News - Archive

Merton Early Years, Childcare and Children’s Centre Team is committed to helping schools meet the childcare offer of Extended Services. We believe that a successful Breakfast Club is an excellent addition, which benefits the school, parents and children. Unfortunately, not all schools find it easy to establish a successful breakfast club, and many clubs struggle with sustainability.

To support long-term success of Breakfast Clubs we proposed a pilot scheme to develop facilities, which can be promoted as models of good practice in Merton, and act as beacons to others to develop similar services.

An initial meeting was held in October 2006 with the intention that enhanced services would be on offer at the pilot schools from January until July 2007. A small grant was available to purchase new equipment and resources, or employ additional staff, to enable new activities to be offered.

All eight selected Breakfast Clubs agreed to take up the challenge with new activities to support the curriculum, or simply for fun. The activities include development of reading and ICT resources, fitness clubs (to include swimming!), Arts and Crafts, cooking and gardening activities. The clubs involved are run either by the schools or ‘on-site’ private providers.

Each Breakfast Club is approaching the pilot in its own way, based on the needs of parents and children locally, but in addition to providing new activities, all have agreed to target children who might benefit from Breakfast Club attendance, some of whom are to be offered a free or subsidised place.

We will be monitoring the pilot each term, and hope that insights gained will help others. Good luck to all those taking part!

Playing out - competition for children and young people in Northumberland

Jan Casson and Janet Orrock invite Northumberland children and young people of all ages to make pictures using any media to show what 'playing out' means to them.  The winning entries will be used to illustrate the County Play Policy. The images will be judged in three age groups - under 8; 9-13 year olds; over 13 years.  Jan and Janet also would like to hear ideas from children and young people for a name for the County Play Policy.

For more information click on the main headline.

Northumberland FACT conference: Responding to children and young people

Over 100 people came to the third annual FACT conference at Newbiggin Leisure Centre on 8 December where they heard inspiring speeches by Jon Knight about 'Student Voice' activities in Northumberland and Oliver Barnes, one of four County Council Young Leader candidates.  Their presentations can be viewed on the FACT website: www.northumberland.gov.uk/fact.

Opening the conference Trevor Doughty, Executive Director of Children’s Services, said that FACT is a long term project but has already made big advances in how we listen to children and young people. In workshops participants contributed a huge number of valuable suggestions in response to what children and young people have told us.  These will contribute to strategic thinking about service development.  A full report of the conference, including all the suggestions will be published on the FACT website in January 2007.

For more information click on the main headline.

The National Clean Air Award recognises good practice in promoting clean air and smoke-free environments. It aims to encourage businesses, organisations and the public to follow recommended guidance.

The National Standards for Under 8s Daycare and Childminding: Standard 7: Health gives clear guidance about smoking in the childminding setting which is regulated by Ofsted through Inspection. A great many Registered Childminders take further steps to keep children safe and healthy by reducing the impact of their exposure to second hand smoke and by encouraging parents and children to follow their good practice.

Northumberland Early Years and Childcare Service is encouraging all Childminders to show their further commitment to the safeguarding of children by applying for either the Gold or Silver National Clean Air Award, as part of a local initiative: the Northumberland Smoke Free Childminder Award. The application can be made through your National Clean Air Award Co-ordinator. To find out more about applying, click on the headline above.

A Transformation Fund has been established which aims to raise the quality of private, voluntary and independent (PVI) childcare for the under fives, by supporting the development of the workforce .

The government is offering financial support, a Recruitment Incentive, to settings employing a graduate for the first time. A Quality Premium is also available to settings already employing a graduate leading the delivery of Early Education. The Fund will also provide financial support to practitioners wishing to up-skill their present qualifications in childcare.

For more information, click on the headline above.

Getting connected to the Internet

Northumberland's Early Years & Childcare Service are aware that many Northumberland childcare providers do not have access to internet services and so may miss out on e-learning opportunities for children and staff alike as well as not having access to fast e-mail communications.

A grant programme has now been developed to enable you to benefit from Getting Connected to the internet.

Click on the main headline above 'Transformation Fund' to find out more