Parents survey - Parents are surveys regrading quality
Norway 2014 - Evaluation
undertaken by all members of the group
Monday 13 October
Themes
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Play
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Design
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Interactions
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Diversity/cultural
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Environments/ecology
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Curriculum/Transitions
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Framework
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Applicability
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What is particularly
Norwegian, how do we transfer this to Ireland?
Members want others to visit their services to see Aistear
in Action, etc. Don’t give ourselves
enough credit. 1.2%GDP goes on Early Years. 0.25 in Ireland. If we want to
improve and professionalise the sector, we need to put funding behind it. Take the money from junior infants and put it
into early childhood – it is early years.
Make it compulsory that children start school at 6.
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Risky play
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Portion of day spent outside
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Child free play
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Sense of trust – government trust, leaders trust
children.
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Ethos of how they do it.
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Calmer, quieter settings
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Not full of equipment
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Small rooms/small groups.
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Doors all open between rooms and opportunity to
close them
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Children were sitting on same level chairs as
adults
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Children jumping on window sill
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Children climbing/jumping inside.
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Home like environment
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Lack of blocks/sticks/bricks inside – not enough
choice??
Tuesday 14 October
Play
The outdoor play
Risky Play – we could look into this and letting go as
adults in the play. Less interference from the adults. Swings were very
prominent and standing on them and two at a time and taking shoes off. What if they fell off!! Natural surrounding and equipment were
impressive. They use the Natural
environment and use their skills and knowledge.
The cost value – how expensive is it to refurbish equipment etc.
Comparisons between 2 different Barnhage.
Children were quiet and content running around. The children were calm.
Design
Outdoor – space available. Children are quiet as they can
spread around. Accessibility all around. Could have saved them money as outdoor
area was over structured. Planning did not include consultation with the children.
Structures of the town/goats – lack of open ended material. No
tyres/planks. Less natural impact – no
trees to climb, long grass, herbs, flowers, colour. Lack of stimulation. Loved
low fencing as they could see over it as this could make the children feel part
of the community. Parents are impressed
by the outside environment. Lots of opportunity. Young trees, some children
were climbing. Opportunity to get lost. It is quite a conservative place.
Design was influenced by their culture. They are not in a
forest area but they make use of their trips to explore. Structures very formed.
Indoor – liked shape of rooms, white washed wood, natural
light. Universal access part of the design of the building.
We as a group are looking for a very high standard outdoor
play.
Interactions
Scaffolding – with support from adult – helping children
jump off cliff area. At top of slope some children going down themselves but
practitioner stayed with the last child.
Balance of skill vs challenge. He
made it with her support. Interaction
with Peers – speech and language. Group activity, incorporating speech and
language programme. Children helping
each other. If one child had a language need, they all learned the Lamh. The child in the wheelchair was included.
Interactions with boys and boys jumping off cliff. Girls were slower and encouraged each other,
then held hands – supported each other.
Role of staff in motivating and encouraging. The interactions are
confirmed with body language. Support
from the adult. Child will gain more from what the children showed interest
in. Staff listened to their interest and
followed it in their weekly curriculum.
How much communicating goes in on our bodies, the bonding,
the sense of togetherness just through their physical exertion. Mindfulness of
being with the child when you are there – to be present in the moment. The attention going directly to the child.
Staff interactions with the children – they mirror the child and join in with
them in their play. Very respectful.
Very calm and gentle. When the child fell, they practitioner just went and sat
beside him and held him.
Diversity
Different minority groups. Similar to Ireland. Norway has an
awareness and strong ethical approach to diversity. They give back resources –
for the greater good of the community. Lack of men was apparent. Less than 1% men in childcare in Ireland
comparted to 19% in Norway. Social and community based rather than business
based approach.
Able to cope with children with additional needs because of
ratios – size of the group.
Parent survey – nothing hidden, transparent. Mobility of
children – approach was positive.
Legislation – cannot say now to any child. More social
conscience that they have equality of access.
Services were able to carry extra staff. Able to provide for
extra workers. They were able to deal with children with additional needs. They look for children with additional needs
to retain the staff.
They are confident enough to deal with the child with
special needs. Very confident and able to adapt.
Children with special needs had a positive impact on
children and that disability is part of everyday life. Ireland does not have this belief.
We need more support systems in place so that we can support
all children.
Our Statement
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Resource to meet the needs of children with
additional needs
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Government would respect the profession to know
what resources we need
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Value of the practitioner/educator/we are a
valued profession
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The importance of childhood
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Increase the funding
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Less restriction, more risk, trust us that we
know what is best
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We need to be proud of our culture and what we
do, we should have ideals about childhood
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Want to consolidated the disjointed sector
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Child should be part of the community
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Play is for Play – parents need to understand
the benefits (learning through play)
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Show how we link play to their learning
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Different support structures in different part
of the country (Ireland). Too much variance from county to county. No
consistency. CCCs role in different
counties vary also – did not know it was on offer.
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Parents allowed time off for a sick child (paid)
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Parental participation in the system
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We need to look after our graduates or we will
lose them.
Wednesday 15 October
What one thing would you bring back with you.
Aisling – runs a sessional preschool in Ardee – more time
outdoors
Mairead – manage a Gaeltacht speaking Naoinra – get them to
spend 60 minutes outside no matter what the weather
Caitriona – inspector in Galway – in many years we are ahead,
nutrition importance, don’t provide a hot meal during day. In Ireland you have
to provide a hot meal. Quality in standard far superior in Ireland. Norwegians
want their children to have their main meal with the family in the evening.
Sarah – manage a full daycare centre in Cork – importance of
mindfulness
Mary – tutor in ETB in Mayo – learners to have confidence in
themselves around the areas of provision for the curriculum of choice which
they make for the children especially around the areas of play.
M – NCCA – trust and respect for children and adults,
providing experience where there is risk and trust. Children here steady on
their feet. Aistear does put forward the idea of the competent child but not
sure we do it.
D – Athlone Institute, Art – talking to students about professionalising
themselves. Get students up to speed with outdoor activities, bring students
out more.
C – Manager, after school and forest school leader –
mindfulness, letting staff pull back and live in the moment with the children,
break some boundaries
K – manager daycare – risky play, what the children
experience through this play.
N – full daycare in Naas, tutor, special needs – trusting
the child as a competent person, getting staff to engage calmly, playful play
K – sessional preschool, Westport – nothing wrong with
practice we have, will add risky play to the setting. Lack of funding for
Ireland to provide outdoor
C – ECI – connection with Nature in terms of playspaces
N – Sligo CCC – policy and structure how it works. Trust
M – Cork ETB – how little the rooms are resourced,
they step back but children can be creative
R – Manager of 4 centres – no right way to do it, down
to the provider, comparing Reggio – all totally different – good and bad in
everything. Decide ourselves what our ethos will be.
M – 2 facilities in Cork, Tutor – not doing too bad in
Ireland. Lacking resources and funding. Will use logs (small things) which make
a difference.
J – DIT lecturer – freedom of the child, theory
underpinning our policy documents, crucial that child is able to explore on
their own and follow their own interest and take the learning on board that
they see for themselves, intrinsic. Some Irish services are very adult led,
which is what our policy documents are telling us to do. Implement what we
have.
R – Leader in crèche/tutor vec – variation in what we
provide, even in outdoor. Taking the ideas and transferring them into your
setting. Stop comparing to other places and do best you can do in your setting
L– Manager in ECCE centre – huge emphasis on play, love
the freedom they have for the risky play. Children playing with ropes/knives –
they can risk assess themselves.
T – fullday community crèche – apply what we see in
Norway to Ireland. Good to spend time with like-minded people. Learned from
others, even about the whole Ireland approach.
M – run services/tutor – contrast and uniformity, state of
the art service, children enjoying the session.
Other building not state of the art but children still having the fun.
Ethos should be brought back of nurture
M – DKIT lecturer – frustrated in services in Ireland as
we don’t always make the most of the outdoor spaces which we have. Indoor
environments are good but outdoors need improvement. No clay, grass, sand.
Funding going to incorrect resources, not enough of natural resources. Use the
natural environment – sand, stones, logs, etc Costs less.
L – Donegal CCC – trying to engage with Aistear is not
through documentation, forgetting about whats happening with the children.
Policy is there but they have huge areas outside and we have huge areas inside.
Norway has smaller indoor spaces.
S – Tutor – art, avoid templates, variations, stick,
wood, rocks – the process was important. All the art is different. Creativity
is not boxed in.
L – Irish Steiner, Outdoor P&T group, ISKA – felt at
home in first setting – reaffirmation of what we do. Risky play information gives the language to
defend what we do. Legislation in Norway supports to working of the services.
J – ECI – child led activities really important.
Framework/Policy/Legislation
– 7 themes
No fence in the woods, trust. Barnhage Law – regulates, ratio
related to Pedagogue. Children per
square metres. 1:9. Very relaxed
relationship with regulations. Inspectors more focus on safety. Different
approach in different areas. Some more environmental based.
Even though they have the policy to accept children with
specific needs but we have not seen much evidence in the places which we
visited. Framework very vague. Does
establish clusters of learning outcomes. Planned activities based on the values
in the framework.
Documentation too heavy in Ireland, too much demand on
evidence. After Siolta validation, the focus could go back on the children.
Norway not stressing about documentation. Movement towards
accountability. May lose uniqueness.
Now looking more in Ireland at learning outcomes in relation
to linking with Aistear and Siolta. Not under pressure in Norway to concentrate
on curriculum.
Not sure what a unit is.
Ratios won’t be law until 2020.
Norway want to give money to early childhood. Every service
have to submit annual plan to the municipality, what they going to focus on,
methods of working, etc
Environments
Norwegian construction of childhood, competent children,
everything is going in their favour culturewise. Setting to setting, some
babies sleep outside but other settings dint go out to sleep when it is minus
10. Environments very calm even in their interactions with each other and
between staff. We try to bring then indoor environment outdoors but does not
happen in Norway. Some were making cake outside. Outside nature provides.
Sometimes we have not enough nature outside in Ireland. Might need to re-visit
the audit tool for Aistear. Somebody implemented mud kitchen, has introduced
role playing to the outdoor environment, inspired play. Norway has the natural
environments for climbing, jumping, running, etc. Calm indoor environment, chill out room for
staff, mindfulness for staff and children – positive. Ireland on par or ahead
with the green, eco system.
Curriculum
Lot of research underpinning curriculum. It is child led. Lot
of time spent on physical activity. Emphasis on nature. Focus on self-image.
Had themes for the year but not very focused. Going with the child and the
seasons. Focus on child’s emotional well being, scaffolding. Combined groups. Challenged children and
provided deeper learning for each child. Flow theory interesting re skill and
challenge. 8 intelligences came through.
Qualitative and quantitative research.
Lots of observation, reflecting on learning and acting on it. Gave
children freedom and choice and made them autonomous. Evidence of Reggio
Emilia.
What would
we like to say with regard to Budget 2015?
So much is possible by a shift in attitude.
Child benefit should have been put into intervention in
services which needs support with children.
Money afforded to Tusla – what will the money be spent on?
Putting a lot of money to administration/IT/Training. Some systems had to put
in place.
Department can do a lot with the resources they have. Private
providers should be able to get CE workers. Open up the doors. An extra pair of
hands would go a long way but would need to have a qualification.
Give the extra money to the Early Years.
Don’t know who to target with our demands. Need to be one
voice.
Pay staff properly. Maybe get no sympathy. Talk about the
child.
Need to take responsibility to raise our voices.
Are we clear on what we want in early childhood.
If its to
be, its up to me. As professionals we need to take responsibility.
Norway
invests in early childhood. How do we value childhood?
Thursday 16 October
What do we
want the child’s experience to be?
Group 7 - Want an
autonomous, independent, competent, assertive, self assured. Self esteem, self awareness,
joyful, fun loving, adventurous, curious, creative. We want our children’s
experience to be autonomous/free, holistic and playful.
Group 2 – The childhood should be time for children to
experience the world that they have been born into, a time to be, a time to
grow, a time to learn – but to be done naturally like play, outdoors and
building relationships.
Group 1 – The child should be allowed be who they are and
that they should be fulfilled in body, spirit and soul – everything should be
put in place to support that.
Group 6 – Value childhood presently with what if – too much
negativity. Want more positivity about who we view it. Children need space to be, physical space,
time to model behaviour – more naturally not constructed by adults. Need grounding for the child and let them
play which would raise self esteem and give them autonomy
Group 5 – need for what we do in Ireland – Norway have
Barnehage, we have too many. (new name - Naionlann
– a children’s centre. Like ‘robust’ children in Norway. Take a step back
from the ‘over protection’ place. Robust, competent, autonomous, playful,
confident in own abilities and take responsibility for their own learning.
Group 4 – confident, competent, independent, believe in
themselves, positive self image, healthy and happy, contented, self-regulating,
social and friendships, good communication, perseverance, resilient.
Group 3 – competent in their community, give
opportunities to try. Every time we give help we are losing the opportunity for
them to learn for themselves. Need to be cautious as practitioners – we want
them to experience but we do limit them. We need to give them more
opportunity/freedom. Need to allow them freedom but with the boundaries set.
Children are not allowed to be responsible for themselves in Ireland.
Resilience, Peaceful, Contented, Play, Connected
