Word count
Justification 1095
Evaluation/Analysis 547
Working with families.
As an Early Years Unit staff strive to work within the Early Years Foundation Stage Guidelines and the Every Child Matters Change for Children Agenda (2003). The foundation stage in the school includes children from the age of three to the end of reception year. As a school, staff acknowledges the privilege and responsibility it shares with parents as the child’s first “teachers”. Early year’s education is concerned with the holistic development of the individual child with no one partner (i.e. Parents, teachers. NNEBs or outside agents) standing in isolation from the other.
Ensuring that as a team staff work to the Principles of Good Practice.
“One of the key principles for early years education stated in the foundation stage guidance is that parents and practitioners should work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect within which children can have security and confidence” (QCA,2000 p.12).
In England, the Government’s strategy for securing parental involvement was first set out in the 1997 White Paper, ‘Excellence in Schools’. The strategy described that there included three elements (a) providing parents with information, (b) giving parents a voice and (c) encouraging parental partnerships with schools. (Dfes.go.uk/research RB433).
Even now the principles for early year’s education are still the same and good quality providers should be adhering to the following principles:
The early year’s foundation stage (EYFS, 2008) Positive relationships; Parents as partners- principles into practice are stated as
Communication,
A key principle of good practice with parents is effective communication through consideration of the possibility that some parents and carers may not use English as their first language and/or have a sensory impairment.
“Communication is not just about the words you use, but also your manner of speaking,...