Children's longing for their families and for friendship emerged strongly in research that explored children's experiences of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which will be fed into the EYFS review.
Carried out by Sheffield Hallam University, the research assessed children's play experiences, physical activity, input into planning and the extent to which their experiences met their individual needs and interests.
The study covered 146 children in 15 settings, ranging from children's centres and reception classes to a Steiner Kindergarten and childminders, across four local authorities.
Children's relationships permeated the findings on how well their experiences met their needs and interests.
FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
'Children's play and talk was often dominated by references to parents, carers, families and homes,' notes the report, Children's Experiences of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Families, especially mothers, 'were often missed' and 'children talked about brothers and sisters as well as parents'.
In one reception class example, Ellen (5y 4m) said, 'Two times I've been crying because I want Mummy to come. Please can you help me write a letter? I've got the words in my head: Dear Mummy, I love you so much. I wish you were here with me.'
Overall, opportunities for family members to spend time together in a setting were limited, leading the researchers to call for 'varied opportunities for parents, carers and siblings to spend time in settings'.
Making and having friends emerged as important to children in every setting in the study, with children expressing negative feelings about playing alone.
As well as talking about their friendships with children of the same gender, relationships with those of different ages emerged as 'significant'. Some older children were perceived 'as especially kind in situations where feelings were fragile', and the children talked about missing friends and older children who had moved to other settings.
In one children's centre, Sarah (4y 0m) looked at the photograph of another child now attending 'big school' and 'said with some dejection: "I wonder what she is up to now".'
Also particularly valued by the children were 'opportunities for choosing activities with others', social activities such as mealtimes and caring for pets. Here, the researchers suggest that 'opportunities for a range of relationships with older and younger children should be given more importance in settings'.
PRACTITIONERS
While children showed their appreciation of practitioners, the report concludes that 'children tended to see adults as teachers or figures of authority', with the exception of childminders, who were 'more likely to be viewed as play partners and supporters'.
For example, Dean (3y 1m), who attended a private nursery, said, 'It's lovely to see Mrs Lewis. She works at Blue room.' However, in the same setting, other children commented that the adults' role was to 'teach everybody'. In another example, Maisie (2y 11m) saw her childminder come into the garden, 'ran towards her and gave her a hug announcing, "I love you".'
In most settings, children were found to have 'relationships with a range of adults rather than a strong bond or attachment with one particular member of staff', while children in smaller settings were 'more likely to feel that adults knew them as individuals'. The report concludes, 'Generally, there was little evidence that a key person relationship was of significance to children and they mostly had good relationships with a range of adults.'
KEY PERSON SYSTEM
However, far from casting any doubt on the importance of the key person role, early years experts believe these findings on children's relationships serve only to highlight its importance to a child's emotional well-being.
Where there is some doubt is in the quality of the key person systems used by the report settings. Early years consultant Tricia Carroll says, 'It's hard to know whether or not the research saw systems and practices that were underpinned by a comprehensive understanding of the true principles of the key person approach.'
The likely poor quality of the systems is borne out by the children's comments, says early years consultant Anne O'Connor.
'The findings suggest that children are trying to cope through a variety of adult relationships, but that's not enough,' she says. 'Children will always miss their families, but it's only through a deeper-level secondary attachment with one or, ideally, two key people that children will be able to come to terms with their families' absence and feel secure and confident in a setting.'
Early years consultant Penny Tassoni agrees. 'The younger children's need for the older children may seem sweet, but it may point to a deficit in their relationships with the adults,' she says. What is needed, she argues, is that practitioners create with their key children 'a relationship akin to another family member'.
'Good-quality childcare requires that kind of role. Maybe we're not explicit enough about what it feels like for the child when the key person role is good.' But there is a permission issue, Ms Tassoni adds, citing staff turnover, holidays and safeguarding as just some of the deterrents for building close relationships with key children. 'We have to give practitioners permission to take on the role similar to that of a favourite aunt or uncle.'
MORE INFORMATION
Children's Experiences of the Early Years Foundation Stage is at: www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR071.pdf
