ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012

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The Early Childhood Unit (ECU) works to sustain and improve the quality of services for young children through direct work with children’s services and settings, and through its national networks. This fortnightly bulletin provides up to date news and information for

the Early Years sector, including research, policy and resources.

Contents News from the Early Childhood Unit at NCB ● Early Years Regional Event: Development Matters in the Early Years Policy ● Extending free childcare: Commission on Living Standards report

● Two-year-old entitlement: new regulations ● All Party Parliamentary Group for Children

● Social Mobility Summit: report

Services ● Director of Programme Implementation, Training and Evaluation: job ● Department for Education launches new grant programme

Childcare and early education ● Counting the costs of childcare: report ● Early Years Foundation Stage films on YouTube ● Questions in Parliament

● Foundation Years Newsletter ● Integrated review FAQs

Child development ● The role of toys in play: report

Children and technology ● Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2012

Communication and language ● Baby signing: effect on linguistic development

●Children’s reading habits: survey Disability and special needs ● Communication is the key: a good practice

survey of services for deaf children

Early childhood research ● Movement skill intervention in preschool children:

three year follow-up ● Child care quality and cognitive development

Education and schools ● Payment by results to turn schools around: report ● Children with special educational needs: an analysis - 2012 ● Anti-Bullying week 19-23 November 2012

Health and well-being ● Social and emotional wellbeing - early years: NICE public health guidance ● Potential impact of increasing breastfeeding rates in the UK: report ● Births and deaths in England and Wales, 2011 ● Measuring National Well-being – children’s well-

being 2012 ● Surveys to measure dental decay in three-year-olds

Parents ● Family friendly or failing families? report ● Parents spending time with children: survey for Parents’ Week 2012 ● Relationship support for new parents

Providers ● New and updated Ofsted guidance

Workforce ● Health visitor implementation plan quarterly progress report Consultations ● Inspection of Sure Start Children's Centres

Conferences

Early Childhood Unit

Welcome to the ECU Bulletin 1 November 2012

ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012

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News from the Early Childhood Unit at NCB

The Early Childhood Unit (ECU) works to sustain and improve the quality of services for

young children through direct work with children's services and settings, and through its

national networks.

Early Years Regional Event: Development Matters in the Early Years

On Monday 22 October we held a regional event, Development Matters in the Early Years, in

Bristol. This was the sixth of the regional events we’ve held as a part of the Department for

Education funded Peer to Peer Support Programme. There were over 50 delegates, many

from Local Authorities in the South and South West and feedback has been very positive.

The event featured a keynote presentation by Nancy Stewart, Principal Consultant at the

Early Years Consultancy on the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and

workshops by NCB Associate Debbie Garvey on Providing for two-year olds in early years

settings, Dr Patricia Mucavele from School Food Trust on the Eat Better Start Better

campaign, and Judith Holby on Leadership to support the revised EYFS. The next regional

events will take place in January and March 2013, and more information will be available in

a few weeks time.

Policy

Extending free childcare: Commission on Living Standards report

The Commission on Living Standards, hosted by the Resolution Foundation, has published a

report which argues that Britain needs to address low living standards by tackling low pay,

low skills and high childcare costs. The report proposes a mix of policies, including policies

to reduce barriers to work faced by parents. Key proposals include:

Extending free childcare for preschool children to 25 hours per week, 47 weeks a

year, with extra hours charged at £1 per hour.

Revise the proposed Universal Credit system so that it better supports second

earners.

Reform the tax and benefit system in response to parents’ changing preferences for

work, providing cash support when it is most needed.

Gaining from growth: the final report from the Commission on Living Standards. Resolution

Foundation, October 2012.

http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/final-report-commission-living-standards/

Two-year-old entitlement: new regulations

Following consultation, the Local Authority (Duty to Secure Early Years Provision Free of

Charge) Regulations 2012 has been laid which set out the eligibility criteria for the first

phase of the two-year-old entitlement to free early education from September 2013.

Two-year-olds will be eligible for a free place if they are looked after by the local authority

or they meet the same earning and benefits criteria as is used for free school meals.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2488/contents/made

All Party Parliamentary Group for Children

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Children (APPGC) is holding a meeting on 6 November

2012 from 4.00-5.30pm to discuss proposed family law reforms within the upcoming

Children and Families Bill. Speakers will include Edward Timpson MP, Parliamentary Under

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Secretary of State for Children and Families, and David Norgrove, Chair of the Family

Justice Board. The meeting will be held in committee room 8 at the House of Commons.

For information on the APPGC please email mlagaay@ncb.org.uk

Social Mobility Summit: report

The Sutton Trust has published a report that present the research and conclusions of those

attending the Sutton Trust/Carnegie social mobility summit in May, which brought together

researchers from the UK, US, Canada and Australia. The summit also provided leading UK

politicians with an opportunity to say what they are doing to address social mobility,

including the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, the Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband,

and the Education Secretary, Michael Gove.

Key recommendations to improve social mobility (related to early years) include:

Improve training for the early years workforce, including up-skilling current

employees – seen as important in improving the vocabulary and social skills of young

children.

Encourage more entrants to the early years workforce, including through increased

pay.

Pilot conditional cash transfers to parents to incentivise participation in evidence-

based programmes.

Build on the success of the Nurse-Family Partnership model through a universal

programme, with targeting those most in need.

Insist on tighter specifications around the nature and quality of early years provision.

Prioritise and measure language development in pre-school provision.

Maintain policies beyond the short term to track impact and insist on rigorous

evaluation of outcomes.

The Social Mobility Summit: report of the Summit held at the Royal Society, London 21-22

May 2012. Sutton Trust, September 2012.

http://www.suttontrust.com/public/documents/1st-social-mobility-report.pdf [PDF 1.06MB]

Services

Director of Programme Implementation, Training and Evaluation: job

Early Years, the largest organisation working with and for young children in Northern

Ireland, is seeking a Director of Programme Implementation, Training and Evaluation. This

is a new post created within Early Years with support from The Atlantic Philanthropies.

As Director you will join the Senior Management Team and have responsibility for the

implementation of Early Years programmes. You will apply and refine an approach to

designing and implementing services for young children which will be supported by a team

of internationally renowned experts in early childhood.

Closing date is Friday 9 November 2012 at 12 noon.

http://www.early-years.org/recruitment/recruitment-info.php?recruitmentid=282

Department for Education launches new grant programme

The Department for Education has launched a grant programme for the community and

voluntary sector. The National Prospectus Grants Programme 2013-15 invites applicants to

submit proposals to improve outcomes for children, young people and families with a

particular emphasis on early intervention and supporting the most disadvantaged. The

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funding will provide up to £30 million for each year in 2013-14 and 2014-15 and projects

will contribute to policy thinking and delivery on the ground to:

promote excellence in early education and childcare in order to enable all children to

achieve success in their early years and later education;

develop and reform services that support children with special educational needs

(SEN), disabilities and other health needs;

develop and reform safeguarding services that protect and support children at risk of

harm;

develop and reform the care system and speed up the process of adoption; and

focus and develop local services to improve outcomes for vulnerable and

disadvantaged young people.

http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/a00216108/vcs-funding

Childcare and early education

Counting the costs of childcare: report

The Resolution Foundation has published a report that shows how childcare affordability has

slowed down since April 2011 when the Government reduced the percentage of childcare

costs that can be covered by the childcare element of Working Tax Credit from 80 percent

to 70 percent. Examples include:

A couple on 200 percent of average wage with a two- and a three-year-old in full

time childcare has actually seen its childcare costs increase as a result of the cut,

from 27 percent of disposable income in 2008 to 30 percent in 2012.

A middle income couple with a gross income that is 87 percent higher than a

minimum wage earning couple (£44,440 compared to £23,790) ends up only 17

percent better off than the minimum wage couple after taxes, benefits and childcare

costs. After paying for full time childcare, the middle income family’s disposable

income is £26,669 compared to £22,742 for the low income family.

In the most extreme case, a second earner working full-time at the minimum wage

in a family where her partner is already working full-time at the same wage, would

be left with just £211 (£4 a week) from her annual wage of £11,900 after childcare

costs and the gradual loss of tax credits.

Counting the costs of childcare. Alakeson, V., and Hurrell, A. Resolution Foundation, October

2012.

http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/media/media/downloads/Counting_the_costs_of_child

care_1.pdf [PDF 890KB]

Early Years Foundation Stage films on YouTube

The Department for Education YouTube channel has 17 short videos showing young children

playing and learning, with commentaries explaining what they are learning and

experiencing.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7914115EB65911A5

Questions Parliament

House of Lords 23 October 2012

Lord Quirk asked what the Government’s plans are to improve pre-school provision

throughout the country, and whether this involves support for the Early Intervention

Foundation Consortium. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, Lord Hill of

Oareford replied that improving the quality of, and access to, early education is one of the

coalition Government's priorities, citing the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS),

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the extended free early education entitlement to two-year-olds, and the establishment of

the childcare commissions as examples. He also said that the Government had

‘competitively tendered for the establishment of an early intervention foundation and that

process is still underway’.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/121023w0001.htm#121

02364000252

House of Commons 23 October 2012: Children: Day Care

Sharon Hodgson, MP asked a series of questions on 23 October 2012 about what capital will

be made available to private, voluntary and independent childcare providers to build

capacity to deliver the two year-old offer; the capacity of local authorities to provide

sufficient childcare places to meet the demand for free early years entitlement; and if the

Government will provide support to help local authorities to increase local childcare

capacity. Elizabeth Truss, Minister for Education and Childcare, responded that local

authorities will be under a duty to secure, rather than to provide, free early education

places for two-year-olds. The Government is providing funding to local authorities to enable

them to secure places for around 260,000 two-year-olds, and is taking a number of steps to

ensure that funding rates are set locally in a transparent way. £100 million in capital

funding will also be made available to local authorities.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121023/text/121023w0

004.htm#12102373000043

House of Commons 23 October 2012: Pre-school Education

Priti Patel, MP asked whether the Secretary of State for Education is planning to implement

the recommendation of the Nutbrown Review of early education and childcare qualifications

in respect of strengthening the qualifications required for teachers of children in the early

years foundation stage. Elizabeth Truss replied that they plan to respond fully to Professor

Nutbrown's report later this year.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121023/text/121023w0

004.htm#12102373000047

Foundation Years Newsletter

The October 2012 issue of the Foundation Years Newsletter published by 4Children reports

on the EYFS Profile results, news from the Department for Education and from the early

years sector. To sign up for the free newsletter please visit

http://foundationyears.us2.list-

manage1.com/subscribe?u=44faaa73d6419d1513179588a&id=e05004a334

Local eligibility criteria when allocating extended childcare entitlement?

An article in Children & Young People Now reports that councils may be allowed to use local

eligibility criteria to determine how they allocate free early years places for two-year-olds.

At the National Children and Adult Services Conference, Ann Gross, director of early years

and special educational needs at the Department for Education, said that the government is

considering options to allow councils the flexibility to decide which two-year-olds would be

classified as being within the 40 per cent most disadvantaged when free places are

extended.

http://bit.ly/TT80lL Integrated review FAQs

The Department for Education has produced a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs)

about the progress made on the integrated review which will bring together the Healthy

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Child Programme review at two to two and a half years and the Early Years progress check

at age two. The FAQs are available on the Foundation Years website.

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2012/09/integrated-review-faqs/

Child development

The role of toys in play: report

Ribena Plus has published the third chapter of the Ribena Plus Play Report. The role of toys

in play presents the findings from interviews with play and nutrition experts, and the results

of a survey of 2,004 parents of children aged three to 15. Key findings include:

More than one in three parents agree that play has more rules or structure than their

play did when they were young.

25 per cent more parents think that their children do not ‘build things from

household, natural or found items’ enough than those that think their children do it

too much.

One in six children does no form of outdoor play, whilst one in ten does no form of

exploratory play.

Christmas puts the most financial pressure on parents to buy expensive play items,

despite children preferring to play with simple, inexpensive everyday items such as

cardboard boxes.

Parents are aware of the importance imaginative play yet one in five parents are

concerned that their children don’t engage in such play enough.

The Ribena Plus Play report: the role of toys in play. Ribena, October 2012.

http://www.ribena.co.uk/download/Ribena_Plus_Play_Report_Ch3.pdf [PDF 1.29MB]

Children and technology

Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2012

Ofcom has published its annual report on children’s media habits, which reveals a shift in

the way that children use technology. For the first time, Ofcom has researched the media

habits of children aged three to four years old. Key findings include:

Many children in this age group are using a range of different media devices,

including over a third who are going online using a desktop PC, laptop or netbook.

Most parents are taking some sort of action to protect their children from

inappropriate material. 79 per cent of parents of 5-15 year olds who go online at

home say they have rules in place about their children’s internet usage – such as

checking what their child is doing online or setting time limits.

Half of parents of 5-15 year-olds have parental controls installed on their TV.

46% of parents of 5-15s who go online at home have online controls installed on

computers at home.

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/media-literacy/oct2012/main.pdf [PDF

1.41MB]

Communication and language

Baby signing: effect on linguistic development

Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire conducted a randomised control trial of the

effects of encouraging symbolic gesture (baby sign) on infant language. The study followed

40 infants from age eight months to 20 months. Half of the mothers were trained to model

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a target set of gestures to their infants. The study found no support for previous claims that

encouraging gesturing with infants speeds up linguistic development. However, mothers in

the gesture training group were more responsive to their infants’ nonverbal cues and

encouraged more independent action by their infant.

To sign or not to sign? The impact of encouraging infants to gesture on infant language and

maternal mind-mindedness. Kirk, E., and others. Child Development, DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-

8624.2012.01874.x, 3 October 2012, Early View Online.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01874.x/pdf [PDF 157KB]

Children’s reading habits: survey

A survey conducted by the learning company Pearson of 2,000 parents of preschool and

primary school children and 400 teachers examined children’s reading habits. Key findings

from the survey included:

Children are spending three times as much of their time on ‘onscreen’ activity at

home as they are on reading traditional books, according to parents. Children are

watching TV for 90 minutes per day, playing on computers for 42 minutes and going

online for 28 minutes, compared to 44 minutes a day reading.

A fifth of parents waited until their child was two years old or older before reading

their first book to them.

More than one in ten parents said they read with their children less than once every

six months or never.

More than one in six said they never read a bedtime story to their children.

Nearly half of parents in the UK were reading to their child every day, but thirty per

cent admitted that they only read with their child once a week or less.

Nearly all teachers (94%) said that children don’t spend enough time reading for

pleasure outside of the classroom and that children prefer spending time online

rather than reading traditional books.

http://uk.pearson.com/media/press-releases/new-enjoy-reading-campaign-and-support-

materials-launched-to-help-parents-and-teachers-switch-children-on-to-reading-for-life

Disability and special needs

Communication is the key: a good practice survey of services for deaf children

Ofsted has published a report that presents the findings of a small scale survey examining

good practice in services supporting deaf children in three local authorities. It highlights

effective joint working across agencies and explores the difference these have made to deaf

children’s lives.

Communication is the key: a good practice survey of services for deaf children. Ofsted,

October 2012.

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/communication-key

Early childhood research

Movement skill intervention in preschool children: three year follow-up

The ability to throw, run and kick are important movement skills and physical activity

determinants, yet little is known about the long-term impact of interventions to improve

movement skills in early childhood. This Australian study examined whether intervention

preschool children were still more skill proficient than controls three years after a ten month

ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012

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movement skill focused intervention. Findings showed that girls maintained their object

control skills in comparison to controls but intervention boys did not. The study concluded

that early childhood settings should implement movement skill interventions.

Three year follow-up of an early childhood intervention: is movement skill sustained? Zask,

A., and others. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2012,

9:127 (22 October 2012) [Provisional PDF]

http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/pdf/1479-5868-9-127.pdf [PDF 297KB]

Child care quality and cognitive development

This study examined the relationships between trajectories of child care quality from ages

two to four years and tested children's cognitive performance at four years. The results

suggest that a pattern of increasing quality of teacher–child interactions during the

preschool years, particularly with regard to supporting the development of language, has a

moderate impact on children's cognitive development.

Child care quality and cognitive development: trajectories leading to better preacademic

skills. Côté, S.M., and others. Child Development, doi: 10.1111/cdev.12007, 19 October

2012 [Online First]

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.12007/full

Education and schools

Payment by results to turn schools around: report

The Policy Exchange has published a report that calls for profit-making firms to be brought

in to run England's persistently failing schools. It says that England ‘faces a serious

educational problem’ and suggests that proven education firms should be paid by results to

turn such schools around. The report says at the first Ofsted notice to improve, schools

should be obliged to become a state-funded but privately run academy under a new

sponsor. At the second, the academy would be obliged to join a successful academy chain of

at least three schools bound together legally, financially and operationally. If no

improvement is seen by the third notice to improve, the governing body would be obliged to

hand over the running of the school to a proven educational management organisation,

which may or may not make a profit. This organisation would then operate the school on a

payment-by-results basis.

Competition meets collaboration: helping school chains address England’s long tail of

educational failure. O’Shaughnessy, J. Policy Exchange, October 2012.

http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/competition%20meets%20collabora

tion.pdf [PDF 1.29MB]

Children with special educational needs: an analysis - 2012

The Department for Education has published information on the characteristics and

attainment data on pupils with special educational needs (SEN) as well as school absence

and exclusion rates for this group of children. All figures are provided at national level, with

some existing regional and local authority level information.

http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00214996/childre

n-with-sen-analysis-2012

Anti-Bullying Week 19 – 23 November 2012

The Anti-Bullying Alliance has coordinated Anti-Bullying Week each year since 2006. This

year's theme - We're better without bullying - shines a light on bullying and its effect on

ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012

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achievement. Information on resources, activities and events relating to the Anti-Bullying

Week can be found at

http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/antibullyingweek.aspx

Health and well-being

Social and emotional wellbeing - early years: NICE public health guidance

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published guidance that

aims to define how the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable children aged under five

years can be supported through home visiting, childcare and early education. Children living

in disadvantaged circumstances are more likely to experience social, emotional and

behavioural difficulties, and as a result, poor health, education and employment outcomes.

Local early interventions that support and protect vulnerable children's social and emotional

wellbeing are essential to ensure their healthy development, capacity to learn and achieve

at school.

Recommendations include:

Each health and wellbeing board should ensure that the social and emotional

wellbeing of vulnerable children features in its ‘Health and wellbeing strategy', as one

of the most effective ways of addressing health inequalities. The resulting plan

should include outcomes for ensuring healthy child development and ‘readiness for

school' and for preventing mental health and behavioural problems.

Health professionals in antenatal and postnatal services should identify factors that

may pose a risk to a child's social and emotional wellbeing. These include factors

that could affect the parents' capacity to provide a loving and nurturing environment.

Health visitors or midwives should offer a series of intensive home visits by an

appropriately trained nurse to parents assessed to be in need of additional support.

Health visitors or midwives should consider evidence-based interventions such as

baby massage and video interaction guidance to improve maternal sensitivity and

mother-infant attachment.

Local authority children's services should ensure all vulnerable children can benefit

from high quality childcare outside the home on a part- or full-time basis, and can take up their entitlement to early childhood education where appropriate.

Social and emotional wellbeing - early years: NICE public health guidance (Public health

guidance, PH40). NICE, October 2012. [Full guidance and summary)

http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH40

PH40 Social and emotional wellbeing - early years: supporting evidence

http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH40/SupportingEvidence

Potential impact of increasing breastfeeding rates in the UK: report

Unicef UK has published a report that suggests that about 10,000 fewer young children a

year would require hospital treatment if more women breastfed their babies. The findings

show that for just five illnesses, moderate increases in breastfeeding would translate into

cost savings for the NHS of £40 million and tens of thousands of fewer hospital admissions

and GP consultations. In addition, analyses on three conditions - cognitive ability, childhood

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obesity and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – indicate that modest improvements in

breastfeeding rates could save millions of pounds and, in the case of SIDS, children's lives.

Preventing disease and saving resources: the potential contribution of increasing

breastfeeding rates in the UK. Unicef UK, October 2012.

http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Baby_Friendly/Research/Preventing_disease_saving_r

esources.pdf?epslanguage=en [PDF 4.11MB]

Births and deaths in England and Wales, 2011: statistics

The Office for National Statistics has published summary statistics on live births, stillbirths

and deaths in England and Wales in 2011. Birth statistics reported include counts of live

births and stillbirths, fertility rates by age of mother and by area of usual residence and the

percentage of births to mothers born outside the UK.

Births and deaths in England and Wales, 2011 (final). Office for National Statistics, October

2012.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/birth-summary-tables--england-and-wales/2011--

final-/sb-births-and-deaths-in-england-and-wales--2011--final-.html

Measuring National Well-being - children's well-being, 2012

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published a paper, part of its Measuring National

Wellbeing Programme, that discusses the wellbeing of children aged 0 to 15. The paper

covers both objective and subjective measures of well-being, and looks at the circumstances

in which children live, what they feel about their relationships, what they do and also

decisions that adults make on their behalf. It focuses on children’s health; poverty and its

relationship with parental economic activity; education and skills; children’s relationships

and their wellbeing; use of technology and social media; and where children live.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-national-well-being/measuring-

children-s-well-being/art-measuring-children-s-well-being.html

Surveys to measure dental decay in three-year-olds

The Department of Health has written letters to directors of public health and children’s

services about upcoming epidemiology surveys set to measure the dental health of 3-year-

olds in England. The surveys will measure the prevalence and severity of dental decay in 3-

year-old children attending child care institutions in each local authority to provide a

baseline for comparison in subsequent years and, for some areas, establish a cohort for

follow up.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/10/surveysdental-health/

Parents

Family friendly or failing families? report

Family Lives has published a report that reviews flexible working policies and measures as

the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills plans to improve access to flexible

working under the `Modern Workplaces agenda’. Findings show that while many businesses

claim to be both family-friendly and supportive of flexible working, there is a clear disparity

between aims and implementation. Currently the UK workplace culture and management

remains fixed on a 9-5 or longer hours model and employers continue to consider flexible

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working cases on an ad hoc basis rather than implementing a pro-active strategic approach

to adapting working practices. The report makes a number of recommendations to policy

makers.

Family friendly or failing families? A Family Lives highlight report on progress towards

implementing flexible working practices for all families. Family Lives, October 2012.

http://familylives.org.uk/sites/default/files/Family%20Friendly%20or%20Failing%20Familie

s.pdf [PDF 626KB]

An article in Children & Young People Now discusses the report:

http://bit.ly/WIe4y0

Parents spending time with children: survey for Parents’ Week 2012

A survey carried out by Childwise for the Family and Parenting Institute (FPI) ahead of

Parents’ Week 22-28 October 2012 found that more than one in ten parents of children

aged six to ten years believe they only manage to give full attention to their child once or

twice per week or less. Children were also asked for their views as part of the survey, and

59 per cent of children aged 6 to 10 wished they could have more time with their mum or

dad. The survey showed that parents in the south were even more time-poor than others

around the country. 74 per cent of children in the south and London said they wished for

more time with their mum or dad. This compared to just 54 per cent in the North and 45

per cent in the Midlands and East of the country. The survey also revealed good news for

parents – they are actually spending more time with their children than previous

generations of parents did – even though they work more hours.

http://www.familyandparenting.org/news/Press-

releases/2012+Press+Releases/Parents+Week+2012+-+our+survey+of+time-

pressured+parents

Relationship support for new parents

A new government-funded service has been launched to help parents avoid relationship

break up following the birth of their first baby. The service, The 3 Of Us is available for first

time parents living in Leeds, York, North Essex, Plymouth and the London boroughs of City,

Hackney, Islington and Westminster. Parents have the choice of face-to-face and/or online

sessions.

http://www.the3ofus.org.uk/

Providers

New and updated Ofsted guidance

Ofsted has published a number of new and updated guidance documents that are relevant

to early years professionals and inspectors:

Conducting early years inspections

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/conducting-early-years-inspections

Compliance, investigation and enforcement handbook: childminding and childcare

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/compliance-investigation-and-enforcement-handbook-

childminding-and-childcare

Framework for the regulation of provision on the Early Years Register

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/framework-for-regulation-of-provision-early-years-

register

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Ofsted's regulation and inspection of providers on the Early Years Register from September

2012: common questions and answers

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/common-questions-and-answers-ofsteds-regulation-

and-inspection-of-providers-early-years-register-sep

The removal of routine conditions from certificates of registration: common questions and

answers

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/common-questions-and-answers-ofsteds-regulation-

and-inspection-of-providers-early-years-register-sep

Factsheet: childcare - Childcare on domestic premises

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/factsheet-childcare-childcare-domestic-premises

Factsheet: childcare - Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for those providers who

register with Ofsted

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/factsheet-childcare-criminal-records-bureau-crb-

checks-for-those-providers-who-register-ofsted

Workforce

Health visitor implementation plan quarterly progress report

The Department of Health has published the second quarterly progress report setting out

progress on key areas of the Health Visitor Implementation programme. The report confirms

that the Department remains on track to increase the number of health visitors by an extra

4200 by April 2015.

Health visitor implementation plan quarterly progress report: July-September 2012.

Department of Health, October 2012.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/files/2012/10/Health-Visiting-2nd-Quarterly-Report-

September-2012.pdf [PDF 106KB]

Consultations and Calls for Evidence

Inspection of Sure Start Children's Centres - A consultation

Ofsted

Closing date: 11 January 2013

This consultation seeks views on Ofsted's proposals for a revised framework for the

inspection of Sure Start Children's Centres. Since introducing the current inspection

framework in April 2010, there have been changes in the government’s ‘vision’ for children’s

centres and the way in which local authorities have chosen to commission and deliver

services from children’s centres. As well as raising expectations through the inspections,

Ofsted is also proposing to revise its inspection framework, and to test the proposals

through pilots in a variety of centres and groups of centres during the autumn. A number of

consultation events will also be held.

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/inspection-of-sure-start-childrens-centres

ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012

13

Conferences

6-7 November 2012, Birmingham

‘Expand Your Reach…Make a Bigger Difference’: Earlyarts International

UnConference 2012

Organised by Earlyarts in partnership with Moonbeams3, the conference will provide a

unique opportunity to bring together professionals working creatively with the very young in

the arts, cultural and early years sectors, in support of Earlyarts values.

http://www.earlyarts.co.uk/unconference2012

10 November 2012, Canterbury

Making a difference: transforming early years practice

Working in partnership with OMEP (the World Organisation for Early Childhood Education),

this event aims to bring early years practitioners and students together to showcase quality

practice in the early years.

http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/education/conferences-events/docs/making-a-difference-nov-

2012.pdf [PDF 1.97MB]

10 November 2012, Birmingham

Developing early years practice: reflecting on developments in practice and

research

Organised by The Association for the Professional Development of Early Years Educators

(TACTYC). Keynote speakers are: Professor Cathy Nutbrown, Dr Kathy Goouch and Dr

Sacha Powell.

http://www.tactyc.org.uk/conferences-future.asp

17 November 2012, Sheffield

Playing, growing and learning in the earliest years: 6th annual morning conference

Organised by University of Sheffield School of Education, together with the Journal of Early

Childhood Research. Speakers include: Professor Jackie Marsh, Professor Elizabeth Wood

and Professor Cathy Nutbrown. Places are limited so please book early. Further details can

be found in the flyer below

http://www.shef.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.38139!/file/earlychildconf.pdf [232KB]

27 November 2012, Bristol

Children's Centre Leaders Network events

The Children's Centre Leaders Network (CCLN) is organising free regional networking events

that will provide the opportunity to meet with colleagues across the region, share

knowledge and practice and hear updates from and consult with Department for Education

representatives and partner organisations.

The events will focus on several key themes for foundation years leadership, including the

new children's centre inspection framework, and two year old provision – why leadership

really matters.

http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/index/support-for-schools/ccln/ccln-dates-

and-locations.htm

ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012

14

30 November 2012, London

Every word matters: Communication and language from the very beginning:

Annual Talk To Your Baby Conference

Organised by the National Literacy Trust, this conference looks at pre-birth to the end of the

foundation years, with a particular focus on the way in which attachment, communication

and language promote positive futures for two-year-olds.

http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/events/76

3 December 2012, London

Children & Society lecture: Contextualising policies for good childhoods

Children & Society is the National Children's Bureau’s interdisciplinary journal, publishing

innovative papers on research and practice across the spectrum of childhood and policies

and services for children and young people.

http://childrenandsociety.eventbrite.com/#

4 December 2012, Nottingham

Children's Centre Leaders Network events

http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/index/support-for-schools/ccln/ccln-dates-

and-locations.htm

4 December 2012, London

Daycare Trust Annual Conference: New approaches to childcare policy and practice

The conference will examine key issues such as findings from the Childcare Commission, the

extension of the free entitlement to two-year-olds, EYFS reforms and new approaches to

outreach and parental engagement. Key speakers include: Elizabeth Truss, Parliamentary

Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education.

http://www.daycare-trust-annual-conference2012.co.uk/

5 December 2012, Liverpool

Children's Centre Leaders Network events

http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/index/support-for-schools/ccln/ccln-dates-

and-locations.htm

12 February 2013, London

Children and Young People’s Health

http://childrens-health.co.uk/programme/

19 March 2013, London

The Children’s Food Trust: Children’s Food Conference

http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/schools/projects/the-childrens-food-trusts-childrens-

food-conference

21 March 2013, Birmingham

Disorganised attachment and child protection: New ways of assessing risk and

helping children and families

Organised by the British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and

Neglect (BAPSCAN).

http://www.baspcan.org.uk/booking.php

27-28 April 2013, London

Early Childhood and the Science of Wellbeing: 2013 Flourish Summit

The Save Childhood Movement’s first multidisciplinary summit.

http://www.flourishsummitlondon.co.uk/index.html

ECU Bulletin 2012 (21) 1 November 2012

15

*************************************************************************

The ECU Bulletin is compiled and edited by Anna Kassman-McKerrell, NCB

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