Eyat?

[Guest]

I am really sorry about this question, if it comes across as being a bit dim...

 

Basically I am now researching outside agencies that get involved in settings. I want to write about the people that come in, usually from the local authority, who come in and tell you how to improve things, organise courses and training and that kind of thing, only trouble is, I don't know what they are called . In my experience these people are always referred to as 'the woman from early years' and thats it.

 

Again, I apologise for being a bit slow tonight. Are they called EYAT or do they have a proper name?

 

Thanks

[catma]

Could be Early Years Advisory Teacher which is EYAT.

[JacquieL]

Hi Clare,

Early Years Advisory Teachers are EYAT, FSST are Foundation Stage Support Teachers. In my LEA EYAT's are also the Early Years Area SENCO's. Gosh all these capital letters!

[Inge]

In our area they are the Early Years Advisory Team...

 

 

Inge

[Guest]

That's what I though too Inge, but do they do all the things I mentioned earlier?

[Rea]

Ours used to be VTS - Visiting teacher service, then they were EYDCP - Early years development and childcare partnership, then they were EYSS, Early years support service. I think they all did the same thing, visiting settings, advising, helping, especially when Ofsted was due, but now it's unannounced not sure how they help in that area anymore. Ours used to look at planning and implementation, give ideas about planning, activities, training courses, contacts for various things. Both the people we had were very helpful but not at all pushy, they were advisors. But I have t say not all are as good, I know one setting where the EY lady reads to the children then leaves.

[Guest DeborahF]

You also get Childcare Development Workers who will advise on all sorts of things to do with Ofsted registration and requirements, e.g. staff ratios, measuring space and working out how many children you can be registered for and lots of guidance to do with the National Standards. They will help staff prepare for suitable person interviews, look at settings who want to vary their Ofsted registration in some way, all sorts of things like that.

 

If you think of the EYATs as looking at the curriculum and education side of things, the Childcare Development Workers look at the care side of things. I know that the two shouldn't really be split but it might help to clarify their role in the "big picture"!

[Inge]

Yes, everything mentioned - how to improve things, organise courses and deliver training, ours also includes Area Senco, Accreditation mentors and advisor, development officer, organise and run cluster meetings for settings and SEN cluster meetings, and also include the funding office/ contacts, and probably lots more

 

from April they will also include all the jobs and advice PLA now do as they are taking that in house too, and we will no longer have PLA advisers

 

Inge

 

our Development Worker is part of the

Early Years Advisory Team, all under one umbrella so to speak.

 

Inge

[Guest]

Thanks for your help! Basically we have to do 2 presentations for our module assessment. One is on policies and procedures, so I have decided to critically evaluate our equal opportunities policy. The second presentation is to talk about outside agencies and I would like to link my first presentation to the second, by talking about people that help us to implement our policy.

 

I thought the EYAT or lady from early years could be a good one to include for the outside agency part because of the varied service they provide, in terms of sorting out planning, arranging training, preparing settings for Ofsted etc. I'm also thinking of area SENCO (which is quite an obvious one) and also translators. I was thinking of starting my second presentation in another language to grab attention and to try and show the people in my group the challenges that EAL children face. Does that make sense? What do you think?

[Andreamay]

Ours all wear badges that say childrens services (eyat,area senco,speech therapist)

[Running Bunny]

I am a childcare development officer and I work in the Early Years Team which is part of 'Family Services'. We offer support to new providers from the expression of interest to opening until the first Ofsted inspection after 6/7 months. We also do Quality Assurance, Ofsted inspection support and Birth to Three support.

 

The Visiting Teacher Team do Foundation Stage support and in-house training, so there are clear defninitions in our job roles.

 

Settings would also get visits from SENCO's, the audit team from the NEF section, support staff from Neighbourhood Nurseries (if they are one) or Integrated Services (if they are a Children's Centre) To name a few!

[Inge]

other outside agencies that have visit so far this term , child Psychologist x2 , speech therapy weekly, portage worker x3 , Sure start / springboard x2 , Ofsted!! Local college , NVQ assessors, - the list is endless.

 

Inge

[Guest]

We use 'LEIS' which is Local education inclusion service' or Early years outreach team'

[Guest]

Love the idea about talking in another language - it will certainly grab their attention - how about using that webdings or whatever the format is is called to write a simple welcome message and see if they can deciper what it says. You could give them a clue to start with, if you were kind

Nikki

[catma]

There's also the Foundation Stage Consultants, if like me you work for the Primary Strategy Team, but still do school visits and support all aspects of FS

[Guest]

Our EYAT's role was as has been previously described, working from the Early Years Advisory service, however this is now chamging in our area.

 

Just this week our EYAT and our Area SENCO both came in for a whole session to observe for what they call our audit, the focus of the observation is from an American quality assurance / development scheme of which name evades me at present ( I have described it in another post - ECER Ithink ). We are scored under various criteria from resources, to education to adult interaction etc. 1 lowest and 7 highest. Apparently We scored lots of 7's, and are the only setting so far in our area to score 7 for science, others only getting a 1 in this area. Basically, the 'audit' identified areas of strength and weakness.

anyway, she informed us that she will no longer be an EYAT with the EYAS but will be a SIP with the ASK

 

Schools Improvment Person ( I think) with the Advisory Service Kent, part of the Specialist Teaching Service (STS).

 

our SIP will work with us on improvements. However she won't become a SIP until April and will remain our EYAT until then.

I did let her know that as a reflective practitioner any weaknesses will be recognised and addressed by April. :wacko: . but I look forward to working with her anyway.

 

Peggy

[catma]

ECERS is I think from memory the Early childhood environment ratings scale and is indeed an american publication, however the ECERS (E) is a version of this used by Kathy Silva et al in their evaluations of settings for the EPPE research and is available from Trentham books. Its very good and I use it in my work with schools. Think the E stands for extended.

 

Cx

 

trentham books ECERS page