Assurance Team

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Settings Involved

175 settings in total in the 3 areas

68% took part voluntarily

119 settings in total

2,081 children

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Achievement of the Target

Principled approach

Leuven Scales/Ten Action Points

Box Full of Feelings

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Training & Implementation of Project

All advisers were trained on use of Leuven system

All settings received 4 sessions of Leuven training

All settings received:

Leuven handbook, Video of Ten Action Points, Box Full of Feelings and a pack of 20 children’s books which supported exploration of feelings

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Notes of Visit

Advisers reported against the 10 Action Points

Advisers and practitioners discussed and agreed what impact the work had on children’s learning and development

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The 10 Action PointsCreate a rich environment

Offer activities based on observation

Stimulate activities with open impulses

Give room for child initiative

Build up positive relations

Explore the world of feelings, behaviour & values

Support children with special needs

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Main Research Question

What are the initiatives/interventions that have been taken (or that a setting wants to take) to implement the Ten Action Points and what are the reported effects?

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Analysis of each Note of Visit

1) What are the reported changes registered at the level of context ( the created learning environment)?

2) What is the reported impact at the level of process (well being and involvement)?

3) What is the reported impact at the level of outcomes (competences, attitudes and dispositions)?

4) What are the pre-conditions mentioned in the reports to make the implementation of the 10 action points a success and what is seen as an obstacle?

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Analysis of patterns within & across settings

1) Is there a pattern over time in the kinds of initiatives used?

2) Is there a relation between noted changes/interventions and the person visiting the setting?

3) Are there possibilities based on the results of the analysis for further standardisation of the observations, interviews and Note of Visit forms for future visits?

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Action Points 1 & 2

Rearrange the classroom into appealing corners/areas

Check the content of the corners and replace unattractive materials with more appealing ones

Example of Results

86% of settings have rearranged the home or drama area

73% create clearly defined play areas

68% have rearranged the writing and book area

50% reflect upon the location of the play areas and initiatives to gain space in the setting

36% have made indoor and outdoor play available at the same time

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Action Point 3

Introduce new and unconventional materials and activities

68% added unconventional “free” materials

59% added “real” materials

59% included innovative activities

27% provide out of setting activities

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Action Points 4 & 5

Observe children, discover their interests and find activities that meet these orientations

Support on-going activities through stimulating impulses and enriching interventions

82% by observations and discussions know what interests children

45.5% challenge children and bring them to higher levels of involvement

43% use the interests of children to plans interventions

40.9% ask thought provoking questions

23% use the children’s on-going responses to expand the range of activities

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Action Point 6

Widen the possibilities for free initiative and support them with sound rules and agreements

59% have improved free access to materials

41% of settings have child initiated time for 2/3 of the day

45% make rules and agreements concrete for children via the use of pictograms etc

18.2% make the rules together with the children

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Action Points 7 & 8

Explore the relationship with each of the children and between children and try to improve it

Introduce activities that help children to explore the world of behaviour, feelings and values

54% of settings peer interactions are positive

50% of settings practitioners have positive interactions with children

68% of settings have used resources e.g., Box Full of Feelings/specific books to help children explore and talk about emotions and feelings

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Action Points 9 & 10

Identify children with emotional problems and work out sustaining interventions

Identify children with developmental needs and work out interventions that engender involvement within the problem area

91% of settings have used the Leuven scales for well being and involvement

82% make specific interventions for children with Special Needs

55% involve external agencies

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Process & Outcomes

73% of settings: Leuven work has impacted positively on levels of involvement

41% of settings: children more independent than before

64% of settings: the whole staff team has been trained on Leuven work

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Conclusions

Practitioners are more aware of the impact of the environment on children’s play.

They proactively review and change the environment as a result of observations of children’s well being and involvement.

Some settings have made the shift from a practitioner orientated to a child orientated way of oganising things.

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Conclusion

Making efforts to observe children’s levels

of well-being and involvement and putting

the Ten Action points in place enables

practitioners to make fundamental changes towards improvements in the

quality of provision for children

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Audit of 730 PVI settings

Use of Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)

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ECERS-R

ECERS - R AVERAGES

1.31.61.01.20.52.01.7Difference

4.54.75.63.74.85.04.6Kent

5.86.36.64.95.37.06.3Discovery

Nursery Ltd - Dover

Parents & Staff

Programme

StructureInteractio

nActivitie

s

Language -

Reasoning

Personal Care

Routines

Space &

Furnishings

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ECERS-E

ECERS - E AVERAGES

-0.42.3-0.10.6Difference

3.12.73.13.9Kent

2.75.03.04.5Discovery Nursery Ltd - Dover

DiversityScienceMathsLiteracy

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Average of ECERS scores

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1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

Spac

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Furn

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Pers

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Lang

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Act

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Inte

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Prog

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Stru

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Pare

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& S

taff

Lite

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Mat

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Scie

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Div

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ty

Discovery Nursery Ltd - Dover Kent

Advisory Service Kent

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Ofsted 2006

‘Staff have re-arranged the nursery andresources to support children’s learning,

allow them to use their initiative andselect freely and independently from a

wide selection of purposeful andmeaningful activities appropriate to their

individual needs’.