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The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families

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Why you need vitamin D

To keep bones and muscles healthy, everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement in autumn and winter, when we cannot make vitamin D from sunlight.

And some people who are at risk of not getting enough vitamin D should take them all year round.

Just 10 micrograms a day is all you need - it's the same for kids and grown-ups.

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Dept of health and Social Care resource centre

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Example menus and useful guidance for early years settings to help meet the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements for food and drink.

Documents

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Details

This series of example menus and associated guidance has been developed to support early years settings (such as nurseries and childminders) to offer food and drink in line with current government dietary recommendations for infants and children aged 6 months to 4 years.

The documents include example menus and useful information for early years settings to help show how they can meet the Early Years Foundation Stage welfare requirement to provide 'healthy, balanced and nutritious' meals for children.

Accompanying infographics are available from Action for Children.

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Example menus for early years settings in England

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Example menus and useful guidance for early years settings to help meet the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements for food and drink.

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Foundation Years - Latest news, policy and resources for early years professionals

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Eat Better, Start Better - Foundation Years

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Getting children eating well for life means starting early. Whether you run a nursery, work in a children’s centre, look after children as a childminder or if you oversee early years education in a local authority, Action for Children are here to help you deliver great food for under-fives. Our Eat Better, Start Better guidance

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What is weaning?

Introducing your baby to solid foods, also referred to as weaning or complementary feeding, starts when your baby is around 6 months old.

Your baby should be introduced to a varied diet, alongside their usual breast milk or first infant formula.

It can be confusing knowing when and how to start introducing solid foods. We're here to guide you through the weaning journey and explain what it all means.

We've got expert NHS advice, helpful videos, tips from other parents, and lots of simple, healthy weaning recipe and meal ideas.

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Weaning means introducing your baby to solid foods alongside their usual breast milk or infant formula. We're here to guide you through the journey.

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Make a change today! Discover healthy recipes, food swaps, nutritional advice, and top tips and activities to help the whole family stay healthy.

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

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

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

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Lunchbox ideas and recipes - Healthier Families

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Simple, tasty recipes and tips for hassle-free healthier packed lunches.

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Free vitamins and help with the cost of food and milk 

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Free vitamins and help with the cost of food and milk 

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Get free vitamins and help with the cost of food and milk | Cumberland Council

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Eligible families in Cumberland are being encouraged to apply for free vitamins and help with the cost of food and milk as part of the Healthy Start scheme.

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Find local support for cost of living and welfare

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Find local support for cost of living and welfare

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Find local support for cost of living and welfare | Cumberland Council

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You can find financial help if you are struggling with the cost of living, social activities for your mental health and welfare support if you’re a victim of crime or abuse.

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Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines for Early Years

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Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines for Early Years

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Active Start for Families - Active Cumbria

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Active Start helps you to connect with and support your child through play and movement. Discover new activities to try indoors and outdoors as a family, and find out about active play and how to support your child to be happy, ready to learn and active as they grow.

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Active Start in the Outdoors - Active Cumbria

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Active Start and the importance of Outdoor Learning

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PANCo Training | Physical Activity & Nutrition in Early Years | NDNA

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Our PANCo training with NDNA gives early years educators a robust knowledge base and the skills to lead and support change within the setting.

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Food safety - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK

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Food safety - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK

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Food safety - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK

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The EYFS framework requires providers to take all necessary steps to keep children safe and well – and you must be confident that those responsible for preparing and handling food in your setting are competent to do so.

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PD is the growth and development of both brain and body and involves developing control of muscles and physical coordination. This control is used in a whole range of skills of daily functioning and encompasses children's ability to do a range of different tasks, such as speaking, making friends and understanding the world around them.

Progression towards this control is not defined by the child's chronological age, but by the opportunity to acquire skills. A child with delayed PD may catch up, especially with an appropriate intervention, but young children need to be given regular opportunities and encouragement to practice and refine their physical skills through being active.

Vital foundations for good physical development

Primary (movement) senses

1. The vestibular (balance) system deals with the sensation of gravity and movement.

2. The proprioceptive system processes information from muscles and joints and enables us to know where the different parts of our body are, how they are moving, and how much strength our muscles need to use. It makes you aware of your posture, movement and body position.

3. The tactile (touch) system - discriminates sensations to the skin including pressure, temperature and pain.

Secondary senses

1. - processes information taken in by the eyes and includes control of eye movement to fix on, and track, objects.

2. - locates and processes sound information to the ears.

3. - processes our sense of smell.

4. - processes our sense of taste.

All seven sensory systems need to be fully developed in early childhood and integrated so they work as one unified system. The healthy functioning of our sensory systems can be taken for granted - we only tend to notice problems when they don't work and we tend to be unaware of the role they play in everyday life.

How do the sensory systems impact on daily activities?

Efficient and seamless processing of sensory information enables a child to 'make sense' of the world around them and respond appropriately.

For example:

A well-developed vestibular system enables a child to be alert, feel safe or 'grounded', control their eye muscles, move safely in the environment or sit still. In contrast, a poorly developed vestibular system has been linked to poor attention span and fidgeting in children.

A well-developed proprioceptive system helps a child move safely, get dressed and use tools. It underpins understanding important ideas like 'left and right', the use of prepositions in English such as 'over and under', 'towards 'or 'away', and concepts of maths and science such as size, weight and force.

Being aware of these systems can help us to nurture PD in children.

Keep reading

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PD is the growth and development of both brain and body and involves developing control of muscles and physical coordination. This control is used in a whole range of skills of daily functioning and encompasses children's ability to do a range of different tasks, such as speaking, making friends and understanding the world around them.

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Physical development in early childhood - Early Education

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Physical development in early childhood - Early Education

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Physical development in early childhood - Early Education

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What aspects of physical development we should focus on within the EYFS and other early years curricula,, Early Education Associate Clare Devlin explores "Moving and handling" and "Self-care" as core aspects of physicality.

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Physical development - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK

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Physical development - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK

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Physical development - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK

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Access resources, activity ideas and advice for supporting early years children with physical development.

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Evidence shows that educators can implement approaches that benefit young children's physical development. The EEF's Early Years Toolkit finds that physical development approaches may also benefit children's cognitive development Using language to reason, sequence or think aloud. .

Focusing on a specific physical development skill can help children improve competency in that skill.

Physical development approaches may be more effective when educators thoughtfully vary the difficulty of tasks, provide feedback to children, combine instruction with active play, provide a range of resources and environments, including outdoors, for physical activities, and draw on theories of learning to design activities.

Physical development approaches may be more effective if sessions are delivered regularly, for example, three or more times a week, and over a period of several months rather than for shorter durations.

Little evidence explores whether physical development approaches are more or less effective for children from lower-income families or children otherwise identified as at-risk. Therefore, educators should use their professional judgement and monitor the impact of the approaches when used.

Physical development in the early years refers to the growth of the body and brain from birth through early childhood. This includes changes in body size, muscle strength, balance, co-ordination, sensory development, and skills such as movement and handling. Physical development is a foundational area that enables children to engage with the world around them and lays the building blocks for later physical capabilities and health.

The physical development skills of movement and handling are often divided into different groups, for example, gross motor skills Skills developed using whole body. , fine motor skills Fine motor skills involve small muscles working with the brain and nervous system to control movements in areas such as the hands, fingers, lips, tongue and eyes. , and stability For example, balancing, turning, or twisting. . Gross motor skills Skills developed using whole body. involve the use of the whole body and include movements like crawling, walking, and running. Fine motor skills Fine motor skills involve small muscles working with the brain and nervous system to control movements in areas such as the hands, fingers, lips, tongue and eyes. involve the control of small muscles in activities like pinching, grasping, and handling. The development of motor skills is also needed for mark-making and letter formation. Stability For example, balancing, turning, or twisting. is the ability to control and coordinate movement using core strength, for example, sitting and balancing. Physical development also encompasses sensory development, which includes taste, smell, vision, hearing, touch, and spatial and positional awareness. Safety awareness is also developed whereby a child makes appropriate decisions based on risk and their own physical capability.

Physical development supports, and is supported by, other areas of a child's development. For example, movements that involve coordinating both sides of the body (such as crawling or skipping) aid brain connectivity, which supports speech, communication, and literacy skills. Both movement and handling objects support spatial reasoning skills as well as provide opportunities to develop thinking and problem-solving skills. Fine motor Fine motor skills involve small muscles working with the brain and nervous system to control movements in areas such as the hands, fingers, lips, tongue and eyes. development encompasses hand muscle strength, wrist movement, and pincer control: skills which facilitate independence in daily tasks such as eating, dressing, and mark-making.

Children's physical development is typically rapid in the early years and is influenced by the adults and peers around them. This theme looks at what adults can do to support physical development as part of young children's education. Educators need to consider the stage and age of the children when deciding how to apply the approaches below due to the speed of physical development within this age range.

Physical development is related to other aspects of child development and therefore to other themes in the Early Years Evidence Store, some of which are published and other sections that are forthcoming. For example, physical development and self-care are closely linked. Children's knowledge and understanding of how to stay fit, the importance of a healthy diet, and how to manage their own hygiene will be covered under the forthcoming ​'Promoting Self-Care' approach in the Personal Social and Emotional Development theme.

There is also a link between physical development and literacy in the area of handwriting. Both involve mark-making and motor skills. In the Evidence Store, the Physical Development theme focuses mainly on evidence and practices to improve the physical skills needed for mark-making and letter formation while the Literacy theme looks at mark-making evidence and practices to improve literacy outcomes more directly.

There is also a relationship between physical development and self-regulation and executive function Self-regulation and executive function include a range of skills and abilities that give children greater awareness of and control over their emotions, thoughts and actions. . For example, there is evidence that persistence and attention are associated with physical development. Approaches to teaching self-regulation and executive function Self-regulation and executive function include a range of skills and abilities that give children greater awareness of and control over their emotions, thoughts and actions. are set out in the Self-Regulation and Executive Function theme. Do consider exploring the approaches there.

Approaches that educators can use to support the physical development of children include:

1. Promoting physical activity Physical activity level is a measure of a person's daily physical activity. : educators can encourage and provide opportunities, including play, for children to regularly engage in physical activity Physical activity level is a measure of a person's daily physical activity. , both indoors and outdoors.

2. Teaching the skills needed for movement and handling: educators can aim to improve physical development by explicitly The direct and intentional teaching of new words and their meanings. teaching and consolidating movement and handling skills.

3. Teaching the skills needed for mark-making and letter formation: educators can support the development of the skills and mechanics required to actively engage in mark-making opportunities.

Each approach has two sections. The first is called ​'What Does the Evidence Say?' where we share key messages about the approach from the research. The second is called ​'Approach in Action': here we provide practical examples of how the approach could be implemented in settings - examples that draw on the experience and expertise of educators.

Most of the studies underpinning the evidence for the Physical Development theme involved research with children across the full age range of the Evidence Store; children from birth to six were involved in the activities, however, there is relatively more evidence relating to older children in that age-range.

Some of the reviews looked at evidence for children outside of the age range and included studies with children aged seven and over. However, when reviewing evidence of this type, we have only drawn conclusions from studies focused on children younger than six.

This section summarises the findings of theme-level evidence that sits across all three physical development approaches. The evidence covers a range of activities targeting a variety of movement skills including those that aim to develop gross motor skills Skills developed using whole body. , fine motor skills Fine motor skills involve small muscles working with the brain and nervous system to control movements in areas such as the hands, fingers, lips, tongue and eyes. , and stability For example, balancing, turning, or twisting. .

Physical development approaches have a positive impact on movement skills, including locomotor skills For example, running, hopping and jumping. and object control For example, throwing, catching or kicking. skills. However, there is less evidence on whether those improvements persist over time. There is also evidence that physical development approaches can increase the amount of children's physical activity Physical activity level is a measure of a person's daily physical activity. . A small amount of research also indicates that physical development approaches can have an impact on cognitive development Using language to reason, sequence or think aloud. outcomes such as executive function Cognitive skills that enable children to adapt their thinking and actions to achieve a goal. This might be a self-chosen goal (e.g. To build a tower) or set by an adult (e.g. to respond to a question about a story). or concentration.

We identified four separate factors that may promote the effectiveness of physical development approaches:

the participation of parents in physical development activities - for example, by getting parents to practise skills learnt in early years settings with children at home;

the combination of physical activities with active play;

the delivery of sessions three or more times a week and over a period of several months rather than for shorter durations; and

using activities that are based on theory - that is, that draw on an understanding of how activities are expected to lead to changes in physical development - for example, an activity may be designed to ensure that certain movements are repeatedly practised in different contexts to build a child's competence in those movements.

There are some things we do not yet have answers to. There is a need for more high quality research and more studies that investigate the effect of physical development on cognition Using language to reason, sequence or think aloud. , later attainment The academic standard that pupils reach in, for example, assessments and exams. , and mental health and wellbeing. There is also a need for research to assess longer-term as well as shorter-term changes in outcomes. Other gaps include a need for more research including younger children (such as those under three) and more studies that explore whether physical development approaches are more or less effective for boys than girls or for children from lower-income families or children otherwise identified as at-risk.

This is a brief summary of the evidence. You can download a more detailed evidence summary with references to the studies it is based on here.

The Physical development approaches strand of the EEF Early Years Toolkit summarises the evidence from 19 studies. These show that physical development approaches can have a positive impact, equating to five months' progress on children's cognitive Using language to reason, sequence or think aloud. outcomes. However, the evidence base is limited in the early years.

Supporting Physical Development in the Early Years

Downloadable summary of the evidence on physical development

Download file Supporting Physical Development in the Early Years

Supporting physical development in the early years

Downloadable poster of the evidence on physical development in the early years

Download file Supporting physical development in the early years

Evidence summary

Overarching summary of the evidence for physical development in the early years

Download file Evidence summary

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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Anna Freud  - Expert advice and guidance videos for nursery staff

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Anna Freud  - Expert advice and guidance videos for nursery staff

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Nurseries are on the frontline when it comes to supporting babies, infants and young children's mental wellbeing. Staff working in nurseries are ideally placed to recognise and respond to early signs of mental health difficulties young children and their families. The below series of films, featuring some of Anna Freud's child mental health experts, aim to provide help and guidance to nursery staff on how to manage a range of different issues.

Subjects include:

How to manage challenging behaviour;

How to offer support to children who may have experienced trauma or abuse, and;

How best to support those who have suffered a bereavement.

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Expert advice and guidance videos for nursery staff

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This series of films, featuring some of Anna Freud’s child mental health experts, aim to provide help and guidance to nursery staff on how to manage a range of different issues.

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Family Hubs provide a welcoming space for families and the wider community in Cumberland.

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Using Leuven Scales in the Early Years | Famly

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The Leuven Scales of well-being and involvement are an amazing tool. But if you’re just ticking them off on an observation, then you’re using them wrong…

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Get information and guidance on how to support babies and young children with their mental health.

This article was written by the Department for Education (DfE) in consultation with a team of early years experts and senior health professionals, including NHS England and the National Children's Bureau.

Contents

What mental health means for babies and young children

We all have mental health, just as we have physical health. In the same way that we can be more or less physically healthy from time to time, we can also be more or less mentally healthy from time to time too.

The term 'mental health' for babies and young children describes their wellbeing in terms of their social and emotional development.

Each baby or child will have different experiences with their mental health. Many factors can influence their social and emotional development and wellbeing. This includes things like the quality of their relationship with their parents and carers, nutrition and their experiences in the womb.

Self-regulation and co-regulation

Self-regulation is our ability to adapt, adjust and control our emotions, actions and thoughts. It plays an essential role in mental health. Self-regulation helps us to:

Children are not born with the ability to self-regulate. These skills are shaped by their temperament and their experiences in the womb and in early childhood. These skills must be developed over time.

Children need to continually learn and develop their self-regulation skills throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). To do this they need responsive, sensitive care from the adults around them.

Responsive and supportive relationships are where adults notice and understand children's emotions and needs and respond appropriately. This includes soothing children and calming them down. This is called co-regulation. Responsive relationships with reliable adults, like early years practitioners, will help children build their self-regulation skills.

These skills are not only critical during the early years but are also key to being mentally healthy throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. Helping children learn to self-regulate during the early years supports lifelong emotional wellbeing.

Your role in supporting mental health in the early years

Babies and young children feel more secure when they form close relationships with reliable adults who are consistently available to them. When they experience loving and nurturing environments and relationships, they are also more likely to:

Practitioners, particularly a child's key person, can help by responding to them in a warm, calm and understanding way. This encourages co-regulation, and helps children learn how to manage their own emotions and responses.

The importance of the key person

Every child in the EYFS must have a named key person. This is a practitioner who has a close relationship with their key children and works in close partnership with their parents and carers. A positive relationship between a key person and their key children is central to supporting their mental health.

As a key person, it is important to remember that all babies and young children are different. These differences shape what positive mental health looks like for them and the support they need from you.

You should:

Recognising emotional and behavioural changes

How very young children behave is an important way in which they express their feelings. It can also be a key indicator of how mentally healthy they are.

It is important to understand that every child will grow and develop at different rates and have different experiences. The intensity and frequency of the emotions and behaviours they display can change from child to child and at different ages.

As a practitioner, it is important that you get to know your children and understand their individual patterns of behaviour. This can help you to notice and understand changes in their:

This will help you identify when these changes may be a cause for concern.

Identifying when children need extra support

Some emotional and behavioural changes in children can be quite normal. They may be due to regular developmental growth periods like teething and growth spurts. A child may also behave differently when they feel unwell.

However, some changes may be caused by:

developmental delay

an educational support need

a trauma or bereavement

high levels of stress at home

difficulties in relationships with parents or caregivers

a mental health problem

physical illness

In these cases, children may display behaviours or emotions that seem to be more severe, happen more often, or last longer than usual. It is important to be attentive to the child and curious about the cause of these issues. They may put themself or others at risk or find their own emotions and behaviour overwhelming. This can impact on their physical health and development.

Heightened emotional states in young children can also lead to behaviours that you may find concerning. Some examples could include children:

being very overactive or restless

often feeling irritable or unhappy

finding it difficult to respond to caregiver's cues

struggling to self soothe after a change in routine or separation from a caregiver

often experiencing overwhelming anxiety which interferes with their daily life

regularly displaying what you perceive as angry or aggressive behaviours

having frequent 'temper tantrums' - this is a term used by the NHS, it describes a heightened state where children are unable to manage their emotions or behaviour

showing little interest in social interaction, or being very withdrawn

developing regular habit problems, for example with toileting

being unable to develop routines, for example for sleep and feeding

Every child may display these emotions and behaviours from time to time. It's for you to decide whether they are concerning for a particular child. To do so, you can think about:

how often the emotions and behaviours happen

how intense they are

whether there is a known cause - such as illness, being hungry or a stressful event at home

whether the child usually displays these behaviours - based on your own experiences and those of their parents and carers

Some children's emotions can cause them to display behaviours you find concerning. It is important for you to be curious about the causes of these behaviours and explore these with parents and carers. For most children, using different behavioural and emotional support strategies in your setting will be enough to secure their development.

However, some children will need more support. This is why it is so important that you try to understand the cause of the behaviour and get advice where necessary.

Working in partnership with parents, carers and specialists

If you are worried about a child, always get professional advice and follow your setting's procedures, where relevant. This may include discussing concerns with your:

When getting external support, make sure to engage parents and carers in the process at all stages. This includes involving them in:

You should help parents and carers to understand the importance of positive mental health in the early years. When doing this, it can be helpful to use language such as 'emotional wellbeing'. The best outcomes happen when practitioners and parents work together to support a struggling child.

You could also consider encouraging parents to talk to their GP or health visitor.

Safeguarding

If you are even slightly concerned that a child's change in behaviour may be due to a safeguarding issue, you must follow your setting's safeguarding procedure. Inform the lead practitioner responsible for safeguarding. Where necessary, you should also notify the relevant local safeguarding partners.

Emotional and behavioural support strategies

Find out how you can support early years children with common emotional and behavioural challenges.

Common emotional and behavioural challenges in the early years

When children are struggling to process their emotions, they may display a range of common behaviours. These include:

As a practitioner, you can put emotional and behavioural support strategies in place to help the children in your setting. For most children, if these strategies are also being implemented at home, this will be enough to address these challenges.

Strategies to support children in a heightened emotional state

Throughout the EYFS, children are still learning to self-regulate. You should therefore be supportive of them when they experience all kinds of emotions. This includes a heightened emotional state where they are not able to manage their emotions or behaviour. You should also try to understand what the underlying cause of the emotion or behaviour might be.

To help children who are struggling to self-regulate, you can try some of the following strategies.

Talk to them in a slow and calm way

This can help them co-regulate their emotional responses.

Offer them a hug

A hug can soothe, calm and make a child feel safe. They may be feeling alarmed by their own behaviour.

However, some children may not be ready for physical contact until they are calmer. You may want to quietly sit close to them and let them know you are there when they are ready to come and sit with you.

Let them know that you understand how they are feeling

Think about why the child is feeling or behaving this way and explain it to them so they feel understood. For example, you can say "I know that you feel angry when someone snatches your toy."

Encourage them to do something physical to release the energy

You could encourage them to run outside, dance or stamp.

Find a distraction

Try to distract the child by pointing to something in the room or by switching to a topic you know they are interested in.

However, use distraction carefully. It is always important to acknowledge a child's feelings and help them work through them.

Use simple relaxation techniques

Encourage the child to take 3 deep, slow breaths, breathing in for a count of 3 and out for 3.

For young babies and toddlers, it can help if you hold them and breathe slowly and deeply. Your calm breathing will help them to regulate their breathing too.

Use activities like role play, stories and creative play

Once the child is in a less heightened state of emotion, you can use role play, stories and creative play to help them express and make sense of their feelings.

Strategies to support babies in a heightened emotional state

First check to make sure the baby is comfortable, fed, and has a clean nappy.

You should also check to see if they are showing signs of tiredness, such as:

For a fussy or crying baby, you can:

go to a quieter space, for yourself and the baby

cuddle them

gently rock them

hold them against your chest and take deep, slow breaths

softly 'shush' them

walk with them

Strategies to support a crying child

Crying is a common way in which babies and children express difficult emotions. When a child is crying, it is important to approach them with understanding and patience.

Along with the strategies above, the following strategies can help you to soothe and calm a crying child.

Be there to listen to their concerns

Children need calm, warm and supportive responses from practitioners to help them understand their feelings, emotions and behaviours. You should create an environment where children are encouraged to express their feelings, and where they know adults will respond and listen to them.

Help them to identify their emotions

Helping children to find words to name their feelings teaches them to understand and accept different emotions. You could also ask the child to think about how their emotions are impacting their body physically.

Suggest they come with you to wash their face

Sometimes washing tears from a child's face with cool water will have a calming effect. This can help them regulate their emotions.

Strategies to support sleep routines

If there are children in your setting who struggle with their sleeping patterns, you can:

recreate their at-home sleep routine, or aspects of it, where possible

spend time winding down and doing calm activities before nap time

offer them a familiar toy or blanket to cuddle

help them understand and explore sleep through conversation, storytelling and role play - for example, you could set up a bedroom in the setting and role play going to sleep

Strategies to support an anxious child

Children might feel anxious when faced with a new situation such as:

Remember that it is normal for all children to be fearful or anxious from time to time. However, children may need help if they often experience overwhelming anxiety which interferes with their daily life.

You can use the following strategies to help an anxious child.

Let them know you are there to listen and help with their worries

Always take a child's anxiety seriously. Tell the child you have noticed that they seem worried and encourage them to talk about it. Spend time listening and getting a real idea about the child's specific worries, feelings, and thoughts.

If they do not want to talk, do not force them to. Try and show that you understand how they feel and that you believe their feelings are valid.

Reassure them and help them find solutions

Once you have listened to how the child is thinking and feeling, you could suggest a different way of looking at a worry. You can also offer potential solutions to help.

Prepare them for change

Try to prepare children who you know are due to experience a significant change. This could include the birth of a sibling, moving house or starting school. You can do this by talking to them about what is going to happen and why.

When talking to the child about future events, try not to create an expectation that it will be difficult. Talk to them about positive aspects of the experience. You could also read stories to them that show the scenario they are about to experience or create relevant role play areas.

Help them cope with separation anxiety

To help reduce separation anxiety, encourage parents and carers to say goodbye in an upbeat way. This could include smiling and waving happily and confidently. This will prevent children from picking up on any worries a parent may have about leaving their child. It can also boost their confidence that it is safe to be left.

If younger babies and children seem worried about being left, offer cuddles and gentle distractions. Help the child to become engaged in activities. It may be helpful to introduce them into parallel play with other children and activities.

For slightly older children, you could talk to them and offer reassurance that their parent or carer will return. Try to show them that you understand how they are feeling.

You can also give children familiar items. Ask parents and carers what the child enjoys playing with at home. Then, encourage them to play with similar toys in the setting. You could also offer them comforting items, like a blanket or a teddy. Some children like having pictures of their family they can carry with them.

Strategies to support new children in your setting

Children are all different, and some may take longer to feel comfortable in new environments. It is important to be gentle and to take things slowly with these children. They may need extra support from their key person and a more phased approach to starting in the setting. Keeping set routines in your setting, and telling these children about upcoming changes in advance, can also help.

Children in the earlier stages of starting at your setting, or who are transitioning back following a break away, may need more support. It can be helpful to be present with them to help them manage transitions from one activity in the schedule to the next.

Strategies to address aggression

Most young children will sometimes show behaviour that you perceive as aggressive. This is a normal part of child development. This kind of behaviour usually starts from a feeling of intense emotion that they find difficult to process. This could include anger, fear or frustration.

Children need adults to help them understand and express difficult feelings without behaving in a way that could hurt themselves or others.

You can use several strategies to help a child showing behaviours you perceive as aggressive.

Try to stay calm

Coping with behaviour you consider to be aggressive can be difficult. However, it is important to stay as calm as possible. Remaining calm may be reassuring for the child and help them regulate their own emotions.

Work together to identify early signs of intense emotions

Intense emotions may lead children to display feelings of anger. Talk to the child about how they feel in their body when they start to get angry. This will help them learn how to notice the signs of anger. It will also give them the chance to express this feeling of intense emotion in other ways.

Find ways to manage physical feelings

Encourage children to do something physical to release their energy, like running or jumping. You could also encourage them to use simple calming techniques. For example, ask children to count to 10, breathe slowly and deeply, scrunch up their face or fists, and then release them.

You can also let children know that:

Strategies to support a withdrawn child

From birth, children have an inbuilt instinct to interact with their caregivers. However, all children sometimes need downtime. It is normal for them to avoid interacting with their caregiver when they need a break.

Some children are more naturally quiet and reserved than others. Where this is the case, you will need to adapt to their needs.

To help a withdrawn child, you can use the following strategies.

Use the secure relationship between the child and their key person

A key part of this relationship also involves responding sensitively to children's verbal and non-verbal cues. This helps you understand the child and what they need.

Introduce new experiences gradually

Build up your interactions with children slowly. To do this, you can:

Some babies and children are very withdrawn. They may be very passive and quiet, avoiding eye-contact and physical touch. It is important to be curious as to why a baby or child acts like this as it may be the result of difficult relationships with other adults in their lives.

Remember, if you are even slightly concerned that a child's behaviour may be due to a safeguarding issue then you must follow your setting's safeguarding procedure. Inform the lead practitioner responsible for safeguarding and where necessary notify the relevant local safeguarding partners.

Useful resources

UNICEF and the University of Cambridge's Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development & Learning (PEDAL) offer guidance on understanding and supporting mental health in infancy and early childhood.

NHS Every Mind Matters gives advice and information on looking after a child or young person's mental health.

Maudsley Charity's Families Under Pressure includes tips and tricks from NHS mental health experts for supporting children with their emotions and behaviour .

MindEd suggest ten handy tips for managing behaviour that can be difficult.

The Anna Freud Centre has some advice on how to recognise trauma in young children, along with strategies and tips you can share with families.

The Anna Freud Centre also has some advice on sharing concerns about a child with parents and carers.

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

The role of a key person is explained by The Anna Freud Centre.

The Anna Freud Centre has some advice regarding withdrawn or passive behaviour in babies, small children.

NHS has advice on soothing a crying baby.

NHS has advice on how to cope with temper tantrums in young children.

The Anna Freud Centre has some advice on how manage tantrums.

The Sleep Charity offer some useful advice sheets for children and helping them to sleep.

NHS offers some advice on signs on anxiety in children and how to help.

The NHS also offers some helpful advice and tips on separation anxiety.

The Anna Freud Centre offers advice on different types of anxiety in children and how to manage them.

Childline offers some useful tips for older children on ways to feel calmer.

The NHS has advice on helping children with anger issues.

The Anna Freud Centre has advice on aggression in the early years.

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Get information and guidance on how to support babies and young children with their mental health. This article was written by the Department for Education (DfE) in consultation with a team of early years experts and senior health professionals, including NHS England and the National Children's Bureau.

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Early years practitioner wellbeing support

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Early years practitioner wellbeing support

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Get ideas on how to support the mental health and wellbeing of yourself and other practitioners working in your early years setting.

Contents

The importance of early years practitioner wellbeing

The early years workforce makes a huge contribution to young children's lives, and a role in early years can be enjoyable and rewarding. However, it can also be a challenging and demanding career. As in any workplace, this can take a toll on an individual's mental health and wellbeing.

It is therefore essential that early years practitioners are properly supported within their setting to feel happy and fulfilled both inside and outside of work.

Improving practitioner wellbeing practice can benefit both the individual practitioner, and the setting as a whole. This creates a positive environment for practitioners and children, which in turn can:

Better practitioner wellbeing is also a factor in children's personal, social and emotional development. This staff wellbeing video from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families explains how managing wellbeing can help you to develop stronger relationships with children and support their emotional regulation. This is particularly important if you work with children who have their own emotional difficulties.

Early years practitioner wellbeing case studies

There are many ways in which practitioners' wellbeing can be supported. In these case studies, early years leaders from four settings explain their approach to managing practitioner wellbeing.  These are real settings contacted by the Department for Education to share their experiences for this article.

Tiger Tots Nursery

Tiger Tots Nursery is a private provider based in Kirkby in the Knowsley area of Liverpool. The setting employs 25 members of staff.

Managing Director Carol Copoc, Operations and Finance Director Dianne Copoc-Jones, and Training and Development Manager and Wellbeing Champion Jo Copoc share their insights on managing staff wellbeing within their setting:

"At Tiger Tots Nursery we prioritise the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of our practitioners and staff members. This has increased significantly over the past three years: we have gone from carrying out standard HR check-ups with employees to now carrying out regular monthly wellbeing checks which are delivered through our seven Wellbeing Champions. The champions have been trained through our own in-house programme and share tools and techniques to support all our staff - including the champions themselves, as wellness starts within.

We are also supporting our staff to better recognise the signs of poor wellbeing in themselves, and to speak up if they are struggling. Discussing mental health is no longer a taboo subject, we want to break down those barriers. We operate an open-door policy so staff can feel free to discuss their emotions in a safe space.

Our physical wellness practice includes mindfulness walks, Forest School, Yoga and Taekwondo. Supporting better nutrition and hydration is standard practice within the setting but something simple that also contributes to physical wellbeing.

We have observed, following the pandemic, that separation anxiety in children has increased and it can take much longer for them to settle in. We need to ensure that staff are better equipped and resilient to be able to support children and their families, especially those who are vulnerable.

Introducing strategies such as kindness, happiness, mindfulness, and fun has helped to make our workplace sustainable. We find that the more we support and invest in the self-regulation and wellbeing of our staff, the higher quality practice and the greater benefit we see for all our staff, children and families."

Karla Roberts

"Wellbeing is a fundamental priority when working in early years. As a childminder, I can plan my day around my own needs and those of the children and other adults I work with. This ensures we can prioritise our own wellbeing. If we feel under the weather, for example, we can choose to have a slower paced day. I also plan a lot of time outdoors, which I know keeps myself, my assistants, and the children happy.

Being able to compartmentalise is also a key skill. I think it's very important that we don't strive to be happy or perfect all the time. That's a lot of pressure to deal with on an average working day. It's also essential to not overcommit as a childminder. Keeping the day simple and organised is the best way to maintain a sense of calm.

Professional support is also necessary. As childminders we often work alone, so talking to others is the best thing we can do to prevent feeling isolated. Engaging via informal groups online creates a supportive environment within the sector and brings us together. This means we can discuss the stress of the role with someone who understands, as well as share best practice."

Ark Start

Ark Start is a school-based nursery. It operates from two Ark schools in London: Ark John Archer Primary Academy in Battersea and Ark Start Oval in Croydon. Ark Start employs around 20 practitioners across both settings.

Director Katie Oliver says:

"We believe that high quality leadership and management are essential to ensure that the structure of our setting promotes good staff wellbeing.

For instance, we try to limit the amount of admin staff must do. This allows them to focus on their role as educators. We schedule time for necessary tasks within their working hours, but keep it separate from the time they have with the children.

We also conduct termly anonymous staff surveys, with specific questions about staff wellbeing. This helps to keep management informed and allows staff to voice how they are feeling. Making sure staff feel valued is fundamental to a positive work environment - and it's free. As part of this, we refer to all our staff as educators. We hope that this creates a culture where there is no hierarchy, and everyone feels respected.

We are also committed to supporting the professional development and continuous learning of our staff. We want to ensure they feel we invest in them, so we schedule in time specifically for this purpose. This takes many forms, including online and in-person training. We also visit other settings to learn about practice in different environments."

Selby Cottage Childcare Centre

Selby Cottage Childcare Centre is one of five nurseries run by Durham County Council. It is situated in Chester-le-Street in the North East of England and employs 19 members of staff.

Childcare Development Officer and Area Manager Kath Lowery says:

"Across our nurseries, it's a priority that we nurture our staff. It's not about grand gestures or things that cost a lot of money. It's more about investing in and embedding a consistent culture of support and noticing the little things that our colleagues might need help with. For example, simple daily habits like checking in with the teams' wellbeing or just making a cup of tea.

We strive to support our staff to have a good work-life balance, ensuring they don't miss important family moments such as sports days or nativity shows, and offering special personalised gestures.

We actively encourage the team to bring their own interests and passions to work. For example, we have a staff member who has a keen interest in animal welfare who has taught the children so much about caring for animals.

Working in early years is so broad: one day we might be doing a beach visit or forest school - the next we might be leading an intervention for children. So, it's important for us to support practitioner wellbeing, and we spend a lot of time inducting new staff and students so that they feel part of our community.

Nurturing wellbeing is a year-round responsibility, but we run a dedicated wellbeing week each year, with activities such as a sea swim, yoga sessions or lunch together around a campfire.

It's important that our practitioners see the leadership team as a positive role model demonstrating guidance and empathy - this is ultimately how we want our team to be with the children in our care. The emotional environment is so important for children as well as adults - it's got to be right for the children to learn and thrive. We want our nurseries to be a happy place for everyone."

Support for early years practitioners

If you are struggling with your mental health or wellbeing, you may wish to discuss your concerns with your line manager or another colleague within your setting in the first instance. If you want support from someone outside of your workplace, the following links may be helpful.

The Hub of Hope is a mental health support directory provided by Chasing the Stigma which signposts to local, regional and national services offering support on a wide range of topics including bereavement, anxiety and loneliness.

Education Support offers a free emotional support helpline for everyone working in education, including early years. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you will speak to a qualified counsellor. You can contact Education Support by phone, text, online live chat or email.

Education Support's guide to the building blocks of good mental wellbeing includes advice on exercise, eating well and developing good sleep habits.

Every Mind Matters provides a source of expert advice to help you and your staff look after your mental health. This includes practical tips that you can build into your daily routine.

The Every Mind Matters self-care tool creates a personalised mental health action plan, with tips and advice to help you be kind to your mind.

Workplace toolkits and resources for managers

If you are an early years leader or manager, these resources may offer ideas to help you implement wellbeing support and practice in your setting.

The Anna Freud Centre's early years staff wellbeing resource for managers and teams includes advice on how to support your staff through management, planning meetings on wellbeing, and facilitating support from outside your setting.

The Anna Freud Centre and Child Outcomes Research Consortium have created a wellbeing measurement for early years settings. This is a survey that you can use to better understand your staff's wellbeing and how to offer support.

Foundation Years have published a vodcast on mental health and wellbeing. They also offer presentations that focus on putting wellbeing at the heart of early years practice.

National Day Nurseries Association has developed an adaptable wellbeing policy template for nurseries. This is free of charge to all nursery settings.

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Early years practitioner wellbeing support

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Get ideas on how to support the mental health and wellbeing of yourself and other practitioners working in your early years setting.  Contents The early years workforce makes a huge contribution to young children's lives, and a role in early years can be enjoyable and rewarding.

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Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood

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Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood

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Collaboration

We believe that tackling the toughest challenges in early childhood and achieving the biggest, long-term impact requires people coming together. We will collaborate with people from across the private, public and voluntary sectors and all walks of life to make positive change.

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Centre for Early Childhood. Big change starts small We're on a mission to transform society through early childhood.

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If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or can’t sleep, Every Mind Matters can help with expert advice, practical tips and personalised actions to help you.

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Catch up with the latest CAfS news and events - read our latest newsletter. We send our newsletters every couple of weeks. We'll let you know about our forthcoming events, webinars, and courses; top tips for cutting your carbon footprint, our services and projects. To get this direct to [...]

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Catch up with the latest CAfS news and events - read our latest newsletter. We send our newsletters every couple of weeks. We'll let you know about our forthcoming events, webinars, and courses; top tips for cutting your carbon footprint, our services and projects. To get this direct to [...]

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Early Education - Families’ access to nature project

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Early Education - Families’ access to nature project

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Families’ access to nature project - Early Education

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The Families’ Access to Nature Project was undertaken by the Froebel Trust and Early Education between October 2021 and January 2022. Children, their parents, and their early years educators talked to us about their access to nature and being outside together. The document below summarises key findings from the project for early years practitioners interested […]

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UNICEF and the Sustainable Development Goals

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UNICEF and the Sustainable Development Goals

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Help for early years providers : Nutrition

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Help for early years providers : Nutrition

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Help for early years providers : Nutrition

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Good nutrition is important to make sure children:

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Help for early years providers : Oral health

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Help for early years providers : Oral health

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Help for early years providers : Oral health

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The EYFS framework states that early years providers must promote good oral health of children who attend their setting.

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Help for early years providers : Internet safety

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Help for early years providers : Internet safety

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Help for early years providers : Sensory food education

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Help for early years providers : Sensory food education

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Help for early years providers : Sensory food education

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We offer Early Years settings a set of activities designed to give children the chance to experience new vegetables and fruits in a positive way. You can access a training video and easy to use lesson plans, meaning in no time you'll be ready to deliver TastEd in your setting.

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The Food Foundation is conducting an in-depth study on early years food and nutrition to investigate how the food system and food policy is contributing to the high levels of overweight and obesity in early childhood, and to identify what policy action is needed to address this.

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Healthy Happy Foundations application form

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Healthy Happy Foundations guidance and prompts

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Healthy Happy Foundations guidance and prompts

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Healthy Happy Foundations guidance and prompts v.1

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Little Monkeys Day Nursery & Pre School | Keswick

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Little Monkeys is situated in Braithwaite, a small village on the outskirts of Keswick in the heart of the Lake District. Occupying the ground and first floor of a converted dormer bungalow, and with a large garden at the front, the nursery boasts spectacular views of the surrounding area including Skiddaw, one of the areas […]

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Little Jems Nursery in Carlisle provides quality childcare for children aged 0-11 years 51 weeks of the year.

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Mary Platt Preschool | Nursery | Cockermouth, Cumbria

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Welcome to Mary Platt Preschool. We provide a safe, caring and happy environment where children can learn through play. We are based on Lorton Street in Cockermouth.

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I am Claire Sharpe, the director/manager of Woodend Country Childcare. I will start by telling you how I set off this unique childcare on domestic premises.

A farmers daughter, I left school knowing only that I would work in the family farming business. I cared for all the sheep and cows and drove the tractors at harvest time and supported my father with the paperwork.

I always had a dream of owning my own retail business and was very interested in fashion back then.

So at 23 years old, I was excited to set off a fashion shop, having saved up through the sale of my two cows and pedigree sheep enough to lease a shop and to stock it in our local town. A year later I married my fiance of seven years and moved into Woodend.

I continued expansion building up to three shops in the town, and three years later I had our first son, still working in my business.

Three years later my dreams came to an end, when I gave birth to twins and one of my twins, the little boy, was found to be severely disabled. I was devastated! Not knowing anything about disability at the time I had no choice but to sell my successful fashion business.

I began pursuing my new position in life as a full time carer; visiting hospitals on a regular basis with my three year old and baby twins, life was so busy and hard, and I was exhausted. But one day a nurse gave me a poem, which since has become very special to me, and it's why you can find it on this website.

This poem describes how it is to bring up a child with a disability.

My twin son had a tough time undergoing operations at three and five months old, and with him nearly losing his fight for life after falling ill to meningitis. It was a terrible time but it made me realise that we had to make the best of his life and that myself and our family had to make the most of every day; not to look back, go forward and "LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL". And that's exactly what I did.

I enjoyed bringing up my children, there was never a dull day, we would be painting, baking, play with water sand and exploring the great outdoors. And I realised I really did love making everyday exciting for them, and I craved a new exciting adventure for me too.

I mentioned to a friend at the local playgroup my new found passion of working with children and a few parents expressed interest.

So, I decided to go to college. My husband would come in from the farm and I would leave for college.

I set off one night a week to achieve my level 3 NVQ in Childcare and Education and another night training to be a childminder. And so Woodend Country Childcare opened in June 2003.

I set off working three days childminding local children. We had such fun-packed days especially learning outdoors in our large garden.

After the first year I decided to take on two assistants that loved what I had achieved and supported me with my disabled son as well.

Over the years I carried on expanding and employing caring, enthusiastic experienced, qualified girls who had to have the love of the great outdoors, of course.

In 2013 I had the most wonderful year, and I will always remember it!

I graduated from University of Cumbria achieving BSc (Hons) in Childhood and Family Studies, I still don't know how I achieved this alongside caring for my son and running the business, but I did! I also celebrated ten years in business and the icing on the cake was the setting achieving an Outstanding status by Ofsted; all in the same month. The following month I organised and hosted a celebration inviting past and present customers, and family and friends - it was a most wonderful evening.

Over the years to today my business has grown from strength to strength and in 2017 its status changed to limited. I am lucky to have a dedicated long standing team of girls that work hard alongside myself to provide outstanding care and learning for the children in our setting. We provide an emphasis on children spending as much time outside as they do inside.

I believe in going that extra mile; getting to know all my children, parents and carers, and providing support when needed. Knowing each child personally, I build up friendships that lasts for years.

I still have ambitions, and with the support of my family, customers and my great team of girls who striving for this too, I'm sure it will be a reality one day soon!

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Cumbria | Lamplugh | Woodend Country Childcare

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Woodend Country childcare is with in a homely country lodge. Located on the fringe of our beautiful lake district, with access to wonderful woodlands.