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ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
1
The Early Childhood Unit (ECU) works to sustain and improve the quality of services for young children through direct work with children’s services and settings, and through its national networks. This fortnightly bulletin provides up to date news and information for
the Early Years sector, including research, policy and resources.
Contents News from the Early Childhood Unit at NCB ● Early Years Regional Event: Development Matters in the Early Years Policy ● Extending free childcare: Commission on Living Standards report
● Two-year-old entitlement: new regulations ● All Party Parliamentary Group for Children
● Social Mobility Summit: report
Services ● Director of Programme Implementation, Training and Evaluation: job ● Department for Education launches new grant programme
Childcare and early education ● Counting the costs of childcare: report ● Early Years Foundation Stage films on YouTube ● Questions in Parliament
● Foundation Years Newsletter ● Integrated review FAQs
Child development ● The role of toys in play: report
Children and technology ● Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2012
Communication and language ● Baby signing: effect on linguistic development
●Children’s reading habits: survey Disability and special needs ● Communication is the key: a good practice
survey of services for deaf children
Early childhood research ● Movement skill intervention in preschool children:
three year follow-up ● Child care quality and cognitive development
Education and schools ● Payment by results to turn schools around: report ● Children with special educational needs: an analysis - 2012 ● Anti-Bullying week 19-23 November 2012
Health and well-being ● Social and emotional wellbeing - early years: NICE public health guidance ● Potential impact of increasing breastfeeding rates in the UK: report ● Births and deaths in England and Wales, 2011 ● Measuring National Well-being – children’s well-
being 2012 ● Surveys to measure dental decay in three-year-olds
Parents ● Family friendly or failing families? report ● Parents spending time with children: survey for Parents’ Week 2012 ● Relationship support for new parents
Providers ● New and updated Ofsted guidance
Workforce ● Health visitor implementation plan quarterly progress report Consultations ● Inspection of Sure Start Children's Centres
Conferences
Early Childhood Unit
Welcome to the ECU Bulletin 1 November 2012
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
2
News from the Early Childhood Unit at NCB
The Early Childhood Unit (ECU) works to sustain and improve the quality of services for
young children through direct work with children's services and settings, and through its
national networks.
Early Years Regional Event: Development Matters in the Early Years
On Monday 22 October we held a regional event, Development Matters in the Early Years, in
Bristol. This was the sixth of the regional events we’ve held as a part of the Department for
Education funded Peer to Peer Support Programme. There were over 50 delegates, many
from Local Authorities in the South and South West and feedback has been very positive.
The event featured a keynote presentation by Nancy Stewart, Principal Consultant at the
Early Years Consultancy on the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and
workshops by NCB Associate Debbie Garvey on Providing for two-year olds in early years
settings, Dr Patricia Mucavele from School Food Trust on the Eat Better Start Better
campaign, and Judith Holby on Leadership to support the revised EYFS. The next regional
events will take place in January and March 2013, and more information will be available in
a few weeks time.
Policy
Extending free childcare: Commission on Living Standards report
The Commission on Living Standards, hosted by the Resolution Foundation, has published a
report which argues that Britain needs to address low living standards by tackling low pay,
low skills and high childcare costs. The report proposes a mix of policies, including policies
to reduce barriers to work faced by parents. Key proposals include:
Extending free childcare for preschool children to 25 hours per week, 47 weeks a
year, with extra hours charged at £1 per hour.
Revise the proposed Universal Credit system so that it better supports second
earners.
Reform the tax and benefit system in response to parents’ changing preferences for
work, providing cash support when it is most needed.
Gaining from growth: the final report from the Commission on Living Standards. Resolution
Foundation, October 2012.
http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/final-report-commission-living-standards/
Two-year-old entitlement: new regulations
Following consultation, the Local Authority (Duty to Secure Early Years Provision Free of
Charge) Regulations 2012 has been laid which set out the eligibility criteria for the first
phase of the two-year-old entitlement to free early education from September 2013.
Two-year-olds will be eligible for a free place if they are looked after by the local authority
or they meet the same earning and benefits criteria as is used for free school meals.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2488/contents/made
All Party Parliamentary Group for Children
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Children (APPGC) is holding a meeting on 6 November
2012 from 4.00-5.30pm to discuss proposed family law reforms within the upcoming
Children and Families Bill. Speakers will include Edward Timpson MP, Parliamentary Under
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
3
Secretary of State for Children and Families, and David Norgrove, Chair of the Family
Justice Board. The meeting will be held in committee room 8 at the House of Commons.
For information on the APPGC please email [email protected]
Social Mobility Summit: report
The Sutton Trust has published a report that present the research and conclusions of those
attending the Sutton Trust/Carnegie social mobility summit in May, which brought together
researchers from the UK, US, Canada and Australia. The summit also provided leading UK
politicians with an opportunity to say what they are doing to address social mobility,
including the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, the Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband,
and the Education Secretary, Michael Gove.
Key recommendations to improve social mobility (related to early years) include:
Improve training for the early years workforce, including up-skilling current
employees – seen as important in improving the vocabulary and social skills of young
children.
Encourage more entrants to the early years workforce, including through increased
pay.
Pilot conditional cash transfers to parents to incentivise participation in evidence-
based programmes.
Build on the success of the Nurse-Family Partnership model through a universal
programme, with targeting those most in need.
Insist on tighter specifications around the nature and quality of early years provision.
Prioritise and measure language development in pre-school provision.
Maintain policies beyond the short term to track impact and insist on rigorous
evaluation of outcomes.
The Social Mobility Summit: report of the Summit held at the Royal Society, London 21-22
May 2012. Sutton Trust, September 2012.
http://www.suttontrust.com/public/documents/1st-social-mobility-report.pdf [PDF 1.06MB]
Services
Director of Programme Implementation, Training and Evaluation: job
Early Years, the largest organisation working with and for young children in Northern
Ireland, is seeking a Director of Programme Implementation, Training and Evaluation. This
is a new post created within Early Years with support from The Atlantic Philanthropies.
As Director you will join the Senior Management Team and have responsibility for the
implementation of Early Years programmes. You will apply and refine an approach to
designing and implementing services for young children which will be supported by a team
of internationally renowned experts in early childhood.
Closing date is Friday 9 November 2012 at 12 noon.
http://www.early-years.org/recruitment/recruitment-info.php?recruitmentid=282
Department for Education launches new grant programme
The Department for Education has launched a grant programme for the community and
voluntary sector. The National Prospectus Grants Programme 2013-15 invites applicants to
submit proposals to improve outcomes for children, young people and families with a
particular emphasis on early intervention and supporting the most disadvantaged. The
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
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funding will provide up to £30 million for each year in 2013-14 and 2014-15 and projects
will contribute to policy thinking and delivery on the ground to:
promote excellence in early education and childcare in order to enable all children to
achieve success in their early years and later education;
develop and reform services that support children with special educational needs
(SEN), disabilities and other health needs;
develop and reform safeguarding services that protect and support children at risk of
harm;
develop and reform the care system and speed up the process of adoption; and
focus and develop local services to improve outcomes for vulnerable and
disadvantaged young people.
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/a00216108/vcs-funding
Childcare and early education
Counting the costs of childcare: report
The Resolution Foundation has published a report that shows how childcare affordability has
slowed down since April 2011 when the Government reduced the percentage of childcare
costs that can be covered by the childcare element of Working Tax Credit from 80 percent
to 70 percent. Examples include:
A couple on 200 percent of average wage with a two- and a three-year-old in full
time childcare has actually seen its childcare costs increase as a result of the cut,
from 27 percent of disposable income in 2008 to 30 percent in 2012.
A middle income couple with a gross income that is 87 percent higher than a
minimum wage earning couple (£44,440 compared to £23,790) ends up only 17
percent better off than the minimum wage couple after taxes, benefits and childcare
costs. After paying for full time childcare, the middle income family’s disposable
income is £26,669 compared to £22,742 for the low income family.
In the most extreme case, a second earner working full-time at the minimum wage
in a family where her partner is already working full-time at the same wage, would
be left with just £211 (£4 a week) from her annual wage of £11,900 after childcare
costs and the gradual loss of tax credits.
Counting the costs of childcare. Alakeson, V., and Hurrell, A. Resolution Foundation, October
2012.
http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/media/media/downloads/Counting_the_costs_of_child
care_1.pdf [PDF 890KB]
Early Years Foundation Stage films on YouTube
The Department for Education YouTube channel has 17 short videos showing young children
playing and learning, with commentaries explaining what they are learning and
experiencing.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7914115EB65911A5
Questions Parliament
House of Lords 23 October 2012
Lord Quirk asked what the Government’s plans are to improve pre-school provision
throughout the country, and whether this involves support for the Early Intervention
Foundation Consortium. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, Lord Hill of
Oareford replied that improving the quality of, and access to, early education is one of the
coalition Government's priorities, citing the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS),
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
5
the extended free early education entitlement to two-year-olds, and the establishment of
the childcare commissions as examples. He also said that the Government had
‘competitively tendered for the establishment of an early intervention foundation and that
process is still underway’.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/121023w0001.htm#121
02364000252
House of Commons 23 October 2012: Children: Day Care
Sharon Hodgson, MP asked a series of questions on 23 October 2012 about what capital will
be made available to private, voluntary and independent childcare providers to build
capacity to deliver the two year-old offer; the capacity of local authorities to provide
sufficient childcare places to meet the demand for free early years entitlement; and if the
Government will provide support to help local authorities to increase local childcare
capacity. Elizabeth Truss, Minister for Education and Childcare, responded that local
authorities will be under a duty to secure, rather than to provide, free early education
places for two-year-olds. The Government is providing funding to local authorities to enable
them to secure places for around 260,000 two-year-olds, and is taking a number of steps to
ensure that funding rates are set locally in a transparent way. £100 million in capital
funding will also be made available to local authorities.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121023/text/121023w0
004.htm#12102373000043
House of Commons 23 October 2012: Pre-school Education
Priti Patel, MP asked whether the Secretary of State for Education is planning to implement
the recommendation of the Nutbrown Review of early education and childcare qualifications
in respect of strengthening the qualifications required for teachers of children in the early
years foundation stage. Elizabeth Truss replied that they plan to respond fully to Professor
Nutbrown's report later this year.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121023/text/121023w0
004.htm#12102373000047
Foundation Years Newsletter
The October 2012 issue of the Foundation Years Newsletter published by 4Children reports
on the EYFS Profile results, news from the Department for Education and from the early
years sector. To sign up for the free newsletter please visit
http://foundationyears.us2.list-
manage1.com/subscribe?u=44faaa73d6419d1513179588a&id=e05004a334
Local eligibility criteria when allocating extended childcare entitlement?
An article in Children & Young People Now reports that councils may be allowed to use local
eligibility criteria to determine how they allocate free early years places for two-year-olds.
At the National Children and Adult Services Conference, Ann Gross, director of early years
and special educational needs at the Department for Education, said that the government is
considering options to allow councils the flexibility to decide which two-year-olds would be
classified as being within the 40 per cent most disadvantaged when free places are
extended.
http://bit.ly/TT80lL Integrated review FAQs
The Department for Education has produced a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs)
about the progress made on the integrated review which will bring together the Healthy
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
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Child Programme review at two to two and a half years and the Early Years progress check
at age two. The FAQs are available on the Foundation Years website.
http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2012/09/integrated-review-faqs/
Child development
The role of toys in play: report
Ribena Plus has published the third chapter of the Ribena Plus Play Report. The role of toys
in play presents the findings from interviews with play and nutrition experts, and the results
of a survey of 2,004 parents of children aged three to 15. Key findings include:
More than one in three parents agree that play has more rules or structure than their
play did when they were young.
25 per cent more parents think that their children do not ‘build things from
household, natural or found items’ enough than those that think their children do it
too much.
One in six children does no form of outdoor play, whilst one in ten does no form of
exploratory play.
Christmas puts the most financial pressure on parents to buy expensive play items,
despite children preferring to play with simple, inexpensive everyday items such as
cardboard boxes.
Parents are aware of the importance imaginative play yet one in five parents are
concerned that their children don’t engage in such play enough.
The Ribena Plus Play report: the role of toys in play. Ribena, October 2012.
http://www.ribena.co.uk/download/Ribena_Plus_Play_Report_Ch3.pdf [PDF 1.29MB]
Children and technology
Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2012
Ofcom has published its annual report on children’s media habits, which reveals a shift in
the way that children use technology. For the first time, Ofcom has researched the media
habits of children aged three to four years old. Key findings include:
Many children in this age group are using a range of different media devices,
including over a third who are going online using a desktop PC, laptop or netbook.
Most parents are taking some sort of action to protect their children from
inappropriate material. 79 per cent of parents of 5-15 year olds who go online at
home say they have rules in place about their children’s internet usage – such as
checking what their child is doing online or setting time limits.
Half of parents of 5-15 year-olds have parental controls installed on their TV.
46% of parents of 5-15s who go online at home have online controls installed on
computers at home.
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/media-literacy/oct2012/main.pdf [PDF
1.41MB]
Communication and language
Baby signing: effect on linguistic development
Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire conducted a randomised control trial of the
effects of encouraging symbolic gesture (baby sign) on infant language. The study followed
40 infants from age eight months to 20 months. Half of the mothers were trained to model
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
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a target set of gestures to their infants. The study found no support for previous claims that
encouraging gesturing with infants speeds up linguistic development. However, mothers in
the gesture training group were more responsive to their infants’ nonverbal cues and
encouraged more independent action by their infant.
To sign or not to sign? The impact of encouraging infants to gesture on infant language and
maternal mind-mindedness. Kirk, E., and others. Child Development, DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-
8624.2012.01874.x, 3 October 2012, Early View Online.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01874.x/pdf [PDF 157KB]
Children’s reading habits: survey
A survey conducted by the learning company Pearson of 2,000 parents of preschool and
primary school children and 400 teachers examined children’s reading habits. Key findings
from the survey included:
Children are spending three times as much of their time on ‘onscreen’ activity at
home as they are on reading traditional books, according to parents. Children are
watching TV for 90 minutes per day, playing on computers for 42 minutes and going
online for 28 minutes, compared to 44 minutes a day reading.
A fifth of parents waited until their child was two years old or older before reading
their first book to them.
More than one in ten parents said they read with their children less than once every
six months or never.
More than one in six said they never read a bedtime story to their children.
Nearly half of parents in the UK were reading to their child every day, but thirty per
cent admitted that they only read with their child once a week or less.
Nearly all teachers (94%) said that children don’t spend enough time reading for
pleasure outside of the classroom and that children prefer spending time online
rather than reading traditional books.
http://uk.pearson.com/media/press-releases/new-enjoy-reading-campaign-and-support-
materials-launched-to-help-parents-and-teachers-switch-children-on-to-reading-for-life
Disability and special needs
Communication is the key: a good practice survey of services for deaf children
Ofsted has published a report that presents the findings of a small scale survey examining
good practice in services supporting deaf children in three local authorities. It highlights
effective joint working across agencies and explores the difference these have made to deaf
children’s lives.
Communication is the key: a good practice survey of services for deaf children. Ofsted,
October 2012.
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/communication-key
Early childhood research
Movement skill intervention in preschool children: three year follow-up
The ability to throw, run and kick are important movement skills and physical activity
determinants, yet little is known about the long-term impact of interventions to improve
movement skills in early childhood. This Australian study examined whether intervention
preschool children were still more skill proficient than controls three years after a ten month
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
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movement skill focused intervention. Findings showed that girls maintained their object
control skills in comparison to controls but intervention boys did not. The study concluded
that early childhood settings should implement movement skill interventions.
Three year follow-up of an early childhood intervention: is movement skill sustained? Zask,
A., and others. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2012,
9:127 (22 October 2012) [Provisional PDF]
http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/pdf/1479-5868-9-127.pdf [PDF 297KB]
Child care quality and cognitive development
This study examined the relationships between trajectories of child care quality from ages
two to four years and tested children's cognitive performance at four years. The results
suggest that a pattern of increasing quality of teacher–child interactions during the
preschool years, particularly with regard to supporting the development of language, has a
moderate impact on children's cognitive development.
Child care quality and cognitive development: trajectories leading to better preacademic
skills. Côté, S.M., and others. Child Development, doi: 10.1111/cdev.12007, 19 October
2012 [Online First]
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.12007/full
Education and schools
Payment by results to turn schools around: report
The Policy Exchange has published a report that calls for profit-making firms to be brought
in to run England's persistently failing schools. It says that England ‘faces a serious
educational problem’ and suggests that proven education firms should be paid by results to
turn such schools around. The report says at the first Ofsted notice to improve, schools
should be obliged to become a state-funded but privately run academy under a new
sponsor. At the second, the academy would be obliged to join a successful academy chain of
at least three schools bound together legally, financially and operationally. If no
improvement is seen by the third notice to improve, the governing body would be obliged to
hand over the running of the school to a proven educational management organisation,
which may or may not make a profit. This organisation would then operate the school on a
payment-by-results basis.
Competition meets collaboration: helping school chains address England’s long tail of
educational failure. O’Shaughnessy, J. Policy Exchange, October 2012.
http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/competition%20meets%20collabora
tion.pdf [PDF 1.29MB]
Children with special educational needs: an analysis - 2012
The Department for Education has published information on the characteristics and
attainment data on pupils with special educational needs (SEN) as well as school absence
and exclusion rates for this group of children. All figures are provided at national level, with
some existing regional and local authority level information.
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00214996/childre
n-with-sen-analysis-2012
Anti-Bullying Week 19 – 23 November 2012
The Anti-Bullying Alliance has coordinated Anti-Bullying Week each year since 2006. This
year's theme - We're better without bullying - shines a light on bullying and its effect on
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
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achievement. Information on resources, activities and events relating to the Anti-Bullying
Week can be found at
http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/antibullyingweek.aspx
Health and well-being
Social and emotional wellbeing - early years: NICE public health guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published guidance that
aims to define how the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable children aged under five
years can be supported through home visiting, childcare and early education. Children living
in disadvantaged circumstances are more likely to experience social, emotional and
behavioural difficulties, and as a result, poor health, education and employment outcomes.
Local early interventions that support and protect vulnerable children's social and emotional
wellbeing are essential to ensure their healthy development, capacity to learn and achieve
at school.
Recommendations include:
Each health and wellbeing board should ensure that the social and emotional
wellbeing of vulnerable children features in its ‘Health and wellbeing strategy', as one
of the most effective ways of addressing health inequalities. The resulting plan
should include outcomes for ensuring healthy child development and ‘readiness for
school' and for preventing mental health and behavioural problems.
Health professionals in antenatal and postnatal services should identify factors that
may pose a risk to a child's social and emotional wellbeing. These include factors
that could affect the parents' capacity to provide a loving and nurturing environment.
Health visitors or midwives should offer a series of intensive home visits by an
appropriately trained nurse to parents assessed to be in need of additional support.
Health visitors or midwives should consider evidence-based interventions such as
baby massage and video interaction guidance to improve maternal sensitivity and
mother-infant attachment.
Local authority children's services should ensure all vulnerable children can benefit
from high quality childcare outside the home on a part- or full-time basis, and can take up their entitlement to early childhood education where appropriate.
Social and emotional wellbeing - early years: NICE public health guidance (Public health
guidance, PH40). NICE, October 2012. [Full guidance and summary)
http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH40
PH40 Social and emotional wellbeing - early years: supporting evidence
http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH40/SupportingEvidence
Potential impact of increasing breastfeeding rates in the UK: report
Unicef UK has published a report that suggests that about 10,000 fewer young children a
year would require hospital treatment if more women breastfed their babies. The findings
show that for just five illnesses, moderate increases in breastfeeding would translate into
cost savings for the NHS of £40 million and tens of thousands of fewer hospital admissions
and GP consultations. In addition, analyses on three conditions - cognitive ability, childhood
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
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obesity and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – indicate that modest improvements in
breastfeeding rates could save millions of pounds and, in the case of SIDS, children's lives.
Preventing disease and saving resources: the potential contribution of increasing
breastfeeding rates in the UK. Unicef UK, October 2012.
http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Baby_Friendly/Research/Preventing_disease_saving_r
esources.pdf?epslanguage=en [PDF 4.11MB]
Births and deaths in England and Wales, 2011: statistics
The Office for National Statistics has published summary statistics on live births, stillbirths
and deaths in England and Wales in 2011. Birth statistics reported include counts of live
births and stillbirths, fertility rates by age of mother and by area of usual residence and the
percentage of births to mothers born outside the UK.
Births and deaths in England and Wales, 2011 (final). Office for National Statistics, October
2012.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/birth-summary-tables--england-and-wales/2011--
final-/sb-births-and-deaths-in-england-and-wales--2011--final-.html
Measuring National Well-being - children's well-being, 2012
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published a paper, part of its Measuring National
Wellbeing Programme, that discusses the wellbeing of children aged 0 to 15. The paper
covers both objective and subjective measures of well-being, and looks at the circumstances
in which children live, what they feel about their relationships, what they do and also
decisions that adults make on their behalf. It focuses on children’s health; poverty and its
relationship with parental economic activity; education and skills; children’s relationships
and their wellbeing; use of technology and social media; and where children live.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-national-well-being/measuring-
children-s-well-being/art-measuring-children-s-well-being.html
Surveys to measure dental decay in three-year-olds
The Department of Health has written letters to directors of public health and children’s
services about upcoming epidemiology surveys set to measure the dental health of 3-year-
olds in England. The surveys will measure the prevalence and severity of dental decay in 3-
year-old children attending child care institutions in each local authority to provide a
baseline for comparison in subsequent years and, for some areas, establish a cohort for
follow up.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/10/surveysdental-health/
Parents
Family friendly or failing families? report
Family Lives has published a report that reviews flexible working policies and measures as
the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills plans to improve access to flexible
working under the `Modern Workplaces agenda’. Findings show that while many businesses
claim to be both family-friendly and supportive of flexible working, there is a clear disparity
between aims and implementation. Currently the UK workplace culture and management
remains fixed on a 9-5 or longer hours model and employers continue to consider flexible
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
11
working cases on an ad hoc basis rather than implementing a pro-active strategic approach
to adapting working practices. The report makes a number of recommendations to policy
makers.
Family friendly or failing families? A Family Lives highlight report on progress towards
implementing flexible working practices for all families. Family Lives, October 2012.
http://familylives.org.uk/sites/default/files/Family%20Friendly%20or%20Failing%20Familie
s.pdf [PDF 626KB]
An article in Children & Young People Now discusses the report:
http://bit.ly/WIe4y0
Parents spending time with children: survey for Parents’ Week 2012
A survey carried out by Childwise for the Family and Parenting Institute (FPI) ahead of
Parents’ Week 22-28 October 2012 found that more than one in ten parents of children
aged six to ten years believe they only manage to give full attention to their child once or
twice per week or less. Children were also asked for their views as part of the survey, and
59 per cent of children aged 6 to 10 wished they could have more time with their mum or
dad. The survey showed that parents in the south were even more time-poor than others
around the country. 74 per cent of children in the south and London said they wished for
more time with their mum or dad. This compared to just 54 per cent in the North and 45
per cent in the Midlands and East of the country. The survey also revealed good news for
parents – they are actually spending more time with their children than previous
generations of parents did – even though they work more hours.
http://www.familyandparenting.org/news/Press-
releases/2012+Press+Releases/Parents+Week+2012+-+our+survey+of+time-
pressured+parents
Relationship support for new parents
A new government-funded service has been launched to help parents avoid relationship
break up following the birth of their first baby. The service, The 3 Of Us is available for first
time parents living in Leeds, York, North Essex, Plymouth and the London boroughs of City,
Hackney, Islington and Westminster. Parents have the choice of face-to-face and/or online
sessions.
http://www.the3ofus.org.uk/
Providers
New and updated Ofsted guidance
Ofsted has published a number of new and updated guidance documents that are relevant
to early years professionals and inspectors:
Conducting early years inspections
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/conducting-early-years-inspections
Compliance, investigation and enforcement handbook: childminding and childcare
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/compliance-investigation-and-enforcement-handbook-
childminding-and-childcare
Framework for the regulation of provision on the Early Years Register
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/framework-for-regulation-of-provision-early-years-
register
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
12
Ofsted's regulation and inspection of providers on the Early Years Register from September
2012: common questions and answers
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/common-questions-and-answers-ofsteds-regulation-
and-inspection-of-providers-early-years-register-sep
The removal of routine conditions from certificates of registration: common questions and
answers
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/common-questions-and-answers-ofsteds-regulation-
and-inspection-of-providers-early-years-register-sep
Factsheet: childcare - Childcare on domestic premises
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/factsheet-childcare-childcare-domestic-premises
Factsheet: childcare - Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for those providers who
register with Ofsted
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/factsheet-childcare-criminal-records-bureau-crb-
checks-for-those-providers-who-register-ofsted
Workforce
Health visitor implementation plan quarterly progress report
The Department of Health has published the second quarterly progress report setting out
progress on key areas of the Health Visitor Implementation programme. The report confirms
that the Department remains on track to increase the number of health visitors by an extra
4200 by April 2015.
Health visitor implementation plan quarterly progress report: July-September 2012.
Department of Health, October 2012.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/files/2012/10/Health-Visiting-2nd-Quarterly-Report-
September-2012.pdf [PDF 106KB]
Consultations and Calls for Evidence
Inspection of Sure Start Children's Centres - A consultation
Ofsted
Closing date: 11 January 2013
This consultation seeks views on Ofsted's proposals for a revised framework for the
inspection of Sure Start Children's Centres. Since introducing the current inspection
framework in April 2010, there have been changes in the government’s ‘vision’ for children’s
centres and the way in which local authorities have chosen to commission and deliver
services from children’s centres. As well as raising expectations through the inspections,
Ofsted is also proposing to revise its inspection framework, and to test the proposals
through pilots in a variety of centres and groups of centres during the autumn. A number of
consultation events will also be held.
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/inspection-of-sure-start-childrens-centres
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
13
Conferences
6-7 November 2012, Birmingham
‘Expand Your Reach…Make a Bigger Difference’: Earlyarts International
UnConference 2012
Organised by Earlyarts in partnership with Moonbeams3, the conference will provide a
unique opportunity to bring together professionals working creatively with the very young in
the arts, cultural and early years sectors, in support of Earlyarts values.
http://www.earlyarts.co.uk/unconference2012
10 November 2012, Canterbury
Making a difference: transforming early years practice
Working in partnership with OMEP (the World Organisation for Early Childhood Education),
this event aims to bring early years practitioners and students together to showcase quality
practice in the early years.
http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/education/conferences-events/docs/making-a-difference-nov-
2012.pdf [PDF 1.97MB]
10 November 2012, Birmingham
Developing early years practice: reflecting on developments in practice and
research
Organised by The Association for the Professional Development of Early Years Educators
(TACTYC). Keynote speakers are: Professor Cathy Nutbrown, Dr Kathy Goouch and Dr
Sacha Powell.
http://www.tactyc.org.uk/conferences-future.asp
17 November 2012, Sheffield
Playing, growing and learning in the earliest years: 6th annual morning conference
Organised by University of Sheffield School of Education, together with the Journal of Early
Childhood Research. Speakers include: Professor Jackie Marsh, Professor Elizabeth Wood
and Professor Cathy Nutbrown. Places are limited so please book early. Further details can
be found in the flyer below
http://www.shef.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.38139!/file/earlychildconf.pdf [232KB]
27 November 2012, Bristol
Children's Centre Leaders Network events
The Children's Centre Leaders Network (CCLN) is organising free regional networking events
that will provide the opportunity to meet with colleagues across the region, share
knowledge and practice and hear updates from and consult with Department for Education
representatives and partner organisations.
The events will focus on several key themes for foundation years leadership, including the
new children's centre inspection framework, and two year old provision – why leadership
really matters.
http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/index/support-for-schools/ccln/ccln-dates-
and-locations.htm
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
14
30 November 2012, London
Every word matters: Communication and language from the very beginning:
Annual Talk To Your Baby Conference
Organised by the National Literacy Trust, this conference looks at pre-birth to the end of the
foundation years, with a particular focus on the way in which attachment, communication
and language promote positive futures for two-year-olds.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/events/76
3 December 2012, London
Children & Society lecture: Contextualising policies for good childhoods
Children & Society is the National Children's Bureau’s interdisciplinary journal, publishing
innovative papers on research and practice across the spectrum of childhood and policies
and services for children and young people.
http://childrenandsociety.eventbrite.com/#
4 December 2012, Nottingham
Children's Centre Leaders Network events
http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/index/support-for-schools/ccln/ccln-dates-
and-locations.htm
4 December 2012, London
Daycare Trust Annual Conference: New approaches to childcare policy and practice
The conference will examine key issues such as findings from the Childcare Commission, the
extension of the free entitlement to two-year-olds, EYFS reforms and new approaches to
outreach and parental engagement. Key speakers include: Elizabeth Truss, Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education.
http://www.daycare-trust-annual-conference2012.co.uk/
5 December 2012, Liverpool
Children's Centre Leaders Network events
http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/index/support-for-schools/ccln/ccln-dates-
and-locations.htm
12 February 2013, London
Children and Young People’s Health
http://childrens-health.co.uk/programme/
19 March 2013, London
The Children’s Food Trust: Children’s Food Conference
http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/schools/projects/the-childrens-food-trusts-childrens-
food-conference
21 March 2013, Birmingham
Disorganised attachment and child protection: New ways of assessing risk and
helping children and families
Organised by the British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and
Neglect (BAPSCAN).
http://www.baspcan.org.uk/booking.php
27-28 April 2013, London
Early Childhood and the Science of Wellbeing: 2013 Flourish Summit
The Save Childhood Movement’s first multidisciplinary summit.
http://www.flourishsummitlondon.co.uk/index.html
ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012
15
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