Oral Health
Why oral health is in the EYFS framework
The EYFS framework states that early years providers must promote good oral health of children who attend their setting.
Oral health is important, even with baby teeth. This is because children’s baby teeth:
help them to bite and chew
support speech and language development
help them feel confident when they smile
make space for and help to guide adult teeth
Good oral health also keeps children free from toothache, infection and swollen gums.
Tooth decay
Children need to form good oral health habits from an early age to help avoid tooth decay. Tooth decay happens when sugars from food and drinks interact with bacteria in tooth plaque. This results in acid production, causing holes in teeth known as cavities.
If children have tooth decay, they may have yellow, brown or black marks on their teeth. They may also complain about their teeth hurting, particularly when eating or drinking.
Tooth decay is largely preventable, but it’s still a serious problem among young children. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities oral health survey of 5 year old children 2022 and Public Health England oral health survey of 3 year old children 2020 found that:
nearly a quarter of 5 year olds in England have tooth decay, affecting 3 to 4 teeth on average
children from more deprived backgrounds are more likely to have tooth decay
11% of 3 year olds in England have visible tooth decay, affecting 3 teeth on average
You can find links to the surveys in the useful resources section at the end of this article.
Having decayed teeth removed is also the most common reason for surgery under a general anaesthetic for children aged 6 to 10.
Looking after children’s oral health
There are several key steps practitioners, parents and carers can take to promote good oral health in children.
Cutting down on free sugars
You should limit the amount of free sugars children eat or drink in your setting, as well as how often they consume them. This can help to avoid tooth decay.
Free sugars include all sugar added to food and drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer. They are found in foods like:
cakes, biscuits and chocolates
processed foods - like some jarred sauces, jams and breakfast cereals
some flavoured yoghurts
They are also found in natural products like:
honey and syrups
fruit juices and purees
smoothies
Free sugars are not found in:
whole fruit and vegetables
plain, unflavoured milk and yoghurt
water
Water and milk are the only safe drinks to give children in regard to their oral health. Fruit juices and smoothies should not form part of a young child’s daily diet.
As well as limiting the amount of free sugars children eat or drink, you should also make sure that they only have food or drinks that contain sugar at mealtimes. This is because, the more often their teeth come into contact with sugar, the more likely they will be to get tooth decay. Children should avoid food and drinks containing free sugars before bedtime and overnight.
Drinking bottles and cups
What children drink from can impact their oral health.
You should only give babies bottles of breast milk, formula milk, or boiled water that has cooled down.
From 6 months old, you can offer babies drinks in open-top cups. These are cups with no lids, which spill if knocked over. These cups can help children develop their sipping skills. This strengthens their face muscles, which helps them to bite, chew and talk.
When introducing open-top cups, start with smaller cups or those with handles. These are easier for babies to grip. Offer a small amount of water at first, and gradually increase this over time.
You may need to show babies how to use the cup and help them to hold it at first. Some babies may need to use a sipping cup or beaker with a spout before they can use an open-top cup. If this is the case, you should make sure that the spout does not have a valve, that drinks can freely flow through it, and that babies do not need to suck.
From 12 months old onwards, you should encourage children to have all drinks in open-top cups. From this point, avoid using any bottles or cups that need children to suck, like those with soft teats or valves.
You can find an NHS video about how and when to move babies from bottles to cups in the useful resources section at the end of this article.
Brushing teeth
As soon as a child’s teeth start to come through, they are ready for tooth brushing to start.
For effective tooth brushing:
use a fluoride toothpaste that contains at least 1000 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride - you can find this information on the packaging
use a smear of toothpaste for children under 3, and a pea sized amount for those aged 3 to 6
brush in circles for around 2 minutes, making sure to cover the whole of each tooth
brush twice a day, including once just before bed - this allows the fluoride to keep working while children sleep
children should spit, not rinse, after brushing - this avoids washing away the fluoride
adults should help children to brush their teeth until they are 7 years old to make sure they are brushing properly
Family Fun Day @ Hill End, Oxfordshire, Saturday 10 June 11am-4pm
ffennell Festival at Hill End
Named after the ffennell family, who gifted Hill End to the children of Oxfordshire over 100 years ago, this community festival for all ages is being held on 10 June 2023. A fun day for families in the great outdoors!
Join us at the ffennell Festival 103 on Saturday 10 June, 11am – 4pm
A brilliant community festival with outdoor fun for all ages – named after the ffennell family who gifted Hill End to the children of Oxfordshire over 100 years ago.
Activities: bushcraft with Ultimate Survival – willow weaving – spinning demonstration – Wytham Woods – Real Kingdoms Adventures – Oxford Sail Training – pond dipping – forest tots – natural weaving – story telling – WW1 history tours – letters to tomorrow – live music – Friends cafe & BBQ … and much more!
Live music
Raffle: please buy your raffle tickets at time of ticket purchase.
BBQ: please pre-order your food – include any allergies and dietary needs in order information – but bring a picnic if you wish.
Also available: hot and cold drinks – cakes – ice cream van! (cash or card).
£5.00 adult
£2.00 child
3 years old and under free
Tickets – please click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hill-end-ffennell-103-festival-tickets-627783646787
Free Parking. Sorry, no dogs
Widening Life Experiences
“If children grow up not knowing about nature, and appreciating it, they will not understand it, they won’t protect it, and if they don’t protect it, who will?”
David Attenborough
Spring is the perfect time at Cygnets to learn about baby animals and continuing with our lifecycle theme our lickle peeps have participated in a chick-hatching project. We were treated to a wonderful surprise when our 8 eggs hatched and we were greeted by 8 little baby black chicks.
The children were fascinated as they witnessed the aftermath of the hatching and were very much like mother hens as they excitedly stopped play to check on their “babies”. The children were completely enraptured watching the chicks start to peck around and walk. The chicks seemed just as interested in the children, as they’d often come to the edge of their box to peep on the children.
Throughout the past week or so, the children have been able to learn all about hatching chicks and were very involved and excited by the process, counting down in anticipation to hatch day. To be honest – so was all the staff! Over the course of the waiting period, the children were able to observe the eggs in the incubator and learn about the cycle of life.
Each of our teachers incorporated many learning activities, related to lifecycles, role modelled, challenged, inspired them and it brought about some wonderful discussions and problem solving as well as given us the opportunity to introduce lots of new language. The children were also looking at lots of pictures of the different stages of the chicken’s life so they knew what to expect when they came out of the eggs and looking also at some non fiction books to find out more about what would happen. We talked about the importance of holding the chicks gently, to not drop them because they are babies and they could get hurt if we are rough. To keep our voices quiet and to move slowly so we don’t scare them. We also took so many photographs of the different stages of the hatching process of the chicks hatching and we screened it live on our big interactive screen so it happened right in front of our eyes!what rich language we have learnt. Watching the chicks hatch was a real, meaningful, and fun learning process for both teachers and our children alike. It exemplified our hands-on, experiential model of teaching that allowed our children to interact and experience their learning in a holistic environment. We hope our lickle peeps have walked away with a new understanding that they can learn a lot about the animals, plants, and other worldly things around them simply by observing and exploring. This fosters important scientific values, as well as a love of animals and a responsibility to care for our ecosystem.
This project has been an incredible valuable educational tool and we are sure our children will have great memories of this phenomenal learning experience for many years to come. For us, watching the eggs hatch into adorable little chicks felt symbolic, in a way, of the feeling we get as the end of the academic year is approaching, seeing the children blossom into such wonderful individuals. The children are all showing healthy signs of being ready for the next steps in their educational journey.
We read the story 'From Egg to Chick' which supported so much more language development. This also helped our children to understand that when a hatchling first comes out of the egg it doesn’t look anything like the ‘cute’ chicks they eventually become. It actually looked wet and quite scrawny. Immediately after hatching, the hatchlings also differ from each other as some were lively and others were completely exhausted and hardly moved. This did surprise some of our children and staff.
This kind of experience is very important for our children. Not only is it fantastically exciting and awe inspiring, but it also helped them to learn about the importance of living things and how to be kind and take care of them. It also helped the children to be aware of their own health and safety when we reinforced kind touching and hand washing.
King Charles III Coronation
Children in Britain have never experienced a coronation before, and are unlikely to have any idea what to expect when King Charles III is crowned – apart from, perhaps, the fact that a beautiful, glittering gold crown will be placed on his head.
There’s a lot more to it than that, of course, but we cannot expect our lickle peeps to understand what’s going on. That said, we can explain it, and make the lead up to the big day a fun learning experience for them. It’s a chance for children and families to do something exciting and enjoyable, and to learn at the same time.
The best way to help our children enjoy the coronation is to use it as an opportunity to tap in to their own interests but we top and tail this explaining the basics about how Charles will be anointed with holy oil, and handed an orb, coronation ring and sceptre, before being crowned with the solid gold jewel-encrusted St Edward’s Crown. We will also be making red, white and blue necklaces, making crowns, dressing up in regal robes allowing children to build on their imaginative role play, finding out how Peppa Pig is celebrating and we will be having our own tea party too!
Children will certainly have a grasp of the occasion, so for us it’s about tapping into their lived experiences and what it means to them at home. A lot of families will be planning events over the bank holiday weekend, and our children may be going to street parties, so we will be talking about what’s happening in their lives, following their interests.
It can often be easier for young children to understand pictures and stories, rather than long-winded explanations from teachers so we will tune in to what your lickle ones are asking about the coronation, and use books and pictures to help explain, such as “Who is King Charles? - we will show them photographs and books. This is a great opportunity to learn about kings and queens and a bit of basic history – children will be tapping in to knowledge and understanding of the world, and the coronation is a great way they can start learning about that.
Some of our children will remember we had a Queen and she died, and now we’ve got a King, and that’s when we can get those early history lessons in 😉. Rather than remembering the specifics of the occasion, this is a chance for children to progress in all the areas of learning and development. It will help to build important connections in the brain.
Some children will engage with the occasion, because it’s going to be a bright and colourful event, but they’ll engage with the bits that interest them. For some, it will be the marching bands, the soldiers, and the uniforms, for others, it might be the horses and carriages, or the beautiful dresses and jewellery. Look out for this weeks observations on your child x
School Readiness Transition to Reception
There are conflicting ideas in education policy and media reports about what ‘school-readiness’ is and what it means for our little ones as they start primary school.
However, it is generally agreed that being ready for school is not about the academic milestones a child should achieve by they time they reach school, such as writing their name or counting to 10.
These will be easily learnt once children have developed the skills needed to explore school life and are ready to embrace the age-appropriate independence it brings.
Having a good bedtime routine and time in the morning for breaklast and a relaxed start can promote good habits for many years to come.
But there are others things you can do too!
Being confident about school
Perhaps the most important ‘skill’ is to separate from parents and accept school as a fun, exciting and engaging place to be.
While this may not describe every parent’s memory of being at school, it’s important that children begin this journey feeling secure and confident about the new experiences, new skills and new friends to be had!
How you can help: Try not to talk about your own worries and concerns when your child might be listening.
It may feel like a scary and uncertain time for you but talking about school in a positive and enthusiastic way will help your little one feel excited about the changes ahead.
And remember once enrolled, attendance is not optional, so avoid asking whether your child wants to go!
Managing their own needs
While many children will have attended a nursery, pre-school or childminder, entry to a primary school still marks a shift in expectations as well as independence and being able to manage their own personal care should be top of the list for things your child can do as they start school.
Wiping their own bottom, blowing their nose and being able to dress themselves will make a typical school day run more smoothly for everyone.
How you can help: Allow opportunities for your child to wipe their own bottom and nose at home.
While you can check afterwards and praise their attempts, it’s important that children routinely try as these skills can only be developed over time and with practice.
Think carefully about the uniform you choose for school. While tights and pinafore dresses can look nice and smart, they are not the easiest items for dressing independently.
You can help by ensuring that your child can dress themselves in the items that they will wear to school. Can they manage fastenings? Do they know which is the front and which is the back? Can they tie laces if their shoes have them?
Being responsible
Early on in every child’s school experience they will be expected to be responsible for their own belongings. A busy classroom can sometimes come as a bit of a shock – so remember that there will be up to 30 identical sweatshirts, 60 very similar shoes and a variety of yellow tops, and navy jumpers/cardigans!
How you can help: By dressing themselves each morning your little one will be familiar with their uniform and will then manage toileting and changing for PE with more confidence.
Remember to name EVERY item of clothing clearly and ensure that your child knows where to look for their name.
Encourage your child to carry their own belongings on the journey to school as this will help them to remember what they brought each day – and what they need to bring home again!
Carrying in a lunchbox is a useful way for your little one to remember whether they are having a packed lunch for a school dinner.
The ability to focus
Being able (and willing!) to following directions is such an important skill as so much of the school learning will rely on these skills, and being able to concentrate and focus on the adult talking will help your child to take on board the information they will need for a successful day.
How you can help: Playing games like ‘Simon Says’ and ‘musical bumps/statues’ are great for developing listening skills.
Tuning out background noise is a learnt skill and as children start school this is often something still to be developed so help by turning off the television or other background noise while your little one plays.
Encouraging thinking skills
Encouraging your child to ask questions, and discuss possible answers will be a very positive characteristic to enter school with. Alongside this, the confidence and ability to ask an adult for help can only benefit both your child and the classroom teachers.
How you can help: Encourage questions with “That’s a good question”, “What do you think?”, “What do you think will happen if we do that?”, “How can we make that happen?”, and always admit it if you don’t know — it can be fun to find out together!
Encourage your child to try out their ideas for themselves, even if you can see it won’t work.
And finally...
Building new relationships can take time, but if parents talk to teaching and school staff early on and share information, worries and problems they can help address any issues as soon as they arise. Cygnets will begin liaising with primary schools shortly so please do advice us if your child is attending a different primary school.
Remember everyone is working towards the same goal – for children to progress and achieve effectively and be happy and have fun doing so.
🥰
World Health Day
Essential health resources for new parents, in one place
Children get sick. It’s perfectly normal. Most of the time it’s easily treated but prevention is always better than cure.
For World Health Day, we have resources on:
• immunisations,
• sleep routines,
• teething, and
• first aid
to help you support your child’s wellness and health.
The information is listed in one place here:
'Free' childcare and early education: a guide for parents and carers
There are a range of funded early education and childcare schemes available for parents and carers in England
What is my family eligible for?
Eligibility for the different funded early education and childcare schemes normally depends on two things:
the age of your child
your working status or income
Under-twos
Families with children aged between nine months and two-years-olds aren’t currently eligible for any funded hours. However, the government has announced that:
from September 2024, all eligible working parents of children aged nine months up to three-years-old will be able to access funding for 15 hours per week of education and care for 38 weeks of the year.
from September 2025, all eligible working parents of children aged nine months up to three-years-old will be able to access funding for 30 hours per week of education and care for 38 weeks of the year.
See ‘What does the government mean by ‘eligible working families?’ below for more information on who counts as a ‘working family’.
The government has confirmed that the 30 hours offer will now start from the moment maternity or paternity leave ends. A spokesperson said: "We are working through implications of a policy that starts the term following the end of statutory maternity leave, and we will provide further details on how the expansion of the entitlements will be delivered in due course."
There are currently no plans to provide funded places for children aged under nine months.
Two-year-olds
Families with children aged two are currently eligible for 15 hours per week of funded care and education (for 38 weeks of the year) if they receive any of the following benefits:
Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
A child may also be eligible if they:
are looked after by a local authority
have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
get Disability Living Allowance
have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order
In addition, the government has announced that:
from April 2024, all eligible working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access funding for 15 hours per week of education and care for 38 weeks of the year.
from September 2025, all eligible working parents of children aged nine months up to three-years-old will able to access funding for 30 hours per week of education and care for 38 weeks of the year .
See ‘What does the government mean by ‘eligible working families?’ below for more information on who counts as a ‘working family’.
Three- and four-year-olds
Currently, all three- and four-year-olds can access 15 hours per week of funded care and education for 38 weeks of the year, regardless of the income or working status of their parent or carer. This is often described as a ‘universal offer’.
In addition, eligible working families of three- and four-year-olds can currently access 30 hours a week of funded care and education for 38 weeks of the year.
The government is not currently proposing any changes to the funded entitlements for three- and four-year-olds.
Only places taken up at approved early education and childcare providers (https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs) are eligible for government funded hours.
What does the government mean by ‘eligible working families’?
Families have to meet certain income requirements to be eligible for the current 30-hour offer for three- and four-year-olds, and the new yet-to-be-introduced offers for children aged nine months and over.
This eligibility criteria applies to each parent or carer in dual-parent households and the lone parent or carer in lone-parent households.
To be eligible, each parent or carer must:
earn more than the equivalent of 16 hours at the national living wage or minimum wage per week. This means that over the next three months, you expect to earn at least £1,976 - the National Living Wage if you are 23 or older.
There is no requirement to work a certain number of hours per week – it is all about how much you earn. This means that, for example, if you only work 10 hours a week but earn £20 per hour, you will meet the minimum earning threshold. Apprentices are also eligible as long as they earn the equivalent to 16 hours at the apprentice minimum wage.
AND
earn less than £100,000 per year. Again this applies to each parent and carer in a dual-parent household. This means that if one parent earned £101,000 and the other earned £20,000, a family would not be eligible, but if both parents earned £99,000, the family would be eligible.
These criteria apply if you are self-employed or on a zero-hours contract and expect to meet the earning criteria on average over the three months after you have applied for your funded entitlement. HMRC will look at data such as your previous earnings to consider whether you are likely to meet the criteria and may contact you for further information if they are unsure.
If you are starting up your own business, you will not be expected to meet the minimum earning criteria in your first year of trading.
If you are not working but you expect to take up paid work within 31 days, you can still apply for 30 hours, as long as you expect to meet the income criteria over the coming three months.
If you live with a partner, you both must meet the above criteria even if one of you is not the child’s parent – for example, if you have remarried or have started living with a new partner. If you are separated/divorced from your child’s parent, the eligibility rules will only apply to the parent that the child normally lives with (and their new partner if they are part of the same household).
If you are on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave, you can still apply for the 30 hours. If you’re on adoption leave for a child aged three- to four-years-old, you must return to work within 31 days of the date you first apply for the 30 hours offer
What if I am sick or caring for someone?
You will not have to meet the minimum earnings criteria if:
You and your partner are employed but one or both of you is temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity or paternity, adoption leave, or on statutory sick pay.
You are employed but your partner either has substantial caring responsibilities, or is disabled or incapacitated, or vice versa (i.e. your partner is employed but you have caring responsibilities or are disabled or incapacitated). This is dependent on you or your partner being entitled to specific disability or caring benefits. These are: Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Limited Capability for Work Benefit or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance.
How do I sign up for the 30 hours?
You can apply for both the current 30-hour offer and tax-free childcare (see below for further information on the tax-free childcare scheme) via a single application on the Gov.uk website.
To complete the application, you need to provide your name, address and national insurance number, as well as whether you expect to meet the income requirements over the next three months and whether you are in receipt of any benefits.
If you live with a partner, you will need to provide the same information for them as well. This will enable HMRC to decide whether your child is eligible for the 30 hours (as well as tax-free childcare).
If you are eligible, you will be given an 11-digit code that you will need to take to your early years provider along with your national insurance number and your child’s birth certificate.
Your provider will then use the government’s eligibility checking system to check the code is valid. If it is, they will be able to book your child’s place – but bear in mind that providers don’t have to take part in the 30-hour offer, so be sure to speak to your early years provider about what they are able to offer for your family.
You will need to reconfirm your eligibility every three months and will receive a reminder text message or email from the government before the deadline.
If you give false information about your eligibility, you could be fined up to £3000.
How soon after my child’s birthday can I access these schemes?
Currently, children become eligible for funded early education and childcare the term after they reach the relevant age. For example, a child will be eligible for the 30 hours offer from the term after they turn three.
For example, if your child turns three on 25 March, your child will be eligible for a funded place from 1 April (i.e. the start of the spring term). However, if your child turns three on 5 April, then your child won’t be eligible for a funded place until 1 September.
This is also dependent on applying for, and receiving, your eligibility code before the end of the term in which your child reaches the relevant age. For example, if your child turns three on 25 March but you don’t apply for the 30 hours until 5 April, your child won’t be eligible for a funded place until 1 September (i.e. the start of the autumn term).
You can apply for the current 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds from when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks old, as outlined in the table below:
When your child turns 3 -
1 September to 31 December
1 January to 31 March
1 April to 31 August
When they can get 30 hours from -
Term starting on or after 1 January
Term starting on or after 1 April
Term starting on or after 1 September
Recommended time to apply -
15 October to 30 November
15 January to 28 February
15 June to 31 July
The government has yet to confirm when eligibility for the new offers for under-threes will kick in, or how soon parents can apply.
If I’m not eligible for the 30-hour offer, can I still get my 15 hours?
If your child is three or four and you don’t meet the criteria for the 30 hours, you will still be eligible for the 15-hour offer as this is universal.
If your child is two and you don’t meet the criteria for funded scheme for working families, then you will only be eligible for 15 hours if you are in receipt of certain benefits (listed above).
If your child is under two and you don’t meet the criteria for funded scheme for working families, then you will not be eligible for any funded care and education.
What happens if I become ineligible for the offer e.g. because I lose my job?
Currently, if you no longer meet the eligibility criteria for funded places for working families, your child’s place will continue to be funded for a ‘grace period’. You should discuss this with your provider if and when you lose eligibility.
The table below outlines how long the grace period will last for the current three- and four-year-old offer, depending on when you become ineligible for the offer. Your early years provider can tell you how long your grace period will last. A grace period will always end at the end of a term.
Date parent's 30 hours eligibility code becomes invalid:
1 Jan — 10 Feb
11 Feb — 31 March
1 April — 26 May
27 May — 31 August
1 September — 21 October
22 October — 31 December
LA audit date:
11 February
1 April
27 May
1 September
22 October
1 January
Grace Period end date:
31 March
31 August
31 August
31 December
31 December
31 March
Once the grace period has expired, you will still be eligible for the 15-hour funded offer if you have a three- or- four-year-old as the 15-hour offer for children of this age is universal. If you have been taking up the 30 hours at two providers, you can decide which provider you want to continue taking up your 15-hour places from.
I want to access a funded place but my provider is asking for a deposit. Can they do this?
Yes. Under government rules, providers can charge a refundable deposit for funded places for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Each local council will have their own arrangements with providers for when deposits are refunded to parents and carers.
Accessing funded places: Things to know
Early years providers don’t have to offer funded places. This means that your early years provider may decide not to do so. Alternatively, they may limit the number of funded places they offer. This might be because, for example, the level of funding they receive from the government is not enough to cover the cost of delivering places, or because they do not have enough staff to deliver the extended offer.
You don’t have to take up your full entitlement of hours to receive funding. For example, if your child is eligible for the 30 hours, you might choose to only take up 25 hours.
You can split your funded entitlement between more than one provider, though no more than two sites in one day. For example, a child could attend a breakfast club and nursery setting based on one site or a maintained school and a private, voluntary and independent (PVI) provider on two different sites. However, it is important to bear in mind the impact of multiple providers on a child’s learning, development and wellbeing. If you are splitting your offer between providers, you will need to provide your eligibility code and information to each provider.
Government funding only covers 38 weeks of the year. The actual funded entitlement for the 15-hour offer is for 570 hours per year, and for the 30-hour offer, is 1140 hours per year. This means that, for the 30-hour offer, for example, if you take up your full 30 hours per week, government funding will only over this for 38 weeks of the year. However, your provider may choose to deliver a ‘stretched offer’ i.e. fewer hours per week over more weeks of the year: for example, 22 hour per week over 52 weeks or the year, or just under 24 hours per week over 48 weeks of the year. Speak to your provider about how they can offer the hours and what works best for all of you.
Providers can charge non-compulsory additional charges. Government funding is meant to cover the delivery of early education and care only. This means that early years providers are allowed to charge for additional goods, services and activities, such as lunch or trips, as long as these charges are voluntary. For example, your provider might give you the choice of paying for lunch or providing lunch yourself, though it is important to note that this is not possible at all early years settings (for example, some may not have food storage facilities).
Tax-free childcare
Tax-free childcare is a government scheme that allows all eligible parents of children under 12 – or under 17, if your child has a disability – to open an online account to pay for childcare and early education. For every £80 you pay in, the government will pay in an extra £20.
You can save up to £10,000 per year in a tax-free childcare account (£8,000 that you’ve paid in, plus £2,000 that the government has paid in) or up to £20,000 (£16,000 that you’ve paid in, plus £4000 that the government has paid in) if your child has a disability.
The eligibility criteria for tax-free childcare is broadly the same as for the 30-hour offer (see the ‘eligibility’ section above). You can only use tax-free childcare to pay registered early years providers.
It is important to note that, while you can use tax-free childcare alongside the 30-hours offer (or 15 hour offer), you can’t use it at the same time as:
Childcare vouchers
Universal Credit
Tax credits
More information is available at the government’s Childcare Choices website.
Think carefully about your options before deciding what is best for you – for example, some parents may find they benefit more from being able to use tax credits than they would if they switched to tax-free childcare – it depends on your individual circumstances as to what will be best for you and your family.
Helping Children to Think About Race
Helping Children to Think About Race
Racism can present itself in different ways in a young child’s life. A child may have direct or indirect experiences of racism, but the impact can be felt all the same.
The Anna Freud Centre have produced this booklet to:
highlight the various ways that race and racism impact children in the early years
introduce the idea of racial socialisation and how it supports child development
start to think about ways to support racial socialisation in the early years
identify some ways to facilitate your journey in supporting racial socialisation in your setting.
How to help young children think about race in the early years (annafreud.org)
Public Emergency Alerts
Launch of life-saving public emergency alerts
A new system that gives the Government and emergency services the capability to send emergency alerts has been launched. The system is designed to bolster the UK’s resilience and provides the capability to send alerts direct to mobile phones when there is a risk to life.
A UK-wide alerts test will take place in the early evening of Sunday 23 April.
Working with mobile broadcasting technology, the Emergency Alerts system will transform the UK’s warning and informing capability, providing a means to get urgent messages quickly to nearly 90 percent of mobile phones in a defined area.
The alerts will only ever come from the Government or emergency services, and warnings issued will issue a warning, always include the details of the area impacted, and provide instructions about how best to respond - linking to gov.uk/alerts where people can receive further information.
Emergency Alerts will be used very rarely - only being sent where there is an immediate risk to people’s lives - so people may not receive an alert for months, or even years.
Read the news story on GOV.UK
The charity Refuge has also shared advice on how people experiencing domestic abuse can manage the emergency alerts on their phone to stay safe.
Free Online Family Festival
Famly Corner have an upcoming free online family festival, Home is where the start is, celebrating the role of parents and carers as their child’s first and most enduring educator!
During this fun family event, which will take place via Zoom, Famly Corner will share information and advice about how parents and carers of under-fives can support children’s learning and development at home through lots of exciting sessions for them and their children.
Activities will include fun communication and language sessions, easy money-saving cookery ideas that you and your children can join in with, baby massage taster sessions and much, much more.
The three-day online festival will run from Thursday 16 March to Saturday 18 March 2023, and parents and carers can book to attend as many or as few free sessions as they like.
The event is completely free to all attendees ... PLUS all attendees will also be automatically entered into a prize draw to win one of five free Tonieboxes worth £79.99 each!
Families can sign up for their free sessions at bit.ly/familyfestivalEYA
Clarks Shoe Measuring & Fitting Service
As February Half term will be approaching fast we would like to share with you a kids fitting appointment poster from the service and sales manager at Clarks in Bicester Village.
They offer a full service of measuring and fitting and you can be prioritised over walk ins😊
Empowering our children to lead their learning! ❤
Today a group of children were leading their own play in the outside environment. I could see the group of children were engaged, focused, and attentive in their choice of play as they are intrinsically motivated, were following their natural curiosities, wonders, strengths, and interests.
It had been raining and a small puddle of water had formed close to the big tractor tyre and the children decided to jump off and make a splash in the puddle. Puddles have a uniquely magnetic effect on children.
Soon the puddle disappeared and so I asked the children how they could carry on splashing:
CH - we need more rain
CO - its stopped raining
DF - can you fill a bucket with water?
I said ooh I think the water butt is empty as the filling tube was not attached. To expand upon their inquiries, while also considering how to merge interests with concepts of math, language, science, and social/emotional learning, I asked the children:
"did the puddle shrink?"
BF - its disappeared
"where did the puddle go?"
"why did it evaporate?"
DF - it’s moved all in the floor
CH - it’s all gone
"Do you think you could find any water left after it rained, if so where do you think it may still be?"
DF - on the roof
CO - in the sky
CH - in the clouds
BF - here, there is some in the bottom of here (pointing to the well of the tyre)
The children used their problem solving skills to go off and find a tub and spades/spoons to help each other move the water into the tub. Once it was half full, they poured it on the floor to create a new puddle. Immediately their pace quickened and they each moved forward with clear determination. They climbed the tyre and you could see they were priming their legs for what’s to come: the double foot splash! Jumping develops balance, strength, and agility in little legs!
The puddle soon emptied again but this time they found lots of different receptacles like saucepans in the mud kitchen with little bits of rain water and added each to the big tub to allow them to take another turn!
I continued to scaffold learning by asking higher-level & open-ended questions so the children could think more critically about their play:
"What kind of jump makes the biggest splash?"
"Can you jump and all the water comes out of the puddle?
"What happens to a puddle when it’s stirred?"
There are so many possibilities for next steps such as looking at sinking and floating, measuring a puddle, critically thinking how deep do we think it could be? Can we see a reflection? is there anything living in the puddle? Reading pip and posy 'the little puddle'
I wonder what exciting play the children will lead tomorrow...
Baby self-feeding pillows
Urgent safety alert issued for baby self-feeding pillows
These self-feeding pillows have been on sale all over the internet. But they can kill small babies. That’s because the baby can’t push the bottle away, so can choke on the milk or suffer aspiration pneumonia.
After the Child Accident Prevention Trust raised concerns, the Office for Product Safety and Standards investigated and issued an urgent safety alert.
They say: “this category of product will always be dangerous due to their design and intended use, and can never be made safe”.
Parents should immediately stop using these products.
Businesses must immediately remove these products from sale.
Professor Peter Fleming, a consultant paediatrician and leading baby safety expert explains:
“The NHS has warned against prop feeding for many years, as there is a significant link between prop feeding and the risk of unexpected death, aspiration pneumonia and ear infections in babies.
“With this device, the baby cannot adjust the angle of the bottle or the rate of flow of the milk. There is a real risk that milk will get into the back of the baby’s throat and they will stop breathing. Plus, there is a risk of aspiration pneumonia, a life-threatening illness which if not recognised and treated, can kill a small baby in a few hours.”
Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust says:
“As soon as we saw this product on sale on online marketplaces, we knew it was dangerous. It encourages parents to leave their baby alone to feed with a propped-up bottle.
“Every health professional advises against prop feeding. A baby needs their parent with them while they are feeding, so the parent can react if they start gagging or choking.
“We are hugely relieved that the Office for Product Safety and Standards acted so quickly when we raised our concerns. We urge parents to stop using this product straight away and to tell their family and friends about the risks.”
Fifty Things to do before you’re 5
Suggested activities to do with your child in their early years.
Interacting with children while they are playing is an investment in their future!
Every Friday we will focus on one of the activities featured in the ‘50 Things to do before you’re 5’ app. This week it’s time to ‘Explore the cold’
Activity #12 Snow, ice and cold weather are experiences that your child can find really exciting; they need to discover our world using all their senses to properly understand it, and snow is a great opportunity for play! Wrap up warm and keep moving - they’ll have a wonderful time!
Download the app and find out more! https://oxfordshire.50thingstodo.org/
Words of Wisdom
Here are some gentle parenting words of wisdom to get us all through the festive period.
Please be kind to yourself in the whirlwind of extreme emotions and endless to do lists.
Happy Hanukkah
To all our Jewish families and friends celebrating over the coming week - have a safe & wonderful time
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Help with Rising Living Costs
Help with rising living costs
Help if you’re concerned about how to pay for everyday costs and financial support.
NOT SURE WHERE TO TURN?
If you’re not sure where to go for the support you need, speak to your local library. The team can help by pointing you in the right direction. Contact your local library to find out more.
SUPPORT FROM YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL
The district and city councils have the details of local organisations that can provide practical support and advice on money matters, housing, living costs and mental health.
There are also a number of national or countywide options to explore.
Saving you money
ACCESSING FINANCIAL SUPPORT
An estimated £15bn of benefits are believed to go unclaimed each year. Use a free benefits calculator to find out what you could be entitled to. Or contact Citizens Advice Oxfordshirefor one-to-one help to do this.
Citizens Advice can also help with planning your budgeting and debt advice if things are tough.
Through the NHS there is a range of support to help people access health services such as support with travel costs and financial support for people on low incomes. Find out more on the NHS website.
Stay fit and find ways to manage your money with local advice and support on Live Well Oxfordshire.
If you cannot pay your tax bill on time, contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as soon as possible.
The MoneyHelper service provides free, confidential and impartial help on a range of finance-related issues including benefits, savings, pensions and work.
ENERGY, WATER AND BROADBAND SAVINGS
With the Better Housing, Better Health service you’ll get practical advice on saving energy and accessing grants and financial support. This is a free service, supported by Oxfordshire County Council, which could save you money, make your living space more comfortable, reduce stress and improve your health.
If you can’t pay your energy bills now, contact your energy supplier. Further information about the help available with energy bills can be found on gov.uk.
All domestic electricity customers in Great Britain will receive a £400 reduction in their electricity costs from October 2022 through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. There will be no requirement to pay it back. Households will not need to apply for the scheme and, in most cases, the government expects electricity suppliers to apply the reduction automatically to bills from October 2022.
There is a range of support available nationally, find out more about it on the government’s website.
Some broadband providers offer cheaper packages for those who receive certain government benefits. These are known as social tariffs. Ofcom has a list of broadband providers who offer these packages. You should always check with your existing provider before starting any new contracts to make sure there are no charges for stopping your existing contract.
Many water companies run hardship schemes or fund independent charitable trusts which can help you pay your bills.
DISCOUNTS AND OFFERS
Find out what offers are available from grocery, entertainment, retail, health, travel and other businesses to help with the cost of living on the gov.uk website.
SUPPORTING YOUR FAMILY
FREE SCHOOL MEAL EQUIVALENT SUPPORT AHEAD OF SCHOOL HOLIDAY PERIODS
Oxfordshire County Council continues to provide funding to schools and colleges to put in place free school meal equivalent arrangements around holiday periods, using specific government funds available for this purpose. This discretionary scheme is currently funded at the rate of £15 per holiday week per eligible child or young person and typically comes in the form of a supermarket voucher or digital equivalent. Those eligible are those lower income families also eligible for means-tested free school meals. The scheme is administered through schools and colleges directly and support is issued ahead of school holidays. Parents and carers who believe they have missed a payment should contact their child’s school or college.
EARLY YEARS SUPPORT
This winter for children not of school age, rather than support ahead of each holiday periods, a single one-off support offer is being made to the families of eligible children through participating early years providers. Participating providers will issue a one-off support voucher of £60 per eligible child (equivalent to the support made available to children and young people in schools over the period). In early years, eligible children are those in receipt of two-year-old funded places or those three and four-year-old children who attract Early Years Pupil Premium. Parents and carers should approach their child’s setting with any queries. Early Years settings are not obliged to make this payment and we are grateful to all those who are able to do so for providing support to some of Oxfordshire’s most in-need children.
CHILDCARE SUPPORT
You could be eligible for support with free childcare. Certain criteria apply, so find out if you are eligible for 3 to 4-year-old and 2-year-old support.
If your child is eligible for free school meals, you will also be able to get equivalent support during the school holidays. Activities and events will be available for 4 to 11-year-olds during the Christmas holidays. Your school or early years setting should be in touch directly but if not, please contact them.
ACCESSING FOOD SUPPORT
If you're at least ten weeks pregnant or have a child under four years old, you might be able to get free vitamins and Healthy Start vouchers for milk, fruit and vegetables and infant formula milk.
The Oxfordshire food access map allows you to search for community food services such as food banks, community larders, and food projects.
Most food banks need a referral to access them - this can come from many groups - a doctor, housing association, local council, charity, the council.
Larders and fridges do not work on a referral basis and give either low-cost or free food which otherwise would go to waste.
KEEPING YOU WARM AND SAFE
You may be eligible for a fully funded energy efficiency update to your home. Check if you’re eligible to apply.
You’ll get a warm welcome in our libraries. Everyone is welcome – and you’ll have access to the internet and computers as well as our wide range of books and audio books.
There are grants and schemes available designed to help you make essential repairs and improve the comfort, safety and security of your home.
Warm spaces are open this winter to provide free and low-cost places to get together and get support.
Oxford's network of warm spaces can be found on its website https://www.oxford.gov.uk/warmspaces
The national Warm Welcome Network lists a wider network of organisations that have opened up free, warm spaces across Oxfordshire.
SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS IN OXFORDSHIRE
If you need to talk to someone on any topic regarding your mental health, there are local organisations that can help:
Oxfordshire Safe Haven for you if you are over 18 and living in Oxfordshire.
Connection Support is a local charity that provides flexible and tailored support and advice to adults and families.
The Mind Guide – a mental health services directory in Oxfordshire.
The Youth in Mind Guide – information on young people's mental health services in Oxfordshire.
Citizens Advice – access free, confidential advice on money matters, housing, employment and consumer rights.
The government’s Help for Households website provides information on a range of support.
Scarlet Fever / Group A Streptococcus
Dear parents, further to my recent post regarding, common colds, D&V bug, viral rashes, chicken pox, hand foot and mouth etc please do read this below as we have children within early years with scarlet fever:
Fact sheet for schools and parents about Group A Streptococcus (GAS)/Scarlet Fever.
What is Group A Streptococcus?
Group A Streptococcus or Streptococcus pyogenes is a bacterium that can be found in the throat and on the skin. People may carry it and have no symptoms of illness or may develop infection.
How is it spread?
Group A Streptococcus survives in throats and on skin for long enough to allow easy spread between people through sneezing and skin contact. People who are currently carrying the bacteria in the throat or on the skin may have symptoms of illness or they may have no symptoms and feel fine. In both cases, these bacteria can be passed on to others.
What kinds of illnesses are caused by Group A Streptococcus?
Most Group A Streptococcus illnesses are relatively mild, with symptoms including a sore throat ("strep throat"), scarlet fever or a skin infection such as impetigo. However, on rare occasions, these bacteria can cause other severe and sometimes life-threatening diseases.
Although scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, it should be treated with antibiotics to minimise the risk of complications and reduce the spread to others.
The symptoms of scarlet fever include a sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. This is followed by a fine red rash which typically first appears on the chest and stomach, rapidly spreading to other parts of the body. On more darkly-pigmented skin, the scarlet rash may be harder to spot, but it will still feel like 'sandpaper'. The face can be flushed red but pale around the mouth.
Children who have had chickenpox or influenza (‘flu) recently are more likely to develop more serious infection during an outbreak of scarlet fever and so parents should remain vigilant for symptoms such as a persistent high fever, cellulitis (skin infection) and arthritis (joint pain and swelling). If you are concerned for any reason please seek medical assistance immediately.
What is invasive Group A Streptococcal (iGAS) disease?
Although rare, invasive Group A Streptococcus disease may occur when bacteria get into parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found. These infections are called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease and can be very serious and even life-threatening.
What are the symptoms of invasive Group A Streptococcal disease?
The most important thing to be aware of are the early signs and symptoms of invasive Group A Streptococcal disease. These are:
• High Fever
• Severe muscle aches
• Localised muscle tenderness
• Redness at the site of a wound
What should I do if my child becomes unwell?
If your child becomes unwell contact your GP practice. Alternatively, you can call NHS111 and you should also call NHS111 if your surgery is closed.
If my child is unwell, should they stay off school?
If your child becomes unwell with these symptoms you should contact your GP practice or call NHS111 (which operates a 24/7 service) to seek advice. If your child is unwell they should stay off school until they are better.
What else can I do to prevent my child from becoming unwell?
Because Group A Streptococcal disease is spread through coughing, sneezing and skin contact, its’s important to have good hand hygiene and catch coughs and sneezes in tissues and throw these away.
If your child is unwell, if child needs calpol please do not attend cygnets for 24 to 48 hours. We will be sending poorly children home for 48 hours not as we do not want to take any unnecessary risks x
This will all help limit the spread of other infections, which are common this time of year.
Christmas Fundraiser
Cygnets Christmas Fundraising Evening - Save the Date - Wednesday 14th December 2022, Pop by between 4:30pm-6:30pm
You will be able to book a slot to meet and greet Father Christmas himself in our Cygnets Christmas grotto and grab a selfie, a small charge will occur to cover a gift and overheads.
Other activities will include festive biscuit and cake decorating, craft area, face painting, carol singing, Christmas tunes and a look around the classroom to see all your children’s work.
As its a fundraiser we will be selling luxury hot chocolate, mulled wine, cakes and bakes and warm pigs in blanket rolls and festive balloons.
