Celebrating Good Practice
A high-quality early years education is vitally important. Children attend early years provision at a crucial developmental point in their lives. The education and care that they receive affects not only future educational attainment but also their future health and happiness.
In Sefton we have a vast range of nurseries, childminders, schools and out of school provisions who offer extremely high-quality early years education.
Ofsted Research: Best Start in Life
Ofsteds recent research has identified that a high-quality curriculum and pedagogy may have the following features:
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The curriculum considers what all children should learn. It offers plenty of opportunity for children who are disadvantaged or who speak English as an additional language to learn and practise speaking and listening.
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Practitioners choose activities and experiences after they have determined the curriculum. The most appropriate activities and experiences then help to secure the children’s intended learning.
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Adults think carefully about what children already know and can do when deciding what to teach first.
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Children with gaps in their knowledge get the additional teaching they need so that they can access the same curriculum as their peers.
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Practitioners consider a child’s interests when choosing activities while also expanding interests further, so that children make progress in all areas of learning.
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Children’s play is valued and is used to teach many aspects of the curriculum. Their learning through play is enhanced by skilful adult intervention.
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Explicit teaching is used to introduce children to new knowledge and followed up by opportunities to practise new learning through play.
Standard Leads
In Sefton we have recruited seven Standard Leads to work across the borough and support a collaborative and ambitious vision for our youngest learners. More information is to follow.