Norway trip - Framework for Quality

1. Early Childhood Education Ireland in Trondheim
Visiting Section Education and Early Development 16.october 2014
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2. Framework for quality in kindergartens in Trondheim
•One section for education , child care , youth services, child protection services
•All children of 1 year and above have a legal right to a place in kindergarten
•Since 2006 there has been full kindergarten coverage in Trondheim 88 % of 1-2 year olds and 99 % of 3 and above attend kindergarten
•76 ordinary private kindergartens and ca.60 family kindergartens There are 108 publicly owned kindergartens that are organised in 59 administrative entities 61 % of children attend publicly owned kindergartens
•Aprox. 11 000 children attend kindergartens in Trondheim
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3. Framework for quality in kindergartens in Trondheim
•8 -9 % of the children represent more than 90 languages ( refugees, immigrants and students)
•Trondheim has all its (pre-school) kindergarten teacher positions filled by qualified staff
•Very good results in client and employee quality surveys - every second year
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4. § 16. Supervision ”the municipality shall supervise undertakings pursuant to this act
Electronic auditing; all kindergarten are obliged to participate every third year. There are annual on-site audits of approximately 20 kindergarten
Topical audits; all kindergarten are obliged to participate every third year. There are annual on-site audits of approximately 10 kindergarten. The topic for the audit is chosen in collaboration with Oppvekstkontoret. In 2011 -2013 the topic is: Kindergarten – an inclusive arena. I 2014 -2017 the topic is : Kindergarten – an arena for linguistic competence http://www.udir.no/Upload/barnehage/Rammeplan/Framework_Plan_for_the_Content_and_Tasks_of_Kindergartens_2011_rammeplan_ engelsk.pdf
Incident based audits; complaint initiated audits where there are allegations that services at a specific kindergarten are either unacceptable or break the law.
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5. Framework for quality i kindergartens in Trondheim
•Good and systematic co-operation with private kindergartens
•A systematic approach to working with children with disabilities
•A plan for auditing management in Trondheim’s kindergartens
•Programme for quality development in Trondheim’s kindergartens
•A separate competence plan for working with multilingual children
- language stimulation
- multilinguicity as a resource - International Child Development Program /ICDP
•development of co-operation agreements with private kindergartens
•Management agreements for publicly owned kindergartens – reciprocal agreements between unit managers and chief city executive
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6. Quality and professional priorities in kindergarten 2011-2014
National strategies
- assure equality and high qualitative standards in all kindergartens
- strengthen kindergarten as an arena for learning, ( thats new)
- all children shall be able to actively participate in an inclusive community
- more tests and metods based om science
View of children
- children’s participation
New knowledge about young children
- the importance of making attachments
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7. Local guidelines 2011-2014
•Kindergarten have a learning environment that encourages and challenges children’s interests, curiosity and desire to learn
•Kintergartens are an inclusive arena that stimulate a good language development and language comprehension
•Improved knowledge about quality in kindergartens
•Kindergartens promote a healthy environment and sustainable development
•Kindergarten work systematically and specifically with at risk children and families
•Quality assurance of services to children and young people
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8. Discussions
- 1. Evidence-based methods for monitoring and initiatives versus free play and childrens varying manner of expression
For example: The philosophy of Reggio Emilia has a firm hold in many kindergartens
2. Earlier: Kindergartens that replace/compensate for the home environment Now: Kindergartens exist for the child – ” places for learning ” workshops and activity areas
3. Is there a qualitative difference between small and large kindergartens?
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9. Strategies for working with quality
•The programme for quality development applies to all of Trondheim’s kindergartens
•Maintain and take advantage of existing expertise – build on knowledge and experience already present in the organisation
•Project organisation of expertise development in networks for example: Information technology, Places for learning , Reggio Emilia philosophy, man in kindergartens...
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10. Strategies for working with quality
•Professional supervisors for prioritised topics/ themes
- nutrition and health, mathematics, language,
•courses and training
•Collaboration with DMM university college and NTNU , the university
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11. Programme for quality in Trondheim 2011-2014
•The programme is based on national and local guidelines and is developed in collaboration with managers in Trondheim’s kindergartens
•Kindergarten as an arena for learning; Kindergartens have a learning environment that supports and challenges children’s interests, curiosity and desire to learn
•Comprehensive and varied methods of working with learning
•Inclusive arena and stimulating for good language development and comprehension
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12. Programme for quality in Trondheim 2011-2014
•Strengthen management of the pedagogical work in kindergartens
•Improve both knowledge of, and skills in, pedagogical mentoring
•Early intervention; systematic and specific efforts for working with
at-risk children and families
•Quality assurance of service provision
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