Paradise Where You AreHere we sit in the snow and cold as another winter is upon us. We recently returned for a trip to Hawaii. How glorious it was to experience 'paradise' and get a break from the cold weather (which has been unseasonably cold this year). As the snow was falling today, I found myself wishing I was ba…
Review of 2009If it's nearly Christmas, it must be time for the endless 'best of' and 'most important' lists that appear everywhere at the end of each year. So here's a little round up of important events within the early years, education and childcare sectors which occurred during 2009:Surely the biggest educati…
Lamb InquiryIn a year that's produced a string of reviews and inquiries, it seems that there's still time for a final one before 2009 ends. The latest one is the The Lamb Inquiry, which looked at how the delivery of SEN system within England could be improved. In particular, the Inquiry focussed on the needs of…
New Reports from BectaBecta have recently released several new publications which should be relevant to those of you with an interest in ICT. Or if you are a parent with children at school, then you may also find a couple of the new booklets useful. Links to each one are below:Supporting Your Child's Learning has been de…
Child Internet Safety StrategyThe UK Council for Child Internet Safety was set up in the wake of the Byron Review (see previous post for details), and brings together over 150 stakeholders to collaborate in helping children and families with online issues.This week the Council has released its first major publication entitled Cl…
Changes to Children's PlayTonight sees the first of two episodes of Hop, Skip and Jump (see previous post for details), which charts the evolution of children's play during the 20th Century. If you're interested in this topic, the series' producer has also written a fascinating article on how "stranger danger" played a role …
Social Work Task ForceLast week saw the publication of the final report of the Social Work Task Force, which was commissioned by the government to conduct a comprehensive review of the profession, and to make recommendations on the future direction of the profession. Among the conclusions are recommendations for social w…
Writing SkillsThe National Literacy Trust have been busy again, with a new investigation which has concluded that blogging and social networking sites can help improve young people's confidence and enjoyment of writing. The research, which was carried out in May with over 3000 pupils aged 9-16, also explores gend…
Hop, Skip and JumpNext Tuesday (8th December) you might want to tune into BBC4 at 9pm for the first episode of Hop Skip and Jump: The Story of Children's Play; this is a 2 part series which examines childrens' outdoor games in Britain through the 20th century. Playing on the streets, children's songs and the differen…
Going BowlingWe went bowling with the grandkids the other day and it was great. I had forgotten that they have these nifty metal racks for the children to roll the ball down to hit the pins. I wanted one of those (along with the bumper rails!) for my bowling. I'm not a good bowler, but then I only go about every…
Family Trends and PolicyA new publication from the Family and Parenting Institute says that the nuclear family is breaking down, with relations outside of the family unit increasingly getting involved with parenting tasks. Other findings in the report highlighted the changing role of fathers, the increase in mothers that w…
UnderachievementThose of you with an interest in the attainment of children from ethnic minorities may be interested in a new review which suggests that teachers underestimate black pupils. The report - Black Children’s Achievement Programme Evaluation - was commissioned by the DCSF, and argues that teachers need t…
Improving Safety, Reducing HarmThe Department of Health has recently published Improving Safety, Reducing Harm: Children, Young People and Domestic Violence. This is a practical toolkit, designed for use by practitioners who are working with children, with detailed information on risk assessment, guidance for schools, official po…
A Quick Catch UpChildren's rights, mental health issues and family intervention are all covered in today's bumper post, which covers a number of recent publications...The parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has criticised the government's record on protecting children's rights; issues highlighted in their…
Ofsted Under FireToday sees the publication of Ofsted's annual report (click here for links to the report and various supporting documents and summaries), which contains information about Ofsted's findings from the past year, grouped around the themes of looked-after children, teaching and learning, and skills for e…
State of the World's ChildrenLast week saw the publication of UNICEF's annual State of the World's Children report. This year the publication has a special theme, celebrating 20 years since the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the most widely ratified human rights convention in history. The full text of the re…
EYES SearchAnother slow news day so another appeal for feedback from users... From looking at the stats of visitors for this site, it seems that in recent months the number of enquiries entered into the EYES Search Box on the right of this page (see previous post for details) has risen sharply. However, I'm un…
Information Workshop 2Just a reminder (see previous post for details) that if you'd be interested in being introduced to useful techniques to staying on top of news and research in your subject area, then just contact me and I'll try to organise a session at a time that suits. I have had a couple of expressions of intere…
Anti-Bullying WeekThis week is National Anti-Bullying Week, which means that a number of organisations are seeking to raise awareness of issues surrounding all forms of bullying. This year seems to have a particular emphasis on cyber-bullying, with the appearance of a number of new reports and resources devoted to th…
Happy BirthdayIf you've looked at any of the entertaining logos on Google's homepage during the last week, you've probably realised that Sesame Street is celebrating its 40th birthday. To mark the occasion, Michelle Obama is making a guest appearance, while newspapers and magazines from the UK to the US and beyon…
Regulating Play-Based ProvisionA new factsheet from Ofsted seeks to clarify how play providers can meet the requirements of the EYFS without altering existing good practice. The information provided in the document (entitled Regulating Play-Based Provision) outlines Ofsted's role in overseeing early years provision, and provides …
The Really Good School DinnerIf you work in a school, is your institution involved in the Really Good School Dinner? Now into it's second year, this project enables UK schools to help children in some of the world's poorest countries. The premise is simple: on the week beginning 25th January 2010, UK children are encouraged to …
Spring in the FallI was struck by an extraordinary thought the other day as I was raking up leaves. We go somewhat overboard with our yard, so every fall we must clean up the falling leaves and dying plants. It's like a right of passage into winter (whether we want winter to come or not). As I was raking, I thought a…
Safeguarding ChildrenI've written about the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People's Services (C4EO) site on here a few times before; for those who aren't familiar with this organisation, they carry out evidence-based research with a view to identifying effective practice in delivering children…
20 Years of the Children ActIt's been 20 years since the passing of the Children Act 1989, a landmark piece of legislation which still governs much of how cases involving children are handled. To mark the occasion, Community Care magazine has published a series of articles which represent a range of views on the Act, from lega…
Information Workshop"Where do you get all the information for the blog?""It must take you hours to find all this stuff!""Haven't you got anything better to do with your time?"Above are some of the typical comments that users make when chatting to me about this site (OK, I made the last one up...). In actual fact, getti…
Social TrendsFollowing a request from a student for information about the UK, I was reminded that I haven't yet put up a link to this year's edition of Social Trends. If you're not familiar with this publication, it's an annual report which takes a very detailed look at society in the UK - frankly it's scary how…
Playday 2009I've been a little slow off the mark with this one, but the 5th August was this year's Playday, an annual event which celebrates children's right to play. This year's theme was 'Make Time', with a focus on ensuring that children are given enough opportunity to indulge in this important part of their…
Social Care TVThis blog often mentions Teachers TV and some of the many useful programmes that you can find on their website; now the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has launched a similar service aimed at social workers.Social Care TV promises to offer short films on all aspects of work within the se…
Children's Workforce Development CouncilThe Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is largely funded by the DCSF and helps to co-ordinate the way that the various agencies with a stake in childcare work together, as well as providing a voice for employers in shaping the future direction of policy in this area. Their website is we…
The Human FamilyI was having a conversation with a coworker recently about supporting children who come from different family configurations. I told him that I really enjoyed using multicultural play sets, or block people, to allow the child the opportunity to build a model of his own family in dramatic play. Even …
Fathers, Family & WorkThe Equality and Human Rights Commission has just published a short report which examines how working fathers attempt to juggle their work-life balance; the study concluded that many fathers would appreciate more flexible working to allow them to spend more time with their children.The full title of…
Primary Review - Final ReportToday sees the publication of the final report of the Cambridge Primary Review, which has been widely described as "the largest review of primary education for more than 40 years." For the last 3 years, a team of researchers based at Cambridge University with funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundat…
SEN / Childcare ProvidersHere are details of two new reports from the DCSF, both of them of interest to those of you looking for figures / statistics:Children with Special Educational Needs 2009: An Analysis is a hugely detailed study of SEN pupils in the UK, with information on attainment levels, prevalence among different…
Early Learning PartnershipsA new study by the Family and Parenting Institute examines the impact of the Early Learning Partnership Project (ELPP), a government-funded project which sought to improve early education for children from vulnerable families. One of the surprising conclusions which the researchers had not anticipat…
Protecting Children in BirminghamA new report on Birmingham's children's social care department makes for uncomfortable reading. Following criticism from Ofsted, a team of government inspectors examined practice within the city, concluding that the department was "not fit for purpose."Although the city council has accepted the repo…
Building Brain ConnectionsI was traveling on an airplane this week and I had the privilege of sitting next to a mechanical engineer. He was traveling for work on his latest project, a new medical device for heart patients. I was fascinated by the new procedures he was explaining, but he seemed just as fascinated with my earl…
Children and Domestic ViolenceA new study from the NSPCC examines the difficult issue of domestic violence and the support received by children who are witnesses to such incidents. The research, which was carried out by a team at the University of Central Lancashire, assessed the response of children's services in the aftermath …
Age and DevelopmentA new study carried out by the NFER has concluded that summer-born children are more likely to develop special educational needs; the literature review examined research projects from the UK and 14 other countries. Among recommendations which the report makes are age-standardised tests which could e…
Fathering / ParentingThe Joseph Rowntree Foundation has just published a collection of research reports which examine different aspects of parenting and the role of the father in contemporary Britain. If you have an interest in these topics or are considering a project in this area for your dissertation then they are we…
Birmingham for FamiliesThe next time you're passing the Central Library, try popping in for 2 minutes and picking up a copy of Birmingham for Families (see below), a free directory of services in the city for children, young people and families. Copies are available in the Centre for the Child, and the booklet contains de…
I Need to be TwinsI went to my granddaughter's class for grandparents day this past week. We had a great time. I have another little friend in my granddaughter's room. The school is year-round and my granddaugher has changed schedules (tracks) this year. With all of the that, this little friend has been in her class …
Teaching ResourcesWelcome to all of the new students on the College's PGCE programme. This post is intended to point you towards some of the Web resources that will be most helpful to you during (and hopefully beyond!) your course, so it may be worth bookmarking some of the links below if you haven't done so already.…
History of Primary SchoolsFrom Abacus to Circle Time: A Short History of the Primary School is the title of a 3 part series which begins today on Radio 4 at 4pm. Each episode is 30 minutes long, and the series will cover the changes in teaching methods from Victorian times, through the 'progressive' 1960s and 1970s, to the p…
Childcare and Early Years Survey of ParentsThe DCSF recently published its annual Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents. This report examines information on parental childcare arrangements and opinions on childcare provision, and the impact of government policy in these areas. Among the findings in the latest edition are that more pare…
Support Staff in SchoolsA new study by the Institute of Education looks likely to prove controversial, after it concluded that pupils who are supported by teaching assistants do no better than those who are left alone. Although more positive findings from the research suggested that support staff have had a positive impact…
Guidance from OfstedThe mere mention of 'Ofsted' may strike fear into you if you work in a early years or education setting, but on this occasion it seems the organisation is keen to lend a hand; two new publications on the Ofsted website are designed to offer guidance to those working with children.Are You Ready for Y…
Doing Better for ChildrenA new publication from the OECD suggests that high public spending in the UK on child welfare and education is failing to deliver results. The report, entitled Doing Better for Children, suggests that Britain has high rates of teenage pregnancy, drunkenness, and young people not in education, employ…
The Open ClassroomI have the opportunity to supervise student teachers this school year. I've always wanted that assignment. I thought I was well-suited for it since I had numerous student teachers when I was a classroom teacher and I have supervised classroom teachers several times. One of my assignments is a school…
CCInformToday's post is a reminder to students about the CCInform service. I've written about this site before (see previous post), but have found it very useful in dealing with several enquiries I've received over the summer from students that are beginning to plan their dissertations. The topics I've used…
Time...I was asking my 'brand new second grader' granddaughter the other day how things were going in second grade. "Good," was her response. I asked what she had been doing the past week in her new class. "Well, we made visors the first day, with our names on them." I inquired about the rest of the week. …
What does a Social Worker do?Those of you with an interest in social work want to take a look at a new consultation document which has been published by the Children's Workforce Development Council. The document is intended to describe the role that social workers play in supporting young people and families, but has been stron…
New Reports for AugustAnother sporadic summer update for those of you who are missing College already:An EU report has just been released with the title Child Trafficking in the European Union: Challenges, Perspectives and Good PracticesThe Nuffield Foundation has produced a briefing paper on modern parenting of adolesce…
Beauty in Getting AlongI just finished watching my grandchildren for several days while their parents were out of town. I guess I had more energy when I was younger. :-) Caring for young children takes a lot of energy. I remember the comedian, Bill Cosby, once said, "People with only one child aren't real parents. They ne…
It Tastes YmmyWe have three new little turtles in the pond in our yard. It has taken a month or so for us to train the little ones to come to the surface (not swim away) and eat the food we throw on top of the water. The real trick is to encourage them to eat the TURTLE food, not the fish food we distribute for t…
Poverty / Forced MarriageTwo new reports that may interest readers:Living with Poverty: a Review of the Literature of Children's and Families' Experiences of Poverty has just been published by the DWP. Information on child poverty is always one of the most popular requests from students; if you have an interest in this area…
Another Round UpOnce again it's been a while since there were any new posts on here. This is because our visitor numbers tail off dramatically during holiday periods, but for those of you who are still making the effort to check in (thank you!), here's a list of new reports / research from the past few weeks. Rest …
There's Always Ice Cream!We went from a long wet, cool spring (unusual for us) to a blistering hot summer this month! We were trying to enjoy a family birthday barbecue this past Saturday (it was 102!) and one of my grandchildren reminded me that when it is hot outside there is always ice cream (she wishes).That reminds me …
The Good and the BadI was reminded recently about how there seems to be opposition in all things. We built a deck last summer underneath a very large and very old apricot tree. As much as I like apricots, I was wishing the blossoms would freeze this spring (which many of them did when it was 29!). The reason for my des…
I Like the Real ThingEarlier this month I accompanied my granddaughter's first grade class to a museum of 'natural history.' I'm always disappointed to see a bunch of stuffed animals. There is something quite 'unnatural' about it to me, almost creepy. I guess this is one way we can learn about animals, but....Last week …
Round UpThere haven't been any posts on here for a while, so here's a round up of recent reports in the early years sector:The government has announced plans to make it a legal duty for themselves and local authorities to eradicate child poverty by 2020. To achieve this they have published a Child Poverty B…
Here We Go Again...I recently heard from a former coworker who taught with me for a number of years. She mentioned that in her new district they are always reinventing the wheel with educational practices. That seems to happen often. Sometimes I chuckle at the 'latest' teaching method or curriculum because often it is…
Supporting Young CarersA new report from Ofsted has concluded that children who have caring responsibilities are often "unidentified, unsupported and without a voice." Research for the study was carried out in November and December last year, with 50 young carers who were responsible for either disabled parents or sibling…
School LeadershipThe DCSF has just published The Impact of School Leadership on Pupil Outcomes. This is a lengthy report which reports on a three year study carried out in conjunction with the National College of School Leadership, to establish the links that exist between school leadership and pupil's attendance, a…
We're Still Here!A number of students have asked in recent days whether the library is open during the summer. The answer, as in other years, is yes! From the week beginning 29th June, the opening hours will be as follows:Monday 9am - 5pmTuesday 9am - 5pmWednesday 9am - 7pmThursday 9am - 5p…
Creative SummerThe Guardian is launching a new series entitled Creative Summer, which will explore how teachers, teaching assistants and pupils are finding new and different ways to learn in the classroom. The series begins today with 'Deckchairs Don't Fly', in which poet John Hegley shares some of his tips for en…
She Can't Talk!Every spring the turtle in our backyard pond goes wandering. We think it has something to do with trying to lay eggs, but we need to keep one hole underneath the gate blocked so she can't leave the yard. Neighbors have found her in the street, etc. I took this picture of Gertrude trying to escape an…
