FSFRebecca Posted January 17, 2018 Posted January 17, 2018 We have some invitations that we can share with FSF members if anyone would like to attend the APPG and listen to the speakers. The agenda is below: "Joanne McCartney AM, Deputy Mayor for Education and Childcare, who will discuss the steps the London Assembly is taking to address workforce issues, including the Early Years Hubs scheme. Michelle Dyson, Director for Early Years and Childcare at the Department for Education, who will provide an update from the Department. Jamie Leith, co-founder of Manny & Me, who will discuss diversification and encourage more men into the early years workforce." If you would like to ask about coming to the meeting please send me an email rebecca@eyfs.info
FSFRebecca Posted February 8, 2018 Author Posted February 8, 2018 We attended this meeting yesterday, thank you to all our guests - it was lovely to meet you! The first speaker, Joanne McCartney, spoke to us about the efforts being made for young children in London. The Mayor has launched three Early Years Hubs, which aim to improve access to high-quality early education for the most disadvantaged families. The Hubs have been set up in the following London boroughs: Newham, Wandsworth and Merton and Barnet. The Early Years Hubs will provide the opportunity for schools, childminders, Private Voluntary and Independent (PVI) nurseries, and others, to work together over a three-year period. The Hubs recognise the impact that an excellent workforce can have on children's lives and so an ongoing coaching prgramme to support early years leaders is very much part of their plan. You can read about the Hubs here. Jamie Leith spoke passionately about changing the perception of men working in early years and explained how his company is working to improve the image of early years as a career. Jamie explained how the LEYF nursery group is working to change the perception of early years workers as a whole by calling them all 'teachers', rather than nursery practitioners. It was agreed in the room that issues surrounding levels of pay and opportunities for career development and progress affected all staff male and female but that men particularly were hard to recruit and retain as the sector could not be as financially competitive as other industries. Michelle Dyson from the DfE clearly recognised the passion and commitment of the early years sector and then explained how the DfE made policy. She cited the EPPE project and explained that there was understanding in the DfE that the quality of the workforce impacted on the quality of the early years provision as a whole and this then affected the outcomes for children in attendance. She explainnd about the various pieces of research that the DfE had looked at and then sought to defend the level of funding available to providers as being based on sound research. There were very strong feelings in the room and we heard from contributors who made points saying: Their setting had closed due to inadequate funding The 30 hours 'free' model was unworkable The 30 hours should not have been offered on the same basis as the 15 hours 'universal' scheme The research upon which many decisions were based was out of date No one yet has seen a 30 hours 'free' model in the private sector that is workable In response Michelle asked that settings should provide hard evidence, rather than anecdotal evidence, of why the figures couldn't be made to work. Many providers, through a show of hands, were willing to allow the DfE to look at their accounts. Tulip Siddiq MP, chairing the meeting, asked that providers should send their accounting figures through her to be passed on to the DfE. Tulip's email is as follows: tulip.siddiq.mp@parliament.uk
SueFinanceManager Posted February 8, 2018 Posted February 8, 2018 1 hour ago, Rebecca said: The first speaker, Joanne McCartney, spoke to us about the efforts being made for young children in London. The Mayor has launched three Early Years Hubs, which aim to improve access to high-quality early education for the most disadvantaged families. The Hubs have been set up in the following London boroughs: Newham, Wandsworth and Merton and Barnet. Just to say if you are working in the London Borough of Barnet then membership of the forum is free to you, to find out how to join for free just click here for details Sue Admin Team
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