EYPS Support: Anti-discriminatory practice and listening to children
Senior early years lecturer Jo Albin-Clark from Edge Hill University in Lancaster explains how an EYPS student tuned in to children's thinking to evidence Standard 18: Promote children's rights, equality, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice; and Standard 27: Listen to children, pay attention to what they say and value and respect their views.
Jenny Turner is a full-time EYP student who has completed her validation assessment. Her second placement allowed her to build on her experience of working with under-threes by focusing on the needs of a group of Foundation Stage children in a busy nursery school that had significant building work taking place as part of its transition to a children's centre.
This nursery was full of inquisitive and thoughtful children and Jenny took on the role of key worker for a small group. I observed her talking to them in one of her gathered sessions. Very early into the placement she was a skilled and sensitive listener, who managed to take every child's views and ideas seriously and with genuine interest. Children know when adults are authentic in their attention, and that small group of children gave her their full and considered attention in that little conversation. Jenny allowed them to speak, gently encouraged them to listen to each other and kept a high level of involvement throughout. It was lovely to watch!
Jenny worked alongside the head of the nursery school in looking at what aspects of practice were ripe for development. The head teacher had a commitment to developing practice that was tailored to individual needs, and Jenny had a specialised Childhood Studies degree with a particular interest in the children's rights agenda. This married with the setting's desire to develop further its consultation with children, and helped to evidence two standards: S18 - Promote children's rights, equality, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice, and S27 - Listen to children, pay attention to what they say and value and respect their views.
Jenny was influenced by the Listening to Young Children research that has been developed by the Coram Family. By consulting with the staff she developed a rationale that would form the basis of a listening policy, and shared her findings.
Since then Jenny has been interviewed by the children's centre where she had her first placement and was successful in her application. For the academic staff at the university this demonstrates the vital part EYPs can have in building a graduate-led workforce for young children. Our youngest children deserve to be with adults who are fascinated by them and are committed to developing respectful relationships. As one five-year-old asked me last week - 'How many small things are there in the world?' I am still pondering.
For more information on pathways to becoming an EYP visit www.cwdcouncil.org.
