STORYTELLING FOR SCOTLAND

There was another excellent Scottish book (recommended in the newsletter several months ago) in the news last week. Putting Storytelling at the Heart of Early Childhood Practice won the Nursery World Professional Book Award 2021.

Huge congratulations to all its authors and practitioner-researchers, many of whom are long-standing Upstart supporters. We have so many talented EY people in Scotland – think how wonderful it would be if our children could benefit from their developmental expertise till the age of seven, rather than five…  

Upstart's book Play is the Way was also shortlisted for this award but, if we couldn't win, the Storytelling book is definitely our choice. It describes practice that supports the development of children's thinking, language and 'pre-literacy' skills within the context of principled play-based pedagogy, which always prioritises children's all-round development  (physical, emotional, social and cognitive). This blog by Pam Jarvis describes the significance of using 'storying' in this way, as opposed to the superficial, mechanistic approach currently promoted by the English government.

Play and Mental Health

The press has stepped up its language on child mental health. We’ve now moved from ‘crisis’ to a ‘pandemic’.  So how long will it be before government steps up its response?

The provision of counselling services is obviously important but the rising costs are unsustainable. Scotland must also look at ways of preventing mental health problems.  For six years, Upstart has been providing endless evidence that active, social, outdoor play (especially in the all-important early years) is a significant factor for reducing stress/anxiety in children and promoting long-term resilience (see, for instance, the interview with psychology professor, Helen Dodd in our Play is the Way Book Group 7).

Another article about the power of play appeared from the USA this month, offering a ‘surprisingly easy cure for your students’ deepest needs’. And Scotland’s colleges and universities are updating their practice in response to the science – it was great to see a Scotsman article about West Lothian College's forest classroom for ELC students and a wee STV snip on Queen Margaret University’s new outdoor classroom for prospective primary teachers.  As Upstart supporter Zoe Sills makes clear on this video about her Earthtime outdoor nursery, being outdoors in nature calms children and offers them the sort of play they need to build confidence and autonomy.
 

The Return of Anna Ephgrave!

Upstart's first ever conference, back in 2017, was led by the wonderful Anna Ephgrave, and was so successful that we asked her back the next year. Now the author of Planning in the Moment, The Reception Year in Action (and many other amazing books) is offering Upstart supporters a two-hour session about the power of play for £5.80. 

Not to be missed!  Tickets now available on Eventbrite here. 

THE OECD STRIKES BACK

Two of James McEnaney’s main points in Class Rules are that
       - education in Scotland is far too politicised
       - government is almost always deaf to advice, argument or information that doesn’t back up what it’s already doing.

It seems this also applies to the OECD review of Curriculum for Excellence commissioned by the Scottish government (we reported on this document when it was published in July). Having originally promised to follow all the OECD’s recommendations, the government has instead been cherry-picking them. They are, for instance, apparently determined to retain the Scottish National Standardised Assessments). It was therefore cheering to hear the  OECD strike back (Scotsman 9-9-21):  

    'Speaking at the Scottish Parliament’s education committee on Wednesday, the report’s
     co-author Dr Beatriz Pont warned Scotland needed to “drop the politics” and focus on
     policy to  move forward.

     The authors of the report, published in June, also told MSPs the Scottish National
      Standardised Assessments (SNSA) were “not the most appropriate system monitoring 
      mechanism” for measuring the success of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).

The tests, introduced in 2017, led to pupils experiencing high stakes tests in primary one, four, seven and in S3 in secondary school. They are opposed by all of Scotland’s teaching unions, as well as by parents groups.'

Thank you, Dr Pont!  Upstart will continue campaigning against the developmentally inappropriate Primary 1 SNSA until it is finally scrapped.
 

DOES SCOTLAND CARE ABOUT EARLY YEARS CARE?

Our most recent blog was inspired by a consultation document on a National Care Service for Scotland which completely omits any reference to ELC (early learning and care). Did they simply overlook early years or do they have other plans for ‘the Cinderella sector’ (and if so, what)?  The scheme under consultation is a long way from the National Care Service envisaged by Common Weal which, like the NHS, would be 'from the cradle to the grave'. 

As a piece in the Guardian (12-9-21)  illustrates, ‘childcare’ is still seen as low-status ‘women’s work’ and the many problems we’ve covered in this newsletter about the roll-out of nursery expansion have not gone away. We're still hearing about private nurseries ‘haemorrhaging staff’ because they can’t afford to pay the same rates as state-run settings, and school nurseries unable to find staff to cover their extended hours. Add pandemic-related stress to the mixture, and morale is suffering across the sector.

Early childhood - birth to eight - is the most important stage life in terms of long-term learning and well-being. We need a coherent look at our early years universal services, informed by developmental science and including a well-resourced play-based kindergarten stage (three- to seven). Let's learn from the Finnish politician who said, 'How do we get a good society? We do our best for our little children.'  

 

 QUOTE OF THE MONTH

This is Upstart's 72nd newsletter (you can find them all in the News section of www.upstart.scot). Six and a half years is a long time to be constantly campaigning and one sometimes gets a bit tired of banging one's head against a brick wall. But this brilliant quotation always cheers me up.

If we want a brighter future for Scotland's children, we must keep spreading the word about early child development and keep pushing for policy change. SO....

Onwards and upwards!
The Upstart team
 

Upstart Scotland is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SC047775).
Its principal contact address is The Old Police Station, Isleornsay, Isle of Skye, IV43 8QR.