PINS Theme: Early Years
There is increasing recognition of the importance of the Early Years and of services which address vulnerability and tackle exclusion. This new PINS thematic interest pulls together new developments. Remember: inform PINS about resources and publications that inform your practice.
NEW - Early Year practitioners and additional support for learning
This Enquire information leaflet help education practitioners in the early years sector carry out their duties under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. More HERE
Care and Learning Alliance
CALA offers Childhood Practice and Learning Support Services for children 0-16 and their families, with over 300 members working throughout the Highlands, Moray and Argyll & Bute. CALA provides innovative training to staff and parents;. the Childcare and Early Education Calendar for 2011/2012 includes opportunities for staff from pre-school, early primary, out of school care and childminding. More HERE
Practical support and tools on food and drink in early years settings
Early years settings provide an ideal opportunity to help every child eat well, enjoy a varied diet, and establish healthy eating habits to take with them into their school years and adult life. The new Voluntary Food and Drink Guidelines for Early Years Settings in England help with this commitment. More HERE
Competence Requirements of Staff in Early Childhood Education and Care
A report which presents the findings of research into the competences required by staff involved in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Europe. The research involved a review of over 91 international policy documents and academic publications, and a survey of ECEC experts in 15 EU countries. More HERE
Getting it Right from the Start
The Minister for Children and Young People has blogged on Engage about the recent events around the Rights of Children and Young People Bill, as well as a range of major early years policies currently under development. A short film Getting it Right from the Start shows parents and children saying what makes the difference. Read more HERE
NEW - First Scottish Borders Early Years Strategy
The Strategy commits all partner agencies to overhaul and redesign the way in which services for young children are delivered in order to give all children in the Borders the best start in life. Read more HERE
Dads2be Resource
A resource for professionals providing antenatal education and support to fathers. Download the pdf HERE
Early Years Newsletters
The latest issues of Education Scotland’s Early Years Matters magazine is now online HERE the Scottish Government's programme for the early years is discussed and Lorraine Faccini of Education Scotland's assessment team discusses quality assurance and moderation in the early years. Issue 2 of the Children in Scotland Early Years Newsletter is also available as a pdf HERE
The role of language in children's early educational outcomes
Most children develop speech and language skills effortlessly, but some are slow to develop these skills and then go on to struggle with literacy and academic skills throughout their schooling. This project looks at what we know about the early communication environment in a child’s first two years of life, and the role this plays in preparing children for school. More HERE
Improving Outcomes for Early Years
This Scottish Pre-school Play Association conference will look at the problems facing the sector in providing early years services and will explore ways of overcoming challenges. More HERE
Proposed new Early Years and Early Intervention legislation
The Scottish Government plans to legislate around promoting the joined-up delivery of early years services and Getting it right for every child. They are seeking early suggestions on where you think legislation could help hasten the development of early years services the pace of adoption of GIRFEC. Responses requested by October 7th 2011. More HERE
The Family Nurse Partnership
FNP is a preventative programme for first time teenage mothers and their babies. This is the first interim evaluation report. Many aspects of the early stages of the programme appear to have been particularly successful. More HERE
Early years Framework: Progress so far
The Early Years Framework published in December 2008, heralded an important milestone in partnership working and represented a new approach to policy development. For COSLA it seems timely to review short term progress both nationally and locally, particularly in the context of the current financial climate. Download the PDF HERE
Parents at the Centre
A report which presents the results of research that explored the low uptake of early years services by parents from low-income backgrounds in the UK. Considers how parents access information about early years services and how service providers can better engage with and support parents. More HERE
Fetal alcohol harm and health in pregnancy
Children in Scotland has launched a series of briefings relevant to early years. The first focuses on fetal alcohol harm which is estimated to affect more than 10,000 young people in Scotland. The second on the importance of pre-pregnancy (and early pregnancy) health.
Fetal alcohol harm information HERE
Download Pre-pregnancy information HERE
Growing Up in Scotland new findings
Four new reports provide further evidence about the importance of children's early experiences in determining later outcomes.
The reports are as follows:
Parental service use and informal networks in the early years
Changes in child cognitive ability in the pre-school years
Parenting and children's health
Change in early childhood and the impact of significant events
For further information about GUS go HERE
The Childhood Practice Award
Evidence shows that the best experience for children come from the best qualified staff, including where the manager has a degree level award. The development of Childhood Practice awards are designed to put Scotland at the forefront of the development of integrated qualifications for early years and child care practitioners. Longer term, all early years and child care managers will be required to gain the new awards. More HERE
Preventative spending
The Scottish Parliament report on how public spending can best be focussed over the longer term on trying to prevent, rather than deal with, negative social outcomes. More HERE
A Pathway of Care for Vulnerable Families (0-3)
New guidance supports the development of a programme of work to support vulnerable children and families from conception to age 3 as part of the implementation of the Early Years Framework. Go HERE
Early Years Early Action Fund
Funding will support a range of activities that focus on parenting, play, childcare, child or maternal health, as well as projects that will build the capacity of parents, families and communities to improve the outcomes for their children. Go HERE
Joining the Dots: a better start for Scotland’s children
Professor Susan deacon has carried out an intensive process of dialogue and inquiry on the importance of children’s early years - actively ‘championing’ the issue while also considering what more we might do to intensify our national effort. More HERE
Children have their say about children’s needs in the early years
Informing the work of Professor Susan Deacon the Children’s Parliament was invited to organise an event in Edinburgh at which children could have their say. The 9 and 10 year olds from 6 primary schools in Fife, along with older Members of the Children’s Parliament, took part in activities and discussion about children’s needs and rights in the early years. Report and DVD available HERE
Pre-birth to three: positive outcomes for Scotland’s children and families
This is the new national guidance for all Early Years staff in Scotland. As well as the key document other resources and publications – print and video – are available HERE
Towards the Vision: Developing Literacy in the Early Years
This conference will be chaired by Kirsty Wark, Scottish journalist and television presenter and feature presentations by Dr Tessa Livingstone, BBC's A Child of Our Time series and Sue Palmer, author and leading UK literacy expert. 7th May, Glasgow. More HERE
“I’d play all day and night if I could” Right to Play: Consultation report
The need for better recognition of the child’s right to play brought the International Play Association (Scotland) and the Children’s Parliament together with children across Scotland to talk about what play means to them and how their experience of play could be better. Download the pdf document HERE
