Page 12 - PSPS: A Training guide

Unit 1: The Child at The Centre

Introduction

‘I have a big, big dream for school so I know what it is going to be like. Do you? All of my
friends will be there with me and the walls will be pink with lots of twinkly fairly lights
and there will be a water fountain where you can fill your own water bottle’ (Steffi, 5)

This unit is based on the values of recognising children’s rights, respecting these, and
understanding that in order to address any needs of a child then the core starting
point is to place them at the centre of our thinking.
Learning Objectives

The core objectives for this unit are that each adult in the child’s life will:

Recognise the vital element of checking at all points that their actions are
meeting the child’s needs.

Use their own knowledge of the child and afford space to the child to
speak of their needs.

Listen to the child’s voice and understand the child’s point of view.

Take action according to what they hear, and they share with the child the
changes that they make in response to that voice so that the child knows

they are heard and respected.

Use their professional training and knowledge to ensure that the child’s
needs are correctlymet.

Identifying needs

The needs of children transitioning from preschool to school (or during any other
transitions in their life) can be identified through consultation with the children,
through keen observation and through using professional learning and expertise to
analyse the obvious and less obvious needs. Above all, identifying needs is about being
able to maintain an open and flexible approach and being willing to respond
individually to meet a child’s need, even if it means straying from the main group plan.

Each child making this transition will have their own concerns, issues, and views on this
change in their lives. They will have expectations, some of which may be accurate and
perhaps some which are unexpected. For example, they may not have considered the
difference in size between the new classroom and their old setting. The child is moving
from being part of a small class ratio, such as 2:12, to a much larger one, perhaps 1:30.