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BEYA welcome meeting - find out about our curriculum and what to expect with regard to observation and assessment

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Did you know the best time to start toilet training is between 18 months and 2 years. Find out more here

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IHV - Promoting excellence in health visiting practice to benefit all children, families and communities

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iHV is a UK-wide organisation with a web-based Centre of Excellence to strengthen the quality and consistency of health visiting services for the benefit of all children, families, and communities.

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This document talks about our curriculum and how we work in partnership with parents.

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Lots of information and advice to support you and your children with toilet training

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Potty training information and tips from the experts to guide you through the process of getting your child out of nappies and into pants for good. Every child is different; they learn to walk and talk at different times and they learn how to use the toilet at different times too.

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National Teaching School and an Early Years Hub. We are working hard to build a culture of trust, collaboration and development beyond our 3 Nursery Schools and we are keen to share our practice. We work with others to improve quality, engage in research, enhance life chances and train the early years workforce of the future. Caron Rudge & Kelly Brooker, Executive Headteachers

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National Teaching School and an Early Years Hub. We are working hard to build a culture of trust, collaboration and development beyond our 3 Nursery Schools and we are keen to share our practice. We work with others to improve quality, engage in research, enhance life chances and train the early years workforce of the future.

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Brookhill, a BEYA Nursery School and Children's Centre. We are located in East Barnet and care for children aged 6 months to 4 years. We are rated outstanding by Ofsted. Our nursery is a living space where children and childhood are honoured, their abilities and ideas valued. A place where children and adults learn from each other. Caron Rudge & Kelly Brooker, Executive Headteachers

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Brookhill Nursery School | A BEYA Nursery School

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Brookhill, a BEYA Nursery School and Children's Centre. We are located in East Barnet and care for children aged 6 months to 4 years. We are rated outstanding by Ofsted. Our nursery is a living space where children and childhood are honoured, their abilities and ideas valued.

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St Margaret's Nursery School | A BEYA Nursery School

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A Place of Possibilities Welcome to St. Margaret's, a BEYA Nursery School and Children's Centre. We are located in New Barnet and care for children aged 2, 3 and 4 years. We are rated outstanding by Ofsted. Our nursery is a living space where children...

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A guide for parents

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Our intention

We aim for our school to be a place of possibilities. A place where children and childhood are honoured, their ideas and abilities valued. We aim to motivate, inspire and challenge children in their learning, to create a space where fascination, creativity and endless possibilities for learning are at the core of what we do.

We believe that when teaching and learning is relevant, challenging and inspiring, children will develop a true passion for learning. This passion will encompass and support every aspect of growth - physical, social, emotional, intellectual and moral.

We believe that when a child has the freedom to explore the world around them and share memorable experiences with their peers and highly trained practitioners, learning becomes joyful and long-lasting.

Our curriculum

Our Curriculum is based on 3 interconnecting worlds: my world, the world around me and the world beyond.

Our highly trained staff will use these worlds as a starting point for engaging children in learning across all seven areas of learning as outlined in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage

Communication and language development
The development of children's spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development. Children's back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development. The number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing, and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build children's language effectively. Reading frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive. Through conversation, story-telling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.

Physical development
Physical activity is vital in children's all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child's strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play movement with both objects and adults. By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination which is later linked to early literacy. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and the practise of using small tools, with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence.

Personal, social and emotional development
Children's personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives, and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others. Children should be supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary. Through adult modelling and guidance, they will learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and manage personal needs independently. Through supported interaction with other children they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life.

Literacy development
It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together. Skilled word reading, taught later, involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing)

Mathematics
Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding - such as using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising counting - children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. In addition, it is important that the curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, 'have a go', talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.

Understanding the world
Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children's personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them - from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening children's vocabulary will support later reading comprehension.

Expressive arts and design
The development of children's artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.

Implementation

The implementation of our curriculum is based on a clear pedagogy which recognises the following key principles:

every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured

children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships

children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.

The importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

(DFE, Statutory Framework the Early Years Foundation stage, 2020).

Understanding and implementation of the Characteristics of Effective Learning

These characteristics explain how young children learn.

Playing and exploring - engagement

Relevant learning experiences that are engaging and interactive that facilitate challenging and sustained learning. Learning is defined as the progress in one or more of the following areas:

Skills - being able to do something, such as a being able to pedal on a trike

Knowledge - knowledge such as knowing where the small world resources are kept, or knowing that your heart needs to beat to all the time

Concept : development of an understanding: such as some materials can alter their form: water to ice

Dispositions - displaying of behaviours that enhances learning such as a willingness to persevere, to ask questions, to have a go.

Active learning - motivation

For learning to flourish children need rich opportunities that promote engagement, challenge, inspiration and fascination, for example working collaboratively to build a bridge across a stream.

Creating and thinking critically - thinking ​

For children's thinking to flourish, practitioners need to know the child and establish secure relationships. It is once such secure relationships are established that practitioners can tune into children's thinking. The use of thinking language can facilitate the means for children to reflect on their learning this includes: open ended questions, running commentaries, pondering and repeating children's language back to them to highlight their thinking.

Extending Children's
Thinking and Learning

We value these teaching strategies which are underpinned by a knowledge of child development and warm, trusting relationships.
Observe to Understand

"Stand aside for a while and leave room for learning, observe carefully what children do, and then if you have understood well, teaching will be different from before" (Loris Malaguzzi)

Use your words wisely

Open ended questions to promote thoughtfulness.

A commentary of thoughts and actions to model language

Ambitious, rich language to inspire children

Specific praise so children know what they have done well

Benign Neglect

"non-interference that is intended to benefit someone or something"

Allow children to persevere, overcome challenges, develop independence

Model and Guide

The Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky) "What a child can do in co-operation today, they can do alone tomorrow"
The environment as the third educator

A Nursery school is a place of possibilities!

New experiences in a rich environment to encourage new ways of thinking.

Time, permission, open ended resources and a risk-taking culture.

IMPACT of our
Teaching and Learning

What Children know and can do?

Children's' learning will be closely monitored in close collaboration with parents to ensure that all children are supported to reach significant milestones for their age. (OPAL)

Cultural Capital: The essential skills and knowledge that children need to be successful.

Learning within a place of possibilities, children will be nurtured. Their individual interests and talents will be valued and developed.

As a result, children's well-being will be high. They will have a belief in themselves and their abilities. They will know that they are loved, that they are strong, capable and unique. They will have resilience and the perseverance to keep on trying when things are challenging.

They will have the confidence to try new things, to take risks and be physically active. Children will know how to communicate their ideas, beliefs and feelings, choosing different ways to do this. Some children will choose to dance, others to build or draw or sing. They will have experienced and remembered a wide range of words through stories, rhymes and poems. They will have the skills to make friends and will show kindness to others. They will know how to look after themselves, their friends, their school and the environment.

They will know about important mathematical and scientific concepts. They will have an understanding and respect of the world around them and the world beyond. They will have a desire to learn and be ready for their next stage in education.

Our Approach to Assessment

As a Federation of Nursery schools, we feel a responsibility to develop a model of effective, meaningful and principled assessment of young children's learning.

By effective, we mean a method of assessment that ensures that all children are supported in reaching significant milestones.

By meaningful, we mean that the observations made inform our everyday practice and curriculum. By gaining an insight into children's thinking, feeling and needs we can plan our environment and actions to provide future possibilities for learning.

By principled, we mean that our focus is on observing to understand children. We will not test children or seek unnecessary knowledge. Children are recognised as individuals, not as a percentage in a pie chart.

We will not spend unnecessary amounts of time writing observations or gathering evidence of children's learning. We believe that if we are capturing the moment, we cannot be part of the moment. Instead we have structures in place that enable us to regularly discuss each child as a team.

Observation of Play and Learning (OPAL)

Observing children in the early years should not be a chore. We decided to stand up to the increasing demands for 'paperwork' and 'evidence' with the aim of giving ourselves time. Time to spend interacting and playing with our children, not testing them. We have written three blog posts about how we are making observation and assessment more meaningful for both children and adults.
Let's bring back the joy of observing children in the Early Years Part One: OPAL - A different way to look at assessment in the early years. Part Two: OPAL - How it works in practice Part Three: OPAL - Thoughts from practitioners
BEYA is working hard to build a culture of collaboration beyond our three schools and Children's Centre. We believe we have developed a truly wonderful Observation of Play and Learning (OPAL) assessment tool that the Early Years Sector can benefit from and that we would like to share.
For further information please email opal@beya.org.uk

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We aim for our school to be a place of possibilities. A place where children and childhood are honoured, their ideas and abilities valued. We aim to motivate, inspire and challenge children in their learning, to create a space where fascination, creativity and endless possibilities for learning are at the core of what we do.

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A link to key BEYA policies and government safeguarding documents

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Parents commented that, even the small things, like the issuing of fridge magnets with a picture of their children's key worker, really helped their children to get ready for their time at the school and to settle in swiftly. Right from day one, there is a friendly face to meet and greet them.

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Coronavirus (COVID-19): support for parents and carers to keep children safe online

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Government publication: Support for parents and carers to keep children safe online

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While there are huge benefits to being online to stay connected to family and friends, the government recognises many parents feel concerned about the activities and content their children are accessing. This guidance outlines resources to help keep children safe from different risks online and where to go to get support and advice.

Keep your child safe online

It is important to have regular conversations about staying safe online and to encourage children to speak to you if they come across something worrying online.

Talk to your child about the importance of creating a safe online environment, including keeping any log-in details and passwords safe.

These resources will support you to talk to your child about a range of online safety issues, set up home filtering in a child-friendly way and set up age-appropriate parental controls on digital devices:

What harms might my child experience online?

You may have concerns about specific harms which children can experience online. There are more resources to help you understand and protect your child from these, including:

Child sexual abuse

If you are concerned call 999 or report it to the NCA-CEOP.

If your child has been a victim of child sexual abuse - online or offline - and you believe they are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police.

If you are concerned that your child has been a victim of online sexual abuse or you are worried about the way someone has been communicating with your child online, you can report it to .

These resources provide information and support for parents and carers on what to do if you're worried about child sexual abuse:

you can contact the NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) for support and advice if you have concerns about your own or another child's safety

Stop Abuse Together campaign provides advice and support on how to keep your child safe

Thinkuknow by NCA-CEOP has developed activities to support your child's safe use of the internet

the Lucy Faithfull Foundation's Parents Protect website has advice on how to help protect children from child sexual abuse including a Harmful Sexual Behaviour Prevention Toolkit

if you see sexual images or videos of someone under 18 online, report it anonymously to the Internet Watch Foundation who can work to remove them from the web and help to identify victims and survivors

you can contact Stop It Now! for information and advice if you have concerns about someone's behaviour, including children who may be displaying concerning sexual behaviour

you can contact The Marie Collins Foundation help@mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk for support, including advice and individual counselling, for your child if they have been subjected to online sexual abuse - support is also offered to parents and carers

Criminal exploitation and county lines, violence and gangs

Our page of advice to parents and carers on keeping children safe from abuse and harm has information on this.

Radicalising content

If you are concerned that any family member, friend or loved one is being radicalised, you can call the police or 101 to get advice or make a Prevent referral, so that they can get safeguarding support.

Support is tailored to the individual and works in a similar way to safeguarding processes designed to protect people from gangs, drug abuse, and physical and sexual exploitation.

Receiving support through Prevent is voluntary, confidential and not a form of criminal sanction.

If you need more help, you can also contact your local authority safeguarding team.

Consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images and/or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery)

If you are worried about your child sending nude images or videos (sometimes referred to as 'youth-produced sexual imagery' or sexting), provides advice to help you understand the risks and support your child.

If your child has shared nude images, Thinkuknow by NCA-CEOP provides advice on talking to your child and where to get help.

So You Got Naked Online created by South West Grid for Learning, has advice for young people and parents affected by sexting, also available in a SEND (Special Educational Need and Disability) version.

Report Remove is an online tool where young people can request removal of a nude image of themselves which is circulating online.

Cyberbullying

If you are concerned about cyberbullying, you can find government advice and information about how you can protect your child and tackle it if it happens.

Age-inappropriate content and parental controls

Remember to review and adjust privacy and safety settings if you or your child is signing up to a new online service, app or piece of technology.

Internet Matters has step-by-step guides on how to set up parental controls so that you can control what content your child can access online

the UK Safer Internet Centre has guidance on how to switch on family-friendly filters to prevent age-inappropriate content being accessed on devices in your home

the has more information for parents or carers with concerns about their child seeking inappropriate or explicit content online

Apps to help children stay safe online

The BBC has a website and app called Own It. The website helps children navigate their online lives, and the free smartphone app comes with a special keyboard which can intervene with help and support in the moments that children need it the most. It can be downloaded for free in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

SafeToNet is an app for parents to help them protect their children from online risks like cyberbullying and sexting, while respecting their child's rights to privacy. The SafeToNet Foundation is providing UK families with free-for-life access to SafeToNet during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Mental health

If you are worried about your child's mental health, the NHS has published guidance on mental health and wellbeing.

If you are worried that someone you know is suicidal, including your child, Samaritans provides advice on how you can support others.

Support for children

If your child is worried or needs support, they can get advice and support from Childline (0800 1111) or download the 'For Me' app.

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Support for parents and carers to keep children safe online

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While there are huge benefits to being online to stay connected to family and friends, the government recognises many parents feel concerned about the activities and content their children are accessing. This guidance outlines resources to help keep children safe from different risks online and where to go to get support and advice.

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Talk pants from the NSPCC is a simple conversation to help keep your child safe from sexual abuse.

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Celebrating 10 years of Talk PANTS!

Pantosaurus has helped 1.5 million parents Talk PANTS and keep their children safe from sexual abuse.

Developed in consultation with children, parents, carers and teachers, Talk PANTS is here to help children understand their body belongs to them, and they should tell a safe adult they trust if anything makes them feel upset or worried.

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Our PANTS activity pack makes it easy to talk to your child about staying safe from harm. With a word search, dot-to-dot and maze game, you can help them learn without using any scary words.

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BEYA Online Safety - Parent Information Session

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BEYA Online Safety - Parent Information Session

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Information, Advice and Support to Keep Children Safe Online

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Support and practical tips to help children benefit from connected technology and the internet safely and smartly.

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Working with online safety experts, we're here to provide parents & carers with guidance, advice and support to keep children safe online | Internet Matters

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Parents and Carers toolkit

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Skip to content

Resources

Three resources that offer practical tips and advice on different aspects of keeping your child safe online.

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Key downloadable resources to support parents and carers.

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Information to support you with children speech, language and communication

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Skip to content

We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. If you're concerned about your child's speech and language development, we can help.

We know that it can be hard to know where to start if you are worried about your child's development. If you think your child is having challenges with talking and understanding words, we are here to help you.

Our free resources and services can help with understanding what to look out for, how to get support and even some simple ways you can help your child at home.

Share your experience

We want to know what life is like for the 1.9 million children and young people who face challenges with talking and understanding words.

Take our survey

Our progress checker will provide short questions you can answer to see how your baby or child is getting on with their talking and understanding of words.

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Help for families - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. Access our free resources and learn more about ways to encourage children's speech and language development.

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Advice on everything from everything from communication and behaviour to health and nutrition

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Early Years Alliance is the trading name of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. Registered as a limited company in England and Wales (no. 4539003) Registered as an educational charity with charity number 1096526 Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority VAT Registration Number: GB 830 472 251

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Fun activities for children aged 0-5

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Chat, play, read!

Here are some tips and activities to help your child develop their speech skills:

use things your child is interested in for play, follow their lead and make sure you're physically at their level while playing

if you notice your child looking or pointing at something, talk to them about it before they lose interest in it

picture books introduce your child to new things they haven't seen yet in real life - ask them to tell you the story, or talk about what the characters might be thinking and feeling

make reading, singing and playing even more fun by using lots of actions and different voices

take turns to make noises or speak - your child will be able to hold longer conversations, so slow down your speech, give them plenty of time to respond and listen carefully to what they have to say

talk to your child in short, simple sentences, as it's easier for them to understand you and have a go at copying when they are ready

try to use the same book or sing the same song, as young children learn a lot from repetition

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Find out how you can help your child with their speech & language development. If you have any concerns, talk to your doctor or health visitor.

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Early Years Guide to SEND Code of Practice - 02Sept14

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Government publication

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Support and information for children with SEND and their families across the Barnet area

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If you require more general support about Home Learning please look on the website of your child's school. In addition there is further information at:

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Support and information for children with SEND and their families across the Enfield area

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Get support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and their family or carers.

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The NSPCC is the UK’s leading children’s charity, preventing abuse and helping those affected to recover. Help us be here for children. Please donate now.

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Supporting Sleep - Barnets Children's Integrated Therapy team on Vimeo

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Parent information session on preparing you and your child for the transition to school. (May 2023)

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Tips and ideas from the NHS

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Whether squeezing it in before the school run in the morning or before bed on busy midweek evenings, preparing your child's lunchbox can seem like just another thing on the list.

School meals are a great choice, but if you do make a packed lunch for your child then we've got you covered with our range of quick, easy, healthier lunchbox ideas and tips.

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Lunchbox ideas and recipes - Healthier Families

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Whether squeezing it in before the school run in the morning or before bed on busy midweek evenings, preparing your child's lunchbox can seem like just another thing on the list. School meals are a great choice, but if you do make a packed lunch for your child then we've got you covered with our range of quick, easy, healthier lunchbox ideas and tips.

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Advice from mental health experts on everything from routines and mealtimes to anxiety and meltdowns

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Parenting Smart offers practical advice for parents and carers of children aged 5-11. All of our content is created by Place2Be's parenting experts. It's based on evidence and their experiences working with children, young people and their families.

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Parent Workshop: Helping your child to learn

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Eric Carle reads The Very Hungry Caterpillar

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Eric Carle reads The Very Hungry Caterpillar

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Michael Rosen performs We're Going on a Bear Hunt

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This is brilliant!

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Michael Rosen performs We're Going on a Bear Hunt

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Supporting Children's Behaviour and Emotion

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Supporting Children's Behaviour and Emotion

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Parent Workshop: Supporting Children's behaviour and emotions

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Informative ebook covering nutrition from pregnancy through to when your child is 5 years old

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Short video with an important message

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Molly Wright: How every child can thrive by five

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"What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world?" asks seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers. Breaking down the research-backed ways parents and caregivers can support children's healthy brain development, Wright highlights the benefits of play on lifelong learning, behavior and well-being, sharing effective strategies to help all kids thrive by the age of five.

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An interesting blog about positive behaviour management

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Updated: Jun 18, 2020

Time out is short of "Time Out from positive reinforcement". It is an extended form of parental ignoring where children are removed for a brief period from adult attention in the hope they will calm down.

When Time Out emerged, it was intended as the last step in positive parenting models. It was sold as 'a non-violent response to conflict', a tool for parents to use instead of using physical forms of punishment. I will repeat that. Time Out was developed as a tool to offer parents something less harmful than physical forms of punishments, such as smacking and spanking and hitting. But if you are here reading this blog my guess is that you do not partake in physical punishments. (Physical punishment is prohibited in schools, nurseries and day care in all of the UK. from January 2020 it is now illegal for parents to physically punish their child in Scotland and Wales and there are working groups asking for legislation to also be changed in England to make it illegal).

To share some of my personal journey with this, 15 years ago and while I was training to become a clinical psychologist I ran parenting groups and taught parents how to carry out Time Out on their last week of training, and as a last resort to challenging behaviour. These parenting groups were challenging to run with parents who held personal stories of trauma and only used punitive strategies for parenting their children who were usually displaying extreme challenging behaviours as a consequence of this. However, Time Out has now become a stand-alone technique that is widely overused weekly, if not daily in homes, schools and heartbreakingly, in nurseries too.

Time Out gives adults the expectation that children will reflect on what they have done and use logic to consider other solutions, fostering an internal sense of responsibility and conscience. However, children often act on impulse and their behaviours often don't make sense even to them, they just have a strong feeling and act out. Most children who receive Time Out lack the ability to sit and reflect on their actions. If they had these skills they wouldn't be exploding with big emotions in the first place!

One of the arguments

Time out is short of "Time Out from positive reinforcement". It is an extended form of parental ignoring where children are removed for a brief period from adult attention in the hope they will calm down.

When Time Out emerged, it was intended as the last step in positive parenting models. It was sold as 'a non-violent response to conflict', a tool for parents to use instead of using physical forms of punishment. I will repeat that. Time Out was developed as a tool to offer parents something less harmful than physical forms of punishments, such as smacking and spanking and hitting. But if you are here reading this blog my guess is that you do not partake in physical punishments. (Physical punishment is prohibited in schools, nurseries and day care in all of the UK. from January 2020 it is now illegal for parents to physically punish their child in Scotland and Wales and there are working groups asking for legislation to also be changed in England to make it illegal).

To share some of my personal journey with this, 15 years ago and while I was training to become a clinical psychologist I ran parenting groups and taught parents how to carry out Time Out on their last week of training, and as a last resort to challenging behaviour. These parenting groups were challenging to run with parents who held personal stories of trauma and only used punitive strategies for parenting their children who were usually displaying extreme challenging behaviours as a consequence of this. However, Time Out has now become a stand-alone technique that is widely overused weekly, if not daily in homes, schools and heartbreakingly, in nurseries too.

Time Out gives adults the expectation that children will reflect on what they have done and use logic to consider other solutions, fostering an internal sense of responsibility and conscience. However, children often act on impulse and their behaviours often don't make sense even to them, they just have a strong feeling and act out. Most children who receive Time Out lack the ability to sit and reflect on their actions. If they had these skills they wouldn't be exploding with big emotions in the first place!

One of the arguments

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Time Out is for you. "Time-in" is for your child.

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Updated: Jun 18, 2020 Time out is short of "Time Out from positive reinforcement". It is an extended form of parental ignoring where children are removed for a brief period from adult attention in the hope they will calm down. When Time Out emerged, it was intended as the last step in positive parenting models.

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A great website to help parents and carers develop their little ones' communication skills

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Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child's language skills. Explore our simple activities and play ideas and find out about babies and toddlers' amazing early development.

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Children’s language development and parenting advice - BBC Tiny Happy People

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A chatty child is a happy child, so Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child’s communication skills through simple interaction and play.

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Visit the website for up to date information of under 5s events, from rhyme time to baby nurture

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Everyday adventures: chat, play, read | National Literacy Trust

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Children get the most from their play when they are in charge of it – when they choose what to play, who to play with and what the rules are.

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You can download the content of this page as a printable leaflet for parents (PDF file – print as 2-sided A4 and fold to A5)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework outlines the standards for learning development and care for every child in England from the age of 0-5 when they attend an early education setting.

This is what all providers must do, by law, whether they are a childminder, private nursery, pre-school, or a reception class in school, but how your child’s setting decides to deliver education and care within the framework is up to them.

Your child’s early education setting has chosen to use a guidance document called Birth to 5 Matters. This page aims to explain more about the principles which Birth to 5 Matters promotes and what this means for you and your child.

Skills for the 21st century

Birth to 5 Matters is written in the context of the world that your child is growing up in. For example, included in the guidance are sections about the positive use of technology, sustainability, equality, and inclusion. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents are concerned about their children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health. Birth to 5 Matters has an important section which focuses on nurturing care. This will support the staff who look after your child to understand about the value of forming close bonds and help them to work with your child if they become upset. The guidance has been written based on the rights of children as our youngest citizens, using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Principles of the EYFS

Birth to 5 Matters is based on four principles which are core to the Early Years Foundation Stage:

A unique child

Your child is unique, which means that they have their own likes and dislikes and that they will learn and develop in their own way, at their own pace. Birth to 5 Matters encourages settings tomake sure that every child is included and can see representation of themselves and their families: their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or any other characteristic.

Positive relationships

It is important that your child’s experiences are grounded in positive relationships, as these will help your child to be most able to learn and develop. Your child should have a warm bond with a key person, and you should feel comfortable and secure with the adults who are looking after your child.

What can I expect from my child’s key person?

Birth to 5 Matters will support your child’s key person to understand the importance of the relationship they have with them and help them to get to know your child even better by playing alongside them and noticing what they can do. They understand that your child brings with them lots of experiences from home and the key person will plan learning experiences which support your child to build on what they already know. Your relationship with your child’s key person is really important, as you know your child best. Working together in a trusting relationship will help the key person as they plan for and support your child. You can expect your child will receive respectful intimate care and support to learn everyday life skills.

Enabling environments

Positive experiences in the early years provides a solid foundation for your child as they go through school and on into life. Your setting is committed to providing a learning environment, both inside and outside, which is rich and full of learning possibilities.

Learning and Development

Your child learns best when they are playing and one of the adult’s most important roles is to make sure that your child is able to enjoy learning through play. Your child will also learn through their social interactions with peers.

Being a lifelong learner

The early years is an important time for children, but learning is a lifelong process. The skills, attitudes, and attributes children develop now will be important for them for the rest of their life. Birth to 5 Matters encourages settings to support children to develop and learn through play, using both the indoors and outdoor environment.

Children’s choices are important and Birth to 5 Matters promotes children’s independence to take charge of their own play, because children learn best when they are deeply interested and fully involved. In their early years children learn about the world through being active, exploring, being creative and learning to think. Being able to play with open ended resources helps them to develop these characteristics of effective learning.

Research tells us that when children feel safe and secure, they learn best. Having an adult who cares for them and knows when to stand back and when to get involved in their play, is very important.

Children’s learning is often like a winding pathway, so it is important to know that each child’s learning journey is unique to them. The EYFS has separated areas of learning into prime learning areas and specific learning areas. There are three prime areas of learning which are:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Communication and Language

Physical Development

There are four specific areas of learning which are:

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the world

Expressive Arts and Design.

However, when a child learns these areas are often interconnected. For example, when a child is playing with water they may be filling and emptying containers. This is a mathematical learning as they learn about capacity. However, if they are playing with another child doing this, they are learning within the Personal, Social and Emotional prime area of development. Should they be having a conversation about what they are doing, both children are developing speech and language skills. Your child should have play and learning experiences offered to them which cover all these interconnected areas of learning, whether they are a baby or 5 years old.

Assessment in Birth to 5 Matters

Throughout your child’s time in an early years setting, practitioners will be noticing what your child knows, can do and then reflect on how to support their learning as a result, through a cycle of observing, assessing, and planning.  At certain key points, assessments will be recorded to measure children’s progress and make sure their learning and development is on track to meet their developmental milestones. The government require children to have a check at 2 years old, which is made alongside a health check with your Health Visitor. Children have another assessment when they go into Reception. This is called the Reception Baseline Assessment. The final assessment children have in the EYFS is at the end of reception where their teacher looks at the Early Learning Goals, to assess their current development and aid transition to Year 1.

Birth to 5 Matters suggests that data on your child’s progress is only recorded 2 or 3 times each year. Your setting will be using a series of ranges to make those assessments. The ranges are overlapping to show the varied rates of learning and development and emphasise that children do not develop at a uniform rate or in a linear way Assessments are made to make sure your child is developing well and to help their key person plan what is best for your child. It is good to share with your early years setting things that your child has done at home, so they can have a full picture. Your key person should share with you any assessments that have been made so that you can discuss them and work together to support your child.

The child’s voice

When early years practitioners talk to you about your child, they may refer to your child’s “voice”. This is a term used in Birth to 5 Matters which recognises that very young children can and do communicate – often without speaking. They send clear messages about how they feel, what they like and how they are experiencing the world around them. As their parent/carer you will know your child best, and your views are very important. Any assessment made about your child’s progress will be based on their key person’s knowledge of them along with observations of your child at play and their “voice.” You should be asked to add your own thoughts, observations and feelings to any assessment to make sure it reflects your child’s full life both within the early years setting at home and in the wider community.

If you are interested to know more about Birth to 5 Matters, you can visit the explore the rest of this website where you will find more resources, videos, and podcasts.

Download a printable version

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Information for parents – Birth To 5 Matters

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You can download the content of this page as a printable leaflet for parents (PDF file – print as 2-sided A4 and fold to A5)

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In-depth advice and guidance about autism and the challenges autistic people and their families face. Topics include what is autism, diagnosis, communication, mental health, education, and more.

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Barnet Local Offer :: Home / Info and Advice / Education Health and Care Plans

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If you require more general support about Home Learning please look on the website of your child's school. In addition there is further information at:

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Support and advice

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SEND informaton and support

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Barnet SEND information advice and support service (SENDIASS)

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The Early Years & Prevention Department is a multi-disciplinary team of mental health professionals, some with a background in psychoanalytic child psychotherapy, counselling, clinical and educational psychology.

We have specialisms in parent infant psychotherapy, video based treatments, therapy for parents and toddlers (in groups and individually) as well as other Mentalization based approaches. We are also developing and delivering specialised support for fathers in the Perinatal period.

Early Years in Mind is a free online network for early years practitioners. The network provides easy to read and easy to use guidance on supporting the mental health of babies, young children and their families. The network was developed by our mental health experts and shares practical and clinical expertise, and advice on using attachment-informed practice. Read more about Early Years in Mind.

Join our free Early Years in Mind learning network today

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A free online network for early years practitioners.

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FREE child development app, full of support, information and advice

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Welcome to My First Five Years: a safe and supportive learning space for parents, to support their child’s unique development.