At New Beginnings we are incredibly passionate about teaching our children how to be healthy. We create our own recipes and menus and are very proud of the food that we provide. We love finding new and exciting ways to incorporate food in our classrooms and encourage the children to grow fruit and vegetables that they can use to cook with.
We are always looking for new ways to ensure that we deliver the best possible experience for our families. We regularly apply for awards and accreditation's that help us to identify and demonstrate the best practice.
This year we have taken part in Healthy Early Years London (HEYL), an awards scheme funded by the Mayor of London. The scheme aims to support London’s 13,000+ early years childcare settings to boost the health, well being and development of under-fives as they grow, play and learn. The award seeks to reinforce healthy habits like healthy eating and daily physical activity, as well as boosting social and emotional well being.
The London Mayors website states why the award was developed.
“Getting a good start in life, building emotional resilience and getting maximum benefit from education are the most important markers for good health and well being throughout life. Early Years settings can lay the foundations for lifelong health and well being as they help children prepare for school.
A significant proportion of London’s children have health problems that may affect their well being and future education. For example:
· almost 1 in 5 children in reception year are overweight or obese
· 1 in 4 five year olds in London have tooth decay
· Children eligible for FSM are almost 20% less likely to have a Good level of development at age 5 than those not eligible
· Babies born in Tower Hamlets are 2.5 x more likely to be born with a low birth weight than those born in Richmond upon Thames
There are 4 levels of Awards - HEYL First Steps, Bronze, Silver and Gold.
At New Beginnings we completed our First Steps award in October 2018. In January 2019 we were awarded the Bronze award and in February we completed the Silver award. We must maintain our Silver award for one year before we can submit further evidence to obtain our Gold award.
In June 2019 we were very pleased to be invited to the first annual celebration event to recognise the achievements of all the Healthy Early Years London settings that achieved the award. This was presented by the London’s Deputy Mayor for Education and Childcare, Joanne McCartney and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan made a surprise visit too.
To qualify for the Awards, we have met specific criteria and standards in the following areas. We have submitted extensive evidence, audits and case studies.
· personal development, behaviour and welfare
· quality of teaching, learning and assessment
· effectiveness of leadership and management
The borough quality assurance group reviews the submitted documents and judges if each setting demonstrates excellent practice.
Excellent practice means the setting is working beyond the essential requirements in the HEYL Award audits and can show the impact of their work.
We are very proud of achievements so far and look forward to applying for our Gold award next year.