Crèche
At St Michael's Family Resource Centre Crèche, we implement the Síolta set of standards. Síolta is the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, was developed by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. It was published in 2006, following a three-year developmental process, which involved consultation with more than 50 diverse organisations, representing childcare workers, teachers, parents, policy makers, researchers and other interested parties.
Standard 1: Rights of the child
Ensuring that each child's rights are met requires that she/he is enabled to exercise choice and to use initiative as an active participant and partner in her/his own development and learning.
Standard 2: Environments
Enriching environments, both indoor and outdoor (including materials and equipment) are well maintained, safe, available, accessible, adaptable, developmentally appropriate, and offer a variety of challenging and stimulating experiences.
Standard 3: Parents and Families
Valuing and involving parents and families requires a proactive partnership approach evidenced by a range of clearly stated, accessible and implemented processes, policies and procedures.
Standard 4: Consultation
Ensuring inclusive decision-making requires consultation that promotes participation and seeks out, listens to and acts upon the views and opinions of children, parents and staff, and other stakeholders, as appropriate.
Standard 5: Interactions
Fostering constructive interactions (child/child, child/adult and adult/adult) requires explicit policies, procedures and practice that emphasise the value of process and are based on mutual respect, equal partnership and sensitivity.
Standard 6: Play
Promoting play requires that each child has ample time to engage in freely available and accessible, developmentally appropriate and well-resourced opportunities for exploration, creativity and 'meaning making' in the company of other children, with participating and supportive adults and alone, where appropriate.
Standard 7: Curriculum
Encouraging each child's holistic development and learning requires the implementation of a verifiable, broad-based, documented and flexible curriculum or programme.
Standard 8: Planning and Evaluation
Enriching and informing all aspects of practice within the setting requires cycles of observation, planning, action and evaluation, undertaken on a regular basis.
Standard 9: Health and Welfare
Promoting the health and welfare of the child requires protection from harm, provision of nutritious food, appropriate opportunities for rest, and secure relationships characterised by trust and respect.
Standard 10: Organisation
Organising and managing resources effectively requires an agreed written philosophy, supported by clearly communicated policies and procedures to guide and determine practice.
Standard 11: Professional Practice
Practising in a professional manner requires that individuals have skills, knowledge, values and attitudes appropriate to their role and responsibility within the setting. In addition, it requires regular reflection upon practice and engagement in supported, ongoing professional development.
Standard 12: Communication
Communicating effectively in the best interests of the child requires policies, procedures and actions that promote the proactive sharing of knowledge and information among appropriate stakeholders, with respect and confidentiality.
Standard 13: Transitions
Ensuring continuity of experiences for children requires policies, procedures and practice that promote sensitive management of transitions, consistency in key relationships, liaison within and between settings, the keeping and transfer of relevant information (with parental consent), and the close involvement of parents and, where appropriate, relevant professionals.
Standard 14: Identity and Belonging
Promoting positive identities and a strong sense of belonging requires clearly defined policies, procedures and practice that empower every child and adult to develop a confident self- and groupidentity, and to have a positive understanding and regard for the identity and rights of others.
Standard 15: Legislation and Regulation
Being compliant requires that all relevant regulations and legislative requirements are met or exceeded.
Standard 16: Community Involvement
Promoting community involvement requires the establishment of networks and connections evidenced by policies, procedures and actions, which extend and support all adult's and children's engagement with the wider community.
Síolta and Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework are used together to support the development of early childhood practice across the variety of settings in Ireland. It does this by:
· identifying links between the principles underpinning each framework;
· outlining the different emphases of Aistear and Síolta; and
· showing how using the two frameworks together can enrich children’s experiences.
For more information and videos on Aistear and Siolta and how they work together, click here.
Ensuring that each child's rights are met requires that she/he is enabled to exercise choice and to use initiative as an active participant and partner in her/his own development and learning.
Standard 2: Environments
Enriching environments, both indoor and outdoor (including materials and equipment) are well maintained, safe, available, accessible, adaptable, developmentally appropriate, and offer a variety of challenging and stimulating experiences.
Standard 3: Parents and Families
Valuing and involving parents and families requires a proactive partnership approach evidenced by a range of clearly stated, accessible and implemented processes, policies and procedures.
Standard 4: Consultation
Ensuring inclusive decision-making requires consultation that promotes participation and seeks out, listens to and acts upon the views and opinions of children, parents and staff, and other stakeholders, as appropriate.
Standard 5: Interactions
Fostering constructive interactions (child/child, child/adult and adult/adult) requires explicit policies, procedures and practice that emphasise the value of process and are based on mutual respect, equal partnership and sensitivity.
Standard 6: Play
Promoting play requires that each child has ample time to engage in freely available and accessible, developmentally appropriate and well-resourced opportunities for exploration, creativity and 'meaning making' in the company of other children, with participating and supportive adults and alone, where appropriate.
Standard 7: Curriculum
Encouraging each child's holistic development and learning requires the implementation of a verifiable, broad-based, documented and flexible curriculum or programme.
Standard 8: Planning and Evaluation
Enriching and informing all aspects of practice within the setting requires cycles of observation, planning, action and evaluation, undertaken on a regular basis.
Standard 9: Health and Welfare
Promoting the health and welfare of the child requires protection from harm, provision of nutritious food, appropriate opportunities for rest, and secure relationships characterised by trust and respect.
Standard 10: Organisation
Organising and managing resources effectively requires an agreed written philosophy, supported by clearly communicated policies and procedures to guide and determine practice.
Standard 11: Professional Practice
Practising in a professional manner requires that individuals have skills, knowledge, values and attitudes appropriate to their role and responsibility within the setting. In addition, it requires regular reflection upon practice and engagement in supported, ongoing professional development.
Standard 12: Communication
Communicating effectively in the best interests of the child requires policies, procedures and actions that promote the proactive sharing of knowledge and information among appropriate stakeholders, with respect and confidentiality.
Standard 13: Transitions
Ensuring continuity of experiences for children requires policies, procedures and practice that promote sensitive management of transitions, consistency in key relationships, liaison within and between settings, the keeping and transfer of relevant information (with parental consent), and the close involvement of parents and, where appropriate, relevant professionals.
Standard 14: Identity and Belonging
Promoting positive identities and a strong sense of belonging requires clearly defined policies, procedures and practice that empower every child and adult to develop a confident self- and groupidentity, and to have a positive understanding and regard for the identity and rights of others.
Standard 15: Legislation and Regulation
Being compliant requires that all relevant regulations and legislative requirements are met or exceeded.
Standard 16: Community Involvement
Promoting community involvement requires the establishment of networks and connections evidenced by policies, procedures and actions, which extend and support all adult's and children's engagement with the wider community.
Síolta and Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework are used together to support the development of early childhood practice across the variety of settings in Ireland. It does this by:
· identifying links between the principles underpinning each framework;
· outlining the different emphases of Aistear and Síolta; and
· showing how using the two frameworks together can enrich children’s experiences.
For more information and videos on Aistear and Siolta and how they work together, click here.