# data[].attributes.headline
NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner

# data[].attributes.subject
NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

Development Matters offers a top-level view of how children develop and learn for all early years practitioners, including:

childminders

staff in nurseries

nursery schools

school nursery and reception classes in school

The guidance can help meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Birth To 5 Matters – Guidance by the sector, for the sector

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The national curriculum for England to be taught in all local-authority-maintained schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This statutory code contains:

details of legal requirements that you must follow without exception

statutory guidance that you must follow by law unless there's a good reason not to

It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

The code, which applies to England, is for:

headteachers and principals

governing bodies

school and college staff

special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinators

early years providers

other education settings

local authorities

health and social services staff

Other SEND guides are also available.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

A guide for early years settings on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This guide is for managers and staff in all early years education settings funded by the local authority.

The guide explains the duties and responsibilities of providers of early years education who deal with children and young people with special educational needs and disability ( SEND) and their families.

It should be read alongside the 'Special education needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25'.

Separate guides for:

are also available.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A guide for early years settings on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Skip to main content

Information for early years providers, childminders and nurseries including guidance on the early years foundation stage (EYFS), funding and training.

Early learning and childcare

Early years foundation stage

Providing childcare

Standards, qualifications and training

Funding for childcare providers

Inspection of early years and childcare providers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Early years and childcare: guidance for providers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information for early years providers, childminders and nurseries including guidance on the early years foundation stage (EYFS), funding and training.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We'd also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use this service and make improvements.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety considerations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guidance to help those who work in early years settings consider their practice and to take steps to safeguard both children and adults online.

# data[].attributes.headline
What to do if you are worried a child is being abused

# data[].attributes.subject
What to do if you are worried a child is being abused

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Guidance to help practitioners identify the signs of child abuse and neglect and understand what action to take.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This guidance is for anyone who comes into contact with children and families while working, including:

social care practitioners

health practitioners

early years practitioners

school staff (both teaching and non-teaching)

police officers

local authorities

It applies to people working in the:

statutory sector (organisations set up, controlled and funded by the government)

voluntary sector (not for profit organisations)

independent sectors (organisations funded by the clients who use the service)

It explains:

the signs of abuse and neglect to look out for

the action to take if you think a child is being abused or neglected

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Child abuse concerns: guide for practitioners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guidance to help practitioners identify the signs of child abuse and neglect and understand what action to take.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Details

This guidance is for:

local authority chief executives

directors of children's services

safeguarding partners

teachers and education staff

social workers

health service professionals

adult services

police officers

voluntary and community sector workers in contact with children and families

It applies to:

A version of the guidance for young people and a separate version suitable for younger children are also available for practitioners to share.

Statutory guidance is issued by law - you must follow it unless there's a good reason not to.

Working together to safeguard children 2018

This is a factual update to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 to reflect recent changes to legislation, including:

Integrated Care Boards: from 1 July 2022, integrated care boards have replaced clinical commissioning groups as a result of the Health and Care Act 2022

Public Health England: has now been replaced by the UK Health Security Agency and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), which is part of the Department of Health and Social Care, and by the UK Health Security Agency. The Chief Public Health Nurse role has transferred to OHID

Domestic Abuse Act 2021: references to the Domestic Abuse Bill should be read as the Domestic Abuse Act 2021

UK GDPR: references to the GDPR should be read as the UK GDPR. The UK GDPR is the retained EU law version of the GDPR. The UK GDPR sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018

Statutory framework

The updated statutory framework sets out the legislation relevant to safeguarding and it should be read alongside the statutory guidance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment.

Details

This guidance applies to all schools and colleges and is for:

headteachers, teachers and staff

governing bodies, proprietors and management committees

It sets out the legal duties you must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 in schools and colleges.

All school and college staff should read part 1 of this guidance. Part 1 of the guidance is also available as a standalone document.

Statutory guidance sets out what schools must do to comply with the law.

Where the guidance states schools and colleges should do something, you should follow this unless you have a good reason not to.

'Regulated activity in relation to children: scope' describes work that a barred person must not do. We have also published guidance on disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guidance on information sharing for people who provide safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Access training courses on the Prevent duty, the threat from terrorism and extremism in the UK and how to support people susceptible to radicalisation.

Prevent is one part of the government's overall counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. The aim of Prevent is to:

tackle the ideological causes of terrorism

intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation

enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate

This training is for people working in sectors covered by the Prevent duty, such as:

education

health

local authorities

police

criminal justice agencies (prisons, probation and youth justice)

Other sectors that are not covered by the Prevent duty may also complete this training.

Prevent duty courses

In these training courses, you will learn about:

the Prevent duty

different forms of extremism and terrorism

the risk around radicalisation and your supportive role

making a Prevent referral that is both informed and made with good intention

the interventions and support available

If you experience any issues with the service or our site, refer to our help section.

This service is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

If you have started a course and would like to complete it, use your reference number to resume your course

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Access training courses on the Prevent duty, the threat from terrorism and extremism in the UK and how to support people susceptible to radicalisation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Early years child development training : Home page

# data[].attributes.headline
Education and Early Years T Level: Early Years Educator

# data[].attributes.subject
Education and Early Years T Level: Early Years Educator

# data[].attributes.headline
My Revision Notes: Education and Early Years T Level

# data[].attributes.subject
My Revision Notes: Education and Early Years T Level

# data[].attributes.headline
Education and Early Years T Level: Assisting Teaching

# data[].attributes.subject
Education and Early Years T Level: Assisting Teaching

# data[].attributes.body
Share Ideas on this Padlet of activities or environments you find in Placement

# data[].attributes.headline
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Child Care and Education (Early Years Educator)

# data[].attributes.subject
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Child Care and Education (Early Years Educator)

# data[].attributes.headline
Children’s Learning in Early Childhood : Learning Theories in Practice 0-7 Years

# data[].attributes.subject
Children’s Learning in Early Childhood : Learning Theories in Practice 0-7 Years

# data[].attributes.headline
Understanding Child Development 0-8 Years : Linking Theory and Practice

# data[].attributes.subject
Understanding Child Development 0-8 Years : Linking Theory and Practice

# data[].attributes.headline
Play in Early Childhood : From Birth to Six Years

# data[].attributes.subject
Play in Early Childhood : From Birth to Six Years

# data[].attributes.headline
Mary Sheridan's from Birth to Five Years : Children's Developmental Progress

# data[].attributes.subject
Mary Sheridan's from Birth to Five Years : Children's Developmental Progress

# data[].attributes.headline
Understanding Children and Young People : Development from 5-18 Years

# data[].attributes.subject
Understanding Children and Young People : Development from 5-18 Years

# data[].attributes.body
Understanding Children and Young People : Development from 5-18 Years

# data[].attributes.headline
From Birth to Five Years : Children's Developmental Progress

# data[].attributes.subject
From Birth to Five Years : Children's Developmental Progress

# data[].attributes.headline
Child Development : An Illustrated Guide

# data[].attributes.subject
Child Development : An Illustrated Guide

# data[].attributes.headline
Parent Input Form - Marmalade Early Years

# data[].attributes.subject
Parent Input Form - Marmalade Early Years

# data[].attributes.headline
Individual Well Being and Involvement Observation

# data[].attributes.subject
Individual Well Being and Involvement Observation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Help for early years providers : Food safety

# data[].attributes.body
This is the College's Official Student Handbook for Work Placements (CBC Bedford Tresham). This will be used alongside our Dept ones, as it is quite generic but includes some good general information

# data[].attributes.body
You will need to complete this to send to your chosen placement. Don't forget to sell your self and why you feel you are the right student for them!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Babies and young children are particularly vulnerable to abuse and neglect.

It's important that everyone working or volunteering with expectant parents, young children and their families is confident about how they prevent, recognise and respond to child protection concerns.

Our resources, guidance and training are designed to help you support pregnant parents, children under 5 and their families.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Safeguarding and child protection in the early years | NSPCC Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Resources, guidance and training to help you support babies, young children and their families in the early years from 0-5.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ofsted guidance on inspecting registered early years and childcare providers under the education inspection framework.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Ofsted guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the education inspection framework.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ofsted guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the education inspection framework.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Once a provider is registered on the Ofsted Early Years Register, Ofsted carry out regular inspections to evaluate the overall quality and standards of its early years provision in line with the principles and requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Providers on the Early Years Register will normally be inspected at least once within a 6-year window. Ofsted will prioritise the first inspection of newly registered providers on the Early Years Register. This will normally be within 30 months of their registration date.

Take a look at the information below to help you to reflect on your current policies, practices and provision in readiness for your Ofsted inspection.

During your Ofsted inspection, be prepared to discuss your curriculum. The curriculum will be built upon the areas of learning within the Early years foundation stage and encompass what you believe children should experience to flourish, learn and grow (your ethos). Your curriculum will evolve and change over time in response to the interests and needs of the cohort of children on role.

Use the Ofsted language of the 3's to help you describe your curriculum:

intent of curriculum design, coverage, and appropriateness, - what do you want the children know or be able to do?

implementation of curriculum delivery, teaching and assessment, - how do your resources, activities and environment support your aims?

impact on attainment and progress, knowledge skills and readiness for the next stage of learning - what are children learning as a result of what you offer?

Really think about why you do things the way you do. Your curriculum can be unique to you and based on your current children's interests and needs, providing activities and experiences that deliver the areas of learning. Inspectors will assess your curriculum favourably when you have built or adopted a curriculum with appropriate coverage, content, structure, and sequencing and implemented it effectively. They are likely to assess it negatively where the curriculum limits children's opportunities. It is important that children have access to a highly ambitious, broad and rich curriculum.

Ask yourself these questions:

is your curriculum based on the Statutory early years foundation stage (EYFS), which gives you a framework that you can build on, through the 7 areas of learning?

what is at the heart of your provision and what does it offer to those who use it?

what three things define your setting and how do they impact on children's learning and development? (Ethos)

how have you organised your environment and why?

what do you intend the children to learn? - do resources and the environment meet children's needs and promote their focus on learning? (Curriculum intent and implementation)

what is your definition and approach to teaching? (Teaching implementation)

does the curriculum sufficiently challenge children? (Challenge)

how well do you use additional funding, for example Early years pupil premium?

do children develop, consolidate and deepen their knowledge, understanding and skills across the areas of learning? (Progress)

are children prepared for their next stage in learning? (Outcomes for children)

what changes have you made and what is the impact? (Impact)

what are your future plans to develop the curriculum and why (Vision)?

Strengthening staff practice

Find out more about how curriculum planning helps give the children a better experience, covering all early years foundation stage areas of learning by reading Curriculum planning - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK.

Access this quick read article How to Build Your Own Early Years Curriculum.

Giving children more time to think about what they want to say before moving on with further questions during conversations has been a trending Ofsted recommendation in recent local early years inspections.

You play an important role in helping children develop their communication skills and you can increase language development by encouraging them to take charge of the interaction.

OWLing is all about being a good conversation partner. OWL stands for Observe, Wait, Listen and is a teaching strategy you can use to help you remember to give children more time to respond and take their turn in communication. When you want a child to initiate, or take a turn, you need to wait. The more a child initiates conversation, the more feedback and language input they receive from the people around them based on their immediate interest. Think of it as " Children who lead get the language they need ". By enabling them to initiate conversations it increases motivation, extends interactions about current fascinations, and provides rich language-learning opportunities.

Owling is based on three skills that work hand in hand:

Observe carefully, paying close attention to what the child says or does. Sometimes the child will initiate the interaction, and this will be a clear and intentional effort to communicate through actions, gestures, sounds or words. Sometimes the child might simply start an activity or routine. Tuning in tells you what the child is interested in.

Waiting gives the child time to initiate, process a question or thought and respond, or show interest in something. While face-to-face with the child, keep silent and wait for 5-10 seconds. The key thing about waiting is to give the child enough time to understand that you expect them to send you a message. It doesn't matter whether it is a sound, words, or gestures. It lets the child take charge of the interaction. Waiting lets the child know that you think they are important, and they are valued. The waiting time may vary for each child. Some children who may have a language delay might need you to wait longer to send the message that the child is expected to initiate. With other children, who are easily distracted and shift their attention frequently, if you wait too long, the child may lose interest. You need to discover the right amount of time to wait for each child. 'Wait' means three things: stop talking, lean forward and look at the child expectantly. Naturally, this means you are observing and listening.

Listening is essential. Rather than planning what to say next to steer the conversation, you should be listening to the child so that you can respond appropriately to whatever the child says. By listening, and then responding to what the child says, you are letting the child know that they are genuinely present, focused on the child and interested to hear what they have to say.

Strengthening staff practice

Watch and share this short clip ITS Language and Development Watch, Wait and Listen.

Improving practitioner interactions with children is frequently featuring within recommendations given in local Ofsted inspections. Research tells us that the role of the adult is vital in nurturing good language and building social and interaction skills in our youngest children. It is the high-quality interactions between children and adults that support the developing brain and help them make sense of language and develop their vocabulary.

When we ask children questions, especially open-ended questions, we support their language development and critical thinking. We encourage them to tell us about themselves and talk about what they are doing, share their ideas, and their thoughts. Open ended questions help to spark conversations, extend discussions and stretch children's thinking.

Try tuning in to your questioning in your interactions with children; Are you posing open-ended questions and giving time for children to process questions and reply? Typical open-ended questions start with 'What, why, how and where, I wonder... or tell me about...' Children need to give fuller responses that draw on a wider range of vocabulary. This approach ensures every child has opportunities to use and explore their communication skills during their play to develop their spoken skills even further.

Strengthening staff practice

Watch this short video clip from Famly sharing some top tips for asking children more open-ended questions: How to Stop Asking Toddlers Silly Questions.

Read this article focusing on the power of open-ended questions in the Early Years. How to use open-ended questions in the Early Years.

A key part of helping infants and young children to build their developing brain is what's known as 'serve and return' interactions with adults. Babies instinctively serve by babbling, cooing, gazing and through facial expressions indicating their interest in something, and adults return the serve by tuning in and responding through warm interactions.

By providing positive feedback through eye contact, sounds, words, and physical interaction, the adult helps spark the child's interest and enthusiasm in practicing things like speech, language and social learning.

Having back-and-forth conversations with children is the best way you can help them learn and develop language. Serve and return interactions also help children develop other essential key skills for life, such as sharing attention and turn taking. It is an active process that fosters a child's enthusiasm to know more through positive feedback.

Top tips for serve and return interactions

Serve up a conversation starter and wait for the child to return.
Make eye contact and ask an open-ended question, more than yes or no. Who, what, where, how and when questions are great to ask to prompt thinking and encourage an interaction

Talk about what you're doing as you do it.
There are opportunities throughout the day for conversation. Talk to children during everyday routines, such as mealtimes and at changing times.

Wait before jumping in too soon.
Children need time to process information and may need a little longer to respond. Allow them sufficient time and resist jumping in with another question or the answer. Count to 10 in your head. Try maintaining eye contact, with an anticipatory expression so that they know you are inviting them to respond and waiting for their interaction. You are aiming to achieve a natural, back-and-forth conversation.

Spot the signs of a serve.
Crying is a clear example of communication when something is wrong. Try tuning in to more subtle serves when children are alert, active and ready to play. Babies and children will initiate conversation through gestures, eye contact, pointing, sounds and words. This is also a great opportunity to pick up on a child's immediate interests.

Use a warm and positive tone.
Using a more melodic, high-pitched tone than you helps gain and maintain baby's attention. To start with, short, simple sentences are best, with lots of repeated words, so that children are immersed in a language rich environment.

Share books and tell stories.
Reading books, pointing to picture and naming objects, even with young babies is a brilliant way to introduce new words and expand language. The more words and conversation children hear the better, so chat, sing and read with them throughout the day.

Strengthening staff practice

Find out more about why interactions are important by reading Interactions - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK.

Access this quick read article 5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return or if you prefer, watch a short clip 5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return on YouTube.

The first few years of a child's life are especially important for mathematics development. Research shows that early mathematical knowledge predicts later reading ability and general education. Conversely, children who start behind in mathematics tend to stay behind throughout their whole educational journey. The objective for those working in early years, is to ensure that all children develop firm mathematical foundations in a way that is engaging, and appropriate for their age.

Mathematics does not begin with numbers and counting. From birth, babies are using their senses and developing awareness of everything that is going on around them in an effort to understand. They are born curious, born problem-solvers, and born communicators and these characteristics will help them to become mathematical thinkers and explorers.

Babies learn first about the space they are in, exploring through sensory experiences using their mouth, lips, tongue, eyes and smell to discover objects, gradually becoming familiar with their 'spatial and shape properties'. They then reach out for objects and start to crawl, walk and negotiate the spaces around them, working out the best way to approach a problem and solve it to get what/where they want. Then they learn about the order of events and begin to predict what will happen next. They also start to hear number names and associate them with small groups of objects, for example, adults engaging them in songs and finger rhymes which involve counting.

Mathematical development for young children grows through their play and exploration, active engagement, creative and critical thinking, serve and return interactions with adults, their embodied experiences and, essentially, their schematic patterns of thinking, such as interest in trajectories (horizontal and vertical straight lines) and transporting (moving things from one place to another), where they gradually come to understand concepts of length, distance, spatial awareness, speed, motion, direction, time, pattern, order, angles, sequencing and weight.

Mathematics should not be seen as a tricky area to 'teach', we are all mathematicians in our daily life. Maths is happening everywhere at any moment, we just need to keep an open mind, open eyes and listen. It needs to be woven into your curriculum and throughout the whole of your environment so babies and young children can freely explore and experiment with maths in their play.

The most valuable resources for mathematical learning are the adults who share children's excitement as they learn. A knowledgeable practitioner creates exciting opportunities for children to practise their problem-solving skills, offering suggestions and ideas to extend their thinking and broaden and deepen their understanding on how numbers work and their relationship between quantity, size and shape. Your role is to help children to develop a positive attitude towards mathematics and a lifelong interest.

Some top tips for mathematics

Maths opportunities are everywhere
Practitioners and parents should help children take advantage of purposeful maths experiences in everyday situations

Properties of shape
Understanding what a shape or a quantity can or cannot do is far more important than knowing its name

Problem solving
If children know the answer or are given the solution, they are not problem solving. Give children problems to solve, not answers to remember

Risk taking
Children need to be willing to take risks physically before they develop the confidence to problem solve mentally

Process over product
Higher level learning happens during the process of a child's chosen activity and not from the product of an adult led task or worksheet

Exploring
It is far more important for children to take a risk and have a go, than to have the right answer

Questioning
Must be appropriate, why are you asking them? Questions should sustain thinking and should not interrupt or arrest learning. Allow at least 10 seconds for an answer. Listen more, talk less.

Model the language of thinking
Practitioners should regularly model the language of problem solving, 'I wonder if/why/where/what/how...'

Extending learning
Regularly introduce resources and experiences in new, different and stimulating ways

Breadth and depth
Be sure to provide a wide range of experiences that allow children to apply and extend their skills in all areas of maths and at all developmental stages.

Strengthening staff practice

Access resources, activity ideas and advice for teaching early years maths: Mathematics - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK.

Being independent has many benefits; the core of which is that it builds self-confidence and self-esteem. Independence is an essential life skill and one that needs to be nurtured from an early age. All aspects of independence are important for children to learn to be self-sufficient individuals.

The drive for independence starts from babyhood. Young babies rapidly make decisions about what they play with, what they like to eat and who they prefer to be with. Toddlers will thrive in a healthy environment where they have opportunities to do more for themselves. To become independent, children need to be confident in their own abilities otherwise they will remain over reliant on the support of adults.

Which of the following things have I done today that the children could have done for themselves?

clearing away

delivering messages

setting up the outdoor play

preparing materials such as making playdough, mixing paints and combining ingredients for cookery

choosing food for snack time

selecting materials for constructions

putting on their coats and shoes

setting the table for mealtimes

pouring their drinks and serving their food

cutting up their food

Below are ways that will try to encourage independence in young children:

Self-service at mealtimes
During mealtimes, encourage children to self-serve. As we return to normal life after COVID bring food and drink to children at their tables, encourage children to help themselves by pouring their own water and putting food on their plates. Give younger children choices and let them self-select items. Allow older, more able children to cut their own fruit or make their own sandwiches, consider introducing rolling snack where children can choose when they want to drink or eat. Self-service not only helps grow their independence, but it also helps children with their fine motor skills and is a great way to provide opportunities to develop mathematical skills.

Dressing themselves
Encourage children to dress themselves. Throughout the day children will be required to put on their coats and possibly swap between their outdoor wellies and indoor shoes. Most children struggle to begin with, such as putting their shoes on the wrong feet. Provide plenty of time and offer encouragement and support to avoid this being stressful and reinforce practice makes perfect.

Washing hands
Washing hands has always been important but made even more so due to the COVID pandemic. Urge children to wash their own hands from a young age as it is an important independent habit they will practice for the rest of their lives. Make hand washing more appealing by encouraging children to sing a song, consequently teaching children about the importance of personal hygiene in a fun and constructive way.
Children respond positively to routine, so encourage them to wash their hands before and after eating, after going to the toilet or touching pets. As children experience these routines over and over, they learn to anticipate what comes next, and they start to take on more responsibility with less help. Therefore, children learn to use their initiative and in turn strengthens their independence.

Tidying up
Always encourage children to tidy up after playing with toys or making a mess. Simple tasks such as putting away toys makes them feel like they're making a contribution to the environment, which ultimately gives children a sense of importance and helps build their independence. Making tidying up part of everyday practice teaches children responsibility which is also a crucial skill for developing independence. Communicate that they are responsible for tidying up their own resources and give them positive reinforcement when they complete this task. Furthermore, tidying up helps children understand where things belong so they can learn to independently access what they need.

Arts and crafts
Children enjoy lots of arts and crafts-based activities. Not only are these activities fun but they also promote creativity in children. Allowing the children to be creative strengthens decision making skills which support their growing independence. Children use critical thinking when choosing what colours, shapes and materials to use. Not only does this give them a sense of independence but also a sense of pride, allowing the children to express themselves creatively. Arts and crafts also help improve fine and gross motor skills, for example simple tasks such as using a pair of scissors or holding a paintbrush can refine co-ordination, control, and movement. These independent skills are then transferable to other areas of their life, for example children who mix and pour paint will become more confident in pouring their own drinks.

Suggestions for practice

Promote physical and functional independence

help children to tidy resources for example, provide a dustpan and brush for clearing up dry sand and a floor cloth or short-handled mop for coping with spillages

encourage children to take responsibility for their own possessions, such as clipping Wellington boots together with a named wooden peg

play a game to help children know where things are kept, for example, put items such as crayons, counters and blocks in a drawstring bag and ask children in turn to take an item from the bag and return it to its proper place

Offer choices and decision-making in activities:

painting: provide paper of different shapes, sizes and colours and make the paper easily accessible by placing it on a low table

construction: provide options such as, adding pebbles, sticks, stones and shells to the block area and provide rubber bands, masking tape and Blu-Tack for fixing

have available collections of miniature play figures to add to the construction

storytime: offer alternatives for a story and ask children to vote for their choice of book

encourage reflection: offer a structure to support independent thinking, for example, provide an attractive pictorial chart and gradually introduce the following questions, 'What do I want to do? Who do I want as a working friend? What things do I need to work with? Where do I find them? How well did we do it?'

talk through the questions with the children and model examples of how they might respond to them, over time children will come to use these questions for themselves

Inspectors will evaluate how well early years providers fulfil their statutory responsibilities in keeping children safe. It is essential that you keep your safeguarding knowledge up to date to be able to confidently talk to the inspector about safeguarding practices in your provision.

Everyone who works with children needs to understand how to recognise the signs and symptoms that could indicate a child is being abused, and how to respond and make child protection referrals. It is crucial to ensure new staff have a secure understanding of the setting safeguarding procedures as part of their induction and ongoing updates take place regularly. Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP) recommend that all practitioners complete a refresher safeguarding course every 2 years.

All childcare providers need to consider the government guidance Working together to safeguard children - GOV.UK and What to do if you're worried a child is being abused: Advice for practitioners - GOV.UK when implementing robust safeguarding policies and procedures for their setting as well as aligning them with the safeguarding policies of our local children's safeguarding partnership (see details below).

Local safeguarding information

In West and North Northamptonshire, we have a Children's Trust which was established to deliver high quality social care services to children and young people within the resources made available to the Trust by the Council. The Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP) which ensures the safeguarding and welfare of children is a partner agency with the Trust. If you have a concern, referrals are made to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) which is a co-ordinated service by the NSCP.

For West and North Northamptonshire procedures of how to report a concern you may have about a child please visit Report a concern to follow the procedures.

The Designated Officer must be informed of all cases in which an allegation is made against an adult. Please refer to the Report a concern about an adult working with children and young people for current reporting procedures. You should raise a concern within 24 hours of the incident.

If you are a manager, a trustee of an organisation or a childminder with assistants, you should make sure all staff and volunteers understand and can implement the settings policies and procedures.

The NSCP have created a series of Tea Break Guides to help update or extend practitioners knowledge. They are a useful tool to have up on a wall, in a staff room, use as a discussion point with colleagues or simply read over a cup of tea.

Inspectors will evaluate how well early years providers fulfil their statutory responsibilities in keeping children safe. Failure to meet the statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements has featured as actions in recent local early years inspections. It is essential you can confidently talk about and demonstrate how your safeguarding practices within your provision meet the legal requirements.

Read and refresh your knowledge of the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage' safeguarding and welfare requirements to ensure you are implementing these at all times and consider the following questions:

Is your public liability insurance in date and does it provide you with appropriate cover to meet your business needs? (EYFS 3.64)

Are paediatric first aid (PFA) certificates in date (these must be renewed every 3 years) and do they meet the requirements of the EYFS Annex A? Are PFA certificates or a list of staff who have current PFA displayed or made available to parents? (EYFS 3.25)

Have you collected all required information for every child in order to meet their needs and are these readily available to access? (EYFS 3.46-3.47, 3.48, 3.68, 3.69, 3.73)

Has every person aged 16 or over that lives or works in any domestic premises where childcare is provided, obtained an enhanced DBS and submitted the appropriate information to Ofsted in order for their suitability to be assessed? Have you received the suitability letter from Ofsted verifying this? (EYFS 3.9 - 3.10, 3.78)

Are all committee members known to Ofsted and have suitability letters been received to verify this? (EYFS 3.78 - 3.79)

Have enhanced criminal records check been obtained for every person aged 16 and over (including volunteers) who work or live on non-domestic premises? (EYFS 3.10)

How do you ensure children are not left unsupervised with people whose suitability has not been checked? (EYFS 3.11)

Who is the designated person to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children and have they accessed a child protection training course in the last two years? (Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership states this should be updated every 2 years) (EYFS 3.5)

Does your safeguarding policy reflect current local reporting procedures? (EYFS 3.4) In North and West Northants please refer to Report a concern

Can you demonstrate concerns regarding children's welfare are reported to the appropriate child protection agencies without delay? Is this recorded to evidence that swift action has been taken? (EYFS 3.7)

Do all assistants, staff and committee members understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities and have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures? How do you ensure this is kept up to date? (EYFS 3.6-3.8)

If you provide childcare on domestic premises, are household members aware of your safeguarding policy and procedures and are these followed appropriately to keep children safe? (EYFS 3.4)

Are you familiar with changes or significant events that must be notified to Ofsted? (EYFS 3.78 - 3.79)

How do you support children to develop an understanding of how to stay safe when using electronic devices, particularly when accessing the internet and social media? (EYFS 3.4)

Do you maintain a daily register that accurately details the names of children and their hours of attendance? (EYFS 3.77) Does your register detail the attendance hours for staff or assistants?

Are your adult:child ratios being met at all times? (EYFS 3.28-3.44)

Does your indoor space available for children meet the legal requirements at all times? (EYFS 3.58)

Do staff or assistants have appropriate qualifications, training, skills and knowledge to fulfil their role? Do you have an up-to-date record of staff qualifications and training? (EYFS 3.20-3.26)

Are risk assessments reviewed regularly, robust and identify and minimise potential hazards? Ensure all areas accessed by the children are covered both indoors and outside (EYFS 3.65)

Are all access points to the provision secure in order to prevent unauthorised access or children leaving the premises? (EYFS 3.63)

Supporting documents

Read the Early years inspection handbook - GOV.UK to learn more about Ofsted guidance on inspecting registered early years and childcare providers under the education inspection framework.

Last updated 04 July 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ofsted ready series | North Northamptonshire Council

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Once a provider is registered on the Ofsted Early Years Register, Ofsted carry out regular inspections to evaluate the overall quality and standards of its early years provision in line with the principles and requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

# data[].attributes.headline
NCFE Level One Certificate in Caring for Children

# data[].attributes.subject
NCFE Level One Certificate in Caring for Children

# data[].attributes.headline
NCFE Level Two Technical Occupational Entry for the Early Years Practitioner (Diploma)

# data[].attributes.subject
NCFE Level Two Technical Occupational Entry for the Early Years Practitioner (Diploma)

# data[].attributes.headline
T Level  Technical Qualification in Education and Early Years from September 2025 

# data[].attributes.subject
T Level  Technical Qualification in Education and Early Years from September 2025 

# data[].attributes.headline
T Level Generation One (Students Currently In Year 2)

# data[].attributes.subject
T Level Generation One (Students Currently In Year 2)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
T Level Technical Qualification in Education and Early Years (Level 3) (delivered by NCFE) (1) | NCFE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
T Level Technical Qualification in Education and Early Years (Level 3) (delivered by NCFE) (1) | NCFE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you have any queries about the Generation 2 Education and Early Years T Level, please take a look at our FAQs webpage.

# data[].attributes.headline
T Level info page for Students in Year 2

# data[].attributes.subject
T Level info page for Students in Year 2

# data[].attributes.body
Please complete and hand in a copy to placement and to the placement team

# data[].attributes.body
You will need to complete your sections of this and then pass to your mentor. This will need completing at the end of each term