EARLY YEARS PROJECTS

These projects have been devised to raise attainment and develop parental partnerships for use in schools. The projects are:

Inspire
A project that aims to develop links between families and schools as soon as possible - ideally before their children start school

What is the INSPIRE Project about?

Involving School parents In Raising Expectations is a project aimed at Pre-school children and their parents or carers

Children are invited to work with their families in school on workshop style activities

  • Each workshop is based on a different area of the curriculum
  • Sessions can be organised to:-
  • give background and information to parents
  • allow time for practical activity for parents and children working together
  • provide ideas for follow up activities that parents can do with their children at home as well as opportunities for informal discussion with parents and storytime for children

An introductory session can give a useful insight into the school's aims, staffing, organisation etc.

Why is INSPIRE Valuable?

INSPIRE enables school to:-

  • Develop relationships with children and parents prior to the children starting school full time
  • Share the school aims with parents
  • Give parents information about the Early Years curriculum and the way it is delivered
  • Involve parents with their children's learning from the outset
  • Reinforce the impact that supportive parents have on children's learning from the outset

INSPIRE enables children and parents to.......

  • Familiarise themselves with the school staff, school layout and routines
  • Ask questions about why, when and how things happen
  • Clarify misconceptions
  • Gain an understanding about how and what the school will teach their children

Who is involved in the INSPIRE Project?

It will be up to individual schools to determine:-

  • Which of their staff are involved - The Headteacher is fundamental to the programme. The reception teacher will be involved in some capacity. Other staff e.g. Deputy NNEB may be involved depending on the individual school requirements
  • How their staff will be involved - Some may be involved in planning, some in delivery, some in both

Emily Wood, EAZ Early Years Support Worker will be able to:-

  • Give advice based on her previous involvement with the INSPIRE project
  • Advise on the preparation of materials for the session
  • Recommend things to include in the resource packs for children

When does INSPIRE happen?

The project can be tailor made to meet each school's requirements but generally:-

  • Weekly sessions of between one and a half and two hours
  • Depending on the size of the intake schools may need to run two sessions each week
  • For a block of time prior to children starting in the reception class. The number of sessions is determined by each school

Where does INSPIRE happen?

The programme should be designed around the school's normal routine and should not involve too much additional work e.g. moving furniture or groups of children

  • Therefore it will run in a space which best meets the requirements of the course programme and individual school circumstances

What support is available to staff to deliver INSPIRE?

  • A master file is available for each school involved in the project
  • The file provides suggested material for staff to use throughout the project
  • The materials can be used for a variety of purposes:-
    • as session notes
    • as hand outs for parents
    • as activities to use in the classroom
    • as guidance for parents to take home

     

INSPIRE - Success Criteria

  • Raised confidence of parents with children new to the school
  • Raised confidence of children on entry to reception class
  • Settling in period reduced
  • Raised attainment on baseline assessment for children entering compared to previous years
  • Teacher expectation raised as a result of prior knowledge of children and parental support
  • Teacher groupings influenced by involvement with children prior to entry
  • Parental support and understanding of the curriculum has an impact on children's attainment
  • Percentage attendance at parent's evening increased on previous best
  • At least 25% increase in parental involvement in early years activities
  • Attainment in early years of identified groups of pupils to rise by 10% above projected pupil targets

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FLYING START
 A project in which groups of children are targeted over the academic year.
Resources are provided to help parents to support their children to reach the targets

What is the FLYING START project about?

  • Flying Start is a project aimed at reception-aged children and their parents
  • It involves teachers and parents working together on a set of agreed targets
  • All schools are involved in conducting the Baseline Assessment and using the outcomes to inform planning
  • Teachers group children from the baseline results and then set targets for reading writing and maths
  • Throughout the year, groups of children are targeted systematically by Early Years practitioners, their parents are supported to work on the same targets at home
  • Practical resources, support materials and meetings to give advice and share worries are provided to both parents and staff

Why is Flying Start Valuable?

It enables schools to.............

  • Focus on children's progress in small steps
  • Have a greater impact on young children's learning through interaction with well informed adults
  • Raise attainment for individuals as compared to what might have been expected when measured against the starting point each half term
  • Raise the profile of Early Years within the school
  • Establish the concept of target setting for groups of children from the start
  • Encourage teachers to record data systematically to prove improvement to a variety of audiences

It enables children and parents to.............

  • Build on genuine partnerships formed between home and school
  • Be involved in working with interesting resources that focus on specific learning targets
  • Gain an understanding about how and what school will teach their children

Who is involved in the Flying Start Project

  • The Headteacher will be fundamental to the project
  • The reception teacher and other Early Years staff will be assessing children, setting targets, planning activities, meeting with parents and organising the loan of resource packs
  • Parents of children in the target group

Emily Wood, Quality Assurance Worker, will ...

  • Offer advice to staff on a number of aspects e.g. advice on grouping children, setting targets, reviewing targets and meeting with parents
  • Give advice based on her previous involvement with the Flying Start and will offer guidance on using the support materials

When does Flying Start happen?

  • The project can be tailor made to suit the schools individual needs
  • In the first term teachers will carry out Baseline Assessment and group the children into three groups
  • The first group of children will be targeted by staff in the Autumn term for a minimum of 6 weeks and their targets will be shared with parents
  • On a weekly basis parents of the targeted group will be offered resources to use at home to develop specific targets
  • During the normal daily routine teachers will plan for the targeted children to work with an adult on the targets they have highlighted

Where does Flying Start happen?

  • The project runs during the school day as part of the normal routine
  • An important part of the project happens in the homes of the targeted children

What support is available to staff to deliver the Flying Start project?

  • Training to support the preparation and delivery of the Flying Start project
  • Project materials including:
    Whole class and individual records
    Group target sheets
    Activity ideas for parents and staff

Flying Start - Success Criteria

  • Raised profile of Early Years in the school
  • Raised self-esteem for all members of staff involved in the project
  • Raised confidence of staff in Early Years classes
  • Communication and understanding regarding teaching in Early Years within the school and between schools in the project facilitated by involvement
  • Clear understanding amongst whole school staff about the project aims and objectives and the implications of success for teachers of subsequent year groups
  • Staff involved have confidence in the strategies and continue to employ these and similar strategies in the future
  • Staff committed to the principles of the project and willing to communicate the strategy to other schools

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FORWARD TOGETHER
 A group of children are identified using assessment results at the end of the reception year. The year 1 teacher works with parents of the identified group giving them specific activities to help their children to make progress

What is the project about?

  • This is a project aimed at children in the first term of Year 1 and their parents
  • It involves teachers and parents sharing information and strategies to help children make progress
  • Teachers screen children on the Middle Infant Screening Test to check progress in a number of key areas related to early reading and writing
  • Teachers select a group of children whose progress has not been as good as they had expected it to be
  • Teachers work with the parents of these children. They teach the parents how to help their children with specific skills
  • Support and resources are given to teachers to prepare them to deliver the project

Why is the project valuable?

Forward Together enables schools to.......

  • Identify children who are not making as much progress as might have been expected
  • Have a greater impact on progress for this group by working closely with their parents
  • Monitor progress of this key group systematically

Forward Together enables children and parents to........

  • Gain an understanding about the specific skills they need to improve in order to make progress
  • Be involved in working closely with a teacher to help them
  • Have the opportunity to use resources that have been specifically selected to best support the skills that need developing

Who is involved in the project?

  • The support of the Headteacher will be fundamental to the project
  • The reception teacher and the receiving Year 1 teacher will need to work closely together to agree the children for the identified group
  • The Year 1 teacher will work with parents to help them to understand the aspects of the curriculum where their children need additional support
  • Parents of the children in the identified group are essential to the success of the project

An Early Years Advisory Teacher will:

  • Offer advice to staff on aspects relating to the assessment of the children, including the selection of the identified group
  • Give advice on planning, preparation and organisation of the programme for parents

When does the project happen?

  • The project is initiated at the end of reception and continues into the first term of Year 1
  • On a weekly basis parents of the identified children will attend a workshop

Where does the project happen?

  • The sessions run in school, ideally in a quiet working space
  • An important part of the project happens in the homes of the identified children

What support is available to staff to deliver the Forward Together project?

  • Training to support the preparation and delivery of the project
  • Screening materials
  • Session notes for parents weekly lessons
  • Resources for support each weekly lesson
  • Cluster based support
  • Advice from an Early Years Advisory Teacher

Forward Together - Success Criteria

  • Clear understanding amongst whole school staff about the project aims and objectives and the implications of success for teachers of subsequent year groups
  • Progress made by identified group can be clearly tracked
  • All children make progress that can be attributed to their parents involvement in the project
  • Raised profile of Early Years in the school
  • Raised self-esteem and confidence for all members of staff involved in the project

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SHARE
A project designed to help parents who want to help their child at home but who are not sure how to go about it

What is the project?

  • SHARE is a National project
  • It is aimed at the parents of Year 1 children
  • Parents learn how to plan activities. They consider pace and level too
  • Usually the sessions focus on a different aspect of the curriculum each time
  • A set of 'SHARE books' are used as the basis for activities that can be planned and carried out at home
  • Sessions can be organised to:
    • give background and information to parents
    • allow time for discussion
    • provide ideas for follow up activities that parents can do with their children at home
    • allow time to celebrate successes
  • Parents can earn credits towards NVQ's in Childcare and Education

Why is SHARE valuable?

SHARE enable schools to........

  • Develop/continue to develop relationships with parents/carers once their children have started school full time
  • Reinforce the school aims with parents
  • Give parents information about the National Curriculum and the way it is delivered
  • Involve parents with their children's learning
  • Reinforce the impact that supportive parents have on their children's learning

SHARE enables parents/carers to

  • Understand the curriculum and how it is taught in order to help their child
  • Ask questions about why, when and how things happen
  • Clarify misconceptions
  • Gain an understanding about how and what the school will teach their children
  • Work at home on specific areas of the curriculum
  • Support and extend the work covered in school

Who is involved in the SHARE Project?

It will be up to the individual schools to determine:

  • Which of their staff are involved - The commitment of the Year 1 teacher is fundamental to the programme. The Headteacher will be involved in some capacity. Other staff may be involved depending on the individual school requirements
  • How their staff will be involved. Some may be involved in planning, some in delivery, some in both

What support is available for staff?

Emily Wood Quality Assurance Worker will be able to

  • Give advice based on her previous involvement with the project
  • Advise on the preparation of materials for the session
  • Advise on how to encourage parents to attend, pass on information and make contact with those who do not

When does SHARE happen?

The project can be tailor made to meet each school's requirements but generally:

  • Weekly sessions of between one and a half and two hours
  • Depending on the size of the intake schools may need to run two sessions each week
  • For a block of time once children have started full time, usually when they are in the Year 1 class. The number of sessions is determined by each school

Where does SHARE happen?

The programme should be designed around the school's normal routine and should not involve too much additional work e.g. moving furniture or groups of children

Therefore it will run in a space which best meets the requirements of the course programme and individual school circumstances

SHARE - Success Criteria

  • Raised confidence of parents with children in school
  • Raised confidence of children in Year 1
  • Parental expectation raised as a result of knowledge of the curriculum
  • Parental support and understanding of the curriculum has an impact on children's attainment
  • Communication facilitated by involvement in the project

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Snapshots

Rationale

  • To develop a profile that is based on best practice principles of early years assessment and that will enable tracking of individual pupil progress from nursery through to the end of the Foundation Stage.
  • To ensure that the work complements the assessment, recording and reporting materials and takes account of the Foundation Stage Profile that are being developed in parallel

Main Features

  • It focuses on Key Skills or Building Blocks for Learning
  • It assesses progress across key areas:-
    • Language
    • Classification
    • Memory
    • Approaches to learning - being developed
  • It is about identifying, developing and tracking children's ability to learn
  • It is based on observational assessment of good quality first hand play experiences
  • Some of the skills can be assessed from the normal events. Where they cannot, assessment activities are provided
  • The assessment activities are designed to be used with a small group

Methodology

  • All practitioners will be asked to complete the assessment on a termly basis and record the outcomes
  • A new assessment theme will be provided for each term throughout nursery and reception
  • Training will be provided on how to use the assessments

Benefits

  • It will provide a snapshot of a child's development in key areas on entry to their pre-school year
  • It will identify small steps between key stages of development to enable professionals to refine planning and celebrate the small steps to individual success
  • It will provide evidence of children's progress in the key areas each term
  • It will alert professionals to children who may show signs of developmental delay which need to be addressed by changes to the teaching programmes learning environment or additional support
  • It will enable children to be tracked through out the foundation stage showing value added at a glance
  • It will be a common tool across all providers delivering Early Education in Wigan
  • It will transfer with children between settings
  • It will provide a shared focus for all agencies working with the child
  • It will act as a screening tool and provide evidence of children with potential Special Educational Needs
  • Assessments are moderated
  • Data Analysis to allows practitioners to compare their cohort with the whole of Wigan

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