SueFinanceManager

I have been thinking a lot about childhood recently. Children are finding ways to be children in a world that is evolving all the time. At the same time, the struggles that many children face remain the same throughout history: oppression, prejudice, violence, poverty, injustice. How do these ancient struggles and new challenges shape childhood? This post is too small a space to do anything more than ask the question. But here is a collection of words about childhood that I have gathered together. Let’s begin with a definition of childhood from UNICEF: Childhood is the time for children to be in school and at play, to grow strong and confident with the love and encouragement of their family and an extended community of caring adults. It is a precious time in which children should live free from fear, safe from violence and protected from abuse and exploitation. As such, childhood means much more than just the space between birth and the attainment of adulthood. It refers to the state and condition of a child’s life, to the quality of those years. And then we can add to that the words from The Open University’s course on Childhood and children’s rights: As you consider characteristics of children, you need to recognise that every child is unique and special in its own way. There are, however, some common characteristics of the period of childhood, which should guide you in the way you look at and work with children. Three of the most important are: dependency, vulnerability, and resilience. Jean Piaget wrote that ‘Play is the work of childhood’ and Albert Einstein said that ‘Play is the highest form of research.’ The writer and poet Lemn Sissay describes childhood as a book: Ultimately, family is a collection of stories and childhood is an introduction to that book. As you live your life you come to realise the significance of that introduction. And finally, Maria Montessori: Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future. And Friedrich Froebel: The plays of childhood are the germinal leaves of all later life. By Jules Mickelburgh FSF and Tapestry Education Team

Sending love and big hugs to you and Mr S 💗

You jolly little Christmas elves have worn me down.....resistance is futile!

I know.....I am going for a lie down 🤣

Ok ..... I must be going soft in my old but go for it .... fill your Merry little Christmas stockings with talk of all things Christmas! 💗🎄🎅

Hi Came across this and I wanted to share this with you: The Woodland Trust provides a wealth of free resources to help teachers deliver engaging and memorable outdoor learning. Tree Tools for Schools Some lovely ideas for outdoor learning 🌳🍁🥾

It’s generally considered a fairly miserable event when the clocks go back at the end of October. It’s the start of a period that can often mean leaving for work in the dark and returning home to the same. This tends to coincide with a further deterioration in the weather which seems to steal any warmth that remained from the sun. Growing up, I also associated it with the end of football matches after school, until at least the end of February, which was a bitter pill to swallow (there weren’t floodlit all weather pitches in schools in those days)! The last couple of weeks, however, I have been reminded to look at things a different way. How about we flip the negative words we use around this time of year and consider the darkness in the way that a 4-year-old might – ‘magical’, ‘exciting’, ‘mysterious’ and maybe even a bit ‘scary’. Greg Bottrill talks about ‘Adventure Island’ being a ‘world of story and dream’ and the last week or two has encouraged me to think about how amazing the possibilities are when capturing the imagination of a young child. In my article ‘Spinning A Yarn’, I recommend that as adults, we try to fully engage our children in the world of storytelling, in an effort to set them up for a life full of incredible tales. I suggested a walk in the woods could be a great starting point for storytelling, but even your own street becomes a magical place after dark. If you consider it was probably early February since it was dark at 5pm, that’s a very long time ago in the life of a child in the Early Years. The novelty is not lost on them (especially as you can pretend it is later than it actually is!). In ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ there seems something magical about the family stepping out to go for a meal in the café on the High Street, as there is no more food in the house. It is a particularly amazing experience for Sophie because it is dark: ‘all the street-lights were lit, and all the cars had their lights on’. It is my birthday at the end of October and that means a curry is on the cards. Ten years ago, this curry may have taken place at 11pm on the way home from the pub, but these days I settle for a 5.30pm booking so we’re all home for ‘bedtime’. My 4-year old was in heaven this time around. He was thrilled to grab his torch and get his coat on for the outing. He shone his torch, gasped at the stars and moon, and ran and ran and ran. Since then we’ve been out for spooky Halloween walks and built our own kitchen-roll telescope to see the full moon. Both have fully captured his imagination and fuelled many conversations. To have an activity after an evening meal like this can be a very rewarding experience. If you are working in an Early Years setting, maybe you could suggest that your families seize the opportunity to banish the doom and gloom and embrace the darkness! By Stephen Kilgour, SEND Advisor

I don't see a problem here.....enjoy and chill x

I bet an experienced baker like you would not try and take a very liquid filled pie out of the pie dish with strips of parchment 😆 I felt sorry for him as the filling looked sooo yummy but pastry cracks so easily....it was torturous watching. Please note I have not used any names so hopefully no spoilers here!

🤢😆

I quite like squidgy/malleable objects as a fiddle aid so sometime fiddle with a lump of bluetack but can see you would not want that stuck all over the carpet but homemade bean bags filled with any out of date rice or dry beans you might have in the back of your cupboard small see through containers/bottles filled (and then the lids glued into place) filled with glitter or sequins or sand and some slightly larger particles/stones so they can try and shake move to separate the sand from the stones Old rubik cube swatches of different texture materials

I am a list maker. Anyone who lives or works with me knows that I write them obsessively. On post-it notes, in my diary, in little books, on scraps of paper. I think they might drive the people around me a bit crazy… I have lists of things to do: for today, in half term, to tell my work colleagues. Then there are the lists of things I want to remember: books I have read as an adult, books I read as a child and want to pass onto my children, films I love, places we have been on holiday, words I like, and in the more recent past a list of all the new words and phrases related to the pandemic (I thought this would jog my memory one day when someone much younger than me asks about it). When each of my children were born, I made lists of names we liked and their meanings. Way back, for a friend’s hen night, I made a list of pros and cons for keeping her own last name or changing to her fiancé’s (she kept her own - if you’re wondering!). When our family were deciding whether to relocate, I made a list of the pros and cons of staying or going (we stayed – thankfully as it turned out). Throughout my life, lists have helped me remember things (daily or long term) and have helped me make decisions. They comfort me, support me, make me feel ‘in control’. Some of you may know the lovely ‘first reader’ books by Arnold Lobel, originally published in the 1970s, about Frog and Toad. There is one story called A List, in which Toad writes a list of everything he will do that day: Wake up Eat Breakfast Get Dressed Go to Frog’s House Take Walk With Frog… As he does each thing, he crosses it off his list (and yes, I do that too). But then, while on said walk with Frog, a gust of wind blows the list out of Toad’s hand. ‘What will I do without my list?’ cries Toad. Frog suggests running after it, but Toad says no. Frog asks why not? ‘Because’, wailed Toad, ‘running after my list is not one of the things that I wrote on my list of things to do!’ Ahhh, the wisdom in those words. The problem with lists is that we stick to them. We rely on them. And we forget to be spontaneous, to look at what is happening right now in front of us, in this moment. There has been a lot of talk about lists in early years education recently, with the publication of the new Development Matters and the new ELGs. Educators are thinking about how we have recorded young children’s learning in the past (maybe by looking at a list of statements and, dare I say it, ticking them), and how we could do it differently. Perhaps we could all learn a lesson from Toad.

This is my final ‘coffee-break’ in a series that I have written, about getting #BackToBasics when it comes to approaches that we use to support our children’s learning. I’ve discussed the importance of a sound knowledge of child development (and doing away with ‘progress data’), the fact that we don’t sing nursery rhymes as much as we used to and the benefits of taking risks in play, with particular reference to climbing trees. This week I wanted to provoke some thought on the topic of a good old-fashioned chat! It’s never been more difficult to remain ‘present’ with our friends and families when we are spending time with them (whether that be in person or virtually, considering the current climate!). Most households have hundreds of television channels they can be watching at any given time. Our phones have become an extension of our bodies. They go everywhere with us, and with the proliferation of apps, they are constantly notifying us of something. It has to be said that we are obviously communicating more with the people we don’t actually see as regularly – even if that is to share the funny video your brother in law just sent you. But if the instant text communications come at the expense of genuine conversations with our nearest and dearest, then are they justifiable? More importantly, our youngest children are growing up in a world where their achievements are celebrated for the purpose of sharing on a group chat (how many parents these days actually miss their child’s first steps because their face is behind a phone filming them?). It is important to clarify that I am myself guilty of being that pre-occupied parent some of the time. I am trying my best to literally distance myself from my phone for significant chunks of the day because I was more and more aware of how dis-engaged I was becoming. It doesn’t help when a lot of us have access (in my case, choose to have access!) to work related emails/messaging services/social media on our personal handsets. An increase in ‘working from home’ blurs the lines further: ‘I will just respond to that email at 6pm because it means I won’t forget tomorrow, even though my 4 year old desperately wants me to finish the Lego pirate ship’. I appreciate many people have their priorities better organised! Throw in the mix instant access to news at a time when frankly it’s pretty important to hear it, sporting scorelines and highlights delivered to the palm of your hand as they happen, and weather notifications that tell you it’s going to be pouring down all day tomorrow. All of a sudden, you’ve got a pretty unhealthy situation on your hands. Back to the children who are witnessing all this. They are likely to have grown up seeing this behaviour since they arrived on the planet. It could be entirely normal to see Mummy and Daddy sit in silence as they catch up on various un-important Facebook updates of people they don’t actually like. This behaviour is becoming typical in many households. So, it is accepted by our little ones. The knock-on effects can be huge for the communicative and social development of these children. What can we do to ensure we are more ‘present’ in their lives and be able to get back to a time where it was normal to talk together in the living room (as there was nothing on the 3/4/5 channels on the TV)? Personally, I would advocate screen free time for the entire family for significant chunks of the day (easier said than done). Leaving devices in a different part of your home until an agreed time – this is particularly effective for those of us who even if a phone doesn’t light up, feel the need to look at it every 2-3 minutes! With our youngest children, this provides opportunities for creative play that everyone is truly engaged in, and from there, communication will flow. For our older children, it’s an opportunity to practice the age-old art of conversation (I appreciate this will go down like a lead balloon with teenagers across the land). Even if these scenarios aren’t realistic at the minute, the one key takeaway from this provocation should be to never forget that the behaviour and lifestyle we model is hugely important to the choices that our children will make in the future. Let’s chat more. This Coffee Break was written by our SEND Advisor Stephen Kilgour.

Working with children can provide you with great challenges and joy every day. I have met many teachers who are confident to speak in front of a hall full of children but ask them to speak in front of their peers – other teachers or their SLT, and suddenly that confidence disappears. Being in the classroom means you may see things from a different angle than your SLT do. You may also see things that are being introduced that you think will benefit your school – perhaps to do with a curriculum area, children’s wellbeing, supporting a positive learning environment, or the kind of assessment data you’re collecting. So, how can you approach your SLT so that they consider your ideas? · Make sure you have researched the idea fully and are clear in your mind what you are sharing with them and the impact it will have on the school, children, staff or the budget! · Think about why you want to suggest it. Is it just something you’ve seen on social media that you think will make a difference, or does it come from a policy change that you know is on its way and you’re thinking about in advance? · Everyone in a school is busy! Arrange a time to meet with SLT so there is a focus on what you are saying and it’s not just a passing conversation in the corridor, or just as they are about to go out to another meeting. · Before meeting with them, think about the benefits and any downfalls. Others may not share your enthusiasm for this new idea, so be prepared to help them understand where you are coming from and why you think this will be a positive change. · If appropriate, offer to run it just in your class / year group. During this time, keep SLT informed about how it’s going and, if it isn’t having the impact you were hoping for, admit this, summarise what you have learned from it, and move on. If it is going as you expected (or even better!), invite them to see it in action, and arrange another meeting to discuss next steps. If you are going to be running it in several classes, make sure the other teachers are on board too and understand fully what is being asked of them. · Be prepared with a plan to introduce it to the rest of the school if asked to. This may involve you having to speak with other teachers but keep the idea clear and explain the benefits that you found when you tried it, say what you found difficult and how you overcame those difficulties and most importantly, offer support to those who may struggle with the change. The important thing to remember when going to SLT is that they know what it’s like to be in the classroom, but they now have to think about the impact on the whole school. If you’re well prepared and help make their decision easier, you’ll certainly be on the right track to helping bring about a change in your school. By Ben Case, from the FSF education team.

Ahh that is fab news @Poppy33 So pleased you have come to a better understanding and that can only help you, her and the child moving forward 😊 Best wishes, Sue

@Poppy33 keep thinking of you and wondering how it all went....hoping that no news is good news 🙏🤞🙏

Cautious congratulations to them - keeping everything crossed 💗

Well I am feeling very lucky as I have had no plumbing issues this week at all......I am keeping fingers crossed that it stays that way 🙏🙏🙏 I cannot work out if I am hot or cold.....on balance cold I think and it really feels Autumnal down here in Sussex although it is supposed to get warmer again next week 🤷‍♀️ Cannot work out the weather right now. I am hoping that tomorrow morning will be dry as I am on dog walking duty. I am looking forward to seeing the changes to the hedgerows and woodland I walk the dog in tomorrow though as although I am not a fan of the rain I do like the changes Autumn brings in nature. Apart from dog walking and a few chores I shall be spending most of the weekend sat on the sofa watching the Solheim Cup (ladies Golf tournament for those not familiar with it) Europe V USA and then next weekend is the male equivalent the Ryder Cup ...... 2 very unproductive weekends coming up lol Whatever you spend your weekend doing I hope it is fun and relaxing Sue xx

Admittedly, the slightly sensationalist title suggests that children don't climb trees anymore. This is not actually the case. There is a brilliant tree in my local park and children form an orderly queue to get their turn on it. It's the perfect 'beginner's' tree. Lots of low branches, multiple routes up, and when you get to the top, your head emerges from a cloud of leaves where you can shout to your parent - sat on the conveniently placed bench below - "look how high I am!". Here’s the tree in question with my 4-year-old making his way up: So, what’s the point of this piece if tree climbing is still happening? The fact is, it’s not happening nearly as much as it used to. In my opinion there are two obvious reasons for this. The first is that now there are other things children can be doing with their spare time. You only have to go back a decade or so to find a difference in the kind of on-tap visual entertainment available for children, and certainly a whole generation will take you to a time when children had far fewer options for entertainment, and so they had to be more creative in their play (cliché time: ‘when I were a lad’/’it’s not like it used to be’ etc etc). The second reason is risk. Whether it be at home or at nursery/school, children aren’t exposed to the same risks that they were a few decades ago. Thankfully there have been really positive changes over recent years to introduce more ‘risky’ play into our settings and schools. I particularly love the emphasis woodwork is now getting in the EYFS (Pete Moorhouse’s excellent work has a lot to do with this). Progress hasn’t necessarily been fast enough though – my colleague, Jules, wrote this article way back in 2010 about the value of risk and challenge in the Early Years, and finding a balanced and proportionate approach. The benefits of letting our children have opportunities to climb trees are significant, as ‘Nature Kids’ point out: · Our child is building their own awareness, ability to assess risk and prevent injury · They are building their focus, spatial awareness and coordination skills · We are offering them a huge opportunity to build their self-confidence and not just through the physical act of climbing but also their ability to make the decisions that got them there · It goes without saying that their strength, flexibility and physical abilities improve each and every climb · Tree climbing is a challenge for the mind; enhancing problem solving and analytical skills · Children develop their own sense of achievement, particularly for those that maybe couldn’t get there last week, month or year but did it today! · A child learns that injuries are a part of growing up, and a grazed knee or splinter in the finger is a lesson in itself. I’ve visited two nurseries recently that have actually designed their playground around ‘climbing trees’ which I think is such a great idea. There was a time, when the trees would have been removed and the whole space covered in rubber! Wouldn’t it be amazing if every Early Years setting had a climbing tree? Dr Lala Manners has written a helpful article that advises on how to support parents to understand the benefits of ‘risky’ play. This Coffee Break was written by SEND Advisor, Stephen Kilgour.

Hi Poppy In the nursery where I worked we had a child that took a long time to settle and a mum who stayed on site. We used to encourage her to try and be in a different room from her child (we were lucky enough to have 3 different rooms) so if we took the child into the carpeted playroom we would suggest mum stayed in what we called the sunroom colouring or reading books with other children etc She was encouraged to help with washing up in the kitchen after snack so again we could interact with the child without her. By letting her see, well hear that when he was in another room he was not distraught and howling she finally got the idea he was fine and settled but our parent was more approachable than your parent sounds. It sounds as if it is the mum that is having separation anxiety not the child sadly and she will need to be handled gently as maybe her anxiety is making her a bit spiky...sometime when we feel a bit vulnerable we come out swinging 🤷‍♀️ Sue x

Hi Gezabel Popped this over into the inspections forum area Sue x

Finleysmaid having also supervised children cooking I hear all you are saying ..... I used to cringe sometimes watching little hands touching faces (we will leave it there lol) but I wondered if a raw carrot thoroughly washed by an adult after preparation might be ok but I hear you. Always better to be safe than sorry

I wonder if the practitioner took all the prepared carrots and washed them before distribution? If that were the case I reckon it would be ok as surely that is what an adult would do with fruit and veggies that they were going to serve to the children.