Meeting diverse needs: the view from a local authority
Joy Barter, Group Manager, Early Years Foundation Stage and Childcare, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Barking and Dagenham in East London is one of the fastest growing English boroughs, and has a population profile which is increasingly young and non-white. A quarter of its population is aged under 15, while 25% is from Black and Minority Ethnic groups. In terms of school age children, 45% of pupils are from the latter groups, and 24% of the school population has English as a second language.
The borough is also poor, with high levels of deprivation, high levels of unemployment and low levels of adult basic skills. It is estimated that 32% of children under the age of 16 live in income-deprived families. However, the borough has historically provided very low numbers of childcare places and the early years workforce has had low levels of qualifications, and it is this situation which is currently being addressed as a matter of urgency.
Recent efforts have resulted in a large scale growth of childcare facilities, including the provision of 12 fully operational children’s centres, 20 full time daycare centres, 15 registered pre-school establishments, 22 out of school clubs and 250 registered childminders. The diversity of the childcare workforce has also increased, so that in 2007, 57% were from Black and Minority Ethnic groups. However, there are concerns about the tokenism of provision for Minority Ethnic children and families, which has prompted research within the borough.
Research into the childcare needs of culturally diverse families
Through the Childcare Sufficiency Survey users expressed satisfaction with the locations, facilities and opening hours of childcare settings, although the high costs and lack of flexibility of provision proved less satisfactory: overall 87% of users felt their needs were met.
Focus groups helped to identify the particular concerns of parents from the Asian and Black African communities, who commented that generally there were too few staff of Asian or Black origin, so that some nurseries were felt to be 'too white', and also that some staff were young and inexperienced.
Parents felt that many centres placed too much emphasis on celebrating Christian festivals, and some would prefer separate religious-based nurseries. However, they were keen for their children to learn and speak English in pre-school settings, recognising that the ability to speak English would assist them in gaining educational qualifications and employment.
Continuing issues
Migration continues to present challenges as new groups continue to arrive, many of whom face language barriers and lack access to any support networks. Children’s outcomes at the end of the Reception year continue to show deep inequalities between groups including those with English as an additional language. White British boys appear to underachieve disproportionately. Childcare providers and practitioners may still have only limited understanding of the particular needs and expectations of newly arriving families, and may base their practice on stereotypes and generalisations.
There is a danger that all ‘others’ are assumed to have the same needs but there are likely to be considerable differences between, for example, migrants from Asia and Eastern Europe. Differences extend beyond cultural and religious understandings to ideas about learning and pedagogy (eg parents may not share the practitioners’ enthusiasm for play as a medium for learning). These differences present a challenge to practitioners who are not confident about articulating their own pedagogy and curriculum.
Research questions
- How can parents be helped to trust the childcare services they use, particularly if they are unable to make their day-to-day anxieties and needs known?
- How can the levels of knowledge, skills and understanding among childcare workers - some of whom are poorly educated and paid - be enhanced, so that parents are treated with genuine respect and engaged in more equal dialogue?
- What can be done to improve the Foundation Stage profiles of all children?
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