Early Years Teacher, Standard 1 - Expect the best

STANDARD 1

An Early Years Teacher must:

1. Set high expectations that inspire, motivate and challenge all children

For this standard, the trainee needs to be able to demonstrate how they work with each of the three age ranges - babies, toddlers and young children - to ensure each child is fulfilling their potential in terms of learning, development and well-being.

At Chichester University, programme co-ordinator Nikki Fairchild says, 'Each standard and supporting statement has key words to guide the trainees' thoughts. The supporting statements represent the minimum requirements and any evidence will be viewed holistically when tutors assess whether the standard has been met.'

SUPPORTING STATEMENTS

1.1 Establish and sustain a safe and stimulating environment where children feel confident and are able to learn and develop

A challenge for practitioners here is to ensure that a sensible balance is achieved between stimulation and safety. Vigilant risk assessment is needed to ensure that babies in particular can explore safely.

By the time children are ready to attend pre-school, they have already encountered a variety of experiences and have developed in a number of ways. In order to use and build on this learning, children should be provided with a rich variety of play activities and other experiences in a stimulating and challenging environment, which is safe, secure, and healthy, with sufficient adult supervision. To satisfy this part of the standard, aim to bring stimulating experiences and opportunities to investigate into your setting. It is important to let children explore both inside and outdoors, to extend experience and a sense of wonder, and to show learning in a positive and fun way.

Let children play in all weathers, making the most of natural materials such as snow, ice and autumn leaves, allowing them to explore freely.

Ensure children feel secure in their relationships with adult carers by sensitively and purposely participating in their play and treating all children as individuals, letting them share significant cultural events with others. Seize opportunities to bring cultural stimulus into your setting, encouraging parents and carers to share their stories and skills with your group, as well as looking for opportunities to introduce children to the wider community through simple outings to, for example, local shops, primary schools or parks and libraries.

Also, try exploring a range of role-play scenarios when setting up imaginative play areas.

1.2 Set goals that stretch and challenge children of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions

When thinking about setting goals, begin by thinking about what children can already do. One idea is to create a picture board, using digital photos of children learning and practising new skills to feature each member of your group. By focusing on the learning already achieved, children will feel they are constantly reaching goals during their time both in the group and outside it.

Spend time finding out what children believe they are good at - it can be surprising how a child's perception of their personal strengths and weaknesses vary from your own.

Use circle time to talk about what children want to achieve.

Remember to include group goals. Simple activities such as group collage work, model making and big jigsaw puzzles are good ways of getting children working towards a common goal.

Bear in mind cultural activities and religious events when considering learning goals, by planning around important events for individual children. This could be as simple as a child completing a picture of a cultural story.

Try making individual story books with your children. Use the following headings, and let children draw pictures underneath showing what they could, can, and will be able to do.

• I know that I can do more things now than I could when I was younger.

• I know that I will be able to do more things when I am older.

• I know that we are all good at different things.

1.3 Demonstrate and model the positive values, attitudes and behaviours expected from children

Young children learn how to act by watching the adults around them. You are constantly being observed by the children you work with, and simply telling a child how to behave will often have little lasting effect if not backed up by positive reinforcement. By showing patience, kindness and a willingness to help others, for example, you are reinforcing these behaviours in the children you care for.

Demonstrate and model positive values, attitudes and behaviours in your group by:

• remembering to praise good behaviour

• being consistent - both with expectations of behaviour and discipline

• being prepared to give explanations as to why certain behaviour is not acceptable. Make all expectations clear to children, asking them to work on a solution with you. By letting children help make decisions, they are more motivated to help carry them out

• remembering to let children know they can always start afresh. Once bad behaviour is dealt with, it is over and done with.

'Stretch and challenge'

Nikki Fairchild, University of Chichester EYPS programme co-ordinator, shares her thoughts on Standard 1

'Supporting statement 1.1 says we should "establish and sustain" a safe and stimulating environment where children feel confident and are able to learn and develop. An Early Years Teacher will review and prepare the environment based on their knowledge of child development, best practice and the children they care for. This preparation will reflect the community in which they live and will use a range of resources and space to promote children's enquiry. The Early Years Teacher values all children and supports their development.

With supporting statement 1.2, an Early Years Teacher is encouraged to set goals that "stretch and challenge" children of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions. Once again, it is key that practitioners reflect on the children they care for and the context they work in when considering this statement. They understand that children are likely to make more progress if they are given timely, constructive and sensitive feedback and are aware of how they would adapt provision to cater and differentiate for all. They "know and understand" the children in their care and can use this knowledge to extend children's development and learning.

'Finally, with supporting statement 1.3, Early Years Teachers can 'demonstrate and model' the positive values, attitudes and behaviours expected of children. They are aware that children can flourish in an environment where they have positive role models and where adults treat children and each other with respect and courtesy. Part of this role modelling allows the demonstration of positive and fair values, attitudes and behaviours in all aspects of their work with both children and adults. Early Years Teachers have a commitment to praising positive behaviour and supporting children to regulate their behaviour. This is done within the "context of the setting and age ranges" in which they work.'

STANDARD 1: Points to consider

• Keep the focus on the child through all areas of learning. Keep learning child-initiated whereever possible by offering many options for play and creative pursuits - building a stimulating environment where children feel confident to explore new things - as required in 1.1.

• When setting goals, look to the individual child as guidance, using all your knowledge of a child to inform your planning - treat every child individually.

• When aiming to model positive behaviour, treat children in the same way and with the same respect as you would like to receive yourself. For example, you wouldn't like to be reprimanded in front of other people - many children feel the same way.

• When considering sub-standard 1.1, invite your local fire brigade to pay your group a visit to check fire safety procedures and to inspect your setting for any potential hazards - they might even invite your group to pay their fire station a visit.

MORE INFORMATION

• Early Years Teachers Standards, www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-teachers-standards

• Part 3 of this series, in Nursery World on 4 November, will look at Standard 2: promote good progress and outcomes by children.