Lostsocks Newsletter

Volume 3 Issue 4 July 2005

Berkshire CoVE for CCLD is now up and running

The Berkshire Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for Children?s Care, Learning and Development is now fully operational

I took up the post of CoVE manager earlier this month and have begun working with all three CoVE partners; Chiltern, Bracknell and Wokingham College and Berkshire College of Agriculture, towards putting the CoVE plans and objectives into action. Having three partners is a key strength of this CoVE as we learn and develop from each other, you can find links to all CoVE partners on the Chiltern Training website www.lostsocks.co.uk.

Our priorities as a Centre of Vocational Excellence are to equip adult learners with the skills and training to progress into employment and achieve advancement within employment through access to high quality training. We are also investing in updating our resources and equipment and further developing our staff in order to ensure that as a CoVE we are a real source of expertise in training.

Bracknell and Wokingham College have chosen to upgrade the outside play resources at the college nursery in Wick Hill with a new climbing frame, and they will also be upgrading IT equipment. At Chiltern Training the new resource library will soon be ready for use and the new conference centre on the ground floor will be a real asset. Berkshire College of Agriculture will also be upgrading their IT resources purchasing new software and laptops.

As a Centre of Vocational Excellence we also hope to build on and develop our links with local Early Years employers. We will be launching the CoVE to employers early next term Contd from front page
through a series of road shows across Berkshire which will give employers a chance to see how the CoVE could benefit their business. As CoVE manager I will be out and about meeting local employers in order to get a real understanding of their training needs and requirements. We will strive as a Centre of Vocational Excellence to become more innovative and flexible in the way we deliver training so that we can open up training to a wider audience and to meet the varying needs of employers.
One of our first joint ventures as a CoVE is to offer workshops for play workers in managing behaviour, first aid, keeping it safe and creative play.

For further information or to book, please email katy.cunningham@bracknell.ac.uk or telephone 0791 7727163.

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Chiltern Training Ltd. - Presentation Evening

Chiltern Training Ltd hosted their presentation evening on Tuesday 28th June. The evening was a huge success and marked the achievement of 23 students who received their certificates from CTL Director, Jane Williams.

Said Jane ?It is always a joy to be able to present so many people with the certificates which mark their success and advancement in the Childcare sector.
We were particularly pleased to be able to present so many assessor and mentor awards to more senior members of nursery staff. The learners have all worked really hard to achieve these awards and it was a super way to celebrate their success.?

As always, learners were well supported by family, friends and colleagues. Jane continued ?We were delighted to be able to use our new conference room for the first time. The ground floor room has just been refurbished in line with our CoVE submission and funding has been used to lower the ceiling and improve the lighting. We hope this will be the first of many successful events in our new accommodation? The certificates presented included the L14 award for mentoring and the A1 award for assessors. CTL provides these awards free of charge to members of nursery staff who help and support our learners in the workplace. If you have a member of staff who would be interested in pursuing one of these awards next term, please contact Jane
On 0118 956 6995.

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Feedback on our recent questionnaires to nurseries and students

Helping us to help and support all our clients

At our recent away day in June, we collated and analysed all the feedback we have received from our recent student and nursery questionnaires.

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to complete these and we have received some really valuable information which will hopefully result in systems and subsequently our service being improved. We are delighted with the positive feedback we have received and have also spent a lot of time on other issues which have come up more than once and can assure everyone that we will make these a priority. These are the main suggestions and improvements requested:

From the students:

? Too much listening in the lessons?we need more practical work
? Not enough books or resources
? The standards are difficult to understand
? Take away the unit questions
? More one to one help where needed
? A smoking room - sorry, that?s a NO!

From the nurseries:

? Folders and marking are taking too long to be Iv?d
? Progress report for students
? On site training?using the nursery for sessions
? More consistent visits from assessors
? Respond quicker to telephone queries
? Trainees waiting too long to be assessed.
All these issues are currently being addressed and we will keep everyone up to date with progress through lostsocks. Again we thank everyone who took part.

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New Timetable for New Standards

As previously advised in lostsocks, the standards for Early Years are changing both in name and in content.

The new standards for Children?s Care, Learning and Development will replace the existing Early Years standards in November of this year. Subsequently, all students who start their course after the 1st August 2005 will be registered for the new standards in November. As the CCLD standards are significantly different, it would be inappropriate for any new students to join an existing class in the roll? on, roll-off fashion.

Our timetable has been structured accordingly and this has resulted in some classes being much smaller than others. If you have any concerns about the class you have been allocated for next term, please contact Jane.

Classes for September 2005

Monday :: AMA 16 :: P2, E3, M6 and C16 :: Old Standards
FMA22 :: M3 and CU10C1, E2 and P1 :: Old Standards
Tuesday AMA 9 :: C10, M7, C15 :: Old Standards
AMA 19 * :: TBA :: New Standards
Wednesday :: AMA 17 :: C10, M7, C15 :: Old Standards
AMA 20* :: TBA :: New Standards
Distance Learning :: Old Standards
Distance Learning* :: TBA :: New Standards
Thursday FMA 21 :: M3 and CU10C1, E2 and P1 :: Old Standards
NVQ1 :: M7, C10, C2, C3 and M8 :: Old Standards
FMA 23* :: TBA :: New Standards
Friday AMA 18 :: C14, C3, C11 :: Old Standards
FMA 24* :: TBA :: New Standards
Dolphin KingstoneFMA and AMA :: Old Standards

As a Centre of Vocational Excellence we also hope to build on and develop our links with local Early Years employers. We will be launching the CoVE to employers early next term Contd from front page through a series of road shows across Berkshire which will give employers a chance to see how the CoVE could benefit their business. As CoVE manager I will be out and about meeting local employers in order to get a real understanding of their training needs and requirements. We will strive as a Centre of Vocational Excellence to become more innovative and flexible in the way we deliver training so that we can open up training to a wider audience and to meet the varying needs of employers.

One of our first joint ventures as a CoVE is to offer workshops for play workers in managing behaviour, first aid, keeping it safe and creative play.

For further information or to book, please email katy.cunningham@bracknell.ac.uk or telephone 0791 7727163.

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TV programmes addressing behavioural issues

Do you watch Little Angels, Super Nanny or House of Tiny Tearaways? We asked our students for their opinion on these TV programmes addressing behavioural issues and this is a selection of responses

Lisa Juma - Western Elms Day Nursery

I find these programmes really interesting and some, if not all of the things they say to do, I do implement within the nursery setting and in home life. Learning these new skills has helped me to stay calm in situations that I have come across in the nursery and at home. Watching these programmes has made me want to study psychology to gain a greater knowledge and understanding of how children and parents can work together to have a peaceful way of life where everybody gains from working together in this way

Carly Brown - Brightstarts

I think that Super Nanny is a great programme for parents and also helps us as nursery assistants in certain situations with challenging behaviour. A number of parents I know watch super nanny and use her techniques and skills with their own children

Vicki Etridge - Forbury Gardens Day Nursery

These types of programmes are good to learn from and show how to control bad behaviour in a good way. There are some aspects of the programmes that Nursery nurses cannot follow, such as the naughty corner, because carers do not have the same rights as a child?s parents.

Amy Walker - Dickory Docks

I think programmes like these help parents to overcome behaviour problems with their children. If they keep up the routine of what happens when the child misbehaves?i.e. the naughty corner, cool down area etc, then hopefully the child?s behavioural problems will be solved. We, however, are limited in what we can do when it comes to bad behaviour. We can only speak to them or give them time out, which half the time makes no difference. As the programmes have parental permission, there is a better chance of conquering unacceptable behaviour.

Maria Carter - Forbury Gardens Day Nursery

I think ?House of tiny tearaways? is not a good idea as the children are not in their own house, so they will think that when they got back home they can do what they normally do.

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