News: Early Years

A recent survey by Save the Children showed that more than a third of parents in England with children under five, don’t know whether their nursery employs qualified early years teachers. They have also produced a briefing paper setting out the impact that a lack of support for children in their early years can have on later attainment; it states that children who do not reach a desirable level of development at the end of the EYFS, are at risk of not reaching expected standards in English and maths by the time they finish primary school. 

In contrast, an LSE study has found that graduate nursery staff make only a small impact on children's attainment, which contradicts earlier research, stating that it is crucial for every nursery in England to have a qualified early years teacher.

As plans are rolled out offering 30 free hours of childcare to eligible families from September, a poll carried out by the Family and Childcare Trust has found that local authorities have concerns regarding the new policy: whether some childcare providers would offer the increased provision and that the change may result in higher fees for additional care.

The Government is also encouraging existing volunteer-led initiatives in early years and youth work, to apply for a portion of a £2m pot of funding to help them expand.

School Bullying

An article published in the Journal of Adolescence discusses three linked studies on the subject of bullying:

1.  If adolescents perceive that telling a teacher they have been bullied will lead to negative outcomes
2.  What those perceived negative outcomes are 

3.  The role of these negative outcomes in predicting intentions to disclose bullying to teachers.

This article is available in full-text via ScienceDirect (E-Resources)

On the topic of school bullying, the Government will be rolling out an online app to hundreds of schools, which will allow children to report bullying using screenshots of social media.

New Reports

NatCen Social Research have published a new report today, highlighting the need for a tailored curriculum and a skilled and self-reflective workforce in order to ensure good practice in early years settings. The SEED report brings together the experiences of early years practitioners, based on evidence from case studies of various early years settings across England. These included interviews with managers and staff, local authority staff and parents using those settings. 

In addition to the above, three other reports from SEED have been published today:

• The cost and funding of early education
• Meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities in the early years
• Experiences of the Early Years Pupil Premium

Back to School....

As children start gathering up their backpacks and troop back to school for a new term, here's a little encouragement - interesting snapshots of fellow pupils from various classrooms around the world, pens poised, ready to work...

Image: theguardian.com

Men & Mental Health

Pic: ImageQuest

A few weeks ago, the singer Kanye West was hospitalised for stress and exhaustion following a melt-down on stage. There followed a show of support from a number of fellow musicians. This was very significant according to this article, as a positive move towards a change in attitudes and the stigma attached to mental health issues, particularly in the African American male community; the macho hip-hop culture has meant that mental health issues are not usually discussed openly and those suffering have been far less likely to seek help.

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A report published earlier this year, outlined the changes to be introduced over the coming years in response to the Mental Health Taskforce’s recommendations to improve care. In addition, the Ministry of Justice and NHS England are working together to develop a £24m programme targeting mental health support at young offenders.