News
2010
Best Practice Charity Event
On Sunday 26th September, a team from Best Practice Network will taking part in a sponsored bike ride from Bristol to Bath to raise money for PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools). We'd love for you to join us for the day, or you can set up your own event in your area.
If you are interested or would like to make a donation to this worthwhile cause, please contact Felicity Day.
Launch of Let's Listen, Young Children's Voices - profiling and planning to enable their participation in children's services
On 22 April 2010 Young Children's Voices Network (YCVN) launched a resource that will support early years settings and LAs in evidencing and planning listening to young children, and enabling young children's participation in children's services.
Over 60 guests from all over the country attended the celebratory event which included presentations from Dr Cathy Hamer, who developed Let's Listen, and colleagues from Hertfordshire County Council who shared findings from their young children's consultation project. This explored 3 and 4 year olds' experiences of the Flexible Free Entitlement. The Let's Listen online launch took place on 1 June.
For more information on YCVN and to get involved please see:http://www.ncb.org.uk/ycvn
Visit to Viborg, Denmark: an opportunity to learn from Forest Schools
Building on the success of last year's visit, we are currently arranging a week long trip to Denmark in the Autumn where participants will be given the opportunity to observe and experience a variety of Danish early years provision, particularly outdoor environments. You will have the opportunity to immerse yourselves in Danish kindergartens and forest schools and will be able to debate, discuss and reflect on different practices with your EYP colleagues, Danish pedagogues and university staff. The staff at the settings and the university are extremely welcoming and you will have five full days in Viborg to share in their enthusiasm for early years provision.
We are hoping to book the trip from 27th Sept - 4th Oct 2010 at a cost of £1200 per person (subject to gaining sufficient interest). If you are interested please contact Georgie or Jo for further details.
Best Practice Network will be running Coaching Skills days in Bristol and Exeter. These one-day events are designed to develop and equip you with the tools and behaviours needed to coach others to improve their workplace performance.
Benefits:
- Know how to use the GROW model to carry out a full coaching session
- Confidence to encourage your coachee into action
- Able to ask more of the right questions
- Listen for meaning more attentively
By the end of the day you will have the skills and abilities to make sure you help your coachee find their own solutions and improve their performance to reach success. We are offering this day to current BPN candidates and past participants for only £145 (normal cost is £195 pp). Group packages are available at a discounted rate.
For more information, please contact Chris Ludlow on 0117 9209209 or email chrisludlow@bestpracticenet.co.uk or book online now.
Leadership Pathways
The application window to join the Leadership Pathways (LP) programme in September 2010 has now closed. LP, delivered across the South West by Best Practice Network, is a modularised programme from the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services designed for existing senior leaders and those aspiring to senior leadership posts. This highly praised programme, in its fifth year, is customised to each participant's learning needs and to their school's particular context.
Eligible participants and their coaches needed to have completed their online applications form before 25 June to secure a place on September's programme. The National College gives priority for its subsidised places to people who are in their SLT, work closely with their SLT or who can be seconded to their SLT for the period of the programme.
For more information please download the National College's application guidance or visit the Leadership Pathway programme pages.
Partnership with Bath Spa University
We are very pleased to have agreed a collaborative partnership between BPN and BSU to accredit the National Award in SEN Coordination (SENCO) programme. Securing accreditation from BSU opens a range of new opportunities for accredited programmes, research and partnerships. We look forward to new developments with great potential for future growth and new ventures across both organisations.
HLTA Impact Survey
In autumn term 2009 and spring term 2010, BPN supported several local authorities to carry out an online survey to help evaluate the impact that gaining HLTA status has had upon individuals and schools, as seen through the eyes of the HLTAs themselves.
A number of significant benefits to support staff and schools were identified. Whilst there are differences between the responses of HLTAs from different local authorities, there is clear support for the view that the introduction and development of the HLTA initiative has proved successful and has had a positive impact upon staff, schools and children and young people. For example, this graph shows how the HLTAs surveyed described the impact they have had on the pupils with whom they work since they gained HLTA status.
Download the full report or read the highlights within our presentation for stakeholders interested in finding out more about HLTA.
KIDs Playwork Inclusion Project
As funding for the KIDS Playwork Inclusion Project (PIP) ends in March 2011 - they need to evaluate the impact that our work has had over the past 6 years in ensuring that disabled children and young people are included in mainstream play and leisure. Even if you have had minimal contact with them, PIP would be grateful if you would take the time to fill in the PIP questionnaire via the online survey
The results of this questionnaire to present as supporting evidence for PIP's continuation funding. All those who return a questionnaire will receive the new KIDS NDD Briefing, 'I have a right to play out too! - Celebrating outdoor play for disabled children' .
You will also be entered into a draw to win a bumper pack of all NDD publications, including the 3 books in the PIP guidelines series: 'It Doesn't Just Happen', 'Pick & Mix', 'Inclusion by Design' as well as a copy of the 'KIDS just got to have fun!' DVD.
Questionnaires should be completed no later than Friday 2nd April 2010 - please don't forget to enter your postal details if you would like a free copy of the new briefing.
CACHE Level 3 Playwork for Early Years and Child Care Workers
This new short course covers the theory and practice of children and young people's play. Open to playworkers aged 16 and over, it enables participants to build on and extend their professional skills and understanding. The programme is based on current thinking and offers hands-on practice-based learning.
The programme is funded by the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and is therefore free to eligible participants. Register now using this downloadable application form or email play@bestpracticenet.co.uk
CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Early Years Foundation Stage
This is a nationally recognised award, part of the Primary National Strategy, and developed collaboratively by the Children's Workforce Development Council and awarding bodies such as CACHE. Units are assessed through assessor observation, a walk and talk tour of the setting and short reflective tasks. It is suitable for those who care for children as an employee, volunteer or student and helps demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.
For details of our open courses or to arrange your own in-house programme, please contact earlyyears@bestpracticenet.co.uk
BPN gains recognised quality management accreditation
On 11 November, Best Practice Network achieved ISO 9001:2008, the internationally recognised standard for quality and the preferred business management framework for over half a million organisations in 149 countries. ISO 9001 quality principles are customer focus; leadership; involvement of people; process approach; system approach to management; continual improvement; factual decision-making; and mutually beneficial supplier relationships. Achievement of the ISO 9001 accreditation demonstrates that we are
- focused on customer satisfaction
- compliant with statutory and regulatory requirements
- monitored by internal and external independent auditors to ensure that practice is continually measured, reviewed and improved
By mid January 2010, we had also achieved ISO 27001:2005 recognising our structured approach to information security management including
- identifying and combating potential risks to information assets
- meeting responsibilities and the requirements of data protection and privacy legislation
BPN's aim is to continue to deliver these objectives to a consistent high standard.