The ECD Programme has now run for 4½ years, of the current 5-year Programme.
The focus for this phase is to ensure an effective handover of all strands of the programme (Making it REAL, Knowledge Makes Change and Outcomes Based Accountability) from NCB to Jersey based colleagues. Our ambition is for a sustainable legacy, with continued delivery of all strands.
We have just submitted our 6 monthly progress report to our funders, UBS Optimus.
The report showed fabulous progress, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Below are some highlights from the report: –
Successful redesign of all training to include blended / remote delivery, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Provision of remote Making it REAL home learning environment activity idea resource sheets, to maintain engagement of children and families. Whilst projects were paused.
Completion of 11 projects by practitioners despite the coronavirus pandemic.
6 trained in Making it REAL training for trainers.
10 trained in Sharing REAL with Parents training for trainers.
Remote delivery of KMC Seminar 10, with excellent attendance (82) and evaluations.
Remote delivery of an additional KMC Seminar (11), with highest attendance (92) and excellent evaluations.
Extended reach of KMC Newsletter by 361 subscribers (to 717) and an additional 761 engagements (total 1207) via social media.
3 course leaders/tutors at Highlands college supported through a bespoke mentor session to enable continued delivery of Making it REAL to L3 and Degree students.
Re-scoping of external evaluation design in light of the pandemic. This includes regular touch-base discussions with CREC to facilitate flexibility and adaptability of the evaluation’s scope.
None of the above would have been possible without the help and support of all involved, so a huge thank you to everyone.
Making it REAL Training Opportunities
A quick reminder of the dates scheduled for the next round of training opportunities.
Making it REAL Training: 21st and 22nd January 2021
A REAL Approach to Early Maths Training for Trainers: 25th and 26th February 2021
A REAL Approach to Early REAL Maths Training: 22nd March 2021
We plan to deliver these sessions through a combination of online and face to face (at ‘Pips Place’).
For further information or to book a place please contact Kate Elston at JCCT – [email protected]
REAL Projects
Congratulations and thank you to the 11 Early Years Providers who have completed project delivery already (mix of Literacy and Maths). There are 10 providers continuing to deliver projects that re due to conclude at Christmas.
The positive impact of developing the Home Learning Environment is more important now than it ever has been and the fact that teachers and practitioners have continued to focus on delivery of these projects is fabulous.
Project data is trickling in and thanks go to all the teachers and practitioners who are working hard to get the data into Kate at JCCT, thanks also to Kate for following up and supporting with this. Thanks also We are now acutely aware that we need to draw together all data for the evaluation and the end of funding reports so please do keep the data coming in. The data submission deadline for projects completing at Christmas is 8th January 2021.
Knowledge Makes Change Seminar
The 11th Knowledge Makes Change Seminar, took place via Zoom on Wednesday 11th November.
Debbie Garvey gave the keynote on Emotional wellbeing in Early Childhood: Exploring the neuroscience and how to support emotional wellbeing of children and staff.
The recording of the seminar, along with the briefing paper are now available on the NCB website. You can find them here.
The seminar was attended by 92 people and evaluation feedback is excellent.
External Evaluation
CREC (Centre for Research in Early Childhood) have been working closely with us to scope out the external evaluation. Due to Covid-19 restrictions we plan to carry out the field-work of interviews and focus groups remotely via zoom. These will take place in the new year.
If you would like to be part of the interviews of focus groups or have suggestions of people we should include please get in touch ([email protected]).
Many thanks to everyone involved in the ongoing work of the Jersey Early Childhood Development Programme
Kooth online mental health and wellbeing support for Children and Young People
The Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest health crisis for generations. The wellbeing effects of this crisis on children and young people are starting to be realised following months of school closures, social distancing and isolation.
In response to this The Government of Jersey has commissioned Kooth, a free digital service accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, to all Islanders aged between 13 and 25 (up to their 26th birthday) without the need of a referral.
Kooth provides a safe, moderated and non-judgmental place for young people to talk, connect and chat with others and know they are not alone. The service offers online drop-in or bookable sessions with professional counsellors between 12pm and 10pm on weekdays and between 6pm and 10pm on weekends.
When young people register with Kooth they will have support available to them now and in the future. Support can be gained not only through counselling but through articles, forums and discussion boards. All content is age appropriate, clinically approved and fully moderated.
As you and your staff team have day to day contact with young people, it is important that they and the young people know about Kooth and understand what it can offer.
I have attached a poster and infographic for you to display and distribute should you wish.
For further information, or additional publicity materials, please speak with Daniela Raffio (Head of Commissioning- CYPES) Email: [email protected]
Connect Me
This service continues to be available to all islanders to signpost and refer individuals to practical and wellbeing support available in the community. This includes access to the foodbank. The Connect Me advice service can be accessed via the online form at www.gov.je/connectme or via the helpline +44 1534 445566.
COVID-19 Workforce testing programmeAll those who are part of the Voluntary and Community Sector in Jersey are able to take part in the voluntary workforce testing programme. Please find attached a copy of the letter and information sheet explaining the details and information of how to book, should you wish to take part.
Research and practice from the UK and international contexts
MITEY network
The MITEY (Men in The Early Years) network, run by the Fatherhood Institute, has several free guides available on its website, including:
You’ll also find some case studies about men who work in early years education, and early years organisations working to create a more gender-diverse workforce.
Short videos – Characteristics of Effective Learning
Siren Films has some new free short video clips showing each of the characteristics of effective learning (CoEL). These can be used to help practitioners understand more about each CoEL or shared with parents to develop their understanding.
How are the lives of families with young children changing?
A new evidence review published by the Nuffield Foundation reveals the extent of changes to family life in the UK over the last 20 years and highlights how these changes are experienced unequally across the population. Parental income and level of education play a large part in shaping early childhood experience, and this is exacerbated as the current generation faces an uncertain start in life as a result of COVID-19. The review finds that being a small child today is a strikingly different experience to a generation ago
You can download a summary or the full report.
Early years workforce qualifications and children’s outcomes
New research from the Education Policy Institute, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, finds that the presence of a graduate in private, voluntary and independent (PVI) early years settings demonstrates a small but positive association with young children’s educational attainment. This two-year study finds that modest improvements in child outcomes were seen across several years of data, and persisted into primary school, remaining at age 11. Read the full report here
The GenderEYE (Gender Diversification of the Early Years Workforce: Recruiting and Supporting Male Practitioners) study, led by Lancaster University and the Fatherhood Institute, has published its end-of-project report and a toolkit which includes tips, strategies and exercises to help early years organisations gender-diversify their teams. Both publications can be downloaded here.
EYSEND Partnership
The EYSEND Partnership continues to offer of training, support and resources to local areas across the country to support strategic development and early years practice improvement around SLCN, transition, working with parents and a whole setting approach to SEND. Find out about and register for free training, webinars and resources here.You can also sign up to the mailing list to get the most up-to-date information about training, support and resources from CDC, I CAN, nasen, Contact, Dingley’s Promise and the Communication Trust.
Early Years Masterclass – nasen
nasen (the National Association for Special Educational Needs) are offering a are offering a DfE funded Masterclass in the form of a 90 – minute live webinar, available in December and February. This webinar explores the increased demands on the Early Years sector in relation to meeting the needs of children with SEND and their families and offers approaches and ideas for identifying and assessing needs, supporting families to understand the Graduated Approach, meeting the needs of children who have not returned to settings and best practice and interim support with therapeutic services. Register for free on the nasen website here
You can access a range of other free webinars and resources here
Free advice sessions to support teaching children with Down syndrome at home
Dr Kelly Burgoyne (University of Manchester) hosted a series of free online advice sessions with a group of UK experts to support parents and practitioners educating students with Down syndrome at home and/or in school during the coronavirus pandemic. The sessions covered a range of topics from promoting language learning to developing number and maths skill and the recordings can be accessed for free on the LuCID’s website.
The Royal Foundation has published its landmark report, State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years. In 2020, The Royal Foundation commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct a major research study, exploring what the UK thinks about the early years and to understand the first-hand experiences of parents, families and carers. The findings from this landmark work were shared in the #5BigInsights, a forum held in November to discuss the findings, where the Duchess of Cambridge gave a keynote speech. You can watch a full recording of the event here.
Read the executive summary here and the full report here
