London ReFocus Open Meeting

London ReFocus, as part of Sightlines Initiative Network, invites early educators, artists and others in developing a creative and reflective approach to early years’ education and inspired in their practice by the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Come and hear about Balham Nursery School’s journey in developing an environment with challenging and open ended continuous provision to enable deeper levels of learning and engagement.
You will have a chance to see the environment and hear how we have worked as a staff to develop a reflective learning community which focuses on how we are learning and not just what we are learning.

Balham Nursery School has used the Reggio Emilia approach as a mirror for reflective practice, taking care to ensure it is set in the context of their community. A recent Ofsted Inspection described their work as ‘outstanding’. Members may have seen the article ‘Into focus’ published by Nursery World (5th March 2018) describing their creative use of digital technology.

How to get to the meeting:
By tube: Northern line (direction Morden) to Balham Underground Station
By rail: Victoria (Southern) to Balham Railway Station
By bus: 155, 249

Book early!  Numbers are limited due to constraints on space.

The day is about: "honing education from the principles of relationship, encounter, enquiry, exchange and expression": principles which Sightlines Initiative and settings in its network are working on and towards. Informed by close encounters with the preschools of Reggio Emilia, and with colleagues from the Reggio International Network.

The day will include a mix of presentations and discussions;to mark, question and progress our pedagogy.

OUTLINE AGENDA

• What does it mean to say ‘inspired by Reggio’? - Examining pedagogical development grounded in Sightlines’ and Reggio’s principles: Robin Duckett; (including ‘Languages of Evaluation – evaluating practice from our principles’, Peter Moss)
• Researches: focussing on democracy – Sightlines Network West Midlands; 'the interplay of expressive languages' – Sightlines Network London
• Strategies for documenting and presenting the messages of shared learning (viewing and examining aspects of ‘The Many Faces of the Assembly’ (Reggio Children)

Whether you're already involved in our network or want to find out more the day is for you. We welcome you to attend from independent and statutory early childhood and primary settings.

On the previous day, in nearby Telford, we are holding An Encounter with Madeley Nursery School . This can make an ideal two-day professional development event.

image from 'The Many Faces of the Assembly' c. ReggioChildren

Erasmus+ EU funding is continuing to provide registered UK early childhood settings and schools with valuable opportunities to be ambitious with your pedagogical development visions and plans.

Yes, the application process is complex, but provides a highly valuable context and opportunity for professional enhancement and exchange through Key Action 1.
Participants in past study weeks in Reggio, in our Skylight 2017 group have benefitted from this financial enablement, and notably Medeley Nursery School have undertaken international projects under the Key Action 2 Strategic Partnerships scheme.

The Erasmus+ funding window is imminent, and is relatively brief (October 2018 – Feb 2019.) We have been advised by The British Council, who manage UK applications “eligibility to apply for Erasmus+ funds during this period will remain unchanged for the duration of projects under the current programme. On this basis, the UK Government encourages UK organisations to continue to bid for Erasmus+ funding. You can find more information about this at https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/brexit-update  . Our Erasmus+ deadlines for 2019 have not yet been released. We expect these deadlines to be released in late October. If you have not already, we would advise signing up to the Erasmus+ newsletter, which will inform recipients when the new deadlines are announced. You can subscribe to this newsletter at https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/subscribe-to-our-newsletter.”

Application Process Surgery
In order to help people prepare successfully for applications, we are offering a free online advice surgery for Sightlines Initiative Members. (If you are not a member you can pay a one-off £30  to join the event, or alternatively: join the network first!

DEVELOPING A PEDAGOGY OF ENQUIRY / IN DIALOGUE WITH REGGIO EMILIA: 

CREATIVE EARLY YEARS’ AND PRIMARY PEDAGOGY

There are 3 Phases to this group:

1) PREPARATORY DEVELOPMENT 1st SEPTEMBER 2018 - 30th MARCH 2019

2) ENCOUNTERS IN REGGIO 31st MARCH - 5th APRIL 2019

3) ON COURSE FOR CHANGE APRIL - JUNE 2019

• Have you already visited the preschools of Reggio Emilia on our introductory study week?
• Do you want to develop your knowledge further and dig deeper with like-minded educators?
• Do you want to work together in dialogue with each other and with colleagues in Reggio Emilia, in the construction of an environment of enquiry?
• Is the educational setting in which you work keen for you to play a leading part in its continuing professional development, and to benefit from the learning opportunity of this course?

Then this 2018-19 Skylight study group is for you! It is for educators in settings who have been to Reggio before, are working positively on their professional practice and want the opportunity to enable themselves and their settings to become more skilful and courageous in their work of creating a listening pedagogy.

Key Learning: co-constructed education; understanding and applying principles of ‘listening pedagogy’, the image of the child as competent, sociable and creative learner; education as enquiry and relationship; natures of an enabling environmenttransformative, systemic development in education provision.

Read more ....

What is Democracy? What does Democracy currently look like in our settings?

The network group are exploring this question and will be exploring examples from various settings. We welcome new participants into this discussion.

Here are some of the elements we are looking at:

• Finding out what Democracy actually means.
• Where are we with democracy within our settings? What does it look like in our setting?
• What are the challenges within democracy?
• Culturally in England what does democracy mean?
• Why is democracy a value in the principles of Reggio Emilia?
• Taking the discussions back to the whole team – important!
• What does democracy represent within the British Fundamental Values?
• What are the cultural behaviours of Italy – of Reggio Emilia?
• Who are we?
• What are the ethics of our practice? What do ethics mean? What makes ethical practice?

The venue is Imagine Early Years, at Wyken Community Centre. Please arrive early for drinks and cake!

A one-week study visit to learn about and be inspired by the world-renowned educational approach of the preschools and infant-toddler centres of Reggio Emilia. This course will explore the key principles underpinning the Reggio approach to early childhood education. It will involve lectures, presentations, discussion groups, exhibitions, visits to preschools and infant-toddler centres.

documentation displayed"We are a Reggio inspired school with a beautiful learning environment and exciting child led curriculum. As a research school, we are involved in many national and international projects linked to early learning. Our aim is to create 'a community of learning where there are endless opportunities to discover together through curiosity, creativity and play."

Madeley Nursery School in Telford are keen participants in Sightlines' Network since 2000. This day  is designed for those wanting to explore the possible ways of practicing the principles of an environment of enquiry, and engage in dialogue with a committed staff group who are making keen endeavours to explore and develop their own practice. 

The day will begin promptly at 9a.m. at the Nursery, with an introduction followed by time to observe in the morning. After lunch there will be opportunities for discussion, and at the close of the school day, general discussion with staff. We will explore how the principles of Sightlines Initiative can be developed in your daily practice; the influences and insprations from Reggio, and the inevitable challenges. 

• Are you looking for ways in which your children can explore their world through music and movement?
• Are you intrigued by this concept and want to know more?

Then get access (for free) to Dogs, Bones and Dancing.

This online slideshow/video summarises our 2 year project with a nursery and primary school in Kendal. Discover what we did, what we learned, what obstacles we faced and how the children engaged.

We are making this free to view: you just have to register: when you do, you'll be sent the link.