The headteachers perspective

1

• The headteachers perspective
• Allison Chin and Sarah Haigh
• Childrens Centre Manager and Childrens Centre
  Teacher Manager
• Swinnow Primary School

2




Swinnow Childrens Centre

• Where we are so far
• Hub site based at Swinnow Primary
• School
• Education and childcare for 3-5 year olds
• on hub site provided in nursery and
• reception class within an Early Years Unit
• Other school sites and private day care also
• provide 3-5 education and care
• Pre 3 year olds childcare throughout reach
• area provided by private and voluntary
• sector, childminders, private day care, tots
• groups

3



Swinnow Childrens Centre cont

• Childcare provision available for families
• 8am 6pm, 48 weeks per year through the
• reach area providers, breakfast clubs,
• afterschool provisions, holiday care
• Groups, courses and activities delivered
• mainly on hub site but also at other
• available spaces across the reach area
• Family outreach workers and family
• support services operate out of hub site
• Other agency partnerships and partnership
• work developing

4



The vision

• What were our long term aims
• High quality education
• Personalised child led
• learning
• Early intervention
• Family engagement
• Targeted support for
• the most
• vulnerable families

5




The Journey

• Developing a shared vision for the future
• Nurturing staff throughout changes
• Knowledge and understanding of staff as
• individual to build flexible team
• Knowledge of parent and childrens
• individual needs to begin to build service
• delivery plan
• Engagement of childminders, childcare
• providers, parents

6


High quality education and care

• Never lose sight that the core business of
• education is the key to childrens future life
• success
• We empowered our staff, through CPD,
• clear organisation and performance
• management to understand roles and
• responsibilities to be able to provide
• high quality provision
• Continual linking of daily practice to the
• shared vision at team meetings, key person
• discussion groups, training days, informal
• professional conversations

7


Personalised child led learning

• Environment planned to be flexible and
• adapt to childrens needs and interests
• Curriculum to be learning and needs led
• not activity led
• Relationship with parents to encourage
• the sharing of information
• Responsive staff, flexible organisation
• and children at the heart of planning

8




Early intervention

• Parent and toddlers group
• Engagement of
• childminders
• Health visitors
• Speech and language
• therapists
• Family support (school
• and Wildfire)

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Family engagement

• Services for parents
• Parent workshops
• Family learning courses
• (Mad Science)
• Parent classes (cookery,
• ICT)
• Strategy courses
• (Webster Stratton, STEPS)
• Support and Crises
• management

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Targeted support for the most vulnerable families

• Early identification - multi agency
• partnership
• Early intervention
• Better resources outreach workers,
• family support
• CAF - multiagency work process
• Funding to support action plans holiday
• play scheme, childcare, clothing, food

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Steps towards success (nearly)

• Selling the vision to whole
• school and governors
• Regular discussion with
• Early Years team
• Flexible working patterns
• (perks)
• Lunchtime care (am then
• pm)
• Changes to opening/
• closing sessions
• Sowing seeds for full
• childcare (8am-6pm)
• Extended hours (9am-3pm)
• Children and staff
• acclimatised first and
• then parents

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Challenges along the way

• Didnt all go smoothly!!
• Rota difficulties
• Staff lunch break organisation
• Staff hours and organisation
• New building problems
• Management time intensive

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Benefits

• Flexible staffing arrangements (staff cover,
• flexible holiday patterns and time off in lieu
• are possible)
• New modern purpose built learning
• environment and outdoor provision
• Access to up to date information re
• benefits, return to work, debt
• management etc
• Easy access to high quality family support
• services either by practitioner or self
• referral
• Flexible childcare provision
• Targeted support for families at risk

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Achievements so far

• Links with
• JobcentrePlus advisor
• National Childminding
• Association
• Counselling services
• (Reaching out/Listening ear)
• Parent Support Advisor
• Crawshaw High School
• Robin Lane Medical Centre
• Wildfire Family Support
• service
• Health Visitors
• Park Lane College Adult
• Education
• School Nurse Team

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More achievements


Services now available Baby group Stay and Play
for 2 year olds Toddler groups (2
sites) Childminder Network group Young Parents
group Womens Group Cookery courses ICT computer
skills Family Learning courses Volunteer in
school training Holiday care/play provision for
families in need Nurse practitioner
triage/health education pilot