There are lots of different ways to build a learning community – with colleagues in your own setting, via online and social media platforms, attending CPD courses in person or virtually, and by visiting other early years providers.
In the 2023 Tapestry survey, more than half (57%) of educator respondents said they would like to develop links beyond their setting or school, however in recent years visiting other settings has been challenging. The pandemic prevented visits completely, while constraints such as budgets, workload, and ratios have increased, making it harder to prioritise visiting other settings.
In addition, local settings may feel that they are in competition, and therefore perhaps reluctant to share approaches. But there is nothing quite like being in another setting, observing children, educators and families in action, and developing in-person professional relationships.
In a recent podcast for the Foundation Stage Forum, chief executive of Early Education, Beatrice Merrick, said, ‘...professional learning that only ever looked at practice within a single setting would be really narrow. It doesn’t give practitioners the breadth of experience that supports high quality practice.’
Visiting a setting is a form of ‘total immersion’ for our professional development. We see pedagogy in action – how it fits into daily routines and how the learning environment supports it. We can also see how the team, children and families co-exist. But how can we make the most of our visit?
Planning your visit
Start by considering the purpose of your visit. Are you looking to observe a particular approach, or to see how an outdoor area has been developed, or maybe your intention is simply to widen your professional network?
Once you’ve settled on the why, you can research and choose a setting. At this point other factors may influence you, such as distance (and therefore cost), similarities or differences in the cohort of children, and whether you already know the setting.
Good communication is key. When you initially approach the host setting, tell them about your provision and explain why you would like to visit. Check what works for them and ask questions that will ensure your visit is worthwhile:
- What’s the best time of day to be there?
- Will there be a tour of the setting? Can you observe a specific practice/approach/space?
- How might you record what you see? What does the host setting allow/suggest?
- Is there anything you need to know in advance?
What to consider during your visit
When you’re invited into a setting, be respectful and observant, be confident in your own professional knowledge, and be curious.
Make sure you get to engage with the purpose of your visit. If you’re there to see a specific approach or learning space, observe how children and staff interact, and talk with an educator who can tell you about the pedagogy, or resourcing and use of a particular area of the environment.
So many ideas can come from paying attention to details. Notice the environment and educators, inside and outside. See how children’s creations are displayed and how the setting approaches transitional moments and care routines. Questions will arise spontaneously while you’re at the setting, but prepare some before you arrive:
- What inspired them to use this approach/space?
- How did they implement it?
- How did they ensure it was inclusive for all children?
- What impact have they noticed?
- How did they support and encourage their team?
- How did they involve families?
- What has worked, and what would they do differently?
Remember, a visit can be the beginning of a longer term professional relationship. Invite colleagues to visit your setting, and follow up with an email sharing some of your reflections.
What did you learn?
Every setting has its own personality – we can’t take something directly from one provider and expect it to work in another. Consider your setting’s cohort of children and families: what will work for them, how can you involve them? Share what you’ve learned with your colleagues and reflect together about the team’s level of experience and knowledge: how will that influence next steps? Look closely at the learning environment: what resources do you already have, how are they arranged, what new things might you need?
These reflections will help you to think creatively about how you can adapt the approaches you’ve observed to enhance your provision. And it’s ok to reflect that something you’ve seen won’t work in your setting.
Finally, it’s essential we consider what we’ve learnt in relation to the values of our setting. Educationalist and storyteller Laura Henry-Allain MBE shared her thoughts on this at a conference about building a community of practice[i]. Laura explained what she asks when visiting a setting as an advisor: ‘...my starting point is around your values, what are your values, what do they look like, what do they feel like, especially for children in your setting.’
Juliet Mickelburgh is an education adviser at Tapestry, the online learning journal, and a former early years and primary school teacher. She is also the content editor for the Foundation Stage Forum.
[i]Building a community of practice 27th June 2023, Foundation Stage Forum https://www.tapestry.info/tec/building-a-community-of-practice.html
