Creativity and imagination within an early years integrated setting

The Provider:
Hateley Heath Primary School, Sandwell

• 1st integrated centre in Sandwell offering day care, outreach to a socially deprived area. There are 350 pupils on roll. Numbers in day care are 56. Numbers involved in outreach are 75. Children come from one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the Black Country with above average percentages of children on the SEN register and 25% ethnic minority.

Summary:

• As an early years centre (day care, outreach, wrap around, school nursery and reception) Hately Heath provides high quality learning and care
• Opportunities for creativity and imagination are based on the Reggio Emilia philosophy
• There is a shared vision between 5 settings co-ordinated by children, centre staff and school leadership team
• Development of a skill based curriculum, incorporating birth to 5 matters, which has seen an impact on standards
• 200 children from birth to 5 are engaged in meaningful learning opportunities that stimulate their creativity and imagination
• The Reggio philosophy encourages social interaction, confidence, the opportunity for speaking and listening, sharing and co-operation and building positive relationships with adults

The Aim:

• The school recognised the significantly low baseline on entry to Nursery, particularly in CLL and PSE (OFSTED 2003 and 2007)
• The development of a children's centre provided the opportunity to deliver high quality care and learning to children under 3 in the area
• The school and centre staff are committed to the philosophy of Reggio Emilia and the opportunities it provides to the development of creativity and imagination in young children
• The development of a children's centre has enabled the school to outreach into the wider community to share high quality practice and monitor its effectiveness

What do you see in the school?

• All staff are committed to the ethos of creativity and imagination
• All staff plan together in appropriate groupings and involve parents and carers in assessment and learning goals for children
• Family learning is encouraged and out of hours activities support 'difficult to hear families'. This is a phrase used by the school for what are more often known as difficult to reach families
• Governors are on board and committed to the process of creativity and imagination underpinning the school ethos and skills based curriculum
• The school business manager is part of the leadership team and with the governors is responsible for the management of the budget for the whole children's centre and extended school provision
• The qualified teacher is involved with the wrap-around care which is networked across the five schools in the reach area. She is based in the day care provision and ensures that the standard across the outreach centres is equitable
• Quality assurance across the five settings is undertaken
• All staff undertook Emilio Reggio Day conference
• New staff have a very thorough induction training package which includes visits to other centres and all staff training needs are identified through performance management
• A skills based curriculum linking creativity and imagination with early learning goals has been developed by the school
• Activity Bags have been developed and are loaned to families and child minders in the reach area
• Support is given to private day care centres and the LA encourage visits to the centre from other children's centres in the borough
• There is an Express Library provision
• Early Years groups have been established across the five schools in the area and they meet together to monitor and moderate activities and assessments
• Newsletters are produced to keep all stake holders up to date with events and successes
• Staff review meetings and departmental meetings are held on a regular and frequent basis
• The centre is used for training purpose
• Development of childminder networks and use of sensory room for pre -school SEN children
• Baby clinics are held in the school in the library area so parents can access outreach workers easily
• School is part of the Reggio focus group and shares it outcomes with others throughout the Black Country area
• The head teacher is a mentor for other children's centres across the West Midlands, as part of Centre for Research in Early Childhood
• A Saturday club for families is due to start in April. Activities will include gardening, physical play and creativity

What difference does it make?

• An increase in standards is being reflected throughout the school, particularly in communication and PSE
• Positive impact on the lives of children and families in the area
• Raising of standards in education using creativity and imagination
• Family involvement is actively encouraged through out of hours provision, parenting classes, creative ideas to use at home and story time sessions. There are also adult education classes. Many are chosen by the parents but there are also CLAIT courses
• Base line assessment shows that children involved in the day care and nursery provision and those involved in pre-school activities, enter school at a higher level than those who do not

From where is evidence collected to prove the Leading Aspect?

• A 3D artist and a ceramics artist work throughout the school. Evidence of their work can be seen throughout the school
• Activity bags contain an illustrated instruction card and all the resources necessary to undertake the activity. The aim is to encourage imagination and creativity in the home setting
• Baseline assessments and school profiles for individual children
• Children's Centre improvement plan, Information booklet and SEF
• Clinic in progress
• Day Care booklet for parents
• Early Years Centre Curriculum document
• Foundation stage profiles
• Head teacher is able to influence other centres to adopt similar approaches
• In-class individual learning journeys and records for children
• ITTERS and ECKERS. These are assessment tools developed by the EY manager for Sandwell. They provide quality assurance documentation for children up to 5years
• Minutes of meetings
• OFSTED 2007
• Outreach evidence
• Parents comments sheets
• Photographs
• Planning and planning evaluations
• Reports from focus group
• School planning, outreach planning
• Senior management and the teacher from the children's centre attended visits to other centres of excellence
• Sensory room in use
• The ethos of the school reflects child led learning and creativity and imagination
• The library provision encourages families to access high quality books, story times, and specific Dads groups to encourage participation
• Witnessed the school's adoption of 'Write Dance' principles to improve fine and gross motor skills
• The suggestion tree enables parents and other carers to make suggestions or comments anonymously if they wish
• Vision Statement
• Welcome data (developed by the LA)

The Verifiers Comment

• Hately Heath has an early years centre which provides high quality learning and care
• There are opportunities for creativity and imagination based on the Reggio Emilia philosophy throughout the five settings which make up the centre
• The vision is co-ordinated by the children's centre staff and the school leadership team
• The development of a skills based curriculum, incorporating birth - 5 matters, has seen an impact on standards
• 200 children are engaged in meaningful learning opportunities that stimulate their creativity and imagination

The Reggio philosophy encourages social interaction, confidence, the opportunity for speaking and listening, sharing and co-operation and building positive relationships with adults