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Liverpool City Region and beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Blogs Childminders Programmes Documents Subscibe Early Years Professional Development Programme Newletters Recruitment Please fill out the following information in order to access this webinar on-demand. Email Name Local Authority your setting is based in: School / Setting name Setting Postcode What best describes your role in the Setting Choose an option What best describes your Setting Choose an option Setting Region Choose an option Number of practitioners/teachers watching on this device, including yourself * Session: Session URL: By ticking this box, you understand that all materials are the copyright of Liverpool City Region and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub at Everton Nursery School and Children's Centre and/or the webinar presenter(s). You will be subscribed to the Liverpool City Region and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub Mailing List and will receive occasional emails from us; you can manage your preferences and unsubscribe anytime. I agree Watch Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment ENGAGING GROWTH WITH ‘THE GARDEN CLASSROOM’ By Tracie Dowling My name is Tracie Dowling, I have worked in childcare for over 30 years. I’m an OFSTED Registered Childminder, Mentor for the Department of Education , Northwest Childminder Representative and Childminding Network Co-ordinator, PEEP Facilitator and Childminder Employer based in Liverpool. I employ an amazing assistant, Debbie and together we care for eight children under the age of five years. Throughout my career as a Registered Childminder, I have incorporated holistic learning into my practices. Over the years this has evolved, and I refer to my way of teaching as ‘The Garden Classroom’ which you can read about on my blog . Although this way of learning is primarily outdoors, the learning is year-long and therefore I have created ways of learning no matter the season. The Garden Classroom practices always incorporate the three prime areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning. Read on to learn how I weave these key components into outdoor play. OUTDOOR LEARNING The Garden Classroom is a space where children can learn and grow, connecting to nature and the world around them. Outdoor exploration not only connects toddlers and babies with the seasons and everchanging weather, but also promotes physical activity, a sense of wonder, and an appreciation for the natural environment. Providing gardening activities for my children has proven to be great way to engage them with hands-on learning, including growing food from seed to plate, food sensory education , pond-dipping and lifecycles, and practicing sustainability through composting and recycling. The children learn vital skills such as adaptability and resilience by witnessing their environment going through the cycles. This helps them understand the concept of change and builds resilience in the face of transitions. In one area of our garden, we have a pet cemetery. Here, we have buried our family pets and other creatures who have come and gone. This space allows us to teach the children about the life-death cycle and accept change. Similarly, every year we experience frogspawn, giving us the opportunity to learn about birth and growth as we watch their little tails shrink and their legs grow. To support the children’s cognitive skills, we provide activities to observe and understand nature through investigation. The children’s favourite activities at the moment are pond dipping and growing and harvesting flowers, fruit, and vegetables. Some of the learning objectives within these activities are linked to lifecycles, categorising, comparison and pattern recognition in nature. Supporting the children to experience the wonders of changing seasons has a positive effect on their emotional well-being, mine, and Debbie’s too! The children take naps outside and participate in meditation while the birds are singing away. These activities provide opportunities for relaxation and promote a sense of calm and happiness. It is proven that spending time in nature has mental health benefits as well as emotional and physical benefits . SEASONAL LEARNING Every season and even every different day outdoors, brings a new set of sensory stimulation by exploring the sights, textures, aromas, even the noises of the natural world. The experiences are endless. The children love finding the strawberries and munching away, and there is no better taste than a sun-ripened cherry tomato, if they leave me any! Unfolding the characteristics of seasonal vocabulary during our activities also contributes to early language and provides children with the skills to articulate their observations and experiences. Whether its playing in the muddy puddles, counting the frogs or learning to sow seeds, the language opportunities are endless. The seasons are also a lovely way to promote cultural celebrations and traditions. We love the harvest festival where we like to gather our produce and share with our families, or Diwali where we cover the garden with lights and have a magical Diwali feast. There are many ways to weave cultural traditions into your very own Garden Classroom. “Lovely to watch her be so interested in how it grows. How she cares for it, and that she’s happy with the end result, we’ve even started growing our own strawberries and sunflowers at home” – Elsie’s Mum. By incorporating a Garden Classroom into your setting, your children can foster environmental awareness, develop a sense of responsibility and appreciation of the natural world, which in turn lays the groundwork for their future environmental consciousness. Seasonal changes spark natural curiosity and wonder within the children, giving them the opportunity for questioning and exploration, cultivating a mindset of inquiry and lifelong learning. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) The Early Years Toolkit brings together the best available evidence on key areas of learning and development. It can support all childminders when making decisions on how to improve learning outcomes. Physical development approaches | EEF educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Other research Useful resource: Garden activities for September :: The Garden Classroom - NurtureStore The Edible Garden – Alys Fowler (book and BBC Series 2010) Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Exploring Understanding the world By Michelle Bennett. (Childminder) My Name is Michelle Bennett and I am an OFSTED Registered, outstanding childminder which I have undertaken for eleven years. I am based in the Morecambe area of Lancashire and one of the Lancashire leads for childminders in my area. I am the childminding representative for the Morecambe Bay curriculum and have worked previously in numerous Nurseries and as a teaching assistant in a local primary school. I am very passionate about the work we all do, as we are, in my opinion, very lucky to support education. We develop the young people that come to us, with their learning and understanding of the world that we live in. I believe that our actions will enable and encourage their knowledge for learning of the prime areas and specific area of learning: Communication and language, Physical development, Personal, social and emotional development Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the world and Expressive arts and design I am passionate about the freedom of childminding, and creating awe and wonder every day. For me play is so important in so many ways as this supports children to learn and develop and as a childminder I can plan for the children’s interests as individuals. In this blog I will share with you how the children gained knowledge of the circus theme and scarecrows and increased their vocabulary from a visit to a local village. What did our children find on the visit to a local themed experience? Our visit was to the annual Wray scarecrow display. This is the oldest running scarecrow display in the UK, since 1992 and is run by a committee of local people from the village of Wray, Lancashire. The display of scarecrows has a different theme each year, and most of the local community of Wray will make a scarecrow for this event. The children that come to me, on the week leading up to the visit did talk about the theme and what they knew about scarecrows and the theme. This year the theme was circus. We had numerous conversations between myself and the children, as well as conversations between child to child, and the topic of the conversations they were having was about what type of activities / acts that you would see in a circus? The vocabulary included: strong man, jugglers, tightrope walkers, acrobats, clowns. Where do the circus people live? What nationality or country do the circus people come from? What is a circus tent made from? How are the scarecrows at Wray made? Who makes them? Why do they make them? Who chooses the theme and what scarecrow they would make if they lived in Wray? The day of the visit to Wray…. We were armed with cameras for the children to take photos of what they wanted to. As we were going around Wray there was lots of conversations of what the children could see, what they like and why they liked the scarecrows and displays. We spoke about favourite colours, the different sizes of scarecrows, the role of the scarecrow made and what their role is in a circus theme. The children spoke with local people and asked why they had made their scarecrow and what was the reason for the ones they made. Two of the children that were present had come the last three years with me, and they could remember the last year’s theme (which was magic) and spoke about that, with the current children. They spoke about the previous children that had come on the previous visits and what they liked and where they were now. While we were having our lunch, the children had conversations between themselves, about which scarecrows were their favourite and why they were. When we return back home, this continued the theme and children decided to demonstrate Circus skills, drawings, role play games and ask numerous questions. The following week after the visit…. The week after we had visited Wray, the children were keen to make some scarecrows, so we made smaller ones and a big one, using sticks and decorated them using the fantastic box of crafts I won after attending the recent Stronger Practice Hub conference, which all the children loved using these crafts. The scarecrows where then placed around the garden and the children made their own pretend village scarecrow display. The children began role playing at being the local people of their pretend village. We also dressed up as scarecrows with a circus theme with items we purchased from local charity shops. When we purchased these items of clothing from the charity shops, we talked about what charity shops do, the reason behind the purpose of the shop. Why local people donate and buy from them, and about sustainability and my children have really been understanding all about recycling. What does the evidence say for Understanding the world? Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them – from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening children’s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension. Taken from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670f8c0f366f494ab2e7b93d/EYFS_statutory__framework_for_childminders.pdf The https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store references Communication and Language which became part of our focus within the visit as the children spoke to each other, with myself and grew in their understanding of new vocabulary connected with the circus. This resulted in the children knowing more and remembering more through their visit from last year and this year. Exploring the DfE module 4 on supporting language development in the early years enabled me to appreciate even more the importance of a language rich approach where interactions are promoted. I consider the circus theme visit supported both the children in their learning and development which in turn supported my continuous professional development (CPD) in researching the theme and the learning opportunities for the children in communication and language, physical development and Understanding the world. The children and I are looking forward to our next visit out to extend learning further within Understanding the world and the other Early Years Foundation Stage areas of learning. References: https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/strongerpracticehub https://www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/nw/liverpool-city-region-and-beyond-eysph https://wrayscarecrows.wordpress.com/ https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store https://birthto5matters.org.uk/ https://www.ncfe.org.uk/media/xbcbjrfj/early-years-sustainability-resource.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670f8c0f366f494ab2e7b93d/EYFS_statutory__framework_for_childminders.pdf https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/about/module-4 https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/about/module-5 Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Our aim as an Early Years Stronger Practice Hub will be to share communication and language and literacy programmes initially. Please keep checking back as we aim to provide recorded and live webinars and face to face drop in's and twilights regarding the programmes we will offer. In the meantime look at the programmes on offer through the Department for Education (DfE): https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/ New Maths Champions 2025 Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

The benefits of outdoor play Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment The benefits of outdoor play How childminders use outdoor spaces to enhance children’s learning outcomes. By Tracie Dowling ‘My greatest childhood memories are of playing outdoors. Running around, climbing trees, playing in my treehouse, making mud pies, using my mum’s roses to make perfume (not always fragrant!) and inventing new games that kept me, and my brother occupied for hours – these are all things that contribute to a happy, healthy upbringing’ Introduction My name is Tracie Dowling, and I have been an OFSTED Registered Childminder for over 33 years and a Strategic Partner of Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub. One of my roles has been to support the Deysbrook Childminder Network at the Village Community Centre in West Derby, Liverpool. https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/childminders Not all childminders are lucky enough to have a large outdoor space attached to their setting; however, this does not prevent them from ensuring the children access quality outdoor learning opportunities. The childminders at Deysbrook meet up once a week at the drop-in session and have access to a community garden where they can grow produce, exercise and access activities. They also regularly organise to meet up at the local allotment, parks, farm, forest, zoo and beaches. ‘The Early Years Foundation Stage states that ‘children benefit from spending as much time outside as possible. This makes a significant contribution to the progress they make particularly in their personal, emotional, social and physical development’ Benefits of outdoor learning opportunities Having the opportunity to learn outdoors can be a holistic and essential approach to education, offering a multitude of benefits beyond the traditional educational setting. Here are some of the ways the childminders take advantages of outdoor learning opportunities: Enhanced Physical Development: The childminders regularly take the children to the local forest to experience the natural outdoor spaces which are uneven and inconsistent (logs, trees, pathways) and therefore improve children's balance, coordination, agility and encourage movement in ways that improve their muscles, bones and physical endurance. Cognitive Development: The openair environment of the local park provides opportunities for exploration (plants, wildlife, habitats) problem-solving (how to cross a big puddle?), critical thinking (how to make a den using found objects), decision-making and building essential skills like spatial awareness and adaptability. The children engage in activities such as den building, learning to look after the environment, and exploring nature. Communication and Language Skills: Collaboration between the childminders and peers significantly boosts communication and language development. This provides a natural, engaging environment to practice language, explore new vocabulary and develop social skills. By providing the children with Imaginative play opportunities, exploring the natural world, and interaction with peers all contribute to language acquisition and communication skills which is evident by the children expressing thoughts, asking questions and listening to their childminder and peers. While in the outdoor area the children listen to natural sounds and explore other sensory experiences (e.g., the rustling of leaves, the feel of mud and sand) this broadens and enhanced language development by using words such as squidgy, squelchy, scrunching. Personal, Social, and Emotional Development: When the childminders take the children on visits for instance to the beach this provides abundant opportunities for personal growth and social development. The children learn to manage risks, (being close to water/climbing on slippery rocks/identifying and studying the jellyfish) develop self-confidence, and form positive relationships in the safety of their childminder and experiences with peers. Knowledge and Understanding of the World: Outdoor learning offers a direct relationship with nature, enabling children to explore and understand the natural world, encouraging an enduring interest in science, ecology, and caring for their environment. My personal childminding ethos and curriculum is ‘sustainability in the garden classroom’. I am privileged to have a wonderful outdoor space where I teach the children to care for their environment. We have a wormery to use up food waste and provide our plants with nutrients, water butts to recycle water and feed our fruit and vegetables, habitats for the wildlife such as frogs, bees, bugs etc. We grow plants (not always successfully) using different methods such as hydroponically, using recycled materials and no dig raised beds. We welcome childminders and our community family to share our environment, where we exchange ideas’ share surplus produce and have a swap scheme for instance toys/plants/story sacks to promote positive relationships and encourage cost effective way of living. Literacy and Mathematics: Outside spaces can serve as an environment for literacy and numeracy activities. Children can count objects, (bugs, shells, sticks) write using natural materials (sand, soil, chalk, sticks) or engage in storytelling and creative writing inspired by the environment for instance using the ’anywhere farm’ story sack at the urban farm. Expressive Arts and Design: Openair environments encourage creativity and artistic expression. Children can be involved in activities such as drawing, painting, or sculpture using natural materials, (logs, sticks, shells, pinecones) furthering their artistic development. The children are very interested in using flowers and leaves to make natural prints pressing the flowers (from my garden) between two pieces of material to bring out the natural colourings. Conclusion By childminders being creative and giving children opportunities to access various outdoor environments reinforced with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 7 areas of learning is a pathway in a child’s holistic development. The EYFS framework recognises the importance of outdoor learning, and the benefits of this approach are undeniable. By providing children with outdoor environments for physical activity, cognitive growth, social interaction, and a deep connection to nature, we nurture well-rounded children and enable them to be better prepared for the challenges of life and holistic learning. This is the collective responsibility of parents and educators to ensure that all children have access to these inspiring outdoor activities and environments that will profoundly shape their future in positive and meaningful ways. External References and Resources https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store Reference to Physical Development, Communication and Language, Literacy and Mathematics https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/strongerpracticehub https://www.gov.uk/early-years-foundation-stage https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/early-years-sustainable-hub https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/research/forest-schools-impact-on-young-children-in-england-and-wales/#research-objectives The Garden Classroom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHk8MmfrBTc https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/family-friendly/family-friendly-gardens Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Let’s talk about books By Alex Gower-Jones Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

The benefits of outdoor play Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Deysbrook Childminding Network By Tracie Dowling My name is Tracie Dowling and I have been a childminder for over 32 years and I live in Anfield Liverpool. I am also part of the strategic team at Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub (EYSPH) and support childminders within the Region. My role is to be a point of call to support the childminders, signpost them to early years funded support programmes and link in with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to promote the Early Years Evidence store and Early Years Tool kit. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/ The Stronger Practice Hub has funded a Childminder Network drop In at the Deysbrook Village Centre. https://www.deysbrook-vc.co.uk/ This provides the local childminders with a venue to meet up weekly with their minded children, link to myself and each other to share good practice and access face to face support. The childminders and children enjoy attending the drop-in sessions as this supports good practice by giving the children experiences to gain valuable social skills like sharing, taking turns, communication, and cooperation by interacting with others children. Having access to larger group activities such as music and movement and craft time also provides opportunities to develop language skills, motor skills, and overall confidence through play-based learning and exposure to larger group activities and toys and helping with preparing for school transition. The Drop in provides a venue for childminder and child-based training opportunities and a space for childminders to connect and build a community with each other. Over the last few months, the childminders and children have enjoyed the Sustainability Goal bitesize sessions that I have facilitated. https://sdgs.un.org/goals We have focused on one goal each week, for example week 1, we focused on Goal 1 ‘No Poverty’. We all sat together on the carpet and read the story ‘The Three Little Pigs’ we discussed the different types of housing and what it’s like to be homeless. We thought about what the safest house would be and which would have strong foundations that can withstand challenges due to global warming. I provided the children with an activity using wooden ‘Three Little Pig’ story props to decorate using crayons and recyclable materials. At the end of the session, I gave each childminder an information pack explaining why I chose the activity, how I incorporate the goals within my setting, extra reading materials / information around the Sustainability Goals. The following week before we started the next focused activity, we discussed the previous goal and how and what the children did at their childminders setting to include ‘poverty’. One child told me she made a Den, but she got upset because one of the children pulled off the blanket. I suggested next time they use pegs to see if the den stayed up longer. She told me her childminder made another den out of a big sturdy box and this was fun. Another child had used their props to tell the story again. This feedback from the children was invaluable and makes the time I spend putting the activities together all worthwhile. Anne Wrigley a childminder of the Deysbrook Drop in provided me with some amazing feedback. She said by attending the drop in and accessing support gave her confidence when she had her latest OFSTED inspection. By taking part in the bite sized Sustainability Goals awareness made her realise she was already promoting sustainability but hadn’t realised this. Since attending the sessions, she now takes the children to the local charity shop to donate and purchase items and every few weeks she buys wool to knit squares with the children to make blankets for the homeless. Anne and the children go on a trip to St Luke’s church to donate food for families who are less fortunate. During Annes previous OFSTED inspection, the inspector commented on the lack of extra training. In this inspection the inspector said it was evident Anne had been very proactive extending her continuous professional development. Anne explained to the inspector about the SPH webinar recordings and how she liked them as she can dip in and out, at a time that suits her due to the flexibility and thought they were a perfect way to extend her knowledge. Further reading: https://www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/nw/liverpool-city-region-and-beyond-eysph/resources/autumn-time-apples-and-apple-juice-dr https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/toolkit/play-based-learning https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/childminders https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/early-years-sustainable-hub Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Are you looking to spend your Early Years Pupil Premium strategically? Kaya Doyle (Programme Manager) has put a short webinar together to support you when considering what to spend your Early Years Pupil Premium, titled 'Maximising the Impact of Pupil Premium in the Early Years'. For the link email: sphubnw@evertoncentre.liverpool.sch.uk Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment CONCEPT CAT Blog By Alex Gower-Jones. Role of the Strategic Childminder Lead Artist Name 00:00 / 15:41 Dr Diane Boyd talks to Tracie Dowling about the role of the Strategic Childminder Lead at Liverpool City Region and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub Strategic Role Are you looking to spend your Early Years Pupil Premium strategically? See our Resource 'Maximising the Impact of Pupil Premium in the Early Years' Reddish Vale Nursery School Blog Becoming physical development champions and beyond…. Let’s talk about books: A case study on interactive reading By Alex Gower-Jones. The benefits of outdoor play How childminders use outdoor spaces to enhance children’s learning outcomes. By Tracie Dowling. Exploring Understanding the world By Michelle Bennett. A Reflective Conversation By Emma Louise Scott, Maria Edge and Dr Diane Boyd The Garden Classroom ENGAGING GROWTH WITH ‘THE GARDEN CLASSROOM’ By Tracie Dowling Lost Words ‘Lost words’ reflected through the three pillars of sustainability and the SDGs. By Diane Boyd NELI Preschool programme Craig Bolton, Headteacher at East Prescot Road Nursery School, Liverpool, introduces the NELI Preschool programme. East Prescot Road Nursery School is a partner of the Stronger Practice Hub. Supporting self-regulation in the early years By Amanda Quirk Childminder Case Study By Julie Ellis Deysbrook Childminding Network By Tracie Dowling Autumn the time of apples and apple Juice! By Dr Diane Boyd Sharing gifted resource bags Childminding Network Video blogs Everton Nursery Teacher Kate Doyle and Dr Diane Boyd present The Authentic development of a Sensory Garden through the 17 SDGs 1. The 'otherness' of the non-human world - highlighting worms! 2. Agency in Action – Children voicing their thinking through mark making. 3. Discovering recycling waste and contamination through a community visit. 4. Understanding Construction and Positioning of a Bug hotel in our garden. 5 Sparking interest through visiting Everton Park Nature Garden in our neighbourhood 6. The Fix-it Shop! Shopping lists, money, decision – making in action. 7. Sensory cognitive explorations using recycleable sustainable resources through tyres, hurricanes and the rain! Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment The hub offers free advice, support and training to childminders across Liverpool City Region and Beyond. We are aiming to set up Peer to Peer Childminder Support and Play Sessions for Children. Please join our mailing list to be kept informed of future events and launches, newsletters and availability for training dates and drop-in sessions. If you would like to be involved or have suggestions, please let us know. Online Childminder Network which is the last Saturday morning 10a.m. – 11.30a.m. of every month: CHILDMINDER DROP IN Deysbrook Network: Everton Nursery School and Family Centre, Spencer Street, Liverpool, L6 2WF Held every Wednesday 9.30- 11.30am Hunts Cross Network: St Hilda’s Church Hall, Stuart Avenue, Hunts Cross L25 0NG Held every Wednesday 9.30-11.30am Kendal Network: Beck Community Centre, 20 Esthwaite Avenue, Kendal LA9 7NZ Held every Thursday 9.30 – 11.30am Bromborough Childminder Network: Bromborough Family Hub, Gratrix Road, Wirral CH62 7BW Held Thursdays 9.30 – 11.30 am What is a Childminder Drop In? The childminder drop-in sessions provide local childminders with an opportunity to access up to date information, recourses, face to face support, support from a member of the hub team and for childminders to share best practices. The group offers the children a multitude of benefits including enhanced social, emotional, and cognitive development, improved communication skills and opportunities to access larger play equipment to promote physical development. The facilities provide a safe space where childminders can organise events, celebrations and provide larger scale structured activities for the children which in turn supports transitions to school. Liverpool City Region and beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Childminder Network Meetings Held every last Saturday of each month for Teams Link see the monthly newsletter. The aim of the Monthly meetings is to keep childminders up to date with local / national changes, information sharing, identify training needs and give general help and advice. Should you want to have anything specific added to the agenda please email the Stronger Practice Hub on sphubnw@evertoncentre.liverpool.sch.uk WELLCOMM BAGS If you are a Liverpool Childminder and wish to borrow a Wellcomm bag to use with your children, email the sph email as we can support you and loan a Wellcomm bag to you for a period of time. CHILDMINDER RESOURCE BAGS Calling all SPH Network Members….. FREE Resource bags coming soon, funded by the SPH this is a fantastic opportunity for Childminders. Each bag of carefully selected items will be a welcome addition to your setting which in turn supports your children’s development. Each resource bag is designed to be used individually, with a group of childminder colleagues and shared as a lending library. In the next few weeks you can apply for resources that cover Communication and Language, Early Maths and Story Comprehension including a selection of various quality Story Sacks. Also included will be Outdoor and Nature, Habitats and Musicical Instruments bags. Look out for the launch coming the end of April/early May depending on your location within Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub…. Literacy Blog, written for Childminders by June Cargill Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Autumn the time of apples By Diane Boyd By immersing early years children in place-based learning and letting them become part of seasonal experiences, will strengthen their environmental sustainability lens. Children can only become empathetic and caring about their world, if they understand how their world works. A wonderful way to be aware of the seasons is to follow a seasonal calendar. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are keen for children to become gardeners and provide resources to support this process -RHS Crop Planner Additionally, The Horticultural Society provides a month-by-month guide for you to use - Vegetable Planting Guide By Month In The UK | Horticulture At Everton Nursery School and Family Centre recently the children were very lucky to have an amazing Autumnal experience using a crop of apples. The crop of locally grown apples comprised of Keswick Codling, Ribston Pippin, Ladies Finger of Lancaster, Scrumptious and Egremont Russett. What a wonderful array of names for apples! The children were introduced to the different varieties initially to observe, feel and taste them. This simple sensorial activity will enhance the children’s communication and language development in a holistic and organic way. Consider the language that describes the taste of different apples – bitter, tart, sweet but also some apples seem fluffy to eat, whereas others are hard or crunchy. Apples also come in all shapes and sizes, so this simple activity provides easy opportunities for early numeracy to be developed. As the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Early Years evidence store for Communication and Language states, “Vocabulary instruction that explicitly draws pupils’ attention to words, their meanings and their features appears to be effective”. (EEF | Communication and Language ) The bowls of apples inspired Intergenerational conversations that were both cultural and social, allowing children to hear the conventions of a conversation, that reflect social sustainability with parents and grandparents reminising about tradititional October activities with apples. They recalled apple bobbing with apples floating in bowls of water or hanging from string, with the aim of trying to eat them! Research from the EEF Personal, Social, Emotional Development Early evidence store ( EEF | Personal Social and Emotional Development ) highlights the importance of showing “children good examples of social communication,” and by listening to these cultural narratives provides such examples for children. Supporting children to repeat the names of the apples tasted or to engage in a conversation about cultural stories will aid “children’s early literacy”, which “is dependent on their oral language skills” (EEF Early Years Evidence Early Literacy)( EEF | Early Literacy ). The National Literacy Trust emphasises the importance of quality pedagogical experiences especially in disadvantaged areas such as Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester where research (Pro Bono Economics) identified that more than a quarter of five-year-olds have low levels of literacy. These authentic teaching moments need to be extended with songs, stories and high-quality conversations revisiting the experiences. Ensure your setting or home has a variety of stimulating books to revisit the experiences and develop their communication and language. Examples here reflect both apples (starting point of original provocation) and the seasonal element of falling apples to collect. Links below. Hello, World! How Do Apples Grow? : Jill McDonald: Amazon.co.uk: Books Autumn: 4 (Seasons, 4) : Child's Play, Busby, Ailie: Amazon.co.uk: Books Do encourage parents to visit their local library to extend the language, as research from EEF Early Years Evidence – C&L suggests “shared book reading has often been found to be a useful activity…”. alongside “explicit vocabulary instruction”. This also sustains the local library too for the community. From an Environmental Sustainability perspective seeing apples that are wonky and not perfect, celebrate the diversity of the natural world, celebrating all things (both human and non-human) are worthy regardless of shape or size (SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities). This also highlights that we must eat all fruit and vegetables regardless of whether they look perfect, encouraging our parents and grandparents to buy the cheaper ‘wonky’ produce in their shops. The children and their families were invited into the nursery to use real working equipment and press the apples and make freshly squeezed juice. From an economic sustainability perspective, the families had been asked to bring recycled plastic containers to use for their squeezed apple juice. This simple request highlights SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, with children and families seeing how to effectively support the planet by reusing them. The process of apple pressing was then demonstrated to everyone emphasising the correct terminology of trade and environment. As the EEF Early years evidence store opines for C&L, “the adult models using language to summarise activities” ( EEF | Communication and Language ) . The parents and grandparents were invited to be an active part of the collaborative process, demonstrating the authenticity of Intergenerational learning as a socio-cultural sustainability approach and resonating with SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. The process involved everyone putting apples into either electronic presser, so the children had to stretch up high and aim correctly to place their apples into the open vent. Smaller or less confident children were physically lifted and supported by their key person to aim. This process was enjoyed by the children filling them with excitement. They were told to carefully watch the bottom funnel and see what happens as a result! This is both economic sustainability in action, but also STEM (Science, technology, engineering and Math) learning. Introducing children in their early years to STEM activities supports their Understanding of the World Specific area (EYFS(DfE,2024) in seeing how materials change. The apple started the process as a round hard matter, then became pulp before finishing as a dark liquid. The colour depended on which variety of apples were pulped. This provides wonderful scientific conversations and consolidates the EEF Early evidence store C&L, which states, “there is strong evidence that teaching and modelling vocabulary to children in the early years can have a positive effect on their oral language skills.”( EEF | Communication and Language ). The children also had the chance to physically crush and press the apples manually too, aligning with the pioneering giants of early childhood, such as Froebel or Steiner, who advocated that children must be physically active developing their hand -eye co-ordination and skills. The EEF Evidence Store for Physical Development( EEF | Physical Development ) highlights the importance of children having the “time for play, practise, and repeat an activity”. It also aligns with both SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 9 Industry, innovation and Infrastructure. Using the actual tools of apple pressing, also supported their physicality- consider the effort it takes to crush apples in a solid state, to reduce them small enough to be pushed through the juicer! The children shared and worked co-operatively together, enhancing the community spirit. The EEF Early Evidence Store regarding Self -regulation and Executive Function( EEF | Self-Regulation and Executive Function ) reminds educators “to scaffold cooperative learning between peers”. The quality of the practitioner (SDG 4 Quality education) was evident in how they supported the children through the process. Not only did they model the language, but they demonstrated both the action to be completed but also supported the children in repeating the actions themselves physically. The children moved their bodies like the wheels turning in the crushing process and jumped as the apples squashed into the shute. These authentic physical opportunities will extend and develop the whole body especially children from disadvantaged backgrounds, which the EEF evidence store for PD states; “are at greater risk of not reaching expected levels of physical development than their more affluent peers. Evidence indicates that children from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit from educators targeting their movement and handling skills” (EEF | Physical Development ). Songs are a cultural and social way to consolidate both the language and action, drawing on the pioneer Frederick Froebel. His original Mother songs made connections to real life, for example, the rhyme ‘Pat-a-cake’ made links for the children with the corn growing in the fields, the miller grinding the corn, the baker kneading the bread and finally being eaten by the child. Froebel made a seemingly simple song about baking, but the depth and meaningful notions, can be shared with children through song and action (Froebel, 1895; Froebel Trust). You could create your own songs and actions to help children’s holistic development, such as the Apple press rap! Think of the fun they would have recorded it developing their technological skills. The children were given agency to decide what aspect of the process they wanted to be involved in, with some children preferring to just sit quietly and watch. Quality early childhood education requires educators to know the children in their care, to offer new and exciting pedagogical experiences, but know their boundaries. This is socio-cultural sustainability resonating with the Article 12 of the UNCRC (1989)( Convention on the Rights of the Child text | UNICEF ) which says that “every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously.” There was one little two-year-old boy who did not to want to drink water in the nursery and always needed to be encouraged to stay hydrated. He loved the fresh apple juice and proceeded to drink three lots of the juice. His mum was thrilled as she had never tried apple juice with him before and now had a healthy alternative to offer him, resonating with SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing. Additionally, the kitchen staff were part of the community of apple pressers watching and joining in with the parents and children. Afterwards they took away in recycled bottles fresh apple juice for the lunch time meal, ensuring all children had the opportunity to try freshly pressed juice. This simple activity of pressing apples reflects all three Pillars of Sustainability and the 17 SDGs. In 2015 the United Kingdom Government signed the Paris Treaty (UNSCO,2015) which positioned the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as an integral part of all policy, curricula and pedagogical experiences (SDG 12.8). At Everton Nursery and Family Centre they are now central in the entrance foyer so parents, carers and Grandparents can become familiar with them. Make them visible and part of your everyday pedagogical experiences. Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Blogs Childminders Programmes Documents Subscribe Early Years Professional Development Programme Newsletters Recruitment Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYDP) https://www.earlyyearspdp.com/ I cannot recommend the Early Years Professional Development Programme enough to any early years practitioner whether they are new to the sector or have many years of experience. Being able to adapt ideas from the training and talking to colleagues on the webinar has been invaluable. Understanding children’s depth of knowledge in Early Maths has allowed me to enhance activities allowing me to see the immediate, positive impact on their learning. Ten simple hints and tips could make any setting become “language rich” and the ability to spot and fix communication “cold spots” personally I am so glad I signed up. June Cargill Ofsted Registered Outstanding Childminder Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice