Ready to Learn Co-design:Redbridge School Readiness Programme

Dr. Hasneen Choudhury

Children’s Centres Strategic Lead

Dr. Dianne Borien

Head of Early Years

Early Years Peer Challenge - Local Government Association

9th July 2019

1. 2017: Task & Finish Group

Ready to Learn (R2L) JourneyDec 2016:

Identified the need for a common understanding of School Readiness

Jan 2017:

Formed a Task & Finish Group to

identify the evidence and good

practice examples

July 2017:Formed a Multi-agency Steering Group (All departments and agencies working with under fives were invited to join)

2018:

1. R2L Booklet drafted

2. Consultation and re-consultation on the draft

(Parents, CC Advisory Board, Leaders and Managers’ Forum, Community Learning Hubs, R2L Steering Group,

Schools)

3. Booklet finalised

2019:

1. Website developed

2. Programme Launched

(at first Early Years Festival)

3. 90 Declaration of Commitment signed including by the Chief Executive

4. Implementation of Action Plan post Launch

ConsultationParents & Parent

Champions

1.Children’s Centres

Advisory Board

School Readiness

Steering Group

Community Learning Hubs

1.Children’s Centres Advisory

Board

PVI Managers & Leaders’

Forum

School Readiness

Public Health England (2015): Improving school readiness, creating a better start for London

Why Invest in School Readiness

Public Health England (2015): Improving school readiness, creating a better start for London

What Works to Improve School Readiness

Public Health England (2015): Improving school readiness, creating a better start for London

Mental Health and Wellbeing of the Mother

Public Health England (2015): Improving school readiness, creating a better start for London

Prevalence of Perinatal Mental Health ProblemsMental health problems in the perinatal period effect 1 in 5 women

NICE CG192 (2014) reports:

● Depression (12%) and Anxiety (13%) are the most common PMI.

● Many women experience both –(15-20%)

● Between 1-2 in 1000 women will experience postpartum psychosis*

● New fathers’ depression rates are double the national average for men in the same age group

● 122,000 babies under one are living with a parent who has a mental illness

*Women with bipolar disorder are at particular risk of postpartum psychosis©Institute of Health Visiting

https://www.theguardian.com

A single case= £74,000£23,000 mother£51,000 child

Source: Bauer et al (2014)

Cost of Mental Health

The Critical Window: Pregnancy

©Institute of Health Visiting

“Seeds of health are planted even before you draw your first breath, and that the nine short months of life in the womb shape your health as long as you live.”

Sharma, 1996

Epigenetics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AfBsTAQ8zs#t=38©Institute of Health Visiting

Maternal Mental Health

“The mother’s face and body are like a mirror to the baby. In this very early mirroring process, both know that they are accepted by the other. The mother’s acceptance forms the basis of the baby’s self-concept, and the mother’s responses form the first ‘brush strokes’ for the developing picture”

Rosemary Roberts (2002)

Children Achieve Well When● Their parents are READY for PARENTHOOD;

● They have a POSITIVE parent-child RELATIONSHIP;

● Parents are NOT EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS in the 1001 Critical Days;

● They and their families receive EFFECTIVE and CONSITENT PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT;

● Their family have GOOD INCOME and EDUCATION;

● There is IMPROVED HEALTH at individual, family and community level;

● They are READY for SCHOOL.

Ready Families

Ready Children

Ready Communities

Ready Services

Children Ready for

School Success &

Life

Public Health England (2015): Improving school readiness, creating a better start for London

Consultation

1. Midwifery

2. 0-25 Community Health Services: Health Visiting, Infant Feeding, Speech & Language Therapy

3. Family Nurse Partnership

4. Oral Health

5. Public Health

6. Families Together (Early Intervention Services)

7. Adult Counselling Services – Improved Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT), Perinatal Mental Health

8. Work Redbridge

9. Redbridge Institute for Adult Education

Consultation

10.Job Centre Plus

11.Vision – Library & Leisure Services

12. Children’s Centres

13. Early Years & Childcare Improvement Team

14. Family Information Service (FiND)

15. RIASS (Redbridge

16. Children’s Commissioning and Partnership

17. Pre-school Home Visiting Service

18. Voluntary Groups – Redbridge Centre for Voluntary Services (RCVS, Home-Start Redbridge, AWAAZ)

Steering Group Members

• Redbridge Children’s Centres

• Early Years and Childcare Improvement Team (EYCIT)

• Families Information Direct (FiND)

• Valentines Nursery

• 0 to 19 Universal Children’s Services (NELFT)

• Oral Health Team (NELFT)

• Public Health

• Primary Schools

I can run,jump, balance

and climb

I can goto the toiletby myself

I can countand identify

numbers

I can eatand drinkby myself

What Redbridge READY to LEARN children would look like?

RESILIENCE ENJOYMENT

ASSURED DISCOVERY YOUNG

Encourage playfulness,

Allow your child to experience losing

Take your child to meet other children

Show your child how to ask for help,

Talk about your child’s day

Encourage your child to have a go at a challenging task

Praise your child regularly to help them feel positive about

Use expression, actions and gestures

Have fun picking up and dropping items

Sing rhymes together

Have fun filling and emptying containers at bath time,

Play fun games

Do physical activities every day

Develop skills in using tools

Encourage hands and finger movement

Develop an awareness of their own bodily needs

Show them how to use the toilet

Allow your child to pour water and drink from a cup

Practice simple instructions

Allow extra time whengoing out

Switch off TV and limit the use of electronicdevicessuch as tablets and mobile phones

Make reading fun.

Make counting part of your daily routine

Encourage setting the table at mealtimes

Cook together,

Encourage reading when out and about by reading

Encourage mark making

Happy parents/carers leadto a happy baby.

Attend all health appointments,

Go outside everyday,

Brush your child’s teeth twice a day

Eat meals together as a family,

RESILIENCE

ENJOYMENT

ASSURED

DISCOVERY

YOUNG

I can take turns, play and share

I can listen, think and speak

I can ask for help and say what I feel

I can run, jump, balance and climb

I can sing and dance

I can eat and drink by myself

I can go to the toilet by myself

I can wash my hands before eating and after going to the toilet

I can dress by myself

I can count and identify numbers

I can draw and mark-make

I have a varied and healthy diet

I can brush my teeth by myself

I have visited my dentist by one year of age

I have had all my immunisations

I have attended my under one year health review

I have attended my two and half year health review

1. 2017: Task & Finish Group

Ready to Learn Launch Event

Declaration of Commitment to Ready to Learn

Declaration

Through a genuine and embedded

partnership approach I am committed to

ensuring ‘Ready to Learn’ is at the heart of

our work. As a result, all children will be

School Ready leading to improved

outcomes through to adulthood.

Signature: ………………………………………………

Name: ………………………………………………….

Position: ………………………………………………..

Service: …………………………………………………

Date: ……………………………………………………

Andy Donald

Chief

Executive

Cllr. E Norman

Lead Councillor for

Children & Families

At the Declaration Board

Changing The Story …

● Raising Awareness of School Readiness:

– Locally and nationally

– Highlighting the impact of Maternal Mental Health

– Highlighting school readiness starts from pregnancy

● Locally tackling the barriers to access to mental health

services

● Providing multi-agency Perinatal Mental Health Training to

professionals

● Ensure actions are followed through by keeping R2L on

people’s agenda

Conclusion

• Every child deserves an equal opportunity to lead a healthy and fulfilling life

• Investing in the emotional wellbeing of young children is a wonderful way to invest in the future

• With the right kind of early intervention, there is every opportunity for secure parent-infant relationships to be developed (The 1001 Critical Days)

• A well-coordinated multi-agency holistic model to school readiness is an effective way get children to be school-ready,

life-ready and child-ready.