Summer event: 12 June 2023
If you haven't already, please book your free place on the Early Education & Childcare Quality Officers face to face summer event, for the opportunity to network with other early years and childcare providers and key local partners who can offer support to your setting.
The first hour will be for registration, viewing the stalls and networking. There will be refreshments on arrival, and to raise money for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, we will be asking for a voluntary donation towards homemade Victoria sponge.
Monday 12 June held at Margaret McMillan Tower, Bradford
2pm - 4.30pm or 6pm - 8.30pm
Book your place below on your choice of session:
Click here to book on the 2 - 4.30pm session
Click here to book on the 6 - 8.30pm session
This will be a great networking event so please come and join us. Please note due to capacity there is a maximum of two places per setting.
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Provider Networks for 2023
Delivered on Microsoft Teams from the comfort of your own living room
The focus for the May network is Family hubs.
This is an excellent opportunity for you to meet the Early Help Coordinators and the Access and Take Up officers from the family hubs and gain further understanding of how they can support you and the families you work with.
10th May 6.30pm – 8pm - Book here
15th May 6.30pm – 8pm - Book here
The focus for the July network is Safeguarding
Have you heard of the Integrated Front Door? (IFD) This is the first port of call when you telephone about a safeguarding concern to seek advice on what you need to do next.
This is an excellent opportunity for you to meet the Education Safeguarding Officer and find out more
10th July 6.30pm – 8pm -Book here
13th July 6.30pm – 8pm - Book here
Feeling a bit lost with all the Safeguarding updates? Book a place on the Early Education and Childcare Quality Officer’s Online Bradford's designated safeguarding lead (DSL) training.
This course has been written to help build your confidence as the designated safeguarding lead practitioner. It fulfils the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework and has a focus on the Bradford District's Safeguarding Children Partnership documentation and procedures.
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Another setting graded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted
The Management Team and staff at Harden Pre-School are delighted to have been awarded the rating of ‘Outstanding’ following an Ofsted inspection in January this year. The setting was also awarded an outstanding rating on that occasion, so understandably the new management team were keen to maintain those very high standards. The Manager, Karen Clarke, felt the inspection was extremely thorough, particularly as the Inspector herself was being assessed throughout the inspection, so there were two attendees from the regulator present on the day.
The notification call came the usual day before where the inspector requested numbers/age of children on roll, staff qualifications, number of children with additional needs, Child Protection plans etc. It was useful to have all this information to hand, allowing the manager to impart the details effortlessly and confidently.
On arrival, the inspector produced an itinerary for the day, which commenced with the learning walk. Staff members were introduced, and room leaders were handed over to assist the inspector. This was particularly liked as she felt this act gave staff total autonomy.
The Inspector felt the quality of Education was outstanding. She said the curriculum was flexible and worked around the children. She loved that the staff were passionate and had high expectations for the children, who are encouraged to reflect on their own behaviour and develop in a positive way. It was commented upon that the children are happy as they enter the setting. They show eagerness and enthusiasm about their learning and are keen to participate in all activities available to them.
Inclusive practice was said to be of a very high standard and the provision for children with Special Educational Needs was described as excellent. It was commented upon that children with SEND progress very well in their development and staff work in partnership with other professionals to help the children focus on their learning. The Inspector commented on how the manager demonstrates an excellent knowledge of safeguarding and child protection matters, sharing this information with the highly vigilant staff team.
As part of the inspection, the inspector engaged with parents and said the partnerships with parents was phenomenal. There were a number of lovely comments from parents who spoke highly of the setting. Parents who could not be there to speak to the inspector sent in an email to share their kind views with her.
The inspector spoke at length with individual staff members and gave feedback that we are a strong team that works well together. The children are happy, feel safe and ready to learn. She said the practice is embedded in a shared vision with high expectations for learning. Leadership and management were described as extremely strong where the manager leads from the front, building respectful relationships and promoting professional development within the team. This is quite an achievement for Harden Pre-School and we are very proud of our team of staff.
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Bradford District’s Family Hubs
The Bradford District Family Hubs are providing essential support and help to local families and young people who require additional assistance. With a variety of programmes and activities on offer, from conception to young adulthood, the aim is to help families make positive changes and develop a healthy and happy lifestyle.
Prevention and Early Help: Designed to bring services together, the Family Hubs are a network of community centres that provide access to a wealth of resources, including Early Help Coordinators, who are based in each hub, Group settings (nurseries and pre-schools) have a named Early Help Co-ordinator who will support families requiring early help. Childminders can also access this support by contacting their local family hub and asking to speak to an Early Help Co-ordinator.
With four Main Family Hubs, situated throughout the district, families can easily access services they need. The West, East, South and Keighley and Shipley Family Hubs are tailored to meet the specific requirements of each area and offer a wide range of activities and facilities for families to use.
The Family Hub network is an excellent resource for anyone needing support.
Bradford Children & Families Trust
Bradford Children and Families Trust is now live as of 1st of April 2023.
It has been set up to stabilise, recover and improve children’s social care services under new leadership – accountable to, but operationally independent from, Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
In conjunction with partner agencies, Bradford Council and the Trust will work together collaboratively to:
- promote the welfare and safeguard children in line with key children’s legislation and statutory guidance
- provide family support to vulnerable children and their families to enable them to cope with difficulties
- support children to live safely with their immediate and extended families wherever possible
- meet the needs of looked after children and those leaving care
- support and enable disabled children and their families
Click here for the new website: Bradford Children and Families Trust (bradfordcft.org.uk)
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Key updates on Early years’ qualifications and ratios
This document has recently been updated:
Early years qualifications and ratios - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Change made: Paediatric first aid (PFA) section of ‘Early years qualifications and ratios’ updated.
Previously stated - All newly qualified entrants to the early years workforce who have completed a level 2 and/or level 3 qualification on or after 30 June 2016, must also have either a full PFA or an emergency PFA certificate within three months of starting work in order to be included in the required staff to child ratios at level 2 or level 3 in an early years setting.
Now states - Newly qualified staff with a level 2 or level 3 early years qualification, awarded after 30 June 2016, must also have either a full paediatric first aid (PFA) or an emergency PFA certificate within 3 months of starting work. If they do not have this you cannot count them in the EYFS staff to child ratios at level 2 or level 3.
Ofsted Early Years inspection handbook
There are minor changes in paragraphs 133 and 135 which state that an inspector will ‘advise’ the provider to inform the local authority of their inspection outcome.
Also paragraph 135 has an additional bullet point which refers to the post-inspection survey. Summary of changes
Level 3 qualifications review
Commissioned by the Department for Education, a review of the Early Years Educator (EYE) qualification was undertaken by the education charity and leader in vocational learning NCFE
Overview - The review will improve the quality and rigour of the level 3 early years criteria, through public consultation and engagement with the sector and other stakeholders such as awarding organisations, and analysis of new and available data.
Who will benefit - By reviewing the level 3 qualification, the aim is to provide a higher-quality criteria for early years qualifications, leading to better training for early years educators. This will impact on individual settings and the sector as a whole as the DfE looks to improve the quality of early years’ education.
Now available - Department for Education has now published the new criteria for the Level 3 Early Years Educator (EYE) qualification early years educator level 3 qualifications criteria
There are lots of sources for information guidance and support available online. This is not an exhaustive list and please note we are not endorsing any specific organisations
The Early Years in Mind network has the following resources available:
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These courses are also available in the subject of child sexual abuse and exploitation:
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