The 'Changing Rooms Challenge' was launched on Monday, whenrepresentatives from more than 65 providers attended an event organisedby the town's early years service.
Paula Williams, workforce development and quality assuranceco-ordinator, said the initiative was inspired by the recent launch ofcountry singer Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Rotherham (News, 13December 2007). 'We set things up so that it was like nursery provisionfor the children who attended that event and realised how quickly wecould do that,' she said.
The Changing Rooms challenge is designed to prepare settings for theEarly Years Foundation Stage. Liz Brown, co-ordinator at the Kimberworthchildren's centre, said it would provide fresh thinking and ideas forstaff and have 'a major impact on children's learning'.
Laura Gateley, Rotherham's quality early years and childcare developmentofficer, recently did a work placement at the Kimberworth centre as shepursued Early Years Professional status. She said, 'This challenge willhelp to open up practitioners to new ideas and ways of working. When youare working in a setting day in and day out, you can get into a bit of arut.'
Practitioners who attended the launch were given cameras to recordmaterial on display so they could inform colleagues who were unable toattend.
Paula Williams said, 'This is an exciting time for early yearsproviders, and the new regulations present people with a challenge tomeet them. That's why we wanted to make the challenge as fun as possibleand at the same time involve parents, carers, children and the communityso they can share the experience of providing the highest standards ofearly years care and education.'