Factors that are instrumental in providing quality of service within an early years educational setting
All schools and educators should provide a high quality of service to their pupils. This is particularly true in the early years of a child’s schooling, as the skills, attitudes and habits the child develops during this period can impact the rest of his learning and school experiences.
Whilst there are three groups of stakeholders involved in ensuring the quality of the child’s education, the family, the school, and the government, the school has the responsibility for the quality of service within the educational setting. An examination of policy and practice at Manchester Good Start Centre reveals how this school provides quality of service to its pupils.
The first factor vital to quality of service is that the child comes to school prepared, and into a physically safe environment. It is important that the school and the family work together to provide a safe, productive atmosphere for the child where his educational and related needs can be met. Maslow theorized that there are five levels of need that must be met for any person: physical, safety, social, esteem and self-actualisation (Eggen and Kauchak 1999). Higher levels of functioning cannot be addressed until the lower levels are met. Whilst the first level, the physical needs, are primarily provided by the parents, the school has a responsibility to assist the family and draw in the proper authorities, as needed, to be sure the child is adequately fed, clothed and in good health.
Safety, Maslow’s second level of need, is the responsibility of the school. The facilities and conduct of members of the educational community must be safe for the pupils and staff. Ofsted provides regular inspection of school facilities to ensure they are safe and pupils are interacting safely within them, amongst other things (Ofsted 2000). Beyond the obvious facillity safety issues, for example, Manchester Good Start Centre (MGSC), a nursery school and day care provider, teaches children how to handle and use scissors safely, including passing scissors to others and walking with scissors. On a more serious note, schools can also do much to ensure a child’s safety from others. Not allowing bullying in the school and reporting suspected instances of child abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities are examples of such protection. MGSC, like other reputable schools, has both policy and procedures related to these types of safety concerns. They further have an in-service training annually where these policies and procedures are reviewed.
Another vital factor in high quality education is proper encouragement and control of parental involvement. Ofsted recognizes that parental involvement and contribution are positive factors in children receiving high-quality education (Ofsted 2000). This is supported by data from the National Child Development Study showing that children where parents were substantially involved in their education at age seven had higher attainments at age twenty than those pupils with less parental involvement (Flouri and Buchanan 2004). This includes two factors: eliciting parental involvement and controlling parental involvement. One way MGSC elicits parental involvement is through operation of a Parents’ Centre in conjunction with the school. The Centre provides adult education and courses for parents, many of whom do not have English as their first language. A drop-in care service for parents of pupils at the school and a book lending library are also included at the Centre, as are opportunities for home visits and community work. Having additional services such as these increases the involvement of parents in both the school and their child’s education.
MGSC further provides regular times for meetings between parents and teachers. These times are precluded by a written report being sent home with the child, so both the parents and teacher have a basis for discussion and common understanding concerning the child’s progress. Sometimes, of course, differences between the wants and opinions of parents and the decisions of school staff, or vice versa, create conflictual situations. In these situations it is important that school staff demonstrate good interpersonal skills, involve their administrators where appropriate, and follow school policy. As with input from the child, listening first in conflictual situations is often helpful so that staff and parents are on the same page.
This brings up another factor in quality of early years education: well-trained staff. A recent survey of early years teachers revealed that most will readily admit that they have had very little training, if any, working with parents and feel they would benefit from increased training in this area (Ferrara and Ferrara 2005, 77). A number of changes related to training have been recently implemented by the government to improve both staff training and quality provision of instruction. DfEE’s has a training programme for providers working in early years settings. A foundation stage had been created and desirable outcomes have been replaced by early learning goals, and regulation of day care regulation has been transferred to Ofsted (Ofsted 2000). MGSC has regular in-service trainings for staff on a variety of subjects. Some of these may be led by a teacher from the school, others employ outside trainers. One recent training focused on assessment, and improving the staff’s ability to assess children’s progress and attainment. This training was not only intended for early identification of special educational needs pupils, but for the tracking and improvement of pupils in general. The school wisely provides such training to help its staff make better and more regular use of available resources.
Staff must further behave in a professional manner. As is shown in the above consideration of staff-parent interaction, and in working with pupils, good interpersonal communication is needed.
For example, many times the ability to listen to a child’s experience of a situation is more effective in resolving a problem than simply meting out punishments or rewards (Eggen and Kauchak 1999). At MGSC, a variation of circle time is employed where pupils have both the opportunity to reflect on their activities and discuss their perceptions and feelings. Skills similar to those required for most professions, such as punctuality, confidentiality and teamwork, are vital in the school environment. If school staff is not on time pupils are left without appropriate supervision. Similarly, if a teacher does not keep classroom activities on track, all the learning experiences planned for a given day will not be accomplished, and pupils will not receive the quality of service they deserve. Confidentiality is another professional consideration, particularly in the classroom and in parental discussions. Staff must also be aware of their roles and responsibilities, and how to work as a team. For example, MGSC organises all the teachers of a given year into a team, which meets regularly to discuss how to improve instruction, handle difficulties, and provide general feedback. Staff roles, such as administrators, lead teachers, and the like are all clearly defined by job descriptions.
School organisation is foundational to provision of quality service. The best teacher is less effective without appropriate administration. This includes support for staff, clear guidelines and policies, and opportunities for input and sharing of ideas. Herzberg theorized that there are two factors of motivation. ‘Motivators’ contribute to job satisfaction but have little impact on job dissatisfaction. ‘Hygienes’ contribute to job dissatisfaction but not to job satisfaction (Gardner 1977).According to Herzberg, focusing on Motivators will increases satisfaction but does not decrease dissatisfaction, improving both individual performance and the efficiency of the organisation. Focusing on Hygienes decreases dissatisfaction but does not increase satisfaction, therefore not leading to any improvement in performance (Gardner 1977). School administrations, therefore, are most effective when they focus on staff Motivaors. For example, MGSC uses personnel evaluations where teachers have the opportunity to respond to their evaluations and provide suggestions for what would improve their own performances. This allows the administration to identify Motivators and incorporate them into administrative activities. For example, MGSC administration reviews the way teachers plan, making sure they clearly identify what they intend their pupils to learn, how they are to be grouped, and how staff and volunteers will be used. Administrators further ensure classroom teachers are giving priority to literacy and mathematics. Schools also have the responsibility to provide appropriate resources such as curriculum. Lack of provision of adequate curriculum materials, art supplies, and the like greatly restricts teachers’ ability to provide high-quality lessons.
In conclusion, there are number of factors vital to quality of service in early years instruction. Schools such as Manchester Good Start Centre demonstrate that when these factors are considered and planned for, high-quality of education is likely.
Tags: early years, education, educators, Herzberg, learning, Maslow, schools
