Happy New Year to all our members and readers.

TACTYC Biennial Research Conference and AGM 2011
Focus: 'Ready' for School? Research, Reflection and Debate
A research into practice conference

Don't forget that you can still read all about our most recent and very successful Conference and the keynote presentations here.

TACTYC EXECTIVE COMMITTEE 2011-2012
The new Executive is now formed and ready to meet on the 10th January. We are pleased to welcome our new elected members (returners) Jane Payler and Anita Soni, and new member, Jane Murray. We also welcome our new co-optees: Nancy Stewart, Tim Waller (returners) and Rosa Collins, Rosie Flewitt and Jane Williams (new). You can find the information you need about the whole Exec here. We're looking forward to an interesting and inspiring new year.

MEMBER PROFILES
We have several new members on the Executive Committee this year (see new Exec here). One of those members is Jane Murray from the University of Northampton, whose member profile you can find here. Another is Rosie Flewitt who has also written some information for you here. We hope to post more in the coming weeks so that you get to know the Exec.

REFLECTING ON EARLY YEARS ISSUES
This TACTYC website is a very well-used one, nowhere more so than in hits on the Reflections pages. We’re very pleased, therefore, to have three new papers with which to start the new year. Two of these have been written as a direct result of the Conference workshops and we're hoping to present some more to you in the near future. Dr. Anita Soni has written her thoughts about Payment by Results whilst Carolyn Blackburn explores the diverse communication needs of Foundation Stage children.

The third paper, by Dr. Richard House from Roehampton, is the summary of a heartfelt response to the government’s response to the EYFS consultation. In this paper, Richard makes clear how he feels about the lack of awareness of the false ideology of 'earlier is better' in young children’s development and many other interesting points.

Your responses to these papers would be most welcome, as would your own contributions! Contact Janet Moyles with thoughts, ideas, papers, and so on. We really do want to share as much new and useful information as we can with our members and this is a unique way to get your ideas and thoughts into the public domain.

THE NUTBROWN REVIEW OF EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE QUALIFICATIONS
We have now submitted our response to the Nutbrown Review and you can read it here. As you will no doubt remember, both our Chair (Trisha Maynard) and our President (Wendy Scott) serve on the Review Panel so we are all well represented. We will post some new information as soon as we have it. In the meantime, if you've any comments on our TACTYC submission, please contact Dr Jane Payler.

BOOK REVIEW
The latest book review is of the 2nd edition of Alison Clark's and Peter Moss’s extremely useful book on Listening to Children: the Mosaic Approach. Clearly this has inspired the reviewer in her own research and practice and, hopefully, it will you too!

JOURNAL NEWS
We have a new call for papers Continuing Professional Development and the Early Years workforce which can be found here. The Editors state: 'We welcome papers with a research focus on CPD issues, procedures and processes, contextualising these within current policy frameworks and goals. Each article should be around 5000 words in length. It is planned to include these papers in the July 2013 issue of the journal. The submission date for papers is 15th September 2012. All submissions are peer reviewed.'

NEW BOOKS
The Tickell review and the EYFS draft statutory framework call for clearer attention to how children learn, and not just what they learn – described as the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning which underpin and drive children’s learning across all areas. Nancy Stewart of Early Learning Consultancy (and a TACTYC Executive Committee Member, is the author of a new book published by Early Education which explains why being effective self-regulated learners supports children for life, and how early years practitioners can best foster children’s development as lifelong learners. How Children Learn: The characteristics of effective learning in the early years, is available from Early Education, so why not learn more now.

HAVE YOU SEEN...?
The English Government's response to the EYFS Review (see also Richard House's Reflections paper)? | Read the Report

Parents and early years groups: research
A study by the University of Bristol, UK, funded by The Economic and Social Research Council and Barnardo's found that the neediest parents are being held back from accessing early years services. The study also found that, according to the parents, nearly a quarter of first-time visits to groups were off-putting because of not knowing anyone there, finding it cliquey or not being in the 'right social class'. Fewer Sure Start groups were described as cliquey compared to other early years groups. | Read the Report

Teacher assessments at end of early years foundation stage
This study investigated whether teacher assessment at the end of the early years foundation stage, based on on-going observation, provides a valid measure of children's current development and their educational attainments in future years. The study used data from three cohorts of children entering all 50 maintained primary schools within one local authority in a 3-year period from September 2006 to July 2009. It followed the progress of the children in acquiring literacy skills with data available on pupil progress through the 'Phonic Phases'. Findings include:

• Teachers, when appropriately trained, can make valid judgments of children’s development in language and literacy.
• Teachers can accurately monitor their pupils’ progress in key reading skills without the need for formal tests.
• A reduced EYFS Profile (EYFSP) could be used to support monitoring and early identification of difficulties with language and communication.

Read the Report

EYFS Profile Statistics for 2011
The government has now published the statistics for the EYFS profile. This provides 2011 information on the EYFSP achievement by pupil gender, ethnicity, eligibility for free school meals, special educational needs and English as a first language. The report states that the figures show that the gap is narrowing between children from the 30 per cent most deprived areas and children in other areas. Girls continue to do better than boys with the largest gender gap continuing to be in writing.

Review of Standards for Early Years Professional Status (EYPS)
CWDC has been asked to commence a review of the EYPS standards to take account of emerging policy and government reviews: in particular Supporting Families in the Foundation Years and the review of Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). CWDC will be consulting with training providers, assessors and Early Years Professionals, who have detailed knowledge of the Standards. The aim is to produce a revised set of standards by September 2012 for implementation then by training providers delivering EYPS.

OCCASIONAL PAPERS
As introduced at the Conference, TACTYC is beginning this new venture – producing Occasional Papers on issues about which we have undertaken significant research or thinking. The first two papers are outlined in the Conference report above (Reception Class research and the 'Readiness' review). We hope to produce these Occasional papers periodically which will be free to members but will be available at a small cost to non-members. The first Occasional Papers were produced in time for our November Conference and AGM and were given to all delegates. Information about how non-members may acquire copies will be discussed at our January meeting so keep looking!

ANTI-PHONICS TESTING CAMPAIGN
Whilst the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, seems insistent on this phonics test, a group of experts in language is thoroughly against them, including two members of the TACTYC Exec. To that end, the group has written to many influential people outlining the importance to children of a balanced approach to phonics and literacy and has produced a press release outlining our arguments. You can find the press release here. You can feel free to download and use this if it's useful to you in informing parents, governors or anyone else whom you might wish to talk with.

DATES OF EXECUTIVE MEETINGS 2012
The Exec meetings for the coming year are as follows:
Tuesday, 10th January
Thursday, 22nd March
Wednesday, 13th June (in Oxford to be confirmed)
Tuesday, 11th September
Saturday, 10th November – Day Conference (probably Birmingham).
If there are any items you would like the Exec to discuss at any of these meetings – especially if you've ideas for future Conference or Occasional Papers – please contact the Chair, Trisha Maynard.

Updated 5th January 2012

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