Latest news
An update on the ‘more than a score’ campaign
Below are the links to send a letter to your MP and share our social media posts. Please go ahead and share, send and spread the word about this vital campaign.
It’s time to tell the government before it’s too late – don’t test four-year-olds.
Teachers, heads, experts and parents all agree – these tests make no sense.
The government will soon be passing laws to make the tests compulsory in all primary schools. Please take one minute to write to your MP asking them to speak out against the plans, by simply clicking here. You can use our sample letter as is, or adapt it if you have time.
And please share our social media posts:
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Here is Occasional Paper 14 ‘The significance of children’s play and empowerment: An observational tool’ written by Natalie Canning, Open University.
New to read for Jan 2020 An internal conflict: policy, practice and pedagogy A new reflections paper written by Lauren Emery
EYFS Consultation – TACTYC Response
Here is the final TACTYC response, including members input to the EYFS Consultation. Please read and circulate widely to your networks to encourage others to contribute a response!
Join in with our conversations ….. read our blogs here
University of Reading 1st November 2019
‘Professionals working with young children: or just anybody?’
A group of academics, practitioners, professionals and employers from the early childhood sector met to discuss the growing crisis in the early childhood workforce.
A joint social media campaign began on 8th November entitled #’One voice for childhood’
New research and reports available to read here
Here is the link to the latest blog post written by Prof. Helen Bilton “Professionals working with young children: or just anybody?”
Consider contributing to this post here
TACTYC Annual Conference and AGM 2020
‘Save the Date‘ Saturday 6th June 2020 – more details to follow
EYFS Consultation Launch – have your say?
The Department for Education has today launched a public consultation seeking views on changes to the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (EYFS). The goal of the reforms is to improve outcomes for all children and reduce workload. The EYFS consultation is now live here and will run until January 2020.
The summary of the EYFS coalition consultation is here.
The consultation includes proposed changes to the educational programmes, the early learning goals and the EYFS profile assessment. It also seeks views on one change to the safeguarding and welfare section of the framework to promote good oral health.
Also, please see the Maths ELG proposals from ELG https://bsrlm.org.uk/the-case-for-space-in-the-early-years/
Findings from the pilot of the draft revised EYFS framework led by the Education Endowment Foundation, in partnership with NatCen Social Research and Action for Children have also been published today.
Membership Details
Have you recently changed your email details? If, so please can you contact us and let us know. We are currently trying to contact all our members to share some important news and updates with you.
The old classic bank account is now closed and it is important for all members to check their standing order arrangements. Please amend your standing orders now and ensure that any bank transfers are made into the new Account (see members only part of the website). Please contact either Viki Veale, our Membership Secretary or tactyc.org@gmail.com to change your details.
Recruiting now!
Do you work with children and young people with toileting difficulties, who also have special educational needs and disability?
We want to hear from you!
We are conducting an online survey with school and social care staff about toileting for children and young people with special educational needs and disability. The NHS wants to improve toileting services for children and young people up to the age of 25 years. We need to hear your experiences of trying ways to improve toileting and how toileting is managed. The results of the survey will help inform health and care services for children in the future. To take part in the survey visit: http://sites.exeter.ac.uk/iconstudy/taking-part/
Hub and Spoke Expressions of Interest
The Froebel Trust is calling for expressions of interest for its Hub and Spoke programme, https://www.froebel.org.uk/about-us/hub-and-spoke-programme/
A ‘Hub’ is potentially a partnership between an ECE setting and researchers, although this need not necessarily be the case and applicants can decide how to constitute their proposed Hub, which should do things like explore, interrogate, exemplify and disseminate Froebelian approaches to ECEC. The criteria and objectives are detailed on the website. A fascinating project?
Occasional Paper 12 is now available to read and share. “What is ‘early reading’ for under-threes? A reflection on ‘conversations’ with graduate practitioners in England: A response to Ofsted’s ‘Early reading’ training video”, Karen Boardman, Edge Hill University.
Baseline: Almost 200 schools drop out of the pilot, having changed their minds about taking part! Read the TES Feature here https://www.tes.com/news/baseline-almost-200-schools-drop-out-pilot
‘Getting it right in the Early Years Foundation Stage: a review of the evidence’. Exciting launch of the report from the Centre for Research in Early Childhood authors Chris Pascal, Tony Bertram, Liz Rouse. Getting it right means looking at the evidence, a sector-led response to the proposed changes to the EYFS.
TACTYC Executive Members have been highlighting relevant issues in Nursery World!
Read the latest from our President Wendy Scott ‘Time to look and listen Minister’. Wendy asks Nick Gibb, minister now in charge of early years, to pay attention to the evidence on effective practice in the latest opinion piece https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/opinion/1168766/time-to-look-and-listen-minister
Helen Moylett and Nancy Stewart call for sector-wide collaboration ahead of the review of Development Matters ‘Its’s time to talk!’
TACTYC are also involved in the EYFS Launch Proposed EYFS changes ‘not supported by evidence’ https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168714/proposed-eyfs-changes-not-supported-by-evidence
Interesting information from Alice Bradbury’s research commissioned by More Than a Score on Head teachers’ views of baseline. The coverage includes quotes from our own Nancy Stewart – look out for Nancy on ITV on Thursday!
https://www.tes.com/news/primary-heads-condemn-baseline-tests-utter-madness
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/sep/03/school-heads-criticise-new-reception-tests-for-five-year-olds
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168626/most-primary-heads-negative-about-introduction-of-reception-baseline
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education
TACTYC supports Fair Future Funding Action Week 10th June 2019
TACTYC strongly supports the ‘Fair Future Funding’ campaign. High quality early childhood education and care is vital for our children and families. But it needs to be properly funded for all if it is to be accessible and sustainable.
‘Enough is enough’
Childcare funding rates were set and frozen in 2015 – this means they don’t take into account the subsequent increases to business hikes, minimum wage rises or any other cost increases since then. This has forced providers to put up parent fees and, in some cases, close.
The early years plays a vital role in our communities helping children reach their full potential and enabling parents to get back into work – but the sector is struggling to stay sustainable due to government under funding.
This summer we have a chance to change that.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/fair-future-funding-action-week-10-june-2019
The Government’s ‘Comprehensive Spending Review’ – where the government sets out its spending priorities – is taking place in the coming months. It’s an opportunity for providers and parents to warn MPs about what will happen to childcare provision in their constituencies unless the government takes action on under funding.
Join in the Early Years Alliance action week from 10 June: write to your MP, invite them to your setting and make sure everyone knows the effects of the childcare funding crisis.
Providers (and parents) can sign-up to take part using this link: www.eyalliance.org.uk/fairfuturefunding
Please read TACTYC’s response to Ofsted’s EIF consultation here – this was sent to Ofsted this week by our fabulous President Wendy Scott. TACTYC also offered further suggestions of contemporary and seminal research to support policy making in the early years. We will keep you posted on progress! Please do share with your colleagues and […]
OUR GOOD NEWS FOR 2019 IS ……!
We are delighted to tell you that we have been awarded Charitable Status as of now. The Exec will have to get to grips with what all this means in the new year and our committee will be reconsidered then. Currently we have six Trustees. More news after our first meeting on the 9th January.
The first Reflections paper of the year…
Read Linda Withey’s paper about a project supporting parents to understand the role they play in young children’s language development through ‘Chit-chat’ everyday.
EARLY YEARS JOURNAL
We have a new ‘Call for Papers’ on Early Childhood Education and Care in Latin America here and on our Journal’s pages. And we say goodbye to one of our long-standing editors: Professor Pamela Oberhuemer has recently retired and we wish her well in her retirement and thank her most sincerely for all her work on behalf of the Journal and TACTYC.
40th ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE
What a wonderful Conference … the hotel was magnificent and the Enterprise Centre Derby just brilliant! See the full report here.
Why do so few men work in the UK early years sector…and why should we care?
Dr Jo Warin and Dr Jeremy Davies have launched their two-year study GenderEYE (Gender Diversification in Early Years Education) – an international and UK based study, with a focus on recruitment , retention and support for men in the early years education workforce. This coincides with International Men’s Day on 19th November. Worth a look ….?
Quality Assurance of CPD for Teachers
The Chartered College of Teaching, alongside the Teacher Development Trust and Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University are undertaking a project jointly funded by Wellcome Trust and the Education Endowment Foundation to design and test a system to quality assure the provision of continuing professional development for teachers. The online consultation closed recently but if you would like to respond, further information is available here.
MEMBERS: PLEASE BE AWARE …..
We shall be closing the TACTYC Current Account on the 31st March, 2019. This means that any subscriptions paid to that account MUST be changed to the Treasurer Account before that date. We do want you all to be part of our campaigns and help us sustain pressure on governments and institutions to make excellent provision for early years professional development and young children, so WE NEED YOU! Please amend your standing orders now please and ensure that any bank transfers are made into the new Account (see members only part of the website).
OCCASIONAL PAPER 11 is here!
Mimi Tatlow-Golden (Open University) has written an excellent paper entitled ‘Big, strong and healthy’? Children, food and eating in the early years, and the role preschools can play, in which she encourages all practitioners to ‘support children and their families to grow not-too-big, very strong, and definitely healthy, by engaging in the evidence-based strategies’ outline in the Paper. A must read.
STUDENT REFLECTIONS AWARD 2018
We are delighted to announce the winner of this year’s Student Reflections Award is Megan Taddeo, a post-graduate student of the University of Winchester with a paper entitled ‘Listening to children creates Better Beginnings‘. Runner-up was Rachel Hingston from the University of Plymouth with ‘Two birds with one stone: How putting the value back into mealtimes can improve children’s communication and long-term health’. Megan’s paper can be read here.
MEETING WITH THE DFE ABOUT THE REVISION OF THE ELGs IN THE EYFS
The notes available here describe some of the main discussion points between colleagues from TACTYC and the DfE at a meeting held on 13th July 2018 in response to the current draft ELGs being piloted over the next academic year.
BOOK REVIEWS
We have a new book review about outdoor play with under 3’s – read it here.
STOP PRESS!
Please read this recently published article ‘The views of teachers, parents and children on the Phonics Screening Check: the continuing domination of politics over evidence’ by Margaret M Clark OBE Also see Education Journal (10 July 2018) ‘Evidence based policy?’ BERA has just released its Report on Baseline Assessment, which is very well formulated – read it here. Early Education has made a strong comment on the revised EYFS and ELGs – read it here.
MEMBERS: Do read our Latest online NEWSLETTER HERE
TACTYC BOOK SERIES
TACTYC’s Book Series has added a sixth book to its collection: recently launched is Gina Houston’s book: Racialisation in Early Years Education: Black Children’s Stories from the Classroom. All the books in the series are available from Routledge.
Young children as guinea pigs TACTYC STOP PRESS Read the latest TACTYC paper, entitled ‘Young children as guinea pigs: the Reception Baseline Assessment Framework’. This paper criticises the government’s planned national pilot of reception class baseline testing, released by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA). Education experts from TACTYC state that the STA framework fails to address […]
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Association for Professional Development in Early Years 
