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

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

We've been contacted by Parliament's Public Information and Resources Group; they're interested in hearing your thoughts on children's early years development and school readiness, to inform a debate that will be held at Westminster Hall this coming Tuesday (July 12).

The debate has been called by James Berry, Conservative MP for Kingston and Surbiton, and here's what he has to say about it:

"We sometimes think of education as starting only at primary school or once children have reached their fourth or fifth birthdays, but this is far from the case. Even the very youngest children are learning all the time and a growing body of research shows that this early learning is vitally important; early education and childcare play important roles in children’s life chances."

"The doubling of the early years free childcare commitment to 30 hours is an opportunity to look at what actually goes into this provision. How can we get our children ready to have the best possible start at school?"

"I have called a debate in Westminster Hall, together with a cross-party group of MPs, to examine this issue from all sides and to inform future government strategies on the topic."

James would particularly like your input on the following questions; your responses may be referred to during the debate (which you can watch at 9.30am on Tuesday July 12 here - or indeed attend in person.)

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

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

*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?

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

Thanks
MNHQ

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!!

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.

*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.

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!!!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

*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.

*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.

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?
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.

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?

1:1 time together. Time spent sharing books, shared experiences - baking, trips to the park, imaginative games, days out together and all the time talking & asking questions

*What support could the government give you as a parent to improve their learning and development at home? An option to further extend mat leave as I gave up a well paid career to become a sahm after my second child was born.

*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 there needs to be someone on the Nursery staff with higher qualifications and with greater knowledge of child development to guide the rest of the staff.

*Do we need a syllabus or targets in early years education? Would you support testing or any other measures to gauge attainment?
A suggested syllabus & guidelines maybe but PLEASE no testing!!! This is a completely farcical idea.

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

A secure, predictable, loving environment.
Interaction through talking, stories, singing, play and socialising.
Being educated parents interested in education.
Playing outside.
Clear boundaries.
Opportunities to experience different environments.

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

Better pay for parents at home prior to 3 years.
Support parents who are not sure how to interact with their child positively. A family daycare arrangement.

*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 they should be trained as much as possible in language development and play techniques. There should be less time spent on observing and assessing and more on playing and interacting with the children.

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

The activities in early years should be planned to be interesting and varied and promote language, physical development and social interaction in the children. This needs the staff to be well trained and well paid.

Staff should also be trained in how to spot signs of a range of specific difficulties from physical to language to social and how to talk to parents about that with advice for next steps and ensure appropriate plans are in place to support those children. Other than that scrap assessment. It is obvious to school staff where children are developmentally within a couple of days; they don't need a pile of notes and observations. They just need information relating to any form of SEN or safeguarding concerns.

And what backforgood said.

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

My eldest was able to get a swift referral to the local child development centre thirteen years ago. We had a wonderful community paediatrian who was able diagnose why he was not walking and talking and organise the right help.

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

Restore the health visiting service. Better support for mothers with postnatal depression. If a mother is ill then she cannot support a child's learning and development. Even if the child is in daycare 50 hours a week there are still 164 hours in a week. It's essential that parents are medically fit to look after children.

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, having the right qualifications is more important than ratios for the over threes. School nurseries provide better outcomes because activites are planned by a qualified teacher . We need to differentiate between education and childcare. I feel that childminders and nursery nurses should provide wraparound care for school nursery once the child is three.

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

We need better monitoring of development. I would like dedicated mother and toddler groups for families whose parents have developmental concerns. Even if a child has no developmental issues the mother might have anxiety and needs help. The developmental checks that existed in the past were often dependent on how the child performed in a short period of time. A specialist toddler group would enable health professional to get to really know a group of families and see what their play skills are like.

• talking All the time by myself or grandparents contributed most to my child's development
• repetition to learn: songs, counting
• an emphasis on confidence
• I think nursery ratios are great at the moment and the organisation of a good one is excellent but they are super expensive
• I personally think I pad time is vastly overrated but this is my opinion and not based on anything

Q1 - just to disagree slightly with everyone else, nursery has been fantastic for making them slightly more independent, do messy play I wouldn't dream of doing at home and give them food I wouldn't cook.

Q2 - stop closing children's centres and libraries. Send all hv on a "how to speak to adults without patronising them" course.

Q3 - the staff at dc's nursery are a good mix of qualified level 3 and training. As long as the room managers are qualified, I think it's more important for the junior staff to be enthusiastic and full of energy!

Q4 - no, that would be mad. Because your average 3yo will happily count to 10 on Monday but refuse to even identify 2 buttons on Tuesday. The continuous observation done in line with the eyes is more appropriate.

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

Me, being able to afford to be a SAHM for those first years. Very hard to achieve with financial and social pressures to return to work (not valued by society as a SAHM).

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

Help support parents to stay at home during those early years if they wish and make being a SAHM be seen as an important role, not as not contributing to society. Also more involvement from health visitors as a constant source of advice during the first 4/5 years, not just there only if you have serious issues. I would also like there to have been free parenting/child psychology courses available to all.

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?

If I had had to go back to work, I would definately want those looking after my children to be qualified, even a childminder. There appear to be too many childminders who are only in the job as it is the way they can afford to be a SAHM to their own children, rather than being skilled and able. And nursery staff are so poorly paid that the job doesn't necessarily always attract the best people, just those who aren't able to do anything else. There are of course childminders and nursery staff who see it as a vocation and are passionate about their jobs as well. But until the job is well paid and valued, you won't always attract the best.

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

NO!! However, I think that is would be useful to have screening to pick up those who aren't developing "normally". So those whose speech skills, motor skills or social skills are below the average ability range for their age. Children under 5 don't need "education" and testing, but I do think that they should be screened for issues that will prevent them being able to learn once they are at school. And by screening, I don't mean a checklist sent out by the health visitor with no help or follow up whatsoever. If issues are picked up at this early age, intervention should be started immediately- no waiting lists for years.

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

books and time to play and experience 'life'

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

as many others have said, funding for libraries, children's centres, and children's health.

*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?

unless pay is going to be massively increased to make it a career attractive to graduates, then personal skills are as important as specific qualifications. On the job training should be increased to encourage good practitioners to stay in the industry.

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

there is already EYFS, NO FURTHER TESTING is necessary