Introduction

This project looks closely at how our children ‘settle’ into our ELC and develop a sense of ownership and belonging. This project connects with the Froebelian Principle of Unity and Connectedness while weaving respectfully through the UNCRC Rights of the Child, Building the Ambition: Being Me, Curriculum for Excellence, The Four Capacities, HGIOELC and our Local Authorities Personal Plans.

Recently, I moved settings and I had difficulty ‘Settling In’ to my new environment. This led me to reflect on our expectations for our young learners as they begin their journey.

The purpose of this project is to ascertain the positive peer/adult interactions to develop a sense of belonging and what this may ‘feel’ like in our ELC.

Froebel believed that the child’s environment and the adults, who care for them, play a crucial role in shaping a child’s development. My role in this research project is to ensure that the environment we create, alongside our children is a nurturing and stimulating one. This is essential when cultivating a sense of belonging in a safe environment to develop a child’s holistic growth.

Context

I have often heard ‘settling in’ to nursery being described as a process or a procedure and this led me to look closely at what we offer our families and what that might ‘feel’ like to them. Is it just that, a process or do we include them fully in our procedures so that they ‘feel’ their whole child is being seen and their thoughts and feelings are being heard?

When reflecting on Froebel’s principle of Unity and connectedness, Tovey emphasises that ‘The early years setting should be closely connected with the life of the home, family, culture and local community. Froebel recognised and valued well-qualified early years professionals, Tovey respectfully wrote that ‘Young children are entitled to knowledge and well-qualified professionals who are deeply informed about and in tune to the distinctive nature of young children’s learning and development. Also, noting that professional relationships with children ‘should be close, trusting, responsive, interactive and intellectually engaging’. This value is also underpinned in Realising the Ambition: Being Me. This document invites practitioners to ‘reflect on their practice’ and our focus should be on ‘supporting the children in our care to form a secure and emotionally resilient attachment base which will stand them in good stead as they grow and develop’.

I used observation as my main method as it gave me, the researcher a first-hand insight into a child’s behaviour, interaction and development. To support this method, I used our trusted floor book. This is a familiar practice, and our children are used to this method. Writing each child’s own words adds value and authenticity to my research, giving a real insight into their thoughts and feelings. Ensuring all participants were included, I acknowledged their expressions and interests. I also encouraged mark-making contributions and photos. This approach fosters their sense of autonomy and belonging within our nurturing environment.  During a discussion about ‘ What does my nursery mean to me?’ one of our participants confidently explained to me that she knew that this was her nursery because her name was on the wall. Another child said “I don’t know. My mum just brought me here.” Taking the time to have these valuable conversations between staff and children helps to deepen our connections.

I used the Leuven scale to assess each child’s level of well-being and engagement.  I felt this was a fair and consistent approach. I used our play spaces, provision and resources as my main tool to ensure responsiveness from staff, inclusion,  and involvement.

I choose to involve the parents through a questionnaire. For me, the benefit was I could make a bespoke questionnaire which was relevant to my research and it collected my data efficiently. All eight parents supported this inquiry by taking the time to complete my form. My colleagues and I will also share their observations and progress in their seesaw account to share with parents.

Ethics

For this project, I looked at our new starts that all started between August and December as we had no planned intake for January. We had a group of eight ante preschoolers, four boys and four girls.

At this age, children may not fully comprehend the concept of confidentiality making them more vulnerable. As this project is looking at health and wellbeing, special care and consideration needed to be applied to make sure each child felt included in a way that wasn’t stressful or upsetting. I used the information gathered in their personal plans as a basis for points to consider. For example, one child is nonverbal, one has delayed speech and two have English as a second language.

Well-being sits at the heart of ‘Getting it right for every child’ (GIRFEC), principles and values. I had to consider child-friendly language which is appropriate for our young learners. Using the well-being indicators and SHANARRI resources will empower our children to have an understanding at a young age of what their well-being means to them and others. This ties in nicely with The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 3. All adults should do what is best for you.

For our Parents, this consent is crucial and solely for research purposes. I explained the obligations, rules and rights of the consent form.  I gave them time to think over our conversation and after reflection, ask any additional questions they may have. I reassured them that the identity of their child will remain anonymous and any personal data will remain confidential.