Quality Development for 2 Year Olds
Best Practice for Quality Provision
Name of Setting:
Setting Representative:
Early Years Improvement Team Representative:
Date:
November 2016 JB/AT
Contents of Document:
Introduction
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Overview of the national offer to eligible two year olds
Expectations
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Raising the bar – high quality provision
How to use this document
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Guidance on how to reflect on provision for 2 year olds
The Unique Child
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Children accessing the offer
Stage of development
Needs
Safeguarding
Positive Relationships
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Partnership with parents
Key person
Partnership with professionals
Safeguarding
Enabling Environment
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Emotionally secure environment
High quality continuous provision – indoor and outdoor
Environment that supports routines
High quality staff
Learning and Development
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Characteristics of Effective Learning
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Communication and Language
Supporting Home Learning
SENCO
November 2016 JB/AT
Introduction
A 2-year-old is entitled to free early education and childcare if their family get one of the following:
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Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Universal Credit
tax credits and you have an annual income of under £16,190 before tax
the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop
Working Tax Credit)
qualifying for
A child can also get free early education and childcare if any of the following apply:
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they’re looked after by a local council
they have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care
(EHC) plan
they get Disability Living Allowance
they’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order
(https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds)
Expectations
Quality is key in East Sussex and it is expected that settings/schools will already be rated ‘Good’ or
‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, and that Early Years advisors will work in partnership with settings/schools to
support continual improvement.
Any setting offering two year old funded places must comply with the conditions within point 4 of the
document “East Sussex County Council’s Service Agreement for Providing Free Early Learning Places
(ELPs) for Two Year Olds and Early Years Education Entitlement (EYEE) for Three & Four Year Olds”.
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4. To claim early education funding for two year olds early years providers must be rated as
‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.
How to use this document
This document is a tool to promote reflection on current existing practice or provide suggestions of good
practice for new provision. The areas for consideration should be used by the management team to
reflect on practice and provision provided, and by practitioners to provoke discussion and to enable them
to reflect on their own practices and beliefs in supporting children aged 2 – 3 years old.
The Unique Child
Whilst the funding concentrates on a specific group of children it remains important to focus on the
uniqueness of each child. For many this will be their first experience of a structured environment away
from home and so the transition processes will be crucial for the emotional health of the child and the
parent/carer’s peace of mind.
Settings need to consider the effectiveness of their settling-in procedures and take into account the need
to have a good knowledge of the families and children they will be working with. Prior knowledge of the
child and their parents/carers will help to identify areas of additional support that may be needed,
November 2016 JB/AT
facilitate effective safeguarding processes and ensure that each family is treated fairly and without
prejudice.
For settings/schools that do not currently offer provision to two year olds practitioners will need to
demonstrate that they have a good understanding of two year olds’ developmental stages. In addition,
providers will need to demonstrate how they will assess progress and plan for individual children’s next
steps.
In accordance with the EYFS (2014), settings, need to complete a Two Year Progress Check in
partnership with parents. This check covers the characteristics of effective learning and the three prime
areas of learning and development. In East Sussex this check is carried out at 27 months and is a
collaborative process between setting/school, Health Visitor and parent/carer.
Areas for consideration
Knowledge of the Continuum of Need, Children Index and Early Help Plans
Allowances made for key persons to attend multi-agency meetings
Working relationship with your local Children’s Centre
Lead for Safeguarding is current with Child Protection training (DSLTraining for Childcare Settings)
Understanding of developmental stages for two year olds. The typical behaviours of two-year olds and why,
e.g. cognitive development, emotional development and physical development
Completion of the Integrated Progress Review
Current practice/Areas for development
Positive Relationships
Working with all parents/carers is instrumental in meeting the needs of children within the EYFS.
Settings/schools need to demonstrate that they are able to establish positive partnerships with parents
and other agencies.
It is expected that providers will have a robust Key Person system, with approachable, sensitive staff
who actively welcome children and families in a non-judgemental way. Good communication skills will
enable key persons to establish positive partnerships with parents/carers and other professionals. This
will ensure a more holistic approach to the family rather than just focussing upon the needs of the child.
In addition, all staff need to provide a consistent approach towards safeguarding concerns in line with
Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures. Settings/schools must be able to demonstrate
that effective safeguarding processes are in place to support the children in their care.
Areas for consideration
Co-key person system to ensure continuity of care
Time needed for staff to liaise with parents and professionals
Proactive methods of communicating with parents
Effective, inclusive and flexible settling-in processes, including Home Visits
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Parent stays on series of initial visits
Provide a welcome pack including visuals for the child
Consistent boundaries and expectations amongst staff in setting
Ability to signpost to full range of professionals
Contact details for Traveller and English as an Additional Language team for advice and guidance
All staff trained in Child Protection and aware of setting’s procedures – maintaining contact with referrer for
any child referred by an outside agency
Current practice/Areas for development
Enabling Environments
It is understood that children learn and develop well in an enabling environment that actively responds to
their individual needs and interests. Furthermore, strong relationships with key persons help children to
feel safe and secure. This sense of emotional wellbeing is enhanced when there are strong partnerships
between practitioners and parents and carers.
Settings/schools offering funded places for two year olds need to demonstrate high quality environments
that offer children a secure sense of belonging and the opportunity to experience rich learning
opportunities through play and effective pedagogy.
Catering for the needs of two year olds can be challenging and settings/schools will need to demonstrate
that they have fully considered the space requirements, the routines of the day and how staff will plan for
the children’s individual learning and development. Where rooms are dedicated to two year old provision
it is vital that the children are able to interact with other ages in a beneficial way. Likewise, if a
setting/school has a mixed age approach it is vital that the specific needs of the two year olds are
considered and they do not become ‘lost’ in amongst the three and four year olds. Similarly the needs of
the older children must not suffer as a result of an influx of younger, and potentially vulnerable, children.
Consideration of well planned ‘open ended’ activities need to be provided to support all children
regardless of age and to promote ‘shared sustained thinking’.
Areas for consideration
With all children’s stages of development it is important to consider the natural flow of traffic around the
room/rooms to be used
Access to other age ranges or family grouped rooms
Is the environment homely and uncluttered
Review of Environmental Audit (attached)
Staff deployment and routines to meet the individual needs of the children
Current practice/Areas for development
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Learning and Development
Quality pedagogy ensures that practitioners provide challenging, playful learning opportunities across
both the prime and specific areas of learning. In order for these opportunities to support the unique
developmental stages of each child it is important that settings conduct formative assessments so as to
inform bespoke planning for next steps based upon the particular interests of the child. In addition,
positive partnerships with parents should ensure that parental input is respected and that planning
incorporates interests from home.
In addition, it is expected that providers will regularly update parents and carers on their child’s
development, thereby offering the opportunity to discuss home learning support and give practical ideas
on how activities at home can support the overall development of the child
Settings/schools working with two year olds will need to complete a summative assessment, ‘The EYFS
Progress Check at Age Two’ when a child is aged between 24-36 months. This will provide parents with
a short written summary of the child’s development in the three prime learning and development areas of
the EYFS: Personal Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Communication and
Language and the characteristics of Effective Learning (CEL). In East Sussex, this check is carried out in
conjunction with the Health Visiting team at 27 months and is called The Integrated Progress Review.
Furthermore, in order to monitor the progression of children accessing the 2 Year Old funding providers
should be able to analyse progress for each two-year old child accessing the funding.
The characteristics of effective learning will need to be fully understood by all practitioners within the
setting and be evident in their pedagogic approach.
Areas for consideration
The characteristics of effective learning are evident in pedagogy, observations and planning
Staff have a grounded understanding of child development
Ability to recognise and support schemas
Current practice/Areas for development
Areas for consideration
PSED
Staff provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment
Staff are consistent in approaches, boundaries and expectations
Key persons support personal care routines
Interactions with others across age ranges
Use of wellbeing and involvement scales
Review of Environmental Audit (attached)
Current practice/Areas for development
Areas for consideration
Physical Development
Regular access to a stimulating outside area in all safe weathers (free flow access where possible)
Varied outdoor play
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Open-ended resources to encourage the characteristics of effective learning
Fine/gross play
Movement play within indoor environment
Practitioner knowledge of vestibular system and proprioception – provide opportunities indoors and
outdoors to support children’s development
Current practice/Areas for development
Areas for consideration
Communication and Language
Use of ESCC Early Years Speech, Language and Communication - Monitoring Tool
Scaffolding language within child’s play to ensure vocabulary is extended and new vocabulary is introduced
High quality picture books and cosy reading area
Rhythm and rhyme activities including music and singing, learning nursery rhymes
Introduce age appropriate games that promote listening and attention
Current practice/Areas for development
Areas for consideration
Supporting Home Learning
Regular sharing of ideas and developmental stages
Sharing of ideas that are cheap and easy to access
Loan of items e.g. toy bags/story sacks/puppets to make home reading fun – feedback shared and recorded
Encouraging parents to share on electronic journals (if used)/’wow’ slips
Current practice/Areas for development
Areas for consideration
SENCO
At least one fully qualified SENCO in setting/school
Current practice/Areas for development
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Emotional Environment Audit
Areas for consideration
How do the key persons make time to build secure attachments with their key children?
Do all the children and their parents /carers feel welcome in the setting/school? How do you know?
How is every child and their parent/carer greeted as they arrive at the setting/school?
How do practitioners adapt their routines to meet children’s needs?
How are conflict/behaviour situations managed by the setting/school and shared with parents?
Are the behaviour strategies/policies developmentally appropriate for the children in the setting/school?
How do practitioners support children to develop strategies to calm down and express their emotions?
How do practitioners help children to cope with their feelings, fears and anxieties and consider the feelings
of others?
Do practitioners model good emotional responses to children and other adults in the setting and how does
the setting support staff in stressful situations?
Where can children go to be quiet and alone when needed?
Where do children keep their own possessions?
How do practitioners capture the child’s ‘voice’?
How do practitioners promote self-image and develop a growth mind-set?
Current practice/Areas for development
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Quality Provision for 2 Year Olds – Environmental Reviews
Indoor Environment
Areas for consideration
Aspect
Criteria
Lighting
Plenty of daylight within room, windows free from displays so that children can see outside
and appropriate lighting for areas.
Displays
Wall displays reflect children’s work they value what the child has achieved
Displays/mirrors at child height
Displays showing the ‘individual child’
Personal
Care
Appropriate numbers of toilets/wash basins
Nappy changing unit/pleasant changing area
Toys/books available for child to hold while being changed
Use of key person to support personal individual children’s care routines
Mealtimes
Chairs and tables of suitable height
Flexible snack facility to support uninterrupted play
Environment that supports social gathering and independence
Practitioners sit with the children at meal times and promote healthy eating
Quiet area
Rest mats/sleep zones that allow children to follow their individual sleep and rest routines
Comfortable chair or settee
Floor cushions
Books and book area
- Few carefully selected with front covers visible
- Learning Journeys
Sensory equipment
Fabric drapes
Access to personal comforters
Resources
to consider
in the
continuous
provision
Sand, water and different sized trays
Easels
Mark making materials – felt pens, pencils, crayons, paint, chalk, paper, paint brushes etc
Some tables with no chairs
Ample floor space with different surfaces and levels
Vary ways of presenting resources. Think through the ‘eyes of the child’ and present
resources creatively
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Storage for resources – child accessible with photo labelling/Communicate In Print
Wide range of everyday objects including open ended resources that may be used in any
other area e.g. pine cones, stones, dried pasta, logs etc
Heuristic play
Art materials for merging and constructing – glue, sellotape, scissors, masking tape, a variety
of recycled materials
Malleable materials and messy play materials
Construction toys and block - big and small
Small world – people, cars, animals etc
Puppets and finger puppets
Home corner with doll play
Role play area
Dress-up area – mirror, hats, bags and open ended materials
Den-making materials – open ended materials
Musical instruments and areas to move and dance in
Items for: rolling/banging/posting/hiding/shaking/throwing/transporting
Cause and effect experiences
Support schematic play: trajectory/enclosure/rotation/transporting/
enveloping/connection/transforming
Enough resources so that children do not need to share e.g. 3 separate piles of Duplo for 3
children.
Current practice/Areas for development
Outdoor Environment
Areas for consideration
Aspect
Criteria
Whatever
Wet/sunny weather shelter/shade
the weather
Suitable clothing, including wellies, for staff and children to access outdoors in wet and
sunny weather
Access
Regular access to outdoor area (free flow where possible)
Quiet area
Books and book area
Outdoor cushions
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Fabric shelter
Sensory area – herbs etc that smell, textures e.g bark, shells
Resources
to consider
in the
continuous
provision
Sandpit – ideally big enough for children to sit in
Digging and planting area
Creative and messy play area
Wet play area including a tap or water butt and containers of various sizes and watering
cans
Construction on a large scale
Music and movement
Mark making opportunities – including opportunities for mark making on a large scale.
Consider a painting or water wall with large brushes
Ample number of identical wheeled vehicles e.g. balance bikes, scooters,trikes
Push and pull toys
Toys to transport with and gather, dump, re-fill, stack and knock down.
Role play area provided with open ended resources
Balls of different sizes
Opportunities to slide
Opportunities to balance
Opportunities to rock
Opportunities to climb
Opportunities to jump – toddler trampoline
Spaces for: crawling, walking, running, spinning
Place to hide
Access to natural resources for play purposes i.e ‘Mud Kitchen’, leaves, twigs, pine cones
etc.
Current practice/Areas for development
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