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Scotland's Play Vision Statement and Action Plan

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Scotland’s Play Vision Statement and Action Plan 2025-2030 - Play Scotland

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Scotland’s Play Vision Statement and Action Plan 2025-2030 is the Scottish Government’s plan to ensure that every child is able to play.

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Please have a look at Renfrewshire's Early Years Progression Tool for session 2024-2025. Following robust feedback, this streamlined version responds to moderation to ensure consistency of professional judgements.  This contains key milestones for Pre-Early and Early Level learners and can support transition to Primary One and beyond. 

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The EYTT delivered a session in April 2025 with a focus on high-quality, enabling environments. Drop us an email if you'd like to attend another of these sessions: fiona.walton@renfrewshire.school.

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Scottish Borders Council Early Level Portal

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Scottish Borders Council Early Level Portal

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A good knowledge base for Early Level

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Welcome to the Scottish Borders Council Early Le vel Portal The Portal is continually being added to, refreshed and updated. Some pages are being finalised and may not yet be linked. Check out the What's New page for any new additions!

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Curriculum For Excellence Early Level Benchmarks

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Curriculum For Excellence Early Level Benchmarks

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Benchmarks for Curriculum for Excellence Early Level across all curricular areas.

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Play Scotland Play Types Toolkit - bringing more play into the school day - Play Scotland

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Play Types Toolkit - bringing more play into the school day. Play Scotland's Play Types Toolkit is for schools and education professionals, and others working with children in various settings. Playing is an integral part of children's day in many educational and childcare settings.

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Play Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan 

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Play Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan 

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Realising the Ambition Overview    Part 1

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Realising the Ambition Overview   Part 2

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Easy, actionable, and functional Occupational Therapy activities and interventions. OT resources and information to help kids thrive.

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Audit your KS1 provision and join schools across the country who are rethinking and developing their approaches to teaching and learning in KS1. Check if you have resources to support independent learning and enquiry and create a truly inspirational learning environment for your children.

Please fill in your details below to join the EEx Community and download a free copy of our audit tool to check out the quality of your provision today

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Teaching through provision has always been developmentally appropriate practice for 5, 6 and 7 year olds, and now is an important time to get it right for all these children. Please fill in your details below to download a free copy of our audit tool and check out the quality of your provision today.

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Principles of Effective Learning Through Play & Enquiry: Transitions

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Principles of Effective Learning Through Play & Enquiry: Transitions

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

Skip to content

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Skip to content

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Julie Fisher is an independent Early Years Adviser and Visiting Professor of Early Childhood Education at Oxford Brookes University, UK. She has been a headteacher, university lecturer and local authority adviser.

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Starting From The Child: Teaching And Learning In The Foundation Stage

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The fourth edition is essentially still about putting the principles of early childhood education into practice.

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My first book "Can I Go And Play Now?' was written from the heart - a passionate exploration of why children's play needs to be valued and 'seen' by the Adult World. It has gone on to become a bestseller and attracted much praise for its readability and its call for childhood to be embraced.

My second book 'School and the Magic of Children' was written from the soul - the first book set out the 'why', this sets out the 'how'. At its centre are the concepts of the Essential Self and the soulification of childhood itself. Play is not a choice, it is a moral imperative.

You can purchase both books via the links below and I would encourage you to support Books Education since they are an acclaimed independent bookseller, equally as passionate about childhood as you and I.

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Discover just what it is that children need from education

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My first book "Can I Go And Play Now?' was written from the heart - a passionate exploration of why children's play needs to be valued and 'seen' by the Adult World. It has gone on to become a bestseller and attracted much praise for its readability and its call for childhood to be embraced.

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Always the Cinderella of the education system, the significance of early years has been seriously under-estimated. Play is the Way brings together leading practitioners, policy-makers and academics to explain how a coherent approach to early years - centred on positive relationships and play - will not only result in better educational performance but in greatly improved health and well-being for future Scottish citizens. They challenge the deeply-ingrained cultural acceptance, throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK, that formal instruction in the three Rs (reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic) should begin at the age of four or five - at least a year before other European countries.

Always the Cinderella of the education system, the significance of early years has been seriously under-estimated. Play is the Way brings together leading practitioners, policy-makers and academics to explain how a coherent approach to early years - centred on positive relationships and play - will not only result in better educational performance but in greatly improved health and well-being for future Scottish citizens. They challenge the deeply-ingrained cultural acceptance, throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK, that formal instruction in the three Rs (reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic) should begin at the age of four or five - at least a year before other European countries.

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Play is the Way: Child development, Early Years and the Future of Scottish Education - National Institute for Play

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Always the Cinderella of the education system, the significance of early years has been seriously under-estimated. Play is the Way brings together leading practitioners, policy-makers and academics to explain how a coherent approach to early years - centred on positive relationships and play - will not only result in better educational performance but in greatly [...]

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23 ways to use loose parts for academic learning

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23 ways to use loose parts for academic learning

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23 Ways to Use Loose Parts Play for Academic Learning - Wunderled

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Today I want to share some inspiring invitations and provocations with loose parts that demonstrate the academic value of loose parts.

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Continuous Provision is at the heart of Early Years practice. Getting it right is the key to success. Get it wrong and you open the door to stagnation, lack of engagement, challenging behaviour and low attainment.

​Effective continuous provision is open-ended, accessible, flexible, large scale and skills-driven. It is planned but only in a loose sense. An adult's plan isn't a child's plan. Children don't have to reach a specific outcome determined by the adult. Instead continuous provision should offer an index of possibilities. It should enable children to bring their magic with them into the environment and shape it. Equally it should create the conditions for collaboration and self-chosen purpose.

​As soon as you apply adult thinking to continuous provision you are in danger of fencing in its possibilities. Crossing the line into an ineffective environment usually happens when we think 'children will achieve this...' in a specific area. The more flexible you are, the more magic you will witness, and the more magic you witness, the more you will be able to use it to move learning forward.

​Adult thinking should address the skills that children need to grow. It should focus on process as a means for rehearsing or strengthening these skills. Plan for skills rather than activity. ​'Can I Go And Play Now..?' has created an effective approach to continuous provision that embraces child-centred play and open-endedness. It's called the 3Ms and it will enable you to establish a rich learning space that sings with the magic of children whilst at the same time meeting the demands of the EYFS and beyond...

​If you look at the children in your environment and sense a lack of true playfulness or if your children seem disinclined to engage in 'learning' then the 3Ms approach holds the key to change.

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Continuous Provision is at the heart of Early Years practice. Getting it right is the key to success. Get it wrong and you open the door to stagnation, lack of engagement, challenging behaviour and low attainment. ​Effective continuous provision is open-ended, accessible, flexible, large scale and skills-driven.

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Bestselling author Alistair Bryce-Clegg is known for his original and creative ideas and witty and accessible writing style. This book does not disappoint! It is filled with brilliant ideas and practical approaches to use as an Early Years practitioner, including advice for planning sessions, setting up an engaging environment matched to children's interests and encouraging and developing outdoor learning. With a focus on child-led learning, wellbeing and creating the best environment for all young learners, Best Practice in the Early Years is the perfect tool to evaluate, refine and improve provision in your setting.

Packed with detailed explanations, thought-provoking questions and inspiring new approaches, this book is a must for all Early Years practitioners eager to ensure their practice is the best it can be for every child in their care.

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A must-have guide for everyone working in the Early Years Foundation Stage.Bestselling author Alistair Bryce-Clegg is known for his original and creative ideas and witty and accessible writing style. This book does not disappoint!

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Principles of Effective Learning Through Play & Enquiry: Child Development

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Principles of Effective Learning Through Play & Enquiry: Child Development

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Does the setting have a framework to support children's learning that is informed by national guidance and is appropriate to support individual children's development and learning focused on active learning through play? (The National Standard for ELC Providers: Principles and Practice)

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Principles of Effective Learning Through Play & Enquiry: Child-Centred Pedagogy in Practice

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Principles of Effective Learning Through Play & Enquiry: Child-Centred Pedagogy in Practice

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Effective Learning Child-Centred Pedagogy - The West Partnership

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" We provide both responsive and intentional learning for children in our day-to-day practice.By this we mean that we constantly respond to the needs of young children alongside planning and implementing intentional experiences to help them develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of the world around them." ...

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Being me through block play - a professional learning resource

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Edinburgh University's Froebel in Early Childhood Practice Associate Tutor Catriona Gill talks us through the significance of block play in children's early learning and development - and how we can best support it in practice.

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More suggested reading - blogs, social media pages etc.

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More suggested reading - blogs, social media pages etc.

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The Leuven scale is a 5 point scale that allows child care experts, nursery practitioners and teachers to measure a child's emotional well-being and involvement. The idea of emotional well-being and involvement is particularly important in early years because it safeguards a child's emotional development whilst encouraging engagement for the learning development.

A Learning Journals account comes with the option to incorporate and include the Leuven Scale when observing children in the nursery or school.

The Leuven Scale for Emotional Well-Being

Emotional well-being is particularly important for children. If children feel confident in their surroundings they are more likely to learn productively and develop in a healthy way. Promoting an environment where children feel happy, safe, and supported is key to this.

Applying this to early years learning and nursery practices, this means that happy, emotionally healthy, confident children tend to learn better, and develop more quickly because they are given the emotional support to do so.

There are 5 points to the Leuven scale for emotional well-being, with the first being used for an extremely low state of emotional well-being, and point five being used as the optimum emotional well-being a child can experience. The scale includes some characteristics to help identify which section of the scale a child may be at, and the scale runs as follows:

1. Extremely low

In an extremely low state of emotional well-being, a child is in obvious distress. This is typically exhibited by tantrums, crying, wailing, anger, tiredness or other stereotypical child behaviours that are observed when a child is unhappy or otherwise discomforted emotionally.
2. Low
In a low state of emotional well-being, a child appears uncomfortable in their atmosphere, and a little bit unhappy. This is often exhibited via extreme shyness, and unwillingness to engage, some small emotional outbursts but in a more controlled manner, or an unwillingness to try new things.

Physically, this can also manifest in comfort seeking behaviours such as thumb sucking, fidgeting, twisting hands or even running away.
3. Moderate
As you might expect from the moderate stage of the Leuven scale, this stage is a fairly neutral stage.

In this stage children appear neither happy nor sad, and are just engaging mentally, emotionally, and physically in the task at hand in a fairly uninspired and performative level.

This can be the most easily overlooked level as children on this level often appear to be 'getting on fine'. This is also the level with the best opportunity, as if a child with moderate levels of emotional well-being can be identified early on and emotionally supported into the more optimal stages of emotional well-being, the rewards from a developmental point of view can be tremendous.
4. High
Children who rank highly on the Leuven scale are observably happy children.

Children are content with what they are doing, and their mood is noticeably happy.

Some signifiers of this level of emotional well-being are smiling, laughing, engaging in a deeper or more meaningful way with the task at hand, and openly indulging their curiosity through exploring their surroundings.

Children at this stage in the Leuven scale need less proactive emotional support and more proactive monitoring to ensure their mood is maintained.

5. Extremely high

In the fifth and final stage of the emotional well-being scale, a child is totally at ease and completely comfortable in their surroundings. They are fully engaged in whatever they are doing, and may even happily talk to themselves as they go about their tasks.

In their fifth stage there is a great sense of contentment with the task at hand. Movement and actions should be spontaneous and expressive, but not erratic or overly hyperactive.

There is a stability to the fifth stage which, when observed, is significantly different from the false and unsustainable emotional high of excitement or manic engagement.

It is perfectly normal for a child to move through all of the stages over the course of a day or even an individual activity, and naturally the scale is relatively subjective and has its limitations.

For true reflections on how a child is progressing, and general updates on your child's progress, Learning Journals offers unparalleled online journal space for all of the major milestones in your child's life- from day to day updates to multimedia memories- that gives a true picture of your child's developmental journey.

Rather than take the Leuven scale as a Bible on how you engage with children, it is better suited to being utilised as a tool for gauging how well a child is engaging in their own development.

How to Use the Leuven Scale Practically

The Leuven scale of emotional well-being is a great practical tool because it puts a child's emotional well-being first and foremost.

By keeping the emotional well-being first and foremost, and keeping you conscious of a child's emotional well-being, the Leuven scale gives you a way to consciously identify how best to support an individual child.

Another major bonus of understanding and utilising the Leuven scale is that it gives a standardised and easily applicable way to support your observations and share them with the child's parent.

Learning Journals also offer an easy way to share observations with parents and colleagues. Our online journals offer a space to share multimedia observations and notes, completely customisable to what you want to use it for.

Using the Leuven scale in tandem with Learning Journals is a great way of measuring a child's progress and a lovely way of numerically representing how a child is settling into a new class or nursery.

These observations can be shared with a child parent, and as long as the parent in question has had the Leuven scale explained to them, this can be a really helpful tool.

Leuven Scale Levels of Involvement

The Leuven scale levels of involvement aims to measure a child's engagement in a particular task. Although it tends to run hand-in-hand with their emotional well-being, as a more engaged child tends to be a happier child and vice versa, the two scales can be used independently of one another.

The Leuven scale's levels of involvement also runs from 1 to 5, and follows the same pattern as the emotional well-being scale.

1. Extremely low

If a child's engagement is extremely low, they can be observed to be bored, absent minded, lacking energy, or aimless when trying to engage in tasks. Often, this is due to a lack of understanding, or an unwillingness to attempt new things.

This strongly correlated with the living emotional well-being scale.
2. Low
When a child's engagement is low, they exhibit behaviours such as restlessness, boredom, or being easily distracted. In slightly older children, this can be exhibited as feigning focus, or only focussing on tasks when being observed.

Whilst this stage can be hard to identify because of that, consistent quality observation will soon show a pattern of low engagement.
3. Moderate
If a child shows patterns of behaviour that would suggest a moderate level of engagement, this typically means they are completing tasks and engaging superficially, but not enthralled or engrossed by these tasks.

Similar to the moderate stage on the emotional well-being scale, this can be a key point for engagement and involvement.

If identified early enough, changes can be implemented to increase engagement and involvement. If not recognised or not dealt with, this stage can easily backslide into complete disengagement and boredom.
4. High
If a child is highly engaged and involved in the task at hand, they will appear engrossed and not very easily distracted.

Some children can become irritable at this stage if they are interrupted, and separating a child from a task or event that they are finding highly involving and engaging can cause dissonance in their emotional well-being.
5. Very High
Very highly engaged children are continuously and intensely engaged. They are creative, lively and persistent, and often their enthusiasm for the subject or task at hand can become almost contagious, as others are drawn in by their passion.

This high level of engagement is perfect for learning new skills and developing socially, cognitively, and even physically, fine tuning fine motor skills.

How to Use the Leuven Scale Practically

To use the Leuven scale's level of engagement practically, it is useful to note down what particular tasks or activities a child is engaging with most.

This will help identify a child's area of interest or areas of interest, and help identify the best resources (for example, the most engaging toys, worksheets, textures, or environments) for that particular child.

When a child is fully engaged in an activity it is a great opportunity to introduce new or non-traditional materials and resources, as they will be more receptive to trying and learning new things as long as they are related to their activity.

When a child is engaged to a high level they tend to also experience high levels of emotional well-being, as they are being challenged but are still comfortable enough to feel fully engaged.

Advantages and Disadvantages of The Leuven Scale

As with every pedagogical tool and scientific approach to learning, the Leuven scale comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. No approach or scale can be considered a 'catch-all' approach, and the Leuven scale doesn't aim to box for every nuance of a child's learning experience.

One of the major advantages of The Leuven Scale is that it is observation based, and puts the child at the centre of their own learning. Observation and observation based teaching have been shown time and time again to be the most effective method of early years development teaching. By focussing on the child, and their mental, social and emotional wellbeing, the Leuven Scale ensures that the approach doesn't fall into the trap of being a 'one size fits all' pedagogical method that can be blanket applied to every child. It forces practitioners to be adaptive and reactive to a child's needs.

One of the major criticisms of the Leuven scale is that it doesn't account very well for child with special educational needs or disabilities. The behaviours described in the scale are often not present or as obvious in SEND children, especially non-verbal children.

Although the practical applications of observational teaching still applies to SEND children, the prescriptive and reductive nature of the observations can be somewhat limiting, or entirely inaccurate, when applied across the board.

This criticism can also be applied when considering cultural differences in children's behaviour and falls to many of the same criticisms as John Bowlby's theory of attachment - that is, children present different behaviours across different cultures.

The biggest, and arguably most important, advantage to the Leuven Scale is that it provides a uniform, practical, and applicable way for childcare professionals and parents to quantify engagement and learning.

Although not perfect, the fact that the Leuven Scale provides a teaching and learning tool that is steeped in science, yet so readily and practically useable, makes it one of the most valuable ways to quantify and measure children's learning and engagement.

How Learning Journals Can Help

Learning Journals support all types of learning environment observations, and gives teachers, nursery practitioners, nursery owners, and parents a way to communicate observations and information about those in their care with ease and efficiency.

For more information about how Learning Journals could help you, your nursery practice, your home learning environment and, most importantly, your children, get in touch today or read our blog on how Learning Journals helps and supports child development across the board.

If you want to try the platform for yourself, you can request your free trial today!

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What Is the Leuven Scale and How to Use it

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The Leuven scale is a useful tool for nursery practitioners and parents to monitor a child's well being and involvement in different activities. The Leuven scale can be used to improve and encourage a child's learning and development.

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Education is about setting our children up for life in the 21st century. Play, meanwhile, is how we naturally make sense of the world and adapt to new situations.

Playful Pedagogy puts play experience as central to learning, giving pupils the flexibility to find their own solutions to both new and existing problems. It engages children in personally meaningful activities, learning about themselves and others, and encourages autonomy and motivation.

This evidence-backed approach to teaching and learning has five aspects which help children flourish: Active Learning; Social Interactive; Iterative; Joyful; and Meaningful.

Health and Wellbeing

Play is a foundation of Health and Well-being, linking with all SHANARRI principles. Playful Pedagogy is especially linked with Active, Respected and Responsible as it tends to be more active than traditional approaches, gives children a chance to direct their own learning, and also to try on different roles and responsibilities. It helps link education with all aspects of the GIRFEC 'My World Triangle'.

The Four Capacities

Playful Pedagogy fits neatly with the Scottish Government's four capacities:

Successful Learners: Closing the attainment gap is a policy priority, and lack of play has been linked with poorer educational outcomes. Evidence shows the relationship between meaning and perception, developed through play, both underpins and contributes to formal learning and attentional development. P1-P3 spans a critical stage where through play, children develop the ability to think, reflect and reason, separately from the world of objects around them.

Confident Individuals: Social Determination Theory demonstrates that our confidence grows through tasks which support our autonomy, enable personally meaningful activity, and help us feel connected to others. Playful Pedagogy enables all of these as part of the formal learning process.

Responsible Citizens: Psychological theories tells us that play is fundamental to the development of social skills, perspective-taking, empathy, and understanding of social/cultural rules. Playful Pedagogy helps us understand our own and other people's responsibilities.

Effective Contributors: Through Playful Pedagogy children learn to collaborate and cooperate with one another; this positive interdependence promotes learning and motivation. It has a particularly strong effect on children in need of additional support and works best when it involves pupils with adults and wider communities.

Learning for Sustainability

"Learning for Sustainability is a cross-curricular approach to creating coherent, rewarding and transformative learning experiences. It's all about learners, educators, schools and their wider communities building a socially-just, sustainable and equitable society. It supports an effective whole-school and community approach by weaving together global citizenship, sustainable development education, and outdoor learning."Learning for Sustainability Webpage, Education Scotland

Through Playful Pedagogy, pupils engage in wide-ranging projects, learning about themselves, others, the place they live and their contribution to society now and in the future. It is very effective in aiding understanding of human rights, as embedded in the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and Rights Respecting Schools aims. For instance, through Playful Pedagogy, pupils are automatically introduced to Experience & Outcome (E&O) SOC 1-18a:
I have participated in decision making and have considered the different options available in order to make decisions.
The case study below shows how Playful Pedagogy can be used as part of wider, curriculum-embedded task that incorporates Learning for Sustainability and a variety of Social Studies E&Os.

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Education is about setting our children up for life in the 21st century. Play, meanwhile, is how we naturally make sense of the world and adapt to new situations. Playful Pedagogy puts play experience as central to learning, giving pupils the flexibility to find their own solutions to both new and existing problems. It engages children in personally meaningful activities, learning about themselves and others, and encourages autonomy and motivation.

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Ready to play?

When children play, they learn. They solve problems, think strategically, relate to others, and manage life's ups and downs. Play helps children learn how to learn - and love learning. We've gathered some of our favourite games. You can play them anywhere - using things you find at home.

More activities

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We're here to convince the grown-ups. Because play is something every child, everywhere in the world can do. It fuels curiosity, sparks creativity, and inspires a lifelong love of learning. Children who play pick up all kinds of skills to thrive today - and lay the foundations for a happier, healthier life tomorrow.

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"We know children are naturally inquisitive, however The Curiosity Approach ethos promotes curiosity, awe and wonder in Early Childhood. Creating beautiful and aesthetically pleasing play spaces for children using provocations, loose parts and open-end resources. It's amazing to see us all have light bulb moments, maybe epiphanies which inspired us to make wondrous changes."

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Play Pedagogy- Sharing Our Journey Resources

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View the interactive image by Northern Alliance

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Myth busting: Why bad weather isn't an obstacle to outdoor learning

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Myth busting: Why bad weather isn't an obstacle to outdoor learning

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Oh, the weather outside is frightful - but why should that stop you taking the classroom outdoors? Let's bust one of the most pervasive myths about outdoor learning...

Here in the UK, we like to grumble about the Great British Weather. It's either too hot or too cold, too wet or too windy - but is bad weather really an obstacle to outdoor learning and play? As winter approaches, let's untangle the biggest myth about taking the classroom outdoors.

Myth: Bad weather is an obstacle to outdoor learning and play

Fact check: This simply isn't true!

It isn't the weather which presents an obstacle - it's a lack of preparation for it. As our CEO, Carley Sefton, says:

The only consistent thing about the British weather is its inconsistency. We are luckier than many when it comes to our climate - it's pretty much safe to go outdoors all year round if we have the right clothing.

Of course, safety comes first - we wouldn't want anyone learning outdoors during last summer's heatwave! However, a bit of rain (or even snow!) can present a fantastic opportunity to take your class outside.

Not convinced? Here are five reasons to take the classroom outdoors whatever the weather - along with some helpful tips for doing so!

1. Children don't worry about the weather like we do

Cast your mind back to your own school days... Do you remember the disappointment of being kept inside at break time due to wet weather?

The truth is, it isn't the children who worry about the weather - it's the adults! As we grow older, snow becomes something to dread. It blocks roads, stops trains, and causes accidents; and we're all happier when it's gone, thank you very much! However, for many children, snow is a magical, once in a generation event that presents endless opportunities for fun.

For the more uncertain members of your class, it's important to set the tone and help your pupils understand what to expect from their experience outdoors. By framing outdoor learning as an exciting challenge and an opportunity to try something new, you'll build your pupils' resilience - and perhaps your own!

So, next time you think the weather is too poor to take your class outdoors, consider whether your pupils would agree. After all...

2. Wet weather clothing exists for this purpose

As the saying goes: 'There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes'!

With the right clothing, no weather is an obstacle! For the best outdoor learning experience, all children need appropriate clothing for rain and mud. Depending on the age of your class, this could include anything from light rain jackets to waterproof coveralls.

However, it's important to acknowledge that high quality wet weather clothing is out of reach for many parents. Therefore, consider factoring durable, weather-appropriate clothing for the whole class into the school budget.

Need some help persuading the senior leadership team? Take a look at our guidance on finding or funding clothing, or use your Local School Nature Grant to get hold of some waterproof clothing or ground cover kits. Alternatively, become an LtL member and gain access to exclusive discounts on suppliers of wet weather clothing and equipment - along with 50% off our online training courses!

Oh, and don't forget to ensure that you're kitted out for the colder weather, too!

3. You can weatherproof your school grounds, too

You don't need to rely on wellies alone to keep your pupils warm and dry. Indeed, there are more than a few simple and cost-effective ways to develop your school grounds for outdoor learning and play.

Ground cover kits are ideal for sitting on damp ground, shelters (either permanent or temporary) will protect heads from the rain, and outdoor seating like hay bales or logs can be covered with tarpaulin when not in use. Don't forget about waterproof storage for your outdoor classroom!

A range of outdoor equipment is available via our Local School Nature Grants programme - take a look at our tips for writing a winning grant application!

4. Being outdoors is good for us, no matter the season

Amongst other things, winter is often associated with colds, flu, and other illnesses. However, it isn't exposure to cold, wet weather that causes viruses to spread. In fact, as the last few years have shown us, we're much more likely to catch a bug in a poorly ventilated indoor environment.

By taking the classroom outdoors, pupils and their teachers can enjoy some fresh air and Vitamin D - especially important during the darker months of the year!

Aside from the physical health benefits of getting outdoors, it can really boost mental health and wellbeing, and may even help to support children through times of uncertainty. It's a win-win situation!

5. Different weather provides unique learning opportunities

The change in seasons brings with it a whole host of new experiences which you can share with your pupils in the outdoor classroom.

In the early years especially, splashing in puddles, feeling the water touch your cheeks, and listening to the sound of raindrops on umbrella make-shift shelter can be a magical sensory learning experience. In this sense, wet weather presents the perfect opportunity for activities like Forest Bathing or a Sound Walk.

However, you can use the weather to support curriculum-based learning, too. The showery, blustery morning following a day of glorious sunshine is a chance to teach your pupils about weather predictions and forecasts, for example. Alternatively, take your pupils sailing, like this creative member of our Accredited Network!

Discover our seasonal outdoor lesson ideas

Take a look at our outdoor lesson ideas for some inspiration on how to take learning outside come rain or shine. You'll even discover some created with rainy days in mind!

For more outdoor learning support, take a look at our school stage hubs for early years, primary, and secondary where you'll find everything you need to get outdoors with your class. Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest outdoor learning news and opportunities direct to your inbox!

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Myth busting: Why bad weather isn't an obstacle to outdoor learning - Learning through Landscapes

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Oh, the weather outside is frightful - but that needn't stop you! Let's bust one of the most pervasive myths about outdoor learning...

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Twitter Question 2 How do we evidence children's progress

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What is it?

Realising the Ambition (Education Scotland, 2020) describes 'intentional promotion' as a model of supporting the learning needs of each child, whereby the practitioner plans for and offers "experiences and interactions which are important for young children to learn" (p. 62). These experiences and interactions may link to curricular planning or the children's interests. However, they may require additional resourcing or forward planning and will not happen immediately.

Intentional planning is the deliberate promotion of the curriculum through play pedagogy to achieve specific experiences and outcomes (see tabs at the bottom of this page) as organised or introduced by the practitioners. Practitioners direct and plan after carrying out high-quality observations of the children's play and using knowledge of the child as a learner to inform their decisions around future experiences and interactions.

Intentional planning is intrinsically linked with responsive planning, which uses and responds to each child's interests and 'agency' in the moment.

Key messages:

Practitioners who know the child as a learner.

Practitioners observe, interpret, and document learning and then use this to inform intentional and responsive planning.

All learning should balance adult-led and child-led intentional and responsive planning.

A yearly overview of Early Level Experiences & Outcomes (Es & Os - see tabs at the bottom of this page) is used to ensure that children are experiencing the breadth of the curriculum. This is an example of long-term planning.

Specific Es & Os are highlighted once planned and can be revisited throughout the year as necessary.

Practitioners should not feel that they have to cover all of the Es & Os listed within one academic year or before the children leave the Early Learning and Childcare setting as Early Level spans ELC and P1. Instead, experiences and outcomes should be approached only when developmentally appropriate (see tabs at the bottom of this page).

Trackers are used effectively to identify common gaps in the children's learning and are addressed in the medium-term intentional promotion planning (see an attached example for one possible format) and continuous provision (see tabs at the bottom of this page).

Practitioners use "I Can" statements or similar success criteria to outline their learning intentions for the children in an accessible way.

The language of learning and "I Can" statements are used consistently to help children talk about their own learning and attainment.

Learning resources and experiences used in continuous provision reflect the success criteria of the intentional promotion planning. They are chosen carefully to enable children to develop and demonstrate the identified skills, knowledge and understanding.

Practitioners consider and utilise the 7 Principles of Curriculum Design to provide quality spaces, experiences, and interactions (Education Scotland, 2020, p. 67).

Practitioners plan for teaching and learning through the spaces, experiences, and interactions as part of continuous provision (Education Scotland, 2020, p. 67).

Across the Early Level, the intentional promotion would be covered through playful Numeracy, playful Literacy, and Health and Wellbeing. In addition, evidence is found within the learning journeys, Floorbooks, and trackers, recording the child's voice as a stakeholder in their learning.

Evidence should demonstrate progression for each child within Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing.

The practitioners plan purposeful experiences in meaningful contexts to support learning.

A nurturing environment is created where curiosity, imagination, creativity, wellbeing, and resilience are promoted and valued, e.g. open-ended resources used in different play areas.

Settings should have strategies for sharing learning with stakeholders regularly. Families should have the opportunity to discuss their child's learning and development.

Realising the Ambition (Education Scotland, 2020) discusses how,

"Responsive and intentional planning approaches start with our observations and interpretations of the baby or young child's actions, emotions and words. This tells us what the child needs for us to provide in their learning environment. A child-centred approach to planning learning will help the child connect each new discovery to what they already know" (p. 63).

"It is quite alright for us to initiate and suggest intentional learning experiences, as long as we are sensitive to the child's response" (p. 65).

Ways we can do this:
KNOWING THE CHILD AS A LEARNER is essential for planning.
Environment and Experiences: Start with the child. Consider their interests, family and cultural experiences, previous knowledge, and observations of the child before planning experiences for them. Use knowledge and observations of the child as a learner, e.g. spaces they spend the most time in, who they play with and how they like to play.

Practitioners use curriculum and child development knowledge to identify the next steps in learning for that child. In addition, practitioners identify meaningful opportunities to encourage playful learning across all learning environments (indoor and outdoor).

Practitioners use well thought out provocations to inspire and motivate the child to engage in the skills and learning opportunities.

Practitioners consider which skills and experiences are appropriate and relevant to promote (from Emerging Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing, both inside and out) using observations, interactions, knowledge of each child's stage of development and interests and seasonal changes or interests.

Practitioners consider the continuous provision ensuring accessibility for all developmental stages, e.g. differentiated resources to promote fine and gross motor skills for pre-writing, deeper understanding and using numbers etc. Audits can also be used to enhance the environment.

Practitioners use open-ended resources, e.g. pieces of fabric that can be used in role-play as different characters and within loose parts play.

Adult-Child Interactions: When a child is engaged, consider your interactions carefully. Use the ' Keys to Communication' and Wait, Watch, Wonder, get face-to-face and observe carefully before interacting.

Facilitate as a knowledgeable 'play-mate' taking the lead from the child. Remember, the child may not follow the line of development that the adult intends. If the child pursues a different line of development:

Revisit your knowledge of the child as a learner to consider if the experience is developmentally appropriate?

Does the child recognise this as the next step in their learning (do they know themselves as a learner?).

Remember that interactions with the child are a crucial aspect of the learning environment. Carefully consider when to step in and when to step back. This is a skill even the most experienced of us can often misjudge!

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Realising the Ambition (Education Scotland, 2020) describes 'intentional promotion' as a model of supporting the learning needs of each child, whereby the practitioner plans for and offers "experiences and interactions which are important for young children to learn" (p. 62). These experiences and interactions may link to curricular planning or the children's interests.

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As settings re-open it is a time of transition for children and their families. It will be a welcome return for almost all children, their families, and staff. Everyone will have experienced and been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing restrictions is different ways. Some families will have enjoyed extend time together. Some may be affected by financial hardship, have experienced bereavement or domestic violence, and the challenges of being separated from their usual support networks. Young children will recognise that this has been an unprecedented time. They may be concerned about the news they have heard, or be worried about family members who are keyworkers. They may have experienced frustration at the limited time they have been able to leave their homes, or their limited contact with their friends and extended family. While they may have enjoyed extra time with their immediate family, this too may have been different to their previous experience if their parents are now working from home. As part of our approach to supporting children's health and wellbeing Realising the Ambition: Being Me encourages us to take account of the prevalence of adverse and traumatic experiences in childhood and understand the impact of these. Considering support through a trauma informed lens can contribute to a greater understanding of the reasons underlying the challenges some children have with relationships, learning and behaviour. An ELC setting or school ethos that embraces an understanding of what has happened to a child is far more likely to offer supportive interventions that avoid exacerbating stress and trauma. Integrating trauma informed approaches into existing practice can contribute to the positive outcomes for children and their families Adversity and trauma come in many forms and impact each child and family differently. High quality early years provision can however reduce the impact of adversity on children. When children experience consistent, positive relationships with key adults, they are more likely to grow up resilient. Children in their early years returning to ELC or school are likely to need additional social and emotional support. Secure, nurturing spaces and trauma informed practitioners will be critical in supporting this transition. The resources below are a sample of those available to help develop understanding of trauma informed, relationship-based practice and nurturing approaches. These have an understanding of attachment and child development at their centre. Not all of these have been developed specifically for the early years sector but practitioners are encouraged to reflect on the content and consider the implications for their own setting. Realising the Ambition: Being Me recognises that to care for and support children and families, practitioners have to first take care of themselves. This Wakelet therefore includes some resources to support staff wellbeing. While every effort has been made to quality assure the links below, Education Scotland is not responsible for external websites. Websites and resources linked from this Wakelet have been selected to spark discussion and illustrate examples of practice - inclusion on this collection is not an endorsement.

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Being me through adversity and trauma: 'Realising the Ambition' in practice

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As settings re-open it is a time of transition for children and their families. It will be a welcome return for almost all children, their families, and staff. Everyone will have experienced and been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing restrictions is different ways. Some families will have enjoyed extend time together.

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What is it?

Responsive planning responds to a child's needs, interests and natural curiosity through play pedagogy. The practitioner's role is to observe and interact appropriately using their knowledge of the child as a learner. This should facilitate bespoke learning opportunities for individuals and small groups throughout all environments.

Realising the Ambition (Education Scotland, 2020) describes responsive planning as "constantly respond(ing) to the needs of young children alongside planning and implementing intentional experiences to help them develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of the world around them" (p. 63). Responsive planning reflects each child's interests and 'agency' and is intrinsically linked to ' intentional planning '.

Key messages:

A balance of responsive and intentional planning is essential in providing relevant experiences that connect with and extend children's interests and motivations (Education Scotland, 2020, p. 63). Responsive planning should be at the root of all learning, e.g. even 'intentional planning' is responsive to the children's interests, ideas and needs.

Adults who know the child as a learner. "Responsive and intentional planning approaches start with our observations and interpretations of the baby or young child's actions, emotions and words. This tells us what the child needs for us to provide in their learning environment. A child-centred approach to planning learning will help the child connect each new discovery to what they already know." (Education Scotland, 2020, p. 63).

Responsive planning is supported through high-quality learning environments, interactions and experiences. Nurturing environments value and promote curiosity, imagination, creativity, wellbeing and resilience.

The 7 principles of curriculum design are considered when planning for quality spaces, experiences and interactions.

Practitioners create purposeful experiences and meaningful contexts to facilitate learning responsively through child-initiated and adult-initiated play. Observations and interpretations of children's play inform planning either in the moment or over a more extended period.

Practitioners use their knowledge of the curriculum and child development to identify the next steps in learning for the child.

Evidence should demonstrate progression for each child's achievements both within the setting and beyond the gate.

Practitioners use trackers (see tabs at the bottom of the Emerging Literacy & Mathematics & Numeracy pages) to identify children's progress through responsive experiences.

Practitioners use measures such as the Leuven Involvement Scale to monitor children's level of engagement and use this to support planning.

Responsive planning is found within learning journeys and Floorbooks, demonstrating child voice and the practitioner's role in facilitating the learning (making learning visible and Sustained Shared Thinking).

Ways we can do this:

Knowing the child as a learner: Practitioners spend time observing children as they play to develop their knowledge of the child. This means that practitioners know children's strengths and areas for development, where each child likes to play, who with and how they like to play. In addition, they consider their interests, family and cultural experiences, and their previous knowledge. This information is used to inform the planning of the environment and experiences.

Physical learning environment: Responsive planning is supported through quality learning environmentsT hought needs to be given to the opportunities that different learning spaces provide. Observe how the children use and interact with the outdoor and indoor spaces available and respond to their actions" (Education Scotland, 2020, p. 46).

Review the continuous provision to ensure accessibility for all developmental stages, e.g. resources to support schematic play, differentiated resources to promote emerging literacy, early numeracy and all skills across the curriculum. Also, see auditing tools to support enhancements to the continuous provision and City of Edinburgh, Planning with Children Document, 2016.

Using evaluative tools such as the Leuven Involvement Scale can help identify the levels of involvement for specific areas of the play environment. If low levels of involvement are identified, practitioners should consider the reasons for this and make appropriate changes. For example, consider including a wider range of resources that the children can explore independently in the art and craft area. Practitioners should consider if the play areas are inviting, accessible and create a sense of 'wonder and awe'.

Quality interactions: Responsive planning is supported through quality interactions with practitioners. Practitioners spend quality time interacting with the children through child-initiated and planned play experiences, looking for possible teaching moments to extend learning.

Practitioners are aware of and value the many different ways they help children learn.
"Teaching... is a broad term that covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities: communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges."
( Teaching and play in the early years - a balancing act?, OFSTED Inspection Handbook, 2015, p. 11)

Practitioners use their knowledge of the curriculum and child development to identify appropriate next steps in learning either in that moment or longer term. The use of developmental overviews, trackers and progression documents can facilitate this (see tabs at the bottom of this page).

Planning tools: Alongside intentional promotion planning, practitioners should have a format to record their role in responsively supporting learning and its outcome for children. This provides a snapshot of playful learning from across the week that has been facilitated by skilful practitioners. This should be reviewed retrospectively to identify which curriculum areas have been reached through these playful experiences.

Floorbooks can also be used as a method of documenting responsive planning. These may stem from adult-initiated or child-initiated activities. Practitioners record this process to tell the learning story and the children's involvement. Summative mindmaps can be used to show all the different lines of enquiry that the children have been exploring and the experiences they have had along the way. These can be cross-referenced with the experiences and outcomes and monitor how well the curriculum is being covered.

Learning is shared with parents through documentation of learning such as Floorbook pages, learning journeys, Showbie (or similar e-journals) or closed social media channels.

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Responsive planning responds to a child's needs, interests and natural curiosity through play pedagogy. The practitioner's role is to observe and interact appropriately using their knowledge of the child as a learner. This should facilitate bespoke learning opportunities for individuals and small groups throughout all environments.

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What are these?

" A young child's voice is interpreted by our observations of their actions, emotions and words. These observations are central to assessment and inform us what children need."

( Realising the Ambition, Education Scotland, 2020, p. 46)

Practitioners must know each child as an individual to be responsive to their needs and interests. Using this knowledge of the child to understand how they learn and their learning dispositions will provide them with a unique and meaningful curriculum experience.
"Observation is the foundation of education in early years. It is through recording and reflecting on children's activities and interests that we can gather the information necessary for the construction of an appropriate curriculum for them. Observation is also the way in which we can gather the material from which to make an informed professional judgement about children's progress, and about how to help them best."
(Planning for Early Learning, Hurst, 1991, p. 80)

Key messages:

A rich learning environment provides the backdrop against which observations of learning occur.

Through high-quality observations, practitioners recognise new and significant learning for individual children when it occurs.

Observations are taken in various contexts, including during independent play, everyday routines, and when engaged with others.

Observations are written clearly, unbiased, and non-judgmentally (like writing a script for a play that can be re-enacted).

Observations provide an account of an episode of learning and will often include a description of the practitioner's role in supporting and extending this.

Practitioners use their interactions to help children develop learning dispositions, including curiosity, enjoyment, creativity, concentration, collaboration, practice, and perseverance.

Observations are analysed carefully to tease out specific learning, identifying and planning for children's next steps.

Practitioners discuss what has been observed to support individualised and responsive planning.

Observation is used to assess, evidence, record progress and interests.

Highly skilled practitioners use various lenses to view the child and their interactions with the environment - schemas, Leuven Involvement Scale, Developmental Milestones (see Developmental Overview tabs at the bottom of the emerging literacy page), attachment theory, play behaviour, Curriculum for Excellence, and key drivers from Realising the Ambition (Education Scotland, 2020).

Observations are regularly shared with parents/carers and children to discuss progress in learning and development.

Observations use evaluative language to quantify the adult's level of support or describe the skills, knowledge or understanding that the child has demonstrated.

Ways we can do this:

High-quality observations should capture the important, meaningful details of a child's learning and give significant insight into their development and learning dispositions.

Following an observation, practitioners should identify possible ways to take the child deeper in their learning, not necessarily onwards and upwards, but identify various ways to consolidate, widen, and revisit the learning (responsive and intentional planning).

Observations of significant learning experiences should be clearly dated and recorded.

Individual profiles should have sufficient high-quality observations to show a child's progress and development over time.

Observations can be recorded in various ways: observation cards, notes, transcripts, photographs, examples of children's creations and achievements can be added alongside observations to make learning visible.

Observations should show the next steps in learning, linking back to the curriculum, to ensure progression. This may take the form of 'I can...' statements in trackersor developmental overviews (see tabs at the bottom of the Emerging Literacy & Mathematics & Numeracy pages).

Observations should have enough factual information about what was seen and heard to make us confident in planning the child's next steps in learning.

Practitioners need to familiarise themselves with progression pathways (trackers and developmental milestones) or 'I can' statements to help them identify the next steps in learning for individual children.

Observations should include details of the practitioner's role in extending learning through the description of the 'teaching' role, e.g. modelling, encouraging, explaining, describing, narrating, challenging.

Taking time to step back and observe children allows practitioners to reflect on what engages children, how they approach learning, their strengths, and next steps.

The practitioner level of support required, e.g. significant, a lot, some, a little. To describe the child's skills, knowledge, and understanding, we could use phrases such as "completed confidently", "independently", "completed with ease", "with support", "is beginning to", "with minimum support".

Please see below for some examples of observations. Not all examples may be appropriate for all settings. They aim to provide a snapshot of different approaches to a written observation. The appropriate features will depend on the setting, practitioners, and children.

(For additional information: A Froebelian Approach: Observing Young Children, Louis and The Froebel Trust, 2022).

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" A young child's voice is interpreted by our observations of their actions, emotions and words. These observations are central to assessment and inform us what children need." ( Realising the Ambition, Education Scotland, 2020, p. 46) Practitioners must know each child as an individual to be responsive to their needs and interests.

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Children's physical development involves them engaging in play which they find challenging, risky...

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Before your child can learn to write, the hands need to be ready to hold the pencil.

Before your child can learn to read, the brain needs to make sense of what it is seeing.

Before your child can sit nicely at a desk, the core muscles need to be strong and steady.

Before your child can play sports, the arms and legs need to move in a coordinated way and work together with what the eyes are seeing.

These skills are foundation skills.

All children need to have good, strong foundations in fine motor, gross motor, visual perception and coordination skills. Many parents are unsure of how to effectively build these foundations, but my website will show you how you can work on these skills at home with simple learning activities that don't need fancy equipment!

Currently Trending!

Tips For Doing These Learning Activities At Home

Here are some tips for getting the most out of the activities on my site:

If your child struggles with an activity, then try and make it easier, or simply drop it and try something different. Come back to the original activity in a week or two. The variety of activities on my site should provide you with different ways of working on the same skills.

Give lots of encouragement and praise good attempts, even if they are not perfect. "You almost did it, well done!" "That was much better!" "Today is even better than yesterday!" "That was a good try!"

Check your child's positioning and posture and encourage them to do activities in a controlled way, not in a sloppy way.

Who has a good relationship with your child? Sometimes we parents can get stressed over how well our child is doing, and we have less patience than we ought to.
Perhaps a grandparent, sympathetic teenage relative or friend would be able to spend a regular 10 minutes doing some of these focused learning activities with your child?

Perennially Popular Pages!

Here's a quick photo gallery of the most popular destinations on my site!

Printable Resources!

To make it easier for parents, I have compiled my fine motor and gross motor information into affordable e-books that can be downloaded and accessed whenever you need them.

Currently I have e-books that address scissor cutting skills, fine motor skills, core exercises, shoulder girdle exercises and bilateral coordination skills, and pencil grip.

The e-books also provide parents with guidelines on how to choose and structure activities according to their child's ability.

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Free Learning Activities To Support Your Child's Development!

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Fun and easy, free learning activities to support your child's development - from an occupational therapist and homeschool mom!

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Passport to Early Years - Microsoft Team

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Passport to Early Years - Microsoft Team

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You will need to request to be added

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Please keep an eye on CPD Manager for Play Pedagogy CLPL opportunities, including play beyond P1.

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At the heart of nurture is a focus on wellbeing and relationships and a drive to support the growth and development of children and young people (1).
Why a Nurturing Approach?
A nurturing approach has been promoted as key to supporting mental health and wellbeing and attainment in Scottish schools. It is also recognised as one of the main ways of supporting the needs of children and young people who have experienced ACES and trauma (2).

Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA) emphasises that relationships are at the heart of nurturing approaches and provides an implementation process for establishments to develop nurturing relationships across schools, ELCCs and communities.
What is Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach?
* RNRA increases knowledge of attachment theory and an understanding that early experiences can have a significant impact on development.
* RNRA helps staff to understand the key importance of nurturing relationships to children and young peoples' mental health and wellbeing, social and emotional development and attainment.
* RNRA supports Staff to put key principles of nurturing practice in place across their establishment.

You can read a summary of research carried out on RNRA which evaluates the impact of this approach on staff and pupils here: RNRA summary for LA May 2020

You can read a report of the outcomes of our 2022 RNRA Survey here: Nurturing approaches establishment survey August 2022
The 6 Nurture Principles
* RNRA uses evidence-based approaches to implementation. Our Educational Psychologists provide training and ongoing coaching and support to all our RNRA establishments.
Our Implementation Arc Who is already on board?
As of January 2022 almost all Primary schools and all Secondary schools, specialist provisions and Early Learning and Childcare Centres have committed to developing RNRA. We are also working with our funded providers in the early years to support their RNRA journey.
How can I find out more?
Please explore the RNRA tab on the main menu. We have a range of guides, videos, examples of good practice, resources and other useful information here which is updated regularly. If you require specific information about RNRA, please get in touch with us using the contact information to the right of this page.

References
1.Applying Nurture as whole School Approach A framework to support self evaluation
https://education.gov.scot/improvement/Documents/inc55ApplyingNurturingApproaches120617.pdf
2.Nurture, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma-Informed Practice: Making the Links Between These Approaches (Education Scotland)
https://education.gov.scot/improvement/Documents/inc83-making-the-links-nurture-ACES-and-trauma.pdf

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At the heart of nurture is a focus on wellbeing and relationships and a drive to support the growth and development of children and young people (1). Why a Nurturing Approach? A nurturing approach ...

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​This practice exemplar shares Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA) to establishing and embedding whole school nurturing approaches across the authority with a particular focus on the implementation of the approach. RNRA is led by the Educational Psychology Service with the support of two PT Nurturing Attainment Teachers. It also demonstrates how RNRA has been embedded in one of the Pathfinder primary schools and gives practical examples of how to implement a whole school nurturing approach in that context. It also links with the broader context of Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma informed practices.

​How to use this exemplar

This exemplar provides useful video clips and documents to highlight the process that a local authority has undertaken to implement and embed nurturing approaches in their context. It has taken into account implementation science which guides those implementing this approach in the steps that are helpful to undertake a large-scale project of this kind, taking into account the need to build in evaluation of impact from the outset.

Any local authorities who want to embed such an approach might find an overview of implementation science and improvement methodology helpful in guiding their approach. It might also be helpful to take account of Education Scotland's nurturing approaches professional learning materials and the 'Applying Nurture as a Whole School Approach' framework to support the implementation of this approach (see the links below and the Implementation framework which is included). Local authority staff should also take into account their own context, for example what practices have already been established, to ensure that they implement the approach in a manner which suits their context.

Schools who want to implement this approach might find it helpful to work in partnership with their Psychological Service and Nurture leads to provide coaching and support for taking the approach forward, particularly with regard to evaluating impact. It would also be helpful for a school to look at how they target a specific aspect of the approach to ensure that they have a focus, for example exploring how a specific Nurture Principle might meet the needs of the school best. It would also be helpful to link this approach to the current focus on ACEs awareness and trauma informed practice.

Improvement questions

What are the specific needs of the local authority and schools within it and how can they be best met with a nurturing approach?

How can a nurturing approach be implemented and embedded in a way that ensures long term impact?

What structures and supports can be put into place to ensure that schools are supported to take forward nurturing approaches?

What evaluation measures can be used to measure impact on children and young people, particularly those who have experienced adversity and trauma?

How can improvement methodology be used effectively to ensure that any practical strategies which are implemented in the school context are effective?

Explore this practice exemplar

What was done?

Renfrewshire Educational Psychology Service, in partnership with their PT Nurturing Attainment Teachers and local authority managers, have developed an approach entitled Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA). It is focused on the development of whole school nurturing approaches to support the wider needs of school communities. The approach was based in the first instance on Education Scotland's four-day training in nurturing approaches but has since been adapted to more specifically fit the context of Renfrewshire (see accompanying overview below).

Staff from Our Lady of Peace also discuss their rationale for implementing RNRA and provide some examples of how they have taken forward whole staff training, engaged with parents, and developed practical examples of implementing the Nurture Principle 'Language is a vital means of communication'. A complimentary strand of RNRA has been increasing knowledge about, and understanding of how best to support, children and young people who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Renfrewshire was included as a challenge authority in the Scottish Attainment Challenge in 2017 and has high levels of deprivation, with SIMD Deciles 1 and 3 being higher than the national average. Renfrewshire Educational Psychology Service also recognised that there was a need to develop a more systemic way for the service to work in partnership with schools to develop more inclusive approaches to support children and young people displaying distressed behaviour.

Our Lady of Peace Primary School had also identified that they had an increasing number of children and young people who required support beyond the targeted nurture group and were keen to develop a whole school nurturing approach as part of Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach. They also recognised that a nurturing approach, with it's focus on developing positive relationships and moving away from a traditional, punitive approach, was an effective way of meeting the needs of children who had experienced early adversity and trauma.

What was the impact?

The impact of RNRA was evaluated through:

Training evaluations.

Individual schools evaluating the impact of changes to their practice.

An Authority Evaluation including use of Parent, Teacher and Pupil Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ), the Stirling Children's Wellbeing Questionnaire and Focus Groups of teachers, pupils and parents.

Staff evaluation data demonstrates that, across all the Pathfinder schools implementing RNRA, there has been an increased knowledge and understanding of attachment theory, the Nurture Principles and the importance of nurturing relationships across the school. Staff also report a positive change in their practice due to this new learning. Interim evaluation findings suggest social, emotional and behavioural gains for pupils.

Our Lady of Peace found improvements in social and emotional wellbeing scores. In particular they found that 93% of children demonstrated an improvement in social and emotional wellbeing in the targeted nurture group and an increase in the number of Boxall targets achieved by children in the Sunshine Group with each RNRA intervention. Other pathfinder schools have reflected on their 'behaviour' policies and behaviour management systems to reflect a more nurturing approach across the school.

Videos

The Implementation of Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach

The following video explores how Renfrewshire's Psychological Service have supported schools to implement Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA) using an implementation science framework. Can't see this video? You can also watch it on Glow (log in required).

The Evaluation of Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach

The following video explores how Renfrewshire's Psychological Service have supported schools and the local authority to evaluate the impact of Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA). Can't see this video? You can also watch it on Glow (log in required).

Our Lady of Peace Primary, Renfrewshire - The Development of a whole school nurturing approach

The following video explores how Our Lady of Peace Primary in Renfrewshire have developed their whole school nurturing approach to support the needs of children and young people in their school. Can't see this video? You can also watch it on Glow (log in required).

Our Lady of Peace Primary, Renfrewshire Council - A nurturing approach to support parents

The following video explores how Our Lady of Peace Primary in Renfrewshire have used their whole school nurturing approach to support transition of children into Primary 1 by working alongside parents. Can't see this video? You can also watch it on Glow (log in required).

The following video explores how Our Lady of Peace Primary in Renfrewshire have embedded the nurturing principles throughout the school and supported children with the regulation of their emotions. Can't see this video? You can also watch it on Glow (log in required).
PDF file: Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA) Overview (204 KB) PDF file: Renfrewshire's Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA) Implementation Framework (68 KB)

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Education Scotland is a Scottish Government executive agency responsible for supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education.

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Seeds for Change – Developing Global Citizens through Play

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Seeds for Change – Developing Global Citizens through Play

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Seeds for Change – Developing Global Citizens through Play at Early Level – Highland One World

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Seeds for Change – Developing Global Citizens through Play at Early Level

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Anna Ephgrave Level 5 Involvement Examples

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Anna Ephgrave Level 5 Involvement Examples

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Fixing Education in America - How We Got Here

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Glasgow Setting Up STEM learning environments

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Glasgow Setting Up STEM learning environments

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Create, print, share and translate symbol materials online Sign up now and join 1000s of teachers, parents and professionals around the world who use Widgit Online to support learning and communication. Cloud Based Flexibility Create and open your symbol materials from any PC, Mac or iPad with an internet connection.