Level 2 Child Personal Statement

Throughout my years as a childcare practitioner, I have accumulated a wide range of experience working with children aged 3 – 11. However, the majority of my experience is with children aged 3-5. Through

My job role includes ensuring the happiness, wellbeing and safety of all the children I work with and to make sure that I help, together as a team with the other practioners that I work with to provide a stimulating environment where the children can learn and thrive from.

An explanation of how different approaches to work with children in early years have affected current provision in the UK

In my role, I am required to do regular observations of the child to help track their development progression, I am also required to take part in parent’s evenings to talk and explain to the parents how their children are getting on and progressing. I am also required to play a big part in caring for the children in ways that are educational as well as being fun for them. I also take a part in making sure they get physical exercise and meet their nutritional needs.

It is important to ensure children and young people are protected from harm within the setting, as the parents are leaving their children in your care with the expectation that they can trust you and your colleagues to keep their children from harm. It is difficult for parents to leave their children in an education or care setting and then go to work; they need to be confident that their children will be in safe supportive hands with people that will help them develop.

The role and responsibilities of an early year’s practitioner follow a number of codes. When working with children there are many care needs of children, such as special needs, safeguarding children, children’s learning, behaviour, and working with parents. Early years practitioners have set responsibilities when working with children, like meeting the learning needs of a child, providing an environment which is welcoming and also they have to work together as part of a team to provide good service for both children and parents.

‘Early years practitioners have a key role to play in working with parents to support their young children. This should include identifying learning needs and responding quickly to any difficulties. Wherever appropriate, practitioners should work together with professionals from other

Ensuring children and young people’s safety and welfare in the work setting is an essential part of safeguarding. While children are at school, practitioners act in ‘loco parentis’ while their parents are away. As part of their legal and professional obligations, practitioners hold positions of trust and a duty of care to the children in their school, and therefore should always act in their best interests and ensure their safety – the welfare of the child is paramount (Children Act 1989). The Children Act 2004 came in with the Every Child Matters (ECM) guidelines and greatly impacted the way schools look at the care and welfare of pupils. Children and young people should be helped to learn and thrive and be given the opportunity to

I am of the opinion that as a child practitioner an essential part of our work role will involve actively seeking to evolve and where apt build relationships. Consequently having a significant impact on children and young people’s lives.

This helps practitioner’s work together for the welfare of children. It promotes the Every Child Matters outcomes to reinforcing how important it is for all child careers to work together.

Theories of development and frameworks to support development are incredibly important to us working with children and young people. They help us to understand children, how they react to things/situations, their behaviour and the ways they learn. Different theories and ways of working with children have come together to provide frameworks for children’s care, such as Early year’s foundation stage (EYFS) which is used within all child care settings. This encourages us to work together, help and check the development of babies, children and young people, to keep them healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to

In order to be a successful early years practitioner, they should be able to demonstrate key skills, these include showing that they are patient, considerate, caring, flexible and consistent. What’s more, it is imperative that ‘every practitioner working with young children needs a sound and thorough

As a practitioner it’s your duty to observe and maintain correct procedures to ensure that the children are offered a stimulating environment which will further allow optimum possibilities for development. All those who work with or amongst children and young people have a crucial role to play in helping not only to shape aspects of their lives, but to also aid in enhancing their future development. Therefore it can be stated that how we set up our own working practices can affect children and young people’s development, as will be identified by this essay; below are areas where one should concentrate in order to further

Working with children requires us to build positive relationships with them quickly, but also in ways that are professional.

A meaningful experience in my community placement was learning how to interact with children in various developmental stages. My limited experience working with infants and toddlers, made me apprehensive about being able to engage and communicate with the children in an age appropriate level and manner. The first few days at my placement, I did not feel capable of connecting with the children, rather only building rapport with their parents and caregivers. I had difficulty applying the theoretical development concepts to the real-life child population.