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Booking Form 2009 Saturday 31 October Stirling Management Centre Stirling University, Stirling

Book before31 July 2009to get theearly bird rateof £65

S C M A C O N F E R E N C EPlay is the most natural thing in the world. We all understand that play is central to children’s learning: be it at home, at school, indoors and outdoors. For us to enable a child to become “a competent learner”, we need to understand ‘what’ and ‘how’ children learn through play. We need to acknowledge that what children learn from play changes as they develop.

“Learning is only partly to do about learning new things. It is mainly about using what is already known, in flexible and imaginative ways. A child at play can do this to the full” Learning through Play, Tina Bruce 2001

Discussion about ‘how’ inevitably moves on to the role of the adult supporting play opportunities and the potential learning that results. Children at times want you to just come and look – they do not necessarily want to talk or ask questions – they simply want to share their excitement with you. The programme of workshops will offer you the opportunity to consider a positive adult role and the need to be a reflective practitioner.

Seminar one: Growing Up in a Risk-averse Society Childhood is being undermined by the growth of risk aversion. This restricts children’s play, limits their freedom of movement and action, corrodes their relationships with adults and constrains their learning. Two radical steps are needed to liberate childhood. The first is that society needs to move from a philosophy of protection to a philosophy of resilience, so children can learn how to cope in an uncertain and fast-moving world. The second is that politicians need to make the creation of child-friendly communities a much higher priority. Only by taking these steps will we strike a better balance between protecting children from genuine threats and giving them rich, challenging opportunities to learn and grow. Presenter: Tim Gill Seminar two: Taking Learning Outdoors It’s easier than you think to take learning outdoors. Outdoor learning impacts positively on young people’s attitudes, beliefs and self-perceptions; for example, independence, confidence, self- esteem and self-efficiency. It brings benefits in the promotion of positive behaviour and improved physical self-image and fitness. Presenter: Claire Warden, Mindstretchers

Workshop Details (subject to change)

Seminars (subject to change)

Workshop one: Physical Play and Development Planning for progression Movement is a key to learning and acts as a huge contributor to the strong foundation for life skills, academic learning and sports participation. In this workshop the crucial relationship between the brain and the body is examined and discussed in relation to how young children learn. Delivered by: Yvonne Smillie, Experiential Play Workshop two: Play it Safe Providing an exciting play environment for children whilst keeping children safe from possible infection is a key responsibility for all childminders. New national guidance on infection prevention and control in childcare settings offers information and best practice advice on how to help keep children safe when they are playing by reducing the risks of infection. Delivered by: Gillian Stevenson, Nurse Consultant for Infection Prevention and Control, Care Commission Workshop three: Developing Free Play in a Child Centred Play Environment This workshop looks at play theory and principles and will help you develop new approaches to designing an exciting, fun and varied play setting to increase choice and freedom across a range of play opportunities. Participants will be encouraged to look at innovative ways to transform more structured play opportunities into free play and will be encouraged to share good practice and develop new routines and planning formats to promote a child centred play environment. Delivered by: Anne Emerson-Smith, Play Training and Consultancy

Workshop four: People Play Together More Play Scotland works to promote the importance of play for all children and young people. Here they offer practical advice on supporting children of all abilities to play, including; tailoring approaches to suit individual needs and interests; how the adult can best support children playing together; building confidence to play and of course, lots of practical play ideas. Delivered by: Play Scotland Workshop five: Managing Risk in Play All children, from an early age, both need and want to take risks in order to explore limits, venture into new experiences and develop their capacities, e.g. learning to walk, climb stairs or ride a bike. Good play opportunities should offer children the chance to take acceptable risks as part of a stimulating, controlled, learning environment. Childminders need to make judgements about the acceptability of risks. Come and learn more about getting the balance right in risk assessments. Delivered by: David Yearley, RoSPA Workshop six: Everyone Has the Right to Play Article 31 of the U.N. Rights of the Child states that “All children have a right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of activities”. To make this happen in practice, and to enable you to do this, you must have an understanding of needs. The purpose of this workshop is to raise awareness of the different types of learning difficulties, how to recognise them, how to help a child/family when there is a diagnosed or suspected difficulty, and how to manage the child’s behaviour. Delivered by: Mig Coupe, Mindroom

Booking Form Name Designation

Address

Tel Number (including code)

Email address

Are you an SCMA Member? Yes No If yes, enter your membership number here:

If no, would you like a membership form?

Yes No Will you be attending the Drinks Reception on Friday 30 October – NO FEE

Yes No Will you be attending the Gala Dinner on Saturday 31 October – MEMBERS £33 NON-MEMBERS £43

Yes No Please specify any dietary requirements or additional needs:

Is this the first time you have attended SCMA Conference?

Yes No Do you require use of the crèche?

Yes No If yes, you will need to provide a lunch for each child, and they will need picked up at lunchtime. Please provide the names and ages of each child attending the crèche:

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About the Keynote Speaker

Tim Gill is one of the UK's leading thinkers on childhood and an effective advocate for change. His work focuses on children's play and free time. Tim has advised political parties and thinktanks across the political spectrum. His consultancy clients include Barnardo’s, the Forestry Commission, Groundwork UK and the Mayor of London. His book No Fear: Growing up in a risk averse society was published in 2007.

Venue

Stirling Management Centre, Stirling Stirling Management Centre is the only venue in Scotland with the highly coveted Conference Centre of Excellence Award, so it is more than capable to meet our needs. It is situated right at the very “heart of Scotland”, beside Stirling University, equidistant from Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Friday 30 October Drinks reception – free

Join us on the Friday night, as you arrive, for a glass of bubbly or fresh orange as a ‘thank you’ for all the work you do on behalf of SCMA and for childminding as a whole. This is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the Association and get in the mood for a great weekend ahead at the conference.

Saturday 31 October Gala Dinner & Disco £33 (members) £43 (non-members)

Everyone loves to dress up in their finery for a wonderful evening out, so this year, the theme for the Gala Dinner will be ’Glitz and Glamour’. Use this as the perfect excuse to buy a ballroom gown, polish your string of pearls, dust off your tiara and celebrate the achievements of the Association.

Your Itinerary You may attend one workshop or seminar in the morning and one in the afternoon. Places will be allocated on a first come / first served basis, so please book early to avoid disappointment. Please make a first and second choices for each session in case we are unable to provide you with your first choice. My morning session workshop/seminar First choice: Second choice:

My afternoon session workshop/seminar

First choice:

Second choice:

Payment details Conference Fees • Members – £75 Non-members – £150 (please note lunch is included in this fee)

• Early Bird Discount, delegates booking before 31 July 2009 only pay £65 for members and £130 for non-members

• Gala Dinner – £33 members / £43 non-members

Payment for the conference may be made by cheque, postal order or by credit/debit card. To pay using your credit/debit card please complete the form below, or return the booking form with a cheque (made payable to ‘Scottish Childminding Association’) or postal order for the correct amount. Return forms to Conference Bookings 2009, SCMA Head Office, 7 Melville Terrace, Stirling FK8 2ND.

TOTAL AMOUNT DUE CARD HOLDER NAME (as displayed on card) CARD NUMBER

ISSUE NUMBER (if applicable) START DATE EXPIRY

£

Please return your booking form by 28 September 2009 NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE AFTER 2 OCTOBER

SCOTTISH CHILDMINDING ASSOCIATION 7 MELVILLE TERRACE, STIRLING FK8 2ND

TEL: 01786 445377

Quality Childminding...building confident children within a family childcare experience

Directions

Directions will be included in your delegate pack which will be posted to you nearer the conference date.

Accommodation

Please contact Stirling Management Centre for information on 01786 451712 or email: smc.sales@stir.ac.uk Alternatively, contact Visit Scotland for information on other available accommodation. Tel: 0845 2255 121 or visit: www.visitscotland.com.

9.00 am Registration and Coffee 9.30 am Welcome and Introduction 9.45 am Keynote Speaker: Tim Gill 10.15 am AGM 11.30 am Seminar/Workshop 1 1.00 pm LUNCH

2.15 pm Youth Theatre TBC

2.45 pm Seminar/Workshop 2 4.15 pm SCMA Achievement Awards 4.30 pm Close

Timetable (subject to change)

3 DIGIT SECURITY CODE