SkillsActive Playwork Sector Briefing

SkillsActive Playwork Sector Briefing Early Years Register and the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) This briefing outlines the duties and implications of registering with the Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills (Ofsted). It does not cover all the legal requirements for registration on the Early Years Register, but concentrates on the most important issues for play settings. It also gives examples and justifications of how play settings can meet the EYFS requirements in a way that is compatible with the Playwork Principles 1. Some areas of the EYFS are open to interpretation. These are typically the areas that are of most concern to play settings. These are enclosed in red boxes and reflect the views of SkillsActive and are not government policy. Where text is quoted directly from government documents, this will be referenced in the footnotes. This briefing should be read in conjunction with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 and the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage 3. SkillsActive is aware of the many issues faced by playwork settings with the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage and Early Years Register. Most of the issues reported to us concern the way individual Ofsted inspectors interpret the EYFS learning and development requirements (Theme 4), and this guidance aims to address the most common issues. The information provided and viewpoints of SkillsActive are current as of July 2009, but ongoing discussions with Ofsted and the DCSF may mean that additional briefing documents will be released that add to or replace this document. The EYFS itself will be reviewed in Autumn 2010. The focus of this document is on settings which offer childcare on non-domestic premises, which includes: Holiday playschemes 4 Out-of-school clubs Adventure playgrounds 5 Extended schools Children s centres. The EYFS does not prescribe a particular way of delivery, and there is nothing fundamentally suggesting that a playwork approach, as understood by the play sector, would not be able to meet the requirements. The EYFS does not however give a definition of play, although the play strategy however defines it as children and young people following their own ideas and interests, in their own way and for their own reasons, having fun while respecting themselves and others 6. 1 Playwork Principles Scrutiny Group (2005) Playwork Principles. Cardiff: Play Wales (Section 5). 2 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: Department for Children Schools and Families. 3 DCSF (2008) Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills. 4 SkillsActive also have additional guidance on this, available at: www.skillsactive.com/playwork/early-years-foundation-stage/holidayplayschemes. 5 Although many adventure playgrounds are open access and thus do not offer childcare, some do cater to early years children, although these children are not allowed leave the premises unaccompanied. 6 DCSF (2008) The Play Strategy, (p. 11).

There are many differences between the Playwork Principles and EYFS but delivering the EYFS should not mean compromising working to the Playwork Principles. Individual settings will have to decide whether to take children in the early years age group, seek exemption, or set a minimum age of six. It is strongly recommended that play settings adopt a play policy to underpin their organisational practice. Summary of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) implications for play settings The EYFS is based on the principle that children learn through play and states that in their play children learn at their highest level 7. The DCSF have stated that As long as play settings adhere to the Playwork Principles they will be in a good position to meet the EYFS requirements 8. All providers working with young children (from birth to 31 August following the child s fifth birthday) must deliver the EYFS, unless exempted. All providers must adhere to the welfare requirements including having a designated safeguarding lead, making arrangements to register these children, identify key workers, have suitable premises, comply with staffing ratios and training/qualification requirements and ensure that the children do not leave the setting unaccompanied by an adult All settings must make ongoing observations of any early years child that attends. Observations should not be intrusive, and keeping records need not be time consuming. Play settings should share significant observations about a child with the child s parents/carers and with other settings the child attends. Providers have a duty to comply with the learning and development requirements within the EYFS unless they seek exemption 9. The EYFS profile is completed by the primary provider, which is where the child spends the majority of time between 8 am and 6 pm in the year they turn six usually this will be a school. Non-primary providers are not required to formally teach reading and writing but should provide opportunity and encouragement to children in these activities. Settings need to provide individualised learning and development opportunities based on each child s needs, particularly those related to ethnicity, language and disability. Open access play providers that have young children attending will be required to deliver the EYFS for those children, who will not be allowed to leave unaccompanied. We are seeking further clarification on this type of provision. Play ranger schemes cannot register on the Early Years Register. Background The Childcare Act 2006 10 introduced new arrangements for registering provision for children, which involves registering on either the Early Years Register, the General Childcare Register or both. Play settings that solely register on the Childcare Register (because they do not cater for children aged five or under) do not have to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Ofsted has the responsibility for regulating providers who are on both these registers. The changes to the registration requirements will affect play settings differently according to the type of provision offered. The EYFS is given legal force through order and regulations made under the Act. From Sept 2008 it has been mandatory for all schools and early years providers in Ofsted registered settings attended by young 7 DCSF (2008) Principles into Practice cards. London: Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills (play and exploration card 4.1). 8 DCSF (2008) Frequently Asked Questions about the EYFS: ww.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/eyfs/clarificationsandfaqs/. 9 www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/site/requirements/exemptions.htm. 10 Childcare Act 2006 Sections 1 (1) b and 1(3)b: www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/ukpga_20060021_en_1. 2

children (children from birth to the end of the academic year in which a child has their fifth birthday 11 ). The main documents consist of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are also a number of supplementary cards and posters. One of these, Play and Exploration (4.1) is particularly relevant. Providers have a duty to ensure that their early years provision complies with the learning and development requirements, and the welfare requirements 12. The statutory guidance document includes both specific legal requirements and statutory guidance. The document states that All providers must have regard to this guidance, which means they must take it into account and, if they decide to depart from it, they must have clear reasons for doing so and be able to demonstrate that their alternative approach achieves the ends described in this guidance 13. Section one of this briefing looks at settings which need to join the Early Years Register and how play settings are already, or can, meet the EYFS requirements. Section two will cover qualification and registration requirements. Section three will investigate the inspection process, appeals and provision that cannot register. At the end of this document, you can find further information for play settings. 1. Section One. 1.1 Joining the Early Years Register Play settings working with young children will need to register on the Early Years Register, and will be legally required to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 14. Play practitioners who work with young children should have a good working knowledge of the EYFS, and there are a growing number of free or subsidised training courses available. The local authority, through a family information service, can advise on where these are available locally. Play settings can apply for registration by completing an on-line application form, where they can also apply to register on the Childcare Register without completing a separate form or paying an additional fee. A play setting does not need to register on the Early Years Register if the setting: Cares for children aged three and over for two hours or less each day even if the provision is open for longer than this period Intend to offer care for the early years age group on particular premises for 14 days or less in any period of 12 months (but you must notify Ofsted in writing at least 14 days before you start providing care on those premises) This could be relevant for before and afterschools clubs If your holiday playscheme opens for less than 14 days, this might be relevant to you Provide no more than two types of activity from the following list and any care provided is incidental to the activity (it is not the main focus of your provision): School study support or homework support Sport Performing arts Arts and crafts Religious, cultural or language study 15. This may be relevant if your service offers no more than two types of activities, for example arts and crafts activities such as den or Some types of play provision are not eligible for registration on the Early Years Register. These include play ranger schemes or extended schools provision for children aged three and over directly provided by schools, where at least one child is a pupil of the school. 11 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF (see para 1.5). 12 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF. (see para 1.8). 13 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF. (see para 1.8). 14 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF (see para 1.5). 15 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF. 3

2. Section Two 2.1 The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) As the EYFS is a play-based approach, and encourages a child-centred philosophy, many play settings will find that they are already providing environments, and opportunities that fit well with the EYFS principles. Some settings, however, may find their own guiding principles make it hard to deliver the EYFS and may decide to seek exemption or not to take children in the early years. This may have implications, such as eligibility for tax credits that the setting should consider. When a child attends more than one setting, the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage asks practitioners to tailor their approach to each child s needs and to make sure that what they provide complements the education and care in other settings providing the EYFS for that child 16. As part of their safeguarding procedures all settings that deliver the EYFS must comply with the welfare requirements including sharing information, ensuring appropriately qualified and trained people are looking after the children, providing a suitable environment and documenting children s attendance, progress and any concerns about the child. 2.2 Demonstrating how play settings are delivering the EYFS Ofsted 17 recognises that the type of experiences a child receives will vary, depending on the aims and ethos of the setting. The practice guidance for the EYFS states that providers who care for children over relatively short periods of time are responsible for delivering the EYFS in an appropriate way that meets the needs of the children. They should make sure that what they provide complements the education and care the child receives in other settings 18. The DCSF teachernet site explains that A child's needs will be very different after a busy day at school, for example, than they will be during the school day. There is no expectation that out of school provision should seek to replicate the type of experience a child will receive in school 19. Neither does the EYFS require the formal teaching of literacy and numeracy in the early years 20. The teachernet web site states that The EYFS does not require settings to teach reading and writing to children, nor should playschemes be seeking to replicate the experience that children receive in school. It goes on to explain that young children learn best through play and the EYFS expects practitioners to provide a range of play-based activities to support children's learning and development. All settings are required to offer both indoor and outdoor spaces to play wherever practical, and are encouraged to support young children in being outdoors as much as possible. The Early Years Foundation Stage is underpinned by four main themes 21 : 1. A Unique Child every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. 2. Positive Relationships children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. 3. Enabling Environments the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children s development and learning. 4. Learning and Development children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected. The play and exploration card 4.1 is more explicit, outlining that: Children need plenty of space and time to play, both outdoors and indoors. 16 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF (para 1.16 pg 07). 17 Ofsted (2008) Evaluating early years provision in setting providing for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage before or after school or during school holidays. London: Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills. 18 Practice guidance, para. 1.15, p. 7. 19 www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/eyfs/clarificationsandfaqs/. 20 www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/eyfs/clarificationsandfaqs/. 21 DCSF (2008) Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills, (para 1.4, pg. 05). 4

Children have to experience play physically and emotionally. Children may play alone or with others. Practitioners plan and resource a challenging environment where children s play can be supported and extended 22. The Playwork Principles and the national occupational standards underpinning playwork qualifications complement these themes. The following sections will give details on how play settings are meeting various aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage. 2.3 Demonstrating how play settings are delivering the learning and development requirements (theme 4) All settings, regardless of size, type or funding, are required to deliver the learning and development requirements, including planning to meet individual needs. These are outlined in detail in the practice guidance document, which is broken down into age ranges, and the one that covers the majority of children in playwork settings will be the 40-60+ month range. Within this theme there are six connected areas of learning and development including 23 : Personal, social and emotional development Communication, language and literacy Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy Knowledge and understanding of the world Physical development Creative development. The statutory framework states that none of these areas of learning and development can be delivered in isolation from the others. They are equally important and depend on each other to support a rounded approach to child development. All the areas must be delivered through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities 24.On the DCSF teachernet web site it states that the EYFS itself does not prescribe the approach that practitioners should take they have complete flexibility in the way in which they do this. Play settings should be planning for play rather than planning the play; to offer the best and widest range of play opportunities possible which children can choose whether to engage in. Whilst individual children s needs must to be planned for, this should be done in proportion to the amount of time the child spends at the setting. What you plan to offer to meet the individual child s needs should be compatible with the Playwork Principles and the child should choose whether to engage or not. Although use of the term balance implies an equal mix, and playworkers do initiate and lead activities, the focus of play settings should be on child-initiated activities and playworkers should not aim to meet a target percentage of adult-led activities. Good quality playwork will provide opportunities for children to develop in a significant number of these areas. The most difficult to observe and plan for may be around literacy and numeracy. Planning, observing and recording do take time. Providers will need to work out how much extra staff time and other resources this will require and alter their budget forecasts accordingly. Some providers may need to renegotiate with their funders, raise fees, or look at other ways of raising funds if they cannot absorb the additional costs within available financial resources. Paid staff should not be asked to put in voluntary hours to cover additional time needed. 22 DCSF (2008) Principles into Practice cards. London: Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills (play and exploration card 4.1). 23 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF (para 2.4, pg. 11). 24 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF, (para 2.5, pg. 11) 5

The children s plan acknowledges that play has real benefits for children 25 and research shows that children have a need to play. The EYFS Principle into Practice Card 1.2 states that All children are citizens and have rights and entitlements and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), to which the UK is a signatory, states that it is every child s right to play. Playworkers, working in play settings facilitate this need to play, and delivering the EYFS through working to best playwork practice is the appropriate way for play settings to meet the needs of children. This approach complements the education and care the child receives in other settings. The EYFS learning and development requirements The table below provides some examples of how play meets the EYFS learning and development requirements. The first column describes possible play experiences, the second column links to the play types outlined in best play and the third column links these to the early learning and development goals. Table one Play opportunities 26 Playing with the natural elements such as earth, water, fire, air. Children could be offered opportunities to make campfires, dig in dirt and sand, playing snowballs and flying kites. Playing with identity for examples dressing up, roleplay, performing, taking on different kinds of responsibility. Will help meet the need to 27 Control the physical and affective ingredients of the environments (mastery play, p.33-34). Access factual information consisting of manipulative behaviours such as handling, throwing, banging or mouthing objects (exploratory play, p.33-34). Explore ways of being (role play, p.33-34) Rearrange the world in the child's way, a way which is unlikely to occur. For example playing at being a pilot flying around the world or the owner of an expensive car (fantasy play, p.33-34). Early learning and development goals 28 Physical Development page 105 Handles tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with basic control. Knowledge and understanding of the world page 82 Builds and constructs with a wide range of objects, selecting appropriate resources, tools and techniques and adapting her/his work where necessary. Creative Development page 109 Expresses and communicates ideas, thoughts and feelings using a range of materials, suitable tools, imaginative and role-play, movement, designing and making, and a variety of songs and musical instruments. 2.4 Exemption from the learning and development requirements of the EYFS Exemption from delivering the learning and development requirements will be granted only in exceptional circumstances where a majority of parents agree with the provider that an exemption should be sought. This will be because they strongly believe the established principles about learning and development for young children, which govern the setting s practice conflict with elements of the EYFS learning and development requirements. It is worth noting that only the parents of the children in the early years need to be consulted regarding exemption, not parents of all children who attend. Applying for an exemption requires liaising with the local authority and ultimately submitting an application to the QCA. More 25 DCSF (2007) The Children¹s Plan Building brighter futures, (p. 6, para. 8). 26 NPFA et al (2000) Best Play: What play provision should do for children. London: National Playing Fields Association. 27 NPFA et al (2000) Best Play: What play provision should do for children. London: National Playing Fields Association. 28 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF. 6

information can be found in the DCSF document Guidance for Local Authorities and Providers on Exemptions from the Early Years Foundation Stage Learning and Development Requirements 29. 2.5 Demonstrating how play settings are delivering the welfare requirements All settings that are on the Early Years Register must comply with the welfare requirements. These build on and incorporate much of what was in the day care standards 30, including sharing information, ensuring appropriately qualified and trained people are looking after the children, providing a suitable environment and documenting children s attendance, progress and any concerns. All settings should also have an equal opportunity policy and need to provide inclusive environments for all children. Critical elements are explored below. 2.6 Key person Building on critical research such as the EPPE project 31, which shows that young children thrive where they feel secure with a known, attached adult, the EYFS requires each child in the early years age group to be assigned a key person. This person is expected to be a special friend to the child, and will have primary responsibility for helping the child settle in, to collate observations and to plan for the play that will help the child meet their early learning and development goals. 2.7 Observations and recording Skilled playworkers constantly make sensitive observations and reflect on how their practice is affecting the children. Playworkers observe and record in order to: Improve their understanding of play. Make judgments about interventions, support play and improve what is offered. Support reflective practice. Safeguard children. Teachernet states although it may sometimes be helpful to note down observations, it is not a requirement to do so 32. Recording observations is however useful when demonstrating how play settings meet the EYFS requirements. These can realistically be done in a few sentences on a log sheet or via photos of the children s play activities. Where possible key observations about children should be shared with the child s parents and any other setting they attend. An example sheet (5.4) is included later in this document. 2.8 Risk assessments and risk management All play settings will have to carry out risk assessments and record them, as well as being aware of other health and safety issues. Simply reducing all risks is not helpful. Managing Risk in Play Provision: Implementation Guidance 33, endorsed by both the DCSF and the members of the Play Safety Forum, explains how providers can strike a balance between assessing risk and the benefits of offering children more challenging play opportunities. While safety is extremely important, settings should not unduly restrict access to good risks, i.e. those which children can see and assess for themselves, and which will help them learn and develop. The play strategy states that children need to take risks to learn how to manage risks. This is an essential part of growing up, and play is one of the most important ways in which they develop this vital skill. We cannot, and should not try to, remove all the risk from play 34. 29 http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/84508 30 Sure Start (2003) National standards for under 8s day care and childminding. London: DCSF and The DWP. 31 Effective Provision of Pre-School Education project /www.ioe.ac.uk/schools/ecpe/eppe/ 32 http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/eyfs/clarificationsandfaqs/ 33 Ball, D, Gill, T and Spiegal, B (2008) Managing Risk in Play Provision: Implementation guide. London: DCSF, DCMS and Play England. 34 DCSF (2008) The Play Strategy, (p. 51, para. 5.50) 7

2.9 Safeguarding All settings working with children are responsible for making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It is important that providers record any concerns about a child and share these with parents or carers and other settings the child attends. The only exception is if the concern very clearly lies with the parent and the setting is worried that it could put the child at risk if the parent or carer is informed, in which case the issues should be shared immediately with the appropriate agencies. 2.10 The EYFS profile As with the Foundation Stage Profile now, the final observational assessment or Early Years Foundation Stage Profile will be recorded at the end of the reception year by the setting which offers the majority of the child's EYFS provision in almost all cases this will be the reception teacher. The requirement for partnership between settings means that teachers may ask other settings to feed in their observations on children throughout the reception year. It is up to schools and settings to make their own arrangements for doing this 35. 3 Section Three 3.1 Qualifications For settings on the Early Years Register, offering provision to children aged five and under, there are some key legal requirements. Assuming that there is not a qualified teacher or Early Years Professional (EYP) present, in summary these are: There must be at least one member of staff for every eight children aged three and over (this increases to 1:4 for children under 3 and 1:3 for babies). All play settings should be employing staff or volunteers with playwork qualifications, as these are the appropriate qualifications for working in a setting or service whose main purpose is to provide children and young people with opportunities for freely chosen, self-directed play. At least one member of staff must hold a full and relevant level 3 qualification (as defined by CWDC). At least half of all other staff must hold a full and relevant level 2 qualification (as defined by CWDC) 36. At least one person must have a first aid certificate appropriate to the age of the children and activities on offer 37. Workers must have successfully completed these qualifications; working towards them is not sufficient. Applicants can find out if their qualifications are full and relevant by checking online at: https://secure.cwdcouncil.org.uk/eypqd/qualification-search. The early years and playwork database of qualifications that was used pre-sept 08 for inspection against the daycare standards will remain on the CWDC website but is no longer valid as a source of accurate information on full and relevant qualifications. 3.2 Workforce development Statutory guidance 38 recognises training and development needs and states that providers should: Support staff in improving their qualification levels. In particular, those staff with no qualifications should be supported in obtaining a relevant qualification at a minimum of level 2. Provide induction training for new staff Carry out regular staff appraisals to identify the training needs of staff. Run a programme of continuing professional development so that these needs are met. SkillsActive has developed a workforce development CD-rom toolkit 39 that gives practical assistance and guidance in embedding the workforce development process into your settings and addresses all the above 35 www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/eyfs/clarificationsandfaqs/ 36 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF. 37 Ofsted (2008) Guidance on inspecting providers registered on both the Childcare and Early Years Registers. London: Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills 38 DCSF (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DCSF. 39 SkillsActive (2008) Playwork Workforce Development Toolkit for Children s Workforce Employers. London: SkillsActive 8

requirements. Play England has also updated the quality assurance programme Quality in Play 40 which also addresses workforce development issues. Staff without a full level 2 qualification may be eligible for support through the local Train to Gain scheme 41. 4 Section Four 4.1 Inspections Ofsted will not carry out an inspection before approving an application, however applicants must be able to show how they will meet the requirements of the EYFS at the point of registration, usually during the registration visit. Once registered, Ofsted may inspect provision at any time whilst the registration is current. All provision registered on the Early Years Register will be inspected at least once every three years with little or no notice and inspections will evaluate the quality of the setting against the key and supplementary judgements set out in the early years evaluation schedule. 42 Ofsted publishes a self-evaluation form that is a useful tool to help prepare for inspections and can be used to prepare a playwork appropriate response. Where a provider is on both the early years and childcare registers, inspectors will ensure that the providers meet the requirements of the Childcare Register when they carry out the early years inspection. The inspection will be on meeting the requirements of the EYR/EYFS, and will not look in any detail at the work settings do with older children. Ofsted does not inspect against playwork principles or practice. The inspectors role is not to judge the setting s preferred methods, but to evaluate whether the setting gives sufficient attention to the welfare, learning and development requirements of the EYFS, so that all (early years) children s individual needs are met 43. Therefore it may be helpful to establish early on in the inspection how much the inspector knows about playwork, as this will help settings present their work in a way that will help the inspector understand the support given to the children. Many settings have commented that they feel their non-early years children are being ignored by inspectors, and feel this devalues the rest of the children and the work they are doing with all the children. This is a consequence of the process and will be one of the discussion points with the DCSF and Ofsted. At the end of the inspection the inspectors have to give feedback, and this is an opportunity to question the inspector, who may ask for additional evidence if needed. The inspector will then write a short report. Providers need to check reports for accuracy and notify Ofsted of any factual alterations, although this is not an opportunity to make an appeal. All inspection reports are published on Ofsted s website within 20 days of the inspection and a copy is sent to the local authority. 4.2 Appeals If settings are dissatisfied with any aspect of the inspection, they should speak to the inspector or the inspector s manager to explain the nature of their complaint and what they want to happen as a result of it. They may also call the Ofsted helpline or write to them. Part of the code of conduct for inspectors 44 states that they are thoroughly prepared and understand the nature of the individual provision, the outcomes for children and the needs of the children and their parents. This statement is important as it puts the onus on inspectors to understand the provision s ethos. 40 Play England (2008) Quality in Play. London: Play England 41 www.traintogain.gov.uk 42 Ofsted (2008), Using the early years evaluation schedule. London; Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills. 43 Ofsted (2008) Conducting early years inspections London: Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills. 44 Ofsted (2007) Framework for the regulation of childminding and day care. London: Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills. 9

Section Five 5.1 The Playwork Principles The Playwork Principles establish the professional and ethical framework for playwork. They describe what is unique about play and playwork, and are based on the recognition that children and young people s capacity for positive development will be enhanced if given access to the broadest range of play opportunities and environments. 1. All children and young people need to play. The impulse to play is innate. Play is a biological, psychological and social necessity, and is fundamental to the healthy development and well-being of individuals and communities. 2. Play is a process that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. That is, children and young people determine and control the content and intent of their play, by following their own instincts, ideas and interests, in their own way for their own reasons. 3. The prime focus and essence of playwork is to support and facilitate the play process and this should inform the development of play policy, strategy, training and education. 4. For playworkers, the play process takes precedence and playworkers act as advocates for play when engaging with adult-led agendas. 5. The role of the playworker is to support all children and young people in the creation of a space in which they can play. 6. The playworker's response to children and young people playing is based on a sound up-to-date knowledge of the play process and reflective practice. 7. Playworkers recognise their own impact on the play space and also the impact of children and young people s play on the playworker. 8. Playworkers choose an intervention style that enables children and young people to extend their play. All playworker intervention must balance risk with the developmental benefit and well-being of children. 5.2 Contacts and links SkillsActive The Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning and Well-being, which includes the playwork sector. SkillsActive works across the UK, representing the views of employers and leading the development of playwork education and training. www.skillsactive.com/playwork Ofsted For further information about Ofsted or to access an on-line registration form please visit the Ofsted website. www.ofsted.gov.uk Children s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) Applicants can check if any qualification they hold is on the CWDC qualifications list by checking online https://secure.cwdcouncil.org.uk/eypqd/qualification-search 10

5.3 Example assessment and planning sheet for the learning environment Planning needs to be both short and long-term, so you may want to adapt this to cover both time frames. The planning should follow the pattern: observe, analyse, and use what you have found out about the children in your group so that you plan for the next steps in their learning 45. Child s name: Nick G Key worker: P Nobel Date: May 29, 2009 Date for this sheet to be reviewed: August 1, 2009 You will need to prioritise areas to plan for, otherwise you may spend all your time planning and recording, not doing playwork! Managers and employers need to assess how much time needs to be spent on planning and recording and make sure all staff are aware of this. The key is to find what works for your children and staff, and the example sheets are a starting point for adaptation. Emotional Environment Indoor environment Outdoor Environment What does the child need? Constant encouragement to build confidence playing with other children. What are they interested in? Dressing up. How can we meet this through playwork planning? Providing box of dressing up clothes, props and toys from a variety of different cultures. Observation s and comments 1 June. Tried on different headgear from Asia resource box. Wanted to know about food in different countries. What are they interested in? Playing with water. How can we meet this through playwork planning? When weather permits, put outside large scale pipes, water and other loose parts that that need two or more children to use effectively. Observations and comments 3 June, put out pipes. Nick built large water structure with Yamuna, Dick and Harriet. Lots of conversation and negotiation on the best way to put it together. What Early Learning Goal does this meet? Interact with others, negotiating plans and activities and taking turns in conversation. (Page 47) 45 http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/eyfs/themes_principles/enabling_environments/observationassessment_planning/ 11

5.4 Example learning and development observation sheet This sheet provides a way of observing and recording to help both planning and reflective practice, and augments the sheet above. Child s name: Nick G Key worker: P Nobel Date Type of play observed What early learning goal does this meet? 2 June 2009 Nick, Tenzing and Saida made an obstacle course out of bamboo poles, sheets and pallets on the grass in Move with confidence, imagination and in safety Move with control and coordination. the yard, then went through with their eyes shut. A Travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment. few falls and spills but no cuts or grazes. Show awareness of space, of themselves and of others. (Physical Development, Movement and Space, p 98 99) Head Office: Castlewood House 77-91 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1PX tel: +44 (0)20 7632 2000 email: info@skillsactive.com 12