tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16907841158475014222024-03-05T22:32:33.318+00:00Childhood and EducationReports and research in the areas of childcare, education and social policy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger915125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-26011505537833691652015-01-30T12:45:00.000+00:002015-01-30T12:50:12.625+00:00Last PostI've been maintaining this site for almost 8 years, but this is my final post as I am moving onto a new role within the Library at University College Birmingham, and so will no longer be attached to the School of Education & Community. Fortunately the new librarian - Manjeet Dhillon - is going to pick up where this blog has left off, and you can access her new site from <a href="http://ucbeducation.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">this link</a>. It should be well worth bookmarking if you have found this blog of interest.<br />
<br />
If you've only just discovered this site, all of the archived pages remain available, so you can still look at previous posts to see what's been covered, and hopefully most of the links will continue to work for a while yet! A big thank you also to all the people who've provided feedback about this site over the last few years, or who've told me that they found it useful. And seeing as approximately 50% of hits over the last 18 months have been to a single mammoth post about theorists, I might as well save new visitors some time by providing a link to the page - <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/theorists-in-140.html" target="_blank">here it is</a> :-)<br />
<br />
<div class="getty embed image" style="background-color: white; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; max-width: 381px; width: 100%;">
<div style="height: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 66.338583% 0 0 0; position: relative; width: 100%;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="252" scrolling="no" src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/459782675?et=dyIjPwhvTCp-B4d1GWu8Zg&sig=TktFnVyRzeRgYeLFRwfA6W9tGdGmtg_lJ2NcBiU8MLs=" style="display: inline-block; height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%;" width="381"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 10px; padding: 0; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/459782675" style="border: none; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">View image</a> | <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" style="border: none; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">gettyimages.com</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-49151422503146302982015-01-22T10:07:00.002+00:002015-01-22T10:07:36.686+00:00Childcare and Family ServicesThe <a href="http://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/" target="_blank">Family and Childcare Trust</a> has just launched a really simple, effective tool. The <a href="http://finder.familyandchildcaretrust.org/" target="_blank">Childcare and Family Services Finder</a> is a free service which lists all of the registered childcare and family services providers in your local area - just search with your postcode and links to the appropriate websites will appear.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-11424352584523161352014-12-15T10:09:00.003+00:002014-12-15T10:09:52.216+00:00NEYTCOToday sees the official launch of a new early years organisation. National Early Years Trainers & Consultants (NEYTCO) is a membership organisation for trainers and consultants providing services to the Early Years community. You can read much more about them their aims and services on <a href="http://neytco.co.uk/" target="_blank">their website</a>, or you can <a href="https://twitter.com/NEyTCO" target="_blank">follow them</a> on Twitter.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-79014935534230964592014-12-11T13:19:00.001+00:002014-12-11T13:21:49.568+00:00Class of 2014It looks like Christmas has come early as far the publisher Routledge is concerned. From now until the end of the year, they are offering free access to the 250 most read journal articles in the education field. That's a lot of free content! To browse the collection, simply <a href="http://tandf.msgfocus.com/q/17LrPh7Lch0cGseMPqahDC/wv" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you're a fan of free content (and which researcher isn't?) then you may also be interested in this <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/childhood-education-collection-of-open.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> about open access articles, <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/access-to-research.html" target="_blank">this post</a> which provides details about the Access to Research service, or <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/open-access-research-for-childhood.html" target="_blank">this post</a> about other non-journal online resources.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-74198874575844840082014-12-09T15:09:00.003+00:002014-12-15T11:40:15.720+00:00Review of 2014It's nearly Christmas, so it must be time for a review of major developments and new research published in the children's sector during the last year. After all, you might have missed some of these the first time around...<br />
<br />
It's probably best to start with some changes which will impact on all who work in early years and education settings. September saw the implementation of the revised <i><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335504/EYFS_framework_from_1_September_2014__with_clarification_note.pdf" target="_blank">Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage</a></i>, as well as the new <i><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/342440/SEND_Code_of_Practice_approved_by_Parliament_29.07.14.pdf" target="_blank">SEND Code of Practice</a></i> (separate <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/350685/Early_Years_Guide_to_SEND_Code_of_Practice_-_02Sept14.pdf" target="_blank">guidance for early years settings</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/349053/Schools_Guide_to_the_0_to_25_SEND_Code_of_Practice.pdf" target="_blank">guidance for schools</a> are also available). 2014 also saw the passing of the <i><a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/6/pdfs/ukpga_20140006_en.pdf" target="_blank">Children and Families Act</a></i>, with implications of a wide range of children's services.<br />
<br />
It's been another year where the topic of childcare - how to finance it, and how best to deliver it effectively - has generated an astonishing amount of reports. But first the official stuff: in January the DfE published their annual <i><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/275992/SFR06-2014_Childcare_and_Early_Years_Survey_of_Parents_2012-13_final.pdf" target="_blank">Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents</a></i>, which examines parents’ use of childcare and early years provision, and their views and experiences. Then in September came the latest <i><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/355075/SFR33_2014_Main_report.pdf" target="_blank">Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey</a></i>, which has detailed information on the characteristics of childcare / early years provision, and statistics on the number of providers and children attending. For information on the quality of childcare on offer, April saw the publication of Ofsted's first <i><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/386504/Ofsted_Early_Years_Annual_Report_201213.pdf" target="_blank">Early Years Annual Report</a></i>.<br />
<br />
And onto other organisations... In 2013 the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank began a series of reports on childcare provision, and continued this year with two further publications. <i><a href="http://www.ippr.org/assets/media/images/media/files/publication/2014/02/childmind-the-gap_Feb2014_11899.pdf" target="_blank">ChildMind the Gap</a></i> examined how childcare could be delivered in a manner which would allow mothers to return to work if they so wished, while <i><a href="http://www.ippr.org/assets/media/publications/pdf/No-more-baby-steps_Jun2014.pdf" target="_blank">No More Baby Steps</a></i> set our proposals for moving the UK towards a "universal, high-quality and affordable system of childcare and early-years provision." The Family and Childcare Trust also issued more than one report: March saw the release of their annual <a href="http://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=b408970a-1c14-44ed-8128-5fa61105de31"><i>Childcare Costs Survey</i></a>, while June saw the publication of <i><a href="http://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=a387bc15-daab-46da-85fe-8b1ee0b451fd">Where Next for Childcare?</a></i> which assessed many of the policy developments of recent years. Other reports to tackle issues around childcare provision include the Citizen Advice Bureau's <a href="http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/policy/policy_publications/the_practicalities_of_childcare.htm" target="_blank"><i>The Practicalities of Childcare</i></a>, and the Nuffield Trust's <i><a href="http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/Quality_inequality_childcare_mathers_29_05_14%281%29.pdf" target="_blank">Quality and Inequality</a></i>.<br />
<br />
The future of Children's Centres is another topic which has generated debate for at least a couple of years now, and two new reports added to the discussion. In February Barnardos released <i><a href="http://www.barnardos.org.uk/15733_what_are_children_s_centres_for_report_v2_hr.pdf" target="_blank">What Are Children's Centres For?</a></i>, while in October the 4Children charity published their latest <i><a href="http://www.4children.org.uk/Files/d1b2b533-b62b-45cc-80f2-a3c400d8e691/Children_Centre_Census_2014.pdf" target="_blank">Sure Start Children's Centre's Census</a></i>, which is probably the most comprehensive picture available of the services that are on offer.<br />
<br />
Of course, some lengthy research projects continue to produce new information for many years! In September the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/351496/RR354_-_Students__educational_and_developmental_outcomes_at_age_16.pdf" target="_blank">final report</a> of the EPPSE project was published (EPPSE has been tracking the development of a large number of young children since 1997). On a similar note, the Millennium Cohort Study has been running since 2000 and is still ongoing, but recently published a <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/page.aspx?&sitesectionid=1330&sitesectiontitle=MCS+age+11+initial+findings" target="_blank">new report</a> detailing how the children they have been following are faring at age 11.<br />
<br />
And here are some other interesting documents from 2014, which I couldn't easily fit into any of the above paragraphs(!):<br />
<ul>
<li>In March the NSPCC published its annual <i><a href="http://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/how-safe-children-2014-report.pdf" target="_blank">How Safe Are Our Children?</a></i> report</li>
<li>In August the Children's Society released its annual <i><a href="http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/the_good_childhood_report_2014_-_final.pdf" target="_blank">Good Childhood</a></i> report</li>
<li>For local readers, October saw the publication of <i><a href="http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/It%20takes%20a%20city%20to%20raise%20a%20child%20-%20Report%20of%20Birmingham%20Commission%20for%20Children.pdf" target="_blank">It Takes a City to Raise a Child</a></i> by the Birmingham Commission for Children</li>
<li>In November CREC published the very useful <i><a href="https://www.early-education.org.uk/sites/default/files/CREC%20Early%20Years%20Lit%20Review%202014%20for%20EE.pdf" target="_blank">Early Years Literature Review</a></i></li>
<li>Also in November, the DfE released a detailed analysis of the latest <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eyfsp-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-2013-to-2014" target="_blank">EYFS attainment results</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
Your reward for reading this far is some blatant self-promotion... The most popular posts published on this site this year have been:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/parent-partnerships.html" target="_blank"><i>Parent Partnerships</i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/men-in-childcare.html" target="_blank"><i>Men in Childcare</i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/childcare-through-decades.html" target="_blank"><i>Childcare Through the Decades</i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/children-and-computers.html" target="_blank"><i>Children and Technology</i></a></li>
</ul>
<div>
As ever, if you feel I've missed something important, please share it with other site visitors by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. I need to go, I can hear a knocking sound...<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Nbu_b5mLAXE" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-85923503343327433472014-12-03T15:58:00.003+00:002014-12-03T15:58:46.399+00:00Kids' Road SafetyI haven't posted an archive film clip for a while, but today's is a real curio. Below is a 1944 short film in which some children are taught about road safety on a mocked-up road. It's hard to know how much of this has been staged specifically for the cameras, but it's certainly interesting...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Dc4bdytZM7Q" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-35481279562119867462014-12-01T15:20:00.003+00:002014-12-01T15:20:35.817+00:0021st Century ChildhoodOn Friday the latest report from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) was published. The MCS is a huge, ongoing project which has been tracking the lives of approximately 19,000 children who were born in the UK in 2000-2001, with the aim of producing a detailed report of growing up in modern Britain. The project has provided data for a huge range of publications, and is often used as a basis for policy-making.<br />
<br />
This latest report draws on interviews conducted with the participating children as they reached the age of 11, and touches on such subjects as wellbeing and poverty. Follow <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/page.aspx?&sitesectionid=1330&sitesectiontitle=MCS+age+11+initial+findings" target="_blank">this link</a> to a page providing access to the full text, as well as links to a number of related publications, and a series of podcasts in which the report's authors discuss their findings. Further summaries of some of the report's main themes are available <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/news.aspx?itemid=3122&itemTitle=21st+century+childhoods+may+be+very+different+but+they+still+seem+largely+enjoyable&sitesectionid=27&sitesectiontitle=News" target="_blank">here</a> (wellbeing) and <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/news.aspx?itemid=3124&itemTitle=Inequalities+in+cognitive+development+persist+for+the+millennium+generation&sitesectionid=27&sitesectiontitle=News" target="_blank">here</a> (cognitive development).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-25619362795568949972014-12-01T13:24:00.002+00:002014-12-01T13:24:36.042+00:00Children's Early LiteracyToday the National Literacy Trust has published its second annual survey of parents and practitioners from early years settings. The report is very detailed, covering a range of literacy issues, but has made headlines for its claim that touch screen technology can prove to be beneficial in <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/disadvantaged-boys-learn-to-pick-up-an-ebook-9894498.html" target="_blank">helping young disadvantaged boys to read</a>.<br />
<br />
The full text of <i>Children's Early Literacy Practices at Home and in Early Years Settings</i> is <a href="http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/4082/EY_Final_report_2014.pdf" target="_blank">available here</a>. A summary of the key findings is <a href="http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/4081/EY_Key_Findings_2014.pdf" target="_blank">also available</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="getty embed image" style="background-color: white; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; max-width: 507px; width: 100%;">
<div style="height: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 66.666667% 0 0 0; position: relative; width: 100%;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="338" scrolling="no" src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/166267070?et=Ti8jstnrRGFOoKEfD0rW1A&flyout=off&sig=TpkFU2baRt4hSd97_UPkcnK29w1zz7obcsw3OA7vs_U=" style="display: inline-block; height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%;" width="507"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 10px; padding: 0; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/166267070" style="border: none; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">#166267070</a> / <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" style="border: none; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">gettyimages.com</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-39102307334924544152014-11-27T13:51:00.001+00:002014-11-27T13:51:23.894+00:00Early Years and Childcare StatisticsOfsted has just published its latest statistics on inspections for registered early years and childcare providers. It's a little tricky to navigate your way through the various datasets, but a couple of the key findings are:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>80% of providers were rated as good or outstanding, an increase of 1% on the last set of statistics</li>
<li>83% of childcare providers on non-domestic premises were rated as good or outstanding</li>
<li>78% of childminders were rated as good or outstanding</li>
</ul>
<div>
On a local note, of the almost 6000 settings inspected in the West Midlands, 13% were rated outstanding, 68% were rated good, 17% were judged to 'require improvement', and 2% were rated as inadequate.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The latest statistics are available to download from <a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/official-statistics-early-years-and-childcare-registered-providers-inspections-and-outcomes" target="_blank">this link</a>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-76839897900045942762014-11-26T14:00:00.002+00:002014-11-27T16:42:36.317+00:00Children and TechnologyOne of the most common enquiries I've had over the last year or so deals with the issue of children and screen time - what impact does spending prolonged time in front of a TV / laptop / tablet have on a child? There's certainly a vigorous debate taking place at the moment - some claim that too much exposure at an early age can have a detrimental effect on a child's development, while others argue that children should be enabled to acquire ICT skills at an early age to equip them for the world which they are now growing up in. And of course, there are also issues to consider relating to older children - do violent computer games have an impact on their behaviour? How safe are they in their online interactions?<br />
<br />
Today's post has been inspired by a new report from Ofcom - <i><a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/cross-media/2014/children-digital-day.pdf" target="_blank">Digital Day 2014</a></i> reports on a project which assessed how children's use of media differs to their parents, and found that children are <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30190668" target="_blank">more likely to watch online content</a> that television. In fact, Ofcom have been responsible for a number of reports this year - <i><a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/media-literacy/media-use-attitudes-14/Childrens_2014_Report.pdf" target="_blank">Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes</a></i> is a hugely detailed report which examines media and computer use among 3-15 year olds, while the <i><a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/internet/internet-safety-measures.pdf" target="_blank">Ofcom Report on Internet Safety Measures</a></i> and <i><a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/research-publications/childrens/report.pdf" target="_blank">Children's Online Behaviour: Issues of Risk and Trust</a></i> both look at issues surrounding online safety and parental supervision.<br />
<br />
Another organisation who have produced multiple reports about children and ICT are <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/Home.aspx" target="_blank">EU Kids Online</a>. In July of this year they published <i><a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/NCGMUKReportfinal.pdf" target="_blank">Net Children Go Mobile</a></i>, which explores how children and young people make use of the internet and mobile technologies in their daily lives. EU Kids Online were also behind the 2013 report entitled <i><a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/PDFs/Zero_to_eight_Report.pdf" target="_blank">Zero to Eight: Young Children and their Internet Use</a></i>, and a recent report which made <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/D64Policy.pdf?utm_content=buffer24f19&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank">policy recommendations</a> to "make the internet a better and safer place for children."<br />
<br />
If you're an early years practitioner, you might be wondering how all this discussion relates to your working role, in which case you could be interested in a 2011 CfBT publication entitled <i><a href="http://cdn.cfbt.com/~/media/cfbtcorporate/files/research/2011/r-engaging-eyfs-children-in-computer-based-play-2011.pdf" target="_blank">Engaging Early Years Foundation Stage Children in Computer-Based Play</a></i>. There are also a number of freely available journal articles of relevance: you could try looking at <i><a href="http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/12070/1/Playful_ICT_article.pdf" target="_blank">Playful and Creative ICT Pedagogical Framing: a Nursery School Case Study</a></i>, or <i><a href="http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/AJEC0801.pdf" target="_blank">Computer Use by Preschool Children: Rethinking Practice as Digital Natives Come to Preschool</a></i> (scroll down to Page 37!). Also available are <i><a href="https://pure.strath.ac.uk/portal/files/19053027/Plowman_McPake_2013_seven_myths_about_young_children_and_technology_.pdf" target="_blank">Seven Myths about Young Children and Technology</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://www.researchgate.net/publication/257252752_Can_we_let_computers_change_practice_Educators_interpretations_of_preschool_tradition" target="_blank">Can We Let Computers Change Practice? Educators' Interpretations of Preschool Tradition</a></i>, though you'll need to create a free account with the ResearchGate site to view the full text of that last one.<br />
<br />
One area that has attracted particular attention is how technology impacts on children's literacy skills. For a useful overview of this topic, you could try reading a 2010 article entitled <i><a href="http://shura.shu.ac.uk/1308/1/Final_JECL_(3).pdf" target="_blank">Technology and Literacy in Early Childhood Educational Settings: a Review of Research</a></i>. More recently, the National Literacy Trust has published two reports on <i>Children's Use of Technology in the Early Years</i>, one of which covers <a href="http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/1140/Early_years_parent_report.pdf" target="_blank">parents' perspectives</a>, while the other one examines <a href="http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/1135/Early_years_practitioner_report.pdf" target="_blank">practitioner perspectives</a>.<br />
<br />
Still not had enough? Some further reports from recent years are listed below:<br />
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/sites/allianceforchildhood.org/files/file/FacingtheScreenDilemma.pdf" target="_blank">Facing the Screen Dilemma: Young Children, Technology and Early Education</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Their%20space%20-%20web.pdf" target="_blank">Their Space: Education for a Digital Generation</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/younger-children-social-networking-sites-report.pdf" target="_blank">Younger Children and Social Networking Sites: a Blind Spot</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/jgcc_alwaysconnected.pdf" target="_blank">Always Connected: the New Digital Media Habits of Young Children</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/1935/1/Plowman%20et%20al%20Technologisation%20of%20childhood.pdf" target="_blank">The Technologisation of Childhood? Young Children and Technology in the Home</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.researchgate.net/publication/255458365_Use_of_ICT_by_young_people_in_England" target="_blank">Use of ICT by Young People in England</a></i> (requires a ResearchGate account to access)</li>
</ul>
<div>
I'm sure some site visitors will know of further useful resources in this area, in which case you could share them with other readers by leaving a comment on this post. Below is a thought-provoking clip from YouTube which went viral in 2011; it's called <i>A Magazine is an iPad that Doesn't Work</i>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aXV-yaFmQNk" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-29528711129786277662014-11-24T15:04:00.002+00:002014-11-24T15:04:26.990+00:00Monitoring Poverty and Social ExclusionToday sees the publication of the latest annual <i>Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion</i> Report by the <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/" target="_blank">Joseph Rowntree Foundation</a>. This document takes a detailed look at changing social trends in the UK, and contains a number of sections which focus on child poverty and educational attainment. To view the full text you can <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/MPSE-2014-FULL.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>, while the key points are contained in <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/monitoring-poverty-and-social-exclusion-2014" target="_blank">this summary</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-32249368505478383432014-11-21T14:47:00.001+00:002014-11-21T14:47:23.142+00:00Getting it Right for Families<i>Getting it Right for Families</i> is the title of a new publication from the <a href="http://www.eif.org.uk/" target="_blank">Early Intervention Foundation</a>. The report provides advice on how services for families with young children can be improved, and makes recommendations for both local and national practice.<br />
<br />
The full text of the report is <a href="http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/GETTING-IT-RIGHT-FULL-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank">available here</a>; an executive summary version is <a href="http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/GETTING-IT-RIGHT-EXEC-SUMMARY.pdf" target="_blank">also available</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-70104881703879229182014-11-20T14:55:00.001+00:002014-11-20T14:55:20.749+00:00EYFSP AttainmentA detailed breakdown of the recent set of EYFS results reveals that the attainment gap between SEN children and other children <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1148259/figures-gap-attainment-olds-sen" target="_blank">has widened</a>. Other topics examined by the new DfE release include gender, EAL, and the performance differences between different authorities. To view the data, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eyfsp-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-2013-to-2014" target="_blank">click here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-10002796322954230492014-11-20T14:12:00.001+00:002014-11-20T14:12:24.108+00:00The UNCRC at 25The <i>United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child</i> (UNCRC) is the most widely ratified human rights convention in history, and today is its 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the Office of the <a href="http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Children's Commissioner for England</a> has produced a short film which explains the Convention in simple terms (see embedded video below). The Convention itself is <a href="http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Publication-pdfs/UNCRC_PRESS200910web.pdf" target="_blank">available online</a>, while a <a href="http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Publication-pdfs/UNCRC_summary.pdf" target="_blank">summary version</a> can also be viewed. Last year UNICEF UK published a report which examined how the UNCRC is being <a href="http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Publications/UNICEFUK_2012CRCimplentationreport.pdf" target="_blank">legally implemented in 12 countries</a>.<br />
<br />
All of this activity is quite timely, given that yesterday the <a href="http://www.crae.org.uk/" target="_blank">Children's Rights Alliance for England</a> published their annual <i>State of Children's Rights in England</i> report. To view this publication, <a href="http://www.crae.org.uk/media/75135/SOCR_2014_REPORT_WEB.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OwxaIMjG04w?list=UUriFe51AU_RomWvSzZxCgfA" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-46486070880382637212014-11-14T10:14:00.003+00:002014-11-14T10:14:49.977+00:00Early Years Literature ReviewThe <a href="http://www.crec.co.uk/" target="_blank">Centre for Research in Early Childhood</a> has recently published <i>Early Years Literature Review</i>, a really useful document which provides a detailed overview of the evidence base for the impact of early years initiatives in social care, health and education in combatting social and economic disadvantage and underachievement. If you want to gain a deep understanding of the various issues currently being debated in the early years sector, then this is a really great place to start. Indeed, many of the reports which were examined to compile the Review have featured on this site over the last 2-3 years.<br />
<br />
You can access the <i>Early Years Literature Review</i> by <a href="https://www.early-education.org.uk/sites/default/files/CREC%20Early%20Years%20Lit%20Review%202014%20for%20EE.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-51245596641661628732014-11-03T10:49:00.002+00:002014-11-03T10:49:33.647+00:00What Makes Great TeachingA new report from the <a href="http://www.suttontrust.com/" target="_blank">Sutton Trust</a> made a bit of a splash on Friday. <i>What Makes Great Teaching</i> is a research review which looks at previous studies to try to build a picture of what exactly constitutes effective pedagogy. The report is very detailed but has primarily made headlines for its claim that more 'traditional' teaching styles are more effective in aiding learning.<br />
<br />
You can read the full report by <a href="http://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/What-Makes-Great-Teaching-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. The Sutton Trust is also responsible for the <i><a href="http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/" target="_blank">Teaching & Learning Toolkit</a></i>, which evaluates the cost and effectiveness of a range of different teaching approaches.<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; max-width: 507px; width: 100%;">
<div style="height: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 66.666667% 0 0 0; position: relative; width: 100%;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="169" scrolling="no" src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/181464556?et=uggpA8D2Rvl1nfrIeUP3TQ&similar=on&sig=k2RPk1C9Ldwr83HYrUPb1LaoAJQqevpWEr1DnbQTdzw=" style="display: inline-block; height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%;" width="254"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 10px; padding: 0; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/181464556" style="border: none; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">#181464556</a> / <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" style="border: none; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">gettyimages.com</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-80583291098126150232014-10-29T10:36:00.003+00:002014-10-29T14:24:20.789+00:00At What Cost?One of the most common enquiries I get is how growing up in poverty can have an impact on a child's achievement in school - in fact it's so common that I often use it as a sample topic when showing students how go about searching for material. So if that's a subject you have an interest in, then a new report from The Children's Commission on Poverty (sponsored by The Children's Society) will be very relevant. <i>At What Cost? Exposing the Impact of Poverty on School Life</i> reports on the findings of a survey carried out in September, and examines the various disadvantages that children from low income families can face during their education.<br />
<br />
The full report is <a href="https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/At%20What%20Cost%20Exposing%20the%20impact%20of%20poverty%20on%20school%20life%20-%20Full%20Report.pdf" target="_blank">available here</a>, and a summary version is <a href="https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/At%20What%20Cost%20Exposing%20the%20impact%20of%20poverty%20on%20school%20life%20-%20report%20summary.pdf" target="_blank">also available</a>; you can also read some of the comments from participants <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2014/oct/29/childrens-commission-experience-poverty-schools-in-their-own-words" target="_blank">here</a>, and get a quick overview of the Commission's work from their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHA_8pZJ69zabsHdyhZ_uISnKRzU7SDsq" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>. Don't forget that clicking on 'Child Poverty' in the Hot Topics menu on the right of the page will display a list of all the related posts on this site.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-42078665541068148402014-10-28T11:49:00.001+00:002014-10-28T11:49:19.882+00:00Children of the RecessionThe UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre had just published its latest annual report card. These are a series if publications focussing on the topic of child wellbeing in industrialised countries. The latest report is entitled <i>Children of the Recession</i>, and examines how the ongoing economic crisis has impacted on children. As always, the report is very detailed and paints a complex picture, though the headline claim has been the finding that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/28/child-poverty-developed-world-unicef-report-global-recession" target="_blank">child poverty has increased in 23 countries</a> since 2008.<br />
<br />
The full text of the report is <a href="http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/rc12-eng-web.pdf" target="_blank">available here</a>. Full access to all of the previous reports in the series is <a href="http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/series/16/" target="_blank">available here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-13933981006043946452014-10-20T16:26:00.001+01:002014-10-20T16:26:22.974+01:00State of the NationThe Social Mobility and Poverty Commission has just published its second <i>State of the Nation</i> report. This publication assesses the progress that is being made on combating child poverty in the UK, and predicts future trends, particularly with a view to whether the all-party agreement to halving child poverty by 2020 is likely to be me met. At present this seems unlikely, given that today's report claims that <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29686628" target="_blank">child poverty is actually set to rise</a>.<br />
<br />
Both the full text of the report and a summary version are available from <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-nation-2014-report" target="_blank">this link</a>. You can also read a thoughtful reaction piece on the BBC website, entitled <i><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29689695" target="_blank">How Can Education's Rich-Poor Gap be Closed</a></i>?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-27357072328761572542014-10-16T15:13:00.003+01:002014-10-16T15:13:53.503+01:00Sure Start CensusThe <a href="http://www.4children.org.uk/" target="_blank">4Children</a> charity has today published its annual Children's Centre Census. This report is very detailed, providing a comprehensive picture of the current situation in the UK. Some of the key findings include the fact that 1.05 million families are making use of children's centres, and over half of all centres expect to reduce their budget next year. You can read the full text of the report by <a href="http://www.4children.org.uk/Files/d1b2b533-b62b-45cc-80f2-a3c400d8e691/Children_Centre_Census_2014.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-9658190144970441522014-10-16T10:46:00.003+01:002014-10-16T10:46:55.433+01:00EYFS Results<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Today sees the release of the latest set of results for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile. The data covers the 2013-4 academic year, and some of the headline claims include a 60% score for children achieving a good level of development (up 8% on last year), and 58% of children achieving the expected level in all 17 Early Learning Goals. The results and various supporting documents can be <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-2013-to-2014" target="_blank">accessed here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Also out today are the latest results for the Phonics Screening Check & Key Stage 1 Assessments - the reports and supporting documents are <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2014" target="_blank">available here</a>.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-88874970952976799722014-10-14T11:24:00.000+01:002014-10-14T11:24:38.097+01:00Birmingham Commission for ChildrenA local flavour to today's post... The Birmingham Commission for Children is a body which was established in the city back in June by The Children's Society, with a remit to examine what life should be like for children and young people in Birmingham over the next decade, and how organisations in the city can take steps to make this happen. Now their final report - <i>It Takes a City to Raise a Child</i> - has been published, and has concluded that poverty in parts of the city is having an <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-29601271" target="_blank">impact on children's life chances</a>.<br />
<br />
The full text of the report is <a href="http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/It%20takes%20a%20city%20to%20raise%20a%20child%20-%20Report%20of%20Birmingham%20Commission%20for%20Children.pdf" target="_blank">available here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-10892072571448721962014-10-09T16:25:00.003+01:002014-10-09T16:25:20.512+01:00Children and Parents: Media UseOfcom has today published is annual report on the topic of children and parents' media use and attitudes. As usual it's a very detailed document, but the real headline has been its claim that one third of 5-15 year olds now <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/09/ofcom-one-in-three-children-tablet" target="_blank">own a tablet computer</a>. Other topics covered include parents appearing to play a more hands-on role in managing online risks for their children, and a clear preference for using social media in girls over boys.<br />
<br />
The full text of the report plus various supporting information is <a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/other/research-publications/childrens/children-parents-oct-14/" target="_blank">available here</a>. Readers may also be interested in Ofcom's recent report entitled <i><a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/research-publications/childrens/report.pdf" target="_blank">Children's Online Behaviour: Issues of Risk and Trust</a></i>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-47259234995940163362014-10-08T12:55:00.000+01:002014-10-08T12:55:06.580+01:00The Wellbeing of Children in the UKThe Office for National Statistics have just issued a new report entitled <i><a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_379712.pdf" target="_blank">Exploring the Well-being of Children in the UK, 2014</a></i>. This publication draws on data from three recent surveys on childhood, including the Children Society's <i>Good Childhood</i> report (see <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/good-childhood-2014.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for details). Broadly this latest report paints a picture of children as being satisfied, although a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29521654" target="_blank">fear of bullying</a> remains.<br />
<br />
To read the full text of <i>Exploring the Well-Being of Children in the UK</i>, <a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_379712.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690784115847501422.post-85794750146264111992014-10-08T11:09:00.000+01:002014-10-08T11:13:54.226+01:00Teachers and TwitterToday's post is probably aimed primarily at our PGCE students, though other site visitors may find it of use too. This morning while glancing through my <a href="https://twitter.com/UCBChildEd" target="_blank">@UCBChildEd</a> Twitter feed, I found a link (thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/drkatyvigurs" target="_blank">@drkatyvigurs</a>) to an excellent article entitled <i><a href="http://issuu.com/ukedchat/docs/uked_magazine_oct_2014/11" target="_blank">Why Teachers Are Flocking to Twitter</a></i>. It's a relatively short piece, but if you've been umming and aahing about whether or not to take the plunge and use Twitter as part of your CPD, then it's full of sensible advice, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of using Twitter for professional purposes.<br />
<br />
If you want something more in-depth about using Twitter, the Creative Education website has put together <i><a href="http://www.creativeeducation.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Creative-Education-Twitter-for-Teachers-Final.pdf" target="_blank">The Creative Education Guide to Twitter</a></i>. While this document is a couple of years old now, most of its content is still applicable and it's written in a very accessible style. Based on my own experiences of using Twitter, I'd suggest that <a href="https://twitter.com/TeacherToolkit" target="_blank">@TeacherToolkit</a> is a must-follow, as are the various <a href="https://twitter.com/tes" target="_blank">@tes</a> accounts (if you are a PGCE student or NQT, there's even a <a href="https://twitter.com/tesNewTeachers" target="_blank">separate feed</a> for new teachers). But whatever your particular niche or area of interest, whether you want practical hands-on advice or links to new research, there's bound to be users out there who are worth following, and there are way too many out there for me to attempt some sort of definitive list.<br />
<br />
This post is a bit less early years focused than normal! If you're feeling left out, have a look at <a href="https://twitter.com/Duane_Chong" target="_blank">@</a><span class="u-linkComplex-target"><a href="https://twitter.com/Duane_Chong" target="_blank">Duane_Chong</a>'s Twitter list '<a href="https://twitter.com/Duane_Chong/lists/fifty-to-follow" target="_blank">Fifty to Follow</a>', which generates a feed from a collection of early years people he considers worth following. Plus the Tuesday evening #EYTalking sessions (see <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/eytalking.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for details) are a great way of engaging with other people in the sector. And of course, remember to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/UCBChildEd" target="_blank">@UCBChildEd</a>... ;-)</span><br />
<span class="u-linkComplex-target"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; max-width: 297px; width: 100%;">
<div style="height: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 64.814815% 0 0 0; position: relative; width: 100%;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="192" scrolling="no" src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/114986178?et=xK33FpG9RwBbmX9MXe68Nw&sig=_DIAtluMxXiIQJNAekxbh4zH4DsUAxCqoP8-v3lNZno=" style="display: inline-block; height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%;" width="297"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin: 0;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 10px; padding: 0; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/114986178" style="border: none; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">#114986178</a> / <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" style="border: none; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">gettyimages.com</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0