Latest news

Do Better- Tackling Racism in Early Years Education and Care’

Diane Garrison’s poignant and timely paper ‘Do Better- Tackling Racism in Early Years Education and Care’  won last years student reflections award.

Join us for a live webinar on Thursday the 25th of March at 6:30pm where Diane will share her reflections on cultural insensitivity, bias and assumptions and the need for those who work with the youngest children to ‘Do Better’.

---

Exciting update on Birth to Five Matters – all information is on the website here https://www.birthto5matters.org.uk/
Many of TACTYC Trustees and Members are involved in this fabulous project – watch out for further updates!

The latest timelines are;

• February 2021 – sector consultation on the second draft of the guidance
• March 2021 – working groups and project team incorporate further feedback into the final version of the guidance, to be published at end March 2021.

1001 Days Movement update

On 3rd February a new campaign will be launched to raise awareness of the impact of the pandemic and lockdown on babies and their families. #LittleGoodDeed will encourage communities to reach out to families with young children and will also signpost the professional support available to families. You can read more about the campaign here, and we will share more resources ahead of the launch next week. Here is the website link. 

On 19th January the 1001 Days Movement  launched the Working for Babies report about how local systems worked for babies and their families during the pandemic. The report  presents a varied picture across the UK, with evidence that:

• “hidden harms” of the Spring lockdown on 0-2s were broad and significant, and experienced unevenly depending on family circumstances and background.
• historically inadequate or insecure funding, and a rising tide of need, has inhibited the ability of some services and areas to respond to the coronavirus crisis.
• there were often ‘baby blind-spots’ where babies’ needs were overlooked in policy, planning and funding.

The report has been well-received, with some helpful coverage in the national and sector press and mentions in Parliament. We are very grateful to First 1001 Days Movement members for sharing important messages – This is one of many TACTYC collaborations. Thank you to all our members for sharing key info!

Have you read our recent consultation activities – please do get involved and have your say – we are very busy!

https://tactyc.org.uk/consultations/

Have you taken advantage of out new temporary 6 month membership reduced cost offer yet? Here is the information.

ITE OFSTED Inspection Framework – TACTYC response to the consultation

Here is TACTYC’s response to the ITE Inspection Framework consultation – please do feel free to comment, share and use, as appropriate. We do hope you will find this useful.

___________________________________________

Please let us know if you have recently changed your email details. Contact [email protected]

______________________________________________________________________________

Have you read Bernadett Nagy’s new reflections paper about using different aspects of the outdoors environment?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

New Occasional Papers!

Occasional Paper 15 ‘The re/constructed role of nursery schools as local community hubs in the current context of austerity’ written by Dr Kate Hoskins, Dr Alice Bradbury and Mr Lewis Fogarty: Brunel University London.

Occasional Paper 14  ‘The significance of children’s play and empowerment: An observational tool’ written by Natalie Canning, Open University.

Occasional Paper 13 What role do maintained nursery schools play in Early Years sector improvements? Carla Solvason*, Rebecca Webb** and Samantha Sutton-Tsang* (*University of Worcester/**University of Sussex).

Occasional Paper 12 ‘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)

Please do read and let us know what you think!

_______

Early years workforce development in England: Key ingredients and missed opportunities

A new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by the Nuffield Foundation, examined how the government can develop the early years workforce in England, in order to improve the quality of provision. The study analysed the impact of major government policies affecting the sector over the past 15 years. The report then considers the early years education offer of the current government, and whether its policies are likely to support the workforce and high-quality provision.

Mapping the Landscape Survey Report

An online survey carried out by a coalition of early years organisations has found that practitioners are strongly supportive of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in its current form despite government plans to make a number of changes to the framework. Headlines are that:
Over 80% of practitioners felt that children’s development was well supported or very well supported across the prime areas of development by the current EYFS;
60% of respondents judged that children’s development was well or very well supported by the specific areas of learning.
The survey, which received over 3000 responses from early years practitioners – the majority (72%) of whom have worked in the sector for more than 10 years – was carried out by the coalition in response to a government review of the EYFS. Practitioners cited lack of resources and excessive paperwork relating to inspections rather than the requirements of the EYFS as contributing to workload pressures. Practitioners also expressed the view that a better trained workforce would make more difference to children’s outcomes than changes to the EYFS framework, and that this needed to be accompanied by improving pay and conditions.

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.  We wish Pamela 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 ….? 

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).

WESTMINSTER EDUCATION FORUM UPDATE ‘CHANGES TO THE ELGs ARE CONTROVERSIAL’

Speaking at the Westminster Education Forum on 9th November, Professor Helen Bilton stated that “It is essential that the primary phase is adjusted to fit the early years phase. If you try to adjust the early years phase to fit the primary phase then you militate against a child’s developing self.  Early years education cannot be seen as the waiting room for proper education.”

Professor Bilton asked why the National Curriculum is not being adjusted “to fit the early years curriculum?”

Early years colleagues in attendance raised concerns about the lack of consultation and representation for the EYFS sector.

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:  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. These include: Exploring the Contexts for Early Learning: Challenging the School Readiness Agenda by Rory McDowall Clark; Building Knowledge in Early Childhood Education: Young Children are Researchers by Jane Murray; Early Childhood Education and Care for Sustainability by Valerie Huggins and David Evans and Places for Two-year-olds in the Early Years: Supporting Learning and Development by Jan Georgeson and Verity Campbell-Barr.  Look out for Natalie Canning’s book on Children’s empowerment in play, due out later this year.