Letting children be children

Is society preventing children from being actively involved in determining their own lives? Leaders from across schools, children’s centres and children’s services met to discuss the question, and Angela Spencer was there.

Childhood isn’t what it used to be. Forty years ago children played up to a mile from their homes with a mixed gaggle of friends, climbing trees and making dens completely unsupervised.

Today, concerns for child safety mean many children are rarely allowed to take such risks. In fact most don’t even leave their back gardens to play. Research shows the area eight and nine year olds venture into has reduced by 90 per cent over 20 years.

Many professionals in children’s services are questioning whether, in striving to make sure children “stay safe” society is eroding their ability to be independent, resilient and make their own choices.

It’s a concern that had substantial airing at a children’s wellbeing event co-hosted by the National College and the Children, Young People and Families Workforce Development Council (CWDC).

"The more you live with security, you undermine your own ability to deal with everyday risk"

Anna Minton, author of Ground Control, a book about life in the contemporary city, told the conference’s 220 delegates that while a fearful child could not learn, the UK had gone too far with its emphasis on safe surroundings, often at the expense of building children’s inner strength.

“In the last few years, we have seen this ramping up of really very high security environments,” she said. “CCTV absolutely everywhere, high walls, high fences. The more you live with security, you undermine your own ability to deal with everyday risk and start to rely on those external controls – and I think that’s quite a dangerous thing.”

Researcher and education consultant Charles Deforges said it wasn’t enough to teach children skills, they also needed to know when and how to apply them in circumstances and environments that their teachers had no control over.

He described the notion of “children’s agency”: of children having a sense of being a player in their own lives rather than a victim that life just happens to. Without this, they could not have wellbeing.

“The system has to be greedy for children’s agency – that’s the most important and fragile ingredient of them all,” he said.

But how do you lead the building of an independent attitude? Sue Egersdorff, the National College’s Extended and Integrated Leadership Team Operational Director, believes a start is to extend learning beyond the prescribed curriculum by asking what other skills children need to be able to make their own choice and recognise their own strengths.

Sue said: “To begin with, we can improve opportunities for children to express themselves in a range of ways, such as through talking, dancing, music, climbing – and we can act on what they tell us so that they know their voices are being heard.

“We can also be flexible about boundaries. Children tell us they like the security of boundaries, but at the same time they need to be able to try things out so that they can experience the sense of achievement that comes with overcoming physical and mental challenge.

“It’s really important though that the challenge is matched to the child because what develops one child’s confidence can undermine another’s. This is where early years’ skills around observing children come in. By watching who immediately climbs to the top of the climbing frame and who skirts around the bottom, you can assess whether a child is risk averse or a risk taker and can then plan their development accordingly.”

Resilience can’t be taught in an hour-a-week slot, but setting aside time to discuss risk-taking – people’s feelings about it and approaches to it – is not a bad idea. “Adults can introduce the language of risk by assessing their own strengths and weaknesses. They can begin to model resilience by being honest about how they feel when they are taken out of their comfort zone,” said Sue.

In Chester, Dee Point Primary has further developed its connections with children outside the classroom through an innovative system of “values education” that connects learning about key life skills with actual outdoor experiences.

Each month classes look at a value such as respect, empathy, courage, and integrates learning about it into their everyday life and lessons. Each value is then linked to learning outside the classroom in activities designed to demonstrate the value at work. Years 4 and 5, for example, are currently looking at “unity” and have just returned from a walking trip at an outdoor residential centre.

Headteacher David Williams said: “We think our programme breaks the mould of traditional outdoor learning in that it is part of a values education that is a thread running through the school. The experiences children receive each year build upon the previous year’s work.”

While the primary responsibility for early years’ professionals is to keep children safe Alison Priestley, Sure Start Lead for the Newcastle East Children’s Centres managed by Barnardo’s, says experienced staff can support and develop a sense of exploration and risk-taking.

“One example is a group where parents and children play together but the lead comes from the children. So if a group of toddlers want to climb and jump off soft play equipment, parents are encouraged to tune in to where children need support with that jump and where they are confident to make the jump alone.

“Another example is a new pond and wildlife area where children can learn about risk and keeping themselves safe with the additional support of a small wooden fence around the area.

"Children like the security of boundaries, but they also need to experience the sense of achievement that comes with overcoming physical and mental challenge"

“It’s a matter of finding the right balance between protecting children’s safety and helping them explore and learn to make choices for themselves.”

The last word on choice goes to a three year old girl interviewed by Jane Haywood, Chief Executive of the CWDC in a survey about what very young children want from their workforce. “I like to be asked what juice I want,” she said. “Even though I usually have strawberry.”

Read on for five first steps leaders can take to help children build an independent attitude.