Event Details

Key Speakers

	Chris Barnham, Deputy Director, Early Years Quality and Standards, Department for Education
	Sue Robb, Head of Early Years, 4Children
	Stella Ziolkowski, Director of Quality and Workforce Development, National Day Nurseries Association
	Michael Freeston, Director of Quality Improvement, Pre-School Learning Alliance

Overview

Building on the recommendations of Dame Tickell’s review into the Early Years Foundation Stage (March 2011), the Government’s new ‘Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage’ (March 2012) seeks to strengthen and simplify the EYFS framework, making it more flexible, accessible and less bureaucratic for practitioners, parents and carers.

In order to better prepare children for starting school, the new framework focuses on three ‘foundations’: personal, social and emotional development; communication and language; and physical development, applied within four areas of learning: literacy, mathematics, expressive arts and design and understanding the world. The numbers of early learning goals have been dramatically reduced from 69 to 17, and are more closely aligned to key stage 1. Disadvantage and learning barriers will be identified earlier, through closer multi-agency working and informal assessment of children at age 24 and 36 months.

Acknowledging that a quality learning experience for children requires a strong, experienced and well-qualified workforce, the Government has commissioned Professor Cathy Nutbrown to consider how to strengthen qualifications and career pathways for people working in early years education and childcare. The statutory framework also seeks to ensure parents and carers are engaged as learning partners to better support a child’s development and aid information sharing between agencies.

With the new Early Learning Foundation Stage framework due to come into effect in September 2012, planning and preparation starts now. This special symposium offers a timely opportunity for early years practitioners and providers across the public, private and third sector to understand the new framework, examine how it will be implemented and explore how early years education can be improved to better meet the needs of children in the future.

Delegates will:

• Understand and examine how to implement the Government’s new EYFS framework
• Assess how to better prepare children for school, develop basic skills and identify learning needs earlier
• Consider how to better engage parents in their child’s learning and improve multi-agency working to ensure a child’s needs are met
• Explore how to strengthen the safety and welfare of children within the early years setting
• Discuss how to develop a well-qualified, supported and experienced workforce

Programme

Who Should Attend?

• Early Years and Childcare Teams
• Early Years Foundation Stage Teams
• Child Health Services
• Playgroups
• Childminders
• Sure Start Centres
• DfE and other Central Government Departments and Agencies
• Ofsted Inspectors
• Children's Trusts and Children's Centres
• Directors of Children's Services
• Children's Services and Families Services Officers
• Directors of Education
• Parental Engagement Teams
• Employment and Training Teams
• Extended Services Teams
• EYFS Consultants
• Schools and Local Education Authorities
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Practitioners
• Family Health Teams and Outreach Workers
• Family Nurse Partnerships
• Head Teachers and Deputies from Primary Schools
• Heads of Children’s Services and Teams
• Heads of Early Years
• Inclusion Teams
• Performance and Practice Teams
• Pre-School and Infant School Head Teachers and Staff
• Social Workers and Social Services Officers
• Safeguarding Children Teams
• School Improvement Advisers and Teams
• Primary Teachers, Head-Teachers and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators, Registration and Standards Teams
• Academics and Researchers
• Third Sector Organisations
• Learning and Skills Council
• Voluntary and Community Organisations

“I am today publishing the reformed Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which will take effect from 1 September 2012. The new, simpler and clearer EYFS framework… which builds on the independent advice of Dame Clare Tickell, will reduce paperwork and bureaucracy for professionals and enable them to focus more strongly on the areas of learning most essential for children’s healthy development. It will also simplify assessment at age five, reducing the early learning goals from 69 to 17, and provide for earlier intervention for children who need extra help. ”
— Minister of State for Children and Families, March 2012

“Those working in the sector will welcome this strong commitment to the early years. But for it to succeed, we need a workforce fully equipped to rise to these new challenges, and provide flexible and appropriately tailored experiences for babies and young children.”
— Review of Early Education and Childcare Qualifications Interim Report, March 2012