requires much thought and business planning, but the benefits for the
children and staff alike can be enormous, as Nicole Weinstein
discovers.
Zumba, yoga, baby ballet, mini mudder assault courses - while settings have always sought opportunities for children to express themselves, there are now a raft of specialist activities available. Some settings bring this expertise in-house with dedicated dance teachers and artists in residence. Access to experts in fields such as dance, drama, art, sport and music might be a huge selling point, but it's also a financial commitment that needs careful planning.
Jo Baranek, lead early years advisor at National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), says any activity needs to be inclusive for everyone - including children with special educational needs or disabilities, or those for whom English is a second language. 'In terms of funding external specialists, we think it would be preferable to build it into everyday costs,' she says. 'Surcharging could further disadvantage any child whose parents would struggle to cover the extra fee.'
The value of bringing in specialists also depends on the quality of what they are offering - no setting wants to fork out for a specialist art class to find it is something they could have done equally well in-house. The NDNA recommends asking the children what 'extras' they'd like in their setting and, when an external expert is there, really watch children's reactions to see how much enjoyment and engagement they are getting out of it.
CREATIVE ARTS
Setting: Greenfields Children's Centre, a 60-place nursery with 230 children on role in Southall, London
Specialists: Two artists in residence, from the University of the Arts and Wimbledon College of Art, visit for a full day once a week and more regularly in spring and summer
Terms of employment: The artists are paid a daily rate and there is no additional cost to the parent
History: The same artists have been working at the setting since 2006
Children at Greenfields have plenty of opportunities to express their creativity through in-house projects and those involving the local community.
Ellie Larkin, head of centre, says, 'Bringing in artists Rosie and Kirstie has added more depth to what we do. They are very much part of the team and we all work together sharing ideas, reflections and plans.'
The benefits of buying in the right specialists are manifold, according to Ms Larkin: 'We are in an area of high social deprivation and we focus on bringing in expertise that helps narrow the gap in attainment. Our artists add a new dimension to the curriculum - one which, despite budget cuts, we would not be prepared to give up. They approach things from a different angle and, as a result, the children get a much richer and broader curriculum.
'
Not only do they introduce challenging vocabulary, but their background in art means they introduce new skills to the children, including the use of alternative materials, plus tools and techniques.'
Previous art projects include the large-scale weaving of a fence outdoors, building a collection of shelters, the design and production of a potato car, the construction of a giant eco fish, the launch of an 'our earth' balloon, and the building of a global city, all created entirely out of recycled materials.
DANCE
Setting: Vicki Quinn Childminding in Milton Keynes, with 12 pre-school children on role
Specialist: Dance specialist Caroline O'Donnell visits the setting once a week for 30-minute dance and movement sessions
Terms of employment: She is paid a daily rate and there is no additional cost to the parent
History: Started in 2013
Vikki Quinn, who runs a busy childminding service with three assistants, is convinced that providing her children with carefully chosen extra activities that link to the EYFS has helped her to get an 'outstanding' Ofsted inspection. She explains, 'The inspector was particularly impressed with the dance sessions as well as our trips out and about in the community, growing vegetables on our allotment, and the French nursery rhyme time and "mini strikers" that I also buy in.'
Each dance session incorporates elements of the Disco Duck pre-school syllabus written by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing fellow and examiner Amanda Hughes, as well as the Prima Syllabus for children aged three to five years created by Mandy Lafour of the Royal Academy of Dance.
'It's designed to develop learning outcomes such as rhythm and timing, balance and co-ordination. It also provides the children with a great workout, helps them to develop independence and a real sense of achievement as they learn to listen and follow instructions,' explains the setting's dance instructor, Caroline O'Donnell.
Different themes are introduced every four weeks that inspire the children's imagination and support the EYFS curriculum. For example, the children get an understanding of the world by exploring the environment through dance with imaginary trips to the jungle, space and the seaside.
- www.vikkiquinnchildminding.co.uk
- www.wiggleanddance.co.uk
- www.disco-duck.co.uk
- www.lafourprimadance.com
SPORT
Setting: Active Learning, a chain of nine nurseries catering for between 80 and 130 children in each, located in north and south London
Specialists: Three sports coaches
Terms of employment: Permanent members of staff
History: Started in 2006
Physical exercise in the outdoors is such an important part of the curriculum at Active Learning that the nursery chain offers a full sports curriculum run by three dedicated sports coaches.
Director Amanda Johnson says, 'Our coaches each run timetabled sports programmes across three settings. The children learn a variety of early skills needed for specific sports such as golf, tennis, football, rugby, climbing and multi-sports. All the sessions are linked to the EYFS and our own sports development objectives.
'Last year, in the run-up to the football World Cup, the children learnt some amazing skills. This year is the Rugby World Cup and we will be running a similar programme. We have also done mini mudder assault courses for our children, which are so much fun.
'We put such an emphasis on sport because we believe the benefits are enormous, not just for children's general physical health but also because the emotional benefits of being outdoors impacts on every part of their learning and development.
'Also, everyone benefits from being outside for a few hours stretching their legs and being active. The staff participate in the sessions and some have even gone on to take courses in early years physical education in order to broaden their own personal career skills.'
Ms Johnson continues, 'The coaches are also not only trained teachers but highly skilled sports people who have competed in their own right. They do the same planning as our nursery teachers and work towards the same goals.
'So if a child has a particular need, it is not only integrated into their general nursery education but also into their dedicated arts, music and sports programmes.
'Employing our own sports coaches is a huge investment, but we believe it is worthwhile. Not only does it allow us to handpick the best experts to work with our children but it also means that every child can benefit from the sports sessions because we can rotate them as and when we need to.
'Our children are happy, healthy and confident, and our parents are delighted with the additional developmental benefits the programme brings to nursery life.'
DRAMA
Setting: Little Tree Montessori, a 30-place private nursery in Crouch End, north London
Specialist: Jennifer David, a franchisee of Debutots Early Years Drama Terms of employment: Paid for by the nursery on a termly basis, at no additional cost to parents
History: Started in 2010
A visit from Jennifer David is the highlight of the week for children at Little Tree Montessori. The drama teacher says, 'We cover topics such as Health and Growth, People Who Help Us, All About Me and Tales from Around the World. We start with a music exercise to introduce the children to the characters and themes of the story, and then, after the interactive story, we all get up on our feet to re-tell it, becoming the characters and turning our space into the scenery.'
During the sessions, staff can observe the children and pick out different areas they may need help with.
Owner Cathy Twomey-Brenner says, 'Sometimes things come out in the drama that we may not have picked up elsewhere. For example, if a child is not being included in a group, we might see evidence of this in the session and then we can work on this back in the class.'
She adds, 'It's good value for money because a huge amount of planning goes into the sessions. It would be a big undertaking for us to plan such a detailed activity that fits into the EYFS, but Jennifer is trained in theatre and has worked with children for years. We have seen a huge difference in the children's confidence. It's also great for their language and ability to follow stories.'
MUSIC
Setting: Granby Nurseries, catering for 187 children across three settings in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire
Specialist: Alison Noble from www.caterpillarmusic.com, a franchise operating in the UK and Northern Ireland, visits the three settings for an hour-long session on a monthly basis
Terms of employment: Payment is made by the nursery at no additional cost to parents
History: Started in 2008
Staff at Granby Nurseries have learnt a lot about how to get the most out of music sessions with young children, and how to incorporate music, movement, co-ordination, rhythm and physical skills into all areas of the EYFS, thanks to the music sessions run by Ms Noble.
Owner Joanne Gray says, 'Our children love to listen, play and move to music, and the staff were keen to learn more, so we asked Alison to run some workshops with us. The staff's confidence in this area has improved greatly.'
Caterpillar music sessions home in on children's imagination. They might go on a musical journey, or ride on a magic carpet, or make sounds with beaters on trees.
They also listen to all genres of music, from classical to jazz, pop and music from around the world.
'Music not only develops their creativity but it's also good for their language and listening skills,' adds Ms Gray. 'It's great for the prime areas of learning. They learn to take turns, they join in with other people, which is good for their personal and social development; they learn to listen and follow instructions, they learn new words, and they are doing a lot of physical exercise.'
But although there are many benefits to buying in experts to work with young children, Ms Gray says that nursery settings need to think very carefully about whom they employ and what the children will get out of it.
'Too many experts coming into a setting can be unsettling for some children, especially the vulnerable ones,' she says.
