MNHQ here: seeking your views on 'school readiness' and early education for a debate in Westminster Hall

What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?

Reading, having quality time to play with my child indoors and outdoors, visiting free farms, free parks, free libraries and free groups. All of it necessary for the holistic nurturing of the whole child.

*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?

Support local libraries and invest again in sure start groups. Have local toy libraries and play leaders. Show parents how to play with their children to support their learning and the importance of play.

*What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?

All childminders and nursery staff follow eyfs curriculum so no don't think this is necessary. Though more qualified may lead to better pay and therefore better quality of staff for the private nurseries.

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?

No we definitely do not need a syllabus in early years, children should be learning through play and opportunities. The play needs supported and facilitated by professionals and parents to deepen and extend the child's learning. The eyfs development matters is enough of an open ended "curriculum" for them to explore and learn through play and their attainment can be "measured" through observation and practitioner and parent judgement.
I think the eyfs development matters should be extend to end of year 2 to push for more play based learning in key stage 1 rather than rushing children who are still 4 or only just 5 in sitting and learning at a table with a pencil and piece of paper.

*What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?
Simple old fashioned play. Peekaboo, nursery rhymes, hide and seek, jigsaws, stacking cups, dolls, and an adult joining their play, shaping it, extending it.
*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?
Give, very on, parents information about how very damaging the constant use of mobile technology can be in getting between a parent and their child. I used to stare into my children's faces with wonder while breastfeeding . Now I see women staring over their child's shoulder at their phone. The earliest to and fro imitation of baby's vocalisations is interrupted by a pinging phone. It is seriously damaging for language development and nobody makes it clear how babies' speech develops and how attunement, which is so interfered with by tablets and phones, is fundamental.

*What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?
No. They need to be loving and caring, to understand attachment and attunement, and to be allowed to spend more time JOINING PLAY to extend and develop it, rather than just standing back and taking notes on what children are doing, which doesn't do either. The essential qualities babies and toddlers need cannot be guaranteed by a maths and English GCSE, nor guaranteed not to be present without one. However it would be useful in terms of planning if there is access within each setting to a higher qualified person to help identify targets and shape activities. For childminders this could maybe be a visiting service?

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?
Only in the very widest sense in terms of understanding the range of activities to provide and the purpose of each activity in child development terms. I see little harm in identifying broad targets for children provided we don't get stuck in a situation where we are so busy measuring the pig that we forget to play with the pig, forgetting that playing with is much more efficient at developing skills than weighing it. No tests, never.

Questions
What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?

Staying at home with them and the fantastic early years nursery they both attended for their 15 hours a week.
Such a big improvement in confidence and learning

What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?

None, we read and we practise all sorts of things at home. I'm sure tho some parents might like it tho.

What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?

Our nursery staff don't. Childminders definitely tho should have more qualifications and training.

Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attai

NO!!!!!!! Our nursery already follows an early years framework. Testing for gods sake no!

*What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?
DP and I being able to go part-time / request compressed hours / flexible working from our employer (local authority), absolutely priceless as this has meant we've been able to share childcare and only put our children in a nursery setting for a few short sessions per week (aged 1-4) solely for the purposes of socialisation and access to the EYFS statutory framework. And local libraries!

*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?
A huge public education programme detailing child development, how warm and responsive parenting supports early learning, how speaking to children and listening to children 'plug them in' to the world, how to share a book with your child... I'm ranting, these are some of the things I struggle with as primary school teacher, welcoming children to school whose parents don't really speak to them much or share quality, child-centred time with them.

*What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?
Our children attend/ed a nursery which invests in staff development and training. For instance, there is a small woodland on the premises, and staff undertook forest school training, which over the course of a couple of years dramatically changed direction and provision in an amazing way. They recruit (and retain!) staff who are committed and reflective Early Years practitioners, who are always striving to improve practice through review, action research and open dialogue with parents. This is, of course, down to visionary and courageous leadership.

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?
Yes, the EYFS framework is in place to ensure equality of provision. The combo of formative and summative assessment contained within the EYFSP is absolutely sufficient and appropriate, and further, formalised testing would be unnecessary and detrimental.

*What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?
Access to books, pencils and paper, encouragement.

*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?
Stop closing down libraries and children's centres, reduce waiting times in the NHS. My 5 year old has now struggled through his whole reception year not being able to hear because the waiting lists for audiology, ENT and grommet surgery are so long.

*What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?
It's about right at the moment I think

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?
Not sure. I think if there needs to be testing then there needs to be more staff so that the children don't get less attention because there is more paperwork. Also any testing should benefit the child and open doors to early intervention like speech therapy.

The doubling of the early years free childcare commitment to 30 hours

Agree with the very first reply - what are you talking about, James Berry ? The 15 funded hours is Early Education Funding, not childcare. Start by getting the basic facts right at least.

I visit LOTS of Nurseries. The problem with the questions set, is they are targeting a MN audience. Absolutely, many MNers dc are fine at home, but there are an awful lot of parents out there who do not (can not?) give the best start in life to their dc. The closing of so many CCs that were able to offer support, is not a good thing.

The main issue for me, is that the Gvmnt sets a 'target' of X% of 2 yr olds to be in Nurseries or with good quality CMs, but then doesn't fund it. It doesn't fund the individual hourly payments, but, more strikingly, where I work, virtually all the 2 yr olds that get funding, get it because there are other issues - either SEN/D of the child, or sometimes SEN/D of the parent(s), or Child Protection / Child in Need / fCAF etc. Not only does this mean that the child themselves inevitably needs more care than 1 adult can give to 4 x 2yr olds, but also, the Nursery has to somehow still staff that ratio whilst attending the CP meetings, meetings with physios, SaLTs, EPs, Area SENCos, case conferences, specialist training (eg for medical needs, tube feeds, etc) etc.,etc.
There are more and more complex children attending our Nurseries, and less and less funding to support that. Nurseries who have been extremely inclusive for years are having to turn dc away because they cannot keep them safe, and give both them, and all the other dc a high quality education.
You can't just 'count heads', you have to understand what it's like to look after 4 x 2 yr olds , (whilst working on a minimum wage) when one of them is tube fed and another has quite challenging behaviour due to what might be as yet undiagnosed autism.

As a childminder I can tell you every child that comes through my door is different..There needs , progress and confidence are all different. The things we do depend on which child is in not just the age of a child. I have children that eat a very wide and varied diet some I need to work towards a more balanced diet.
I fill out observations, do regular reports on all the EYFS children.. However sometimes I look at them playing and think this is what it is all about running around, laughing having fun..Definitely not meeting targets.
Things I have learnt as a parent is there are many right ways to do something not just one.. The same applies to childminding. I would give up my job if it became so prescriptive I couldn't consider the needs of every child individually.

What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?

Me staying at home with them until they all went to school. The value is primarily down to their emotional security, not academic stuff we did. When they were going through separation anxiety I could just hold them (for nearly 12 months for my youngest). Think it made a difference. I appreciate I'm lucky enough to have had the choice about whether to be a sahm or not.

*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?

Continuing to fund children's centres.

*What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?

I believe easily the most important thing is to retain the current low child to adult ratios. More than anything else, little kids need consistent, emotionally responsive care givers. Carers who are responsible for lots of kids just can't provide this. Being kind is much more important than gcse maths.

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?

You're kidding right? Please tell me you're not seriously considering testing 2 or 3 year olds? I think keeping an updated developmental profile would be OK, but anything else is a total waste on time.

Just leaving this here.... www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/11/24/how-twisted-early-childhood-education-has-become-from-a-child-development-expert/

We need to defend the child's right to play. Rely on the numerous studies out there that reinforce this need.

Please stop using 'childcare' and 'early years education' interchangeably.

Proper funding for early years. Proper pay for staff.

Stop closing libraries and reducing sure start provision.

There are limited funds. Please target at the children and not at parents choice (whether that be working or staying at home).

Apologies for not addressing each question specifically. I can't copy/paste on my phone.

Children should be treated as individuals who learn at very different rates. Looking out generally for things like autism, speech delays, sight and hearing problems etc is all you need to do. Testing is unnecessary. There's nothing wrong with learning before you go to school but only if the child has the attention span and willingness to do it. Greatee help should be offered to charity preschools who rely on parent volunteers to run them. Good volunteers are very very hard to find and the preschool suffers as a result.

Questions
*What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?
The care & support of nursery staff in a setting which understood the needs of young children. The play based curriculum and opportunities to be with other children.

*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development
Advice and encouragement regarding appropriate activities that are free, games, books and play ideas?

*What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?
Yes but the level of qualifications are currently apropriate. A caring practical nature is also important and we must take care not to exclude people from childcare jobs through overly academic requirements

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?
Early years edI cation cannot and should not be tested like school. Physical and social attainment is vital yet difficult to test. I fear and over reliance on a testing and attainment culture will detract from what is really important in EYE. Which is to say, support for the individual

That should read both my NT and SN children. (Got distracted by Daniel Craig on the TV)

Q. 1 Not in the UK, but here the govt give a grant to a variety of early years provider types so parents have a choice. We went with 15hrs per week of pre-school montessori which both my NT and SN loved.

Q. 2 YY to longer maternity leave. I managed a full year with DD and 9 months with DS. Also agree with other posters on access to local libraries for reading and widespread availibility of playgrounds and green spaces for unstructured play.

Q. 3 No more qualification, but aptitude and vocation are important in working with children, rather than ability to write reports.

Q. 4 FFS, no testing!!!

*What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?
Being able to take a whole years maternity leave and then go back to work part time. Also finding a really well qualified childminder instead of a nursery. This meant that my daughter had one to one support with her mum during the first year of her life, and thereafter had one other consistent care giver who was invested in her development and skilled in playing with her.

*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?
Forget about the idea that early education prepares children for school. Children are prepared for school when they have spent the first 5 years of their life playing and developing secure attachments with their family. We don't need a generation of 4 year olds who can read, count and write their names. We need a generation of 4 year olds who can build friendships, listen to stories, explore confidently, ask questions and solve problems. This doesn't come from exerting extra pressure on parents to improve the learning and development of their child, it comes from reducing the pressure parent's feel to ensure their child measures up. Focus instead on providing free NCT style antenatal groups in which pregnant couples can form vital support networks, improving mental healthcare for women in pregnancy and birth, and increasing affordable play based activities. Women who are well looked after, well rested and well connected to support networks will raise children who are happy, secure and ready to learn.

*What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?
I think they need specific training on developing the emotional wellbeing of children: The importance of a secure attachment, of supporting mums in their choice of breastfeeding or bottlefeeding and recognising children's strong emotions and supporting them through tantrums rather than simply removing them in 'time outs'.

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?

I think the syllabus needs to be about what opportunities children are offered, not on what children are expected to 'attain'. The syllabus should state that children have had the opportunity to listen to a range of stories, play in sand, play in water, draw with chalks and paints and crayons etc. Testing or other measures to gauge attainment would be a backwards step away from child led learning and towards an adult-imposed agenda.

To provide a counterpoint to those saying that actually they thought staying at home longer was better for their child - I would be entirely happy if people were able to choose this, but for DS I think nursery was bloody brilliant. It's broadened the range of foods he'll eat, given him a level of social interaction we could not have provided at home, and many other benefits.

1. Talking with my child and reading lots of stories. Playing games and puzzles. Lots of time outside, discovering nature. Going to a fantastic nursery for 3 days a week - more like a large child minders - maximum 15 children between the age of 6 months and 3. This mixing of age groups at the nursery has been fantastic for learning skills and empathy towards others

1. Nearby library with more sessions for mums and toddlers. Most libraries have a story session once a week, but different activities 2-3 times a week would be wonderful. I've also been to several free classes at children's centres over the years. Some were excellent, others a bit mediocre. But overall an excellent service.

1. No specific qualifications. For early years I honestly believe kindness and enthusiasm are the key qualities needed in staff. I don't need my children to be taught by someone with an Oxbridge degree (though always a bonus!!) as long as they speak properly (ie grammatically correct/no swearing!), listen and engage with my child and do fun and varied activities.

1. NO! Please don't test 2/3/4 year olds. I don't think the children would mind (they would just think it was a game), but it adds further ridiculous paperwork for early years staff. I'd rather they were playing in the mud kitchen with my child!!

However I do slightly object to the whole notion of school-readiness, as it gives the impression that 'schoolness' is more superior than 'pre-schoolness'. Rather than training pre-schoolers to be more school-like, I think that schools can learn a lot from the early-years and that pre-school education should inform more of what happens in the classroom.

This.

What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?

Play. Affection. Attention. He's attended nursery since 9 months. Spending time with other children under the care of his keyworkers has really helped him to develop socially, pay attention to others moods, and feel loved and safe enough to explore.

What support for parents?
As others have said, stop closing libraries and childrens centres.

Early years education
More funding, less paperwork, more time to play with children, higher wages.

Tests?
Fuck no.

What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?

As an early years practitioner I believe there should be a higher qualified person leading each room, somebody who has really good understanding of how children learn and develop. This person should have good knowledge of child development theory and models of learning and be confident in using such knowledge to deliver an exciting curriculum. They should be able to detect when a child may need additional support and work with other professionals as equals in delivering such support.

There needs to be a career pathway for practitioners to follow if desired. Also practitioners need to be respected in their role and treated to a fair salary. That's not to say there isn't a career pathway now, only that it is not desirable to many practitioners due to the lack of structure and conditions in most settings.

*What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?

One of us (me) being a SAHP - and we did without an enormous amount to enable this but believe it was worth it, for all three of them. It doesn't hurt that I love books and encouraged it from a young age with all of them.

*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?

Less of the 'free' childcare and more support for families of young children to enable those who want to, to be there in the formative years.

*What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications?

I have some experience of nurseries and believe that it is a job that some people go into because they don't know what else to do, its more about your temperament and personality, not everyone is cut out to really work with young children, for those that are, a higher value should be placed on the profession as they are doing one of the most important jobs.

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?

Absolutely not, I have primary school teacher friends who say that although reception is meant to be play based it is sometimes difficult to promote this fully.

I believe we start children far too early with formal learning, every study ever done says it shouldn't happen but for some reason education in Britain never seems to be based on what actually 'works' for children

I have deferred entry this year for my August born boy and am so glad as having an older teen who struggled with school readiness despite being bright in many ways I was determined not to make the same mistake twice.
I believe the whole system needs a dramatic over hall but I wont hold my breath.

Agree with everything mumoftwins said above.

What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?

I wouldn't say any one thing but would include:

The fact that we could afford to have one parent not working and spending 1:1 time with the baby/ child in the daytime.
Library baby singalong groups, toddler play groups, other Surestart-funded groups, which encourage socialisation with children of a similar age.
The free 15 hours free preschool hours from age 3 onwards to encourage independence and more socialisation.

I speak as a parent of two dds (5yo and 3yo) and as a teacher with 10 years experience in EYFS and KS1.

What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?
LIFE! Ordinary day-to-day experiences and a dedicated adult who has helped them to start to make sense of it all through play and discussion. That adult has been me and I truly believe that a parent is the best person to fulfill this role in a child's early years.

What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?
Provide further financial assistance so that I can stay at home full-time until my children start school. At the moment I have to work part-time for financial reasons and I wish that wasn't the case.

What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications? These are good ideas, but I think it would be better to financially incentivise and train parents to be the providers of their own children's early years education.

Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment? No I would not support testing. What a ridiculous idea. I do however think that it is a good idea to have some framework within which education providers can work.

There are some interesting questions here and I appreciate the sentiment behind them. However I do slightly object to the whole notion of school-readiness, as it gives the impression that 'schoolness' is more superior than 'pre-schoolness'. Rather than training pre-schoolers to be more school-like, I think that schools can learn a lot from the early-years and that pre-school education should inform more of what happens in the classroom.

What has made the greatest contribution to your child’s development in their early years?

THE FACT THAT I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO STAY AT HOME WITH THEM FOR THE EARLY YEARS. I COULD READ TO THEM, TALK TO THEM, PLAY WITH THEM ETC. VARIATION WAS PROVIDED THROUGH OUR LOCAL SURE START CENTRE AND LIBRARY. MORE FUNDING FOR THESE TYPES OF FACILITIES AND MORE RESPECT FOR THE CHOICE OF SOME FAMILIES THAT ONE PARENT WILL STAY AT HOME. WHILST I THINK 30 HOURS FREE CHILDCARE IS GOOD IN LOTS OF WAYS ITS CLEARLY PREFERRING ONE CHOICE OVER ANOTHER AND ANY TAX BREAKS ETC TO ALLOW FAMILIES TO CARE FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN WOULD ALSO BE GREAT.

*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home?
AS ABOVE, FINANCIAL BREAKS TO SUPPORT FAMILIES THAT HAVE CHOSEN THAT ONE PARTNER WILL STAY AT HOME FOR EARLY YEARS (IN THE SAME WAY THAT TWO PARENT WORKING FAMILIES WILL BENEFIT FROM FREE CHILDCARE). ALSO MORE FUNDING IN SERVICES SUCH AS LIBRARIES AND SURESTART.

*What would you like to see in the government’s workforce strategy for early years education – do childminders and nursery staff need greater training to deliver healthy development? Do they need specific qualifications? NO GREATER TRAINING/SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS ALTHOUGH HIGHER STAFF TO CHILD RATIOS WOULD BE GOOD. ALSO LESS FORM FILLING AND MORE OF A CHANCE TO CARE FOR THE CHILDREN WOULD BE GREAT.

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?
NO SYLLABUS OR TARGETS AND ABSOLUTELY NO TESTING

I think the changing of the word education to childcare boils down to the fact that the 15 extra free hours is only being offered to families where both parents ( or the single parent) works at least 16 hours a week. Therefore, if it were to be billed as 30 hours free education, then the SAHPs would be up in arms, because the children of working parents are benefiting from twice as much free 'education'. Maybe they should re-word it as "the continued provision 15 free hours of education for everyone and an additional 15 hours of childcare for children of working parents" with the additional 15 hours being used for free play rather than any structured teaching, much like the children would have if they were at home.