Tma_1_E100

Myself, my setting and my roles and responsibilities Myself I have worked in education for seven years, as a teaching assistant and midday assistant. Working closely with the children was the most important factor in motivating me to study for further qualifications. Due to continuous changes in the school, I decided to further my career and learning and development by passing NVQ level one, two and three courses, then to progress further to study and pass my Higher Level Teaching status. (Appendix 2) I am aware that the early year’s workforce has to take on board exciting changes to continue their professional development, as explained in (study topic 1 activity 1 page 14) Therefore I am working towards becoming a senior practitioner and gaining a degree in Early Years Foundation Stage. (cs1) My setting Currently I am employed in a large urban primary school in central Southend. There are five hundred children on roll of which 90% live within the catchment area. At present I am working in a reception class consisting of thirty, four to five year old children. Many of the children who enter the foundation stage are significantly below average. Their social and emotional skills are underdeveloped and the majority have had poor language development. Also, having a close relationship with the nursery allows evidence that is collected, such as children’s profiles, to be discussed thoroughly and passed on with the children. As the nursery unit and the Foundation Stage unit work closely together and the majority of children in the Reception class have attended the nursery unit the transition is a seamless process. The children have access to continuous provision where they can self direct their own learning. A play based curriculum allows greater opportunity for the children to interact socially. The children also have access to an outside learning environment, which has proved to promote language development. I am aware that the school recognises that to be outstanding the children need to be working and leaving the foundation stage much closer to the national expectation.(Ofsted report September 2009 page14 ‘Reception’) With improved curriculum the school has the systems and structures in place for myself and all members of staff to now work towards achieving this. The classroom environment has been developed and organised, both indoors and outdoors, using the Early Years Foundation Stage(EYFS) Every child Matters frame work (Appendix 1) (ks5) which is planned around four main themes: A unique child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments and Learning and Development.(EYFS Every child matters framework pg.8 1.10 A principled approach). (ku3) The children enhance their own learning by using the six areas that are required for learning and development of the children: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication, Language and Literacy, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy, Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Physical Development and Creative Development.(EYFS Every child matters framework pg11 2.4 ‘Overview of the learning and development requirements’). I am part of the Foundation Stage team, working closely alongside the class teacher, directly involved in planning, monitoring and assessment within the Foundation Stage curriculum framework. Other roles within my setting include Facilitator, observer, responder to the children led learning and a teaching role, all of which are used on a day- to- day basis during continuous provision. The basic areas of continuous provision consist of Role Play, Quite Area, Mark Making, Construction, Small World, Creative Workshop, Malleable, Sensory, Fine motor Skills, ICT, Music, Sand and Water. (Appendix 1) My responsibilities My roles and responsibilities have changed since qualifying as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant especially; working in Foundation stage in a Reception class. I feel that I work within an environment which encourages teamwork and feel supported by my immediate co-workers and senior staff at the school. I have gone from supporting the teacher and the children to a more leading role including covering the teacher when needed. I feel a valued member and consider myself to be an essential partner in planning, monitoring and assessment within the curriculum framework. In addition, where appropriate, I provide support and liaison with parents, for example, out of school activities or trips, consent forms from the parents, the children’s learning journals that are sent home or reviewed by the parents at any time during school and general discussions, on a daily basis, first hand, with the parents. As taken from a quote found in (Engaging parents and children in EYFS profile assessment National Assessment Agency pg 1) “Parents are children’s first and most enduring educators. When parents and practitioners work together in early years settings, the results have a positive impact on children’s development and learning.” (cs2) I believe that the children should be able to make choices, within a safe environment. An example of safety in the classroom, locked outside doors so that the children cannot wander outside on their own unattended, however internal doors have been designed with children’s needs in mind i.e. door handles that children can reach and use to open the doors when needed to do so, for example to use the toilet facilities, giving the children more responsibility and self reliance in a safe environment. The teacher has taken on, with guidance from a senior member of staff, reasonable steps to ensure that hazards to children, both indoors and outdoors, are kept to a minimum. With the setting having a big emphasis on continuous provision , with children led learning, some of my main responsibilities are, to observe, listen, assess, and record the children, using guidance and acting as a prompter and to use my professional judgement when helping the children to learn. A vital part of my role within early years is the ability to extend children’s learning, particularly through play. This is illustrated in the resource ( DVD 1’Lark Children’s Centre’ and DVD 1’play and learning’) The Curriculum The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is designed as quoted (EYFS Every child matters framework pg 41 4.3 ‘Exemptions’) to be fully inclusive of all children’s needs, recognising the need to respond to differences of ethnicity, culture, religion or belief, home language, family background, SEN, disability, gender or ability. There are six areas of Learning and Development reflecting the needs of each child. The Early Years Foundation stage framework replaces Birth to Three Matters, the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage Profile handbook and the National Standards for Under 8s Day care and Childminding. ( EYFS Every child matters framework pg 42 4.4 ‘Inspection and regulation’). The Early Years Profile captures the learning goals which consist of 13 assessment scales, each of which has nine points. All the areas are delivered through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities (Appendix 3). Providing for equality all children, irrespective of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties or disabilities, gender or ability should have the opportunity to take part in a challenging and enjoyable programme of learning and development. By using the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and putting into practise continuous provision for the children, with guidance and leadership from the class teacher and assistance from the Learning Support Assistant as a team we enhance the children’s learning. The children also experience, on a regular basis, Write Dance, which is not part of the intended curriculum. Write Dance falls into the category of communication, language and literacy and Physical development. This is a dance based, fine motor skills and hand and eye co ordination topic, very similar to the Rudolph Steiner approach where the curriculum heavily emphasised the arts and crafts and Eurhythmy (a form of movement exercise). (Book 1 study topic 3 pg 55 ‘Rudolph Steiner’) I plan; organise and lead this personally with support from a teaching assistant. (cs3) Reflection on aspects of my developing practice Having qualified as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) my role is developing more towards a teaching role rather than an assistants role, which includes taking on more leadership tasks. (ks4) With all the changes to the curriculum in the EYFS, making the learning a more child led base through play, very similar to The Lark Children’s centre. (DVD 1 ‘The Lark Children’s centre)I feel that I have developed understanding of the importance of assessment and observation both as a snap shot of what children can do but also to identify the next steps to learning. Reflecting on (study topic 1 activity 6 ‘looking to the future’) I feel it has inspired me to finish my degree in early years and to put into practice my knowledge and understanding of all that I have learnt. Information sources and my learning Book: David Fulton (2010) Working with children in the Early Years: Exploring the great outdoors. After reading particular chapters related to this assignment, I totally agree that the children behave and learn differently outside the classroom. I personally feel that it enhances the children’s senses, touching, smelling, hearing, seeing and responding emotionally. I feel that you can produce the same continuous provision resources used indoors, outside the classroom as well. By encouraging the children to explore their outdoors setting, I feel that it will improve their learning. Reflect on my own learning Finally, I found the assignment has given me a new, fresh, outlook and a better understanding of Early Years, which I have found beneficial not only to myself but also for what I am able to offer the children. It was a little difficult to get back into writing assignments, but overall I have found the confidence to do so.