Inclusive practice
Guidance and strategies on inclusive practice to support all children.
Early years and childcare providers must plan to meet the needs of all children in their provision regardless of their individual needs, their family circumstances or their background. Practitioners should work to create an environment that values diversity and promotes inclusion.
The information on this page is aimed at early years and childcare professionals looking to support specific groups of children who may have additional support needs.
The tools and resources on this page will support you to enable children with additional support needs to access your setting’s curriculum alongside their peers.
Their additional need is not a special educational need or disability (SEND) need, but they may also have SEND needs. Practitioners should monitor all children’s progress, identify any delays in their learning and development and provide appropriate support to enable them to achieve their potential.
You can find additional support information to children with SEND on our SEND web pages.
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people form discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations.
Guidance for providers
- Disabled Children and the Equality Act 2010 for Early Years - Council for Disabled Children
- Help for early years providers: Meeting the needs of all children - Department for Education
- Help for early years providers: Diverse world - Department for Education
- Inclusive practice and equalities resources – Birth To 5 Matters
Additional information
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Children who come from a family where English is not the main language used at home are often referred to as having English as an additional language (EAL). Having more than one language can be an advantage for children, but children with EAL are likely to need some additional support to learn English.
If a child is starting in an early years and childcare setting with no or limited experience of hearing English, they are likely to need reassurance and support to build their confidence within the setting. Supporting children by using key words in their home language and using visual prompts will support children to understand the routines and expectations in the setting.
“For children whose home language is not English, providers may take reasonable steps to provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning, supporting their language development at home.”
(EYFS statutory framework)
- Help for early years providers: EAL - Department for Education - training to support practitioners working with children with EAL
- Understanding the steps of learning for children with English as an additional language in the Early Years (PDF, 4.5MB) - developed by Ethnic Minority Achievement Service in Brighton and Hove
Bilingualism does not cause communication and language delays, but practitioners should be aware of any delays and seek to understand if these indicate a SEND need. Talking to parents or carers and understanding the child’s language development in their home language will help to understand if a child is in need of additional support.
Some parents or carers will want to speak in English at home to support their child but it is usually better for them to continue to use their home language to support their child’s language development.
Additional information and support
- Bilingual quick tips - National Literacy Trust - a series of bilingual quick tips in 19 different languages for parents and early years practitioners to help children develop good talking and listening skills
- Guidance for parents of students who use EAL: Helping children learn - The Bell Foundation – downloadable, short, easy to understand guides for parents of children with EAL, outlining how to get involved in and support their children learning (available in the 22 most commonly used first languages in the UK)
- The National Children's Bureau: Supporting bilingual families – information on supporting bilingual families
- The National Literacy Trust – the national literacy trust have resources that you can share with families translated into a range of languages
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Early years and childcare settings should be a space where all children feel safe and secure to learn and play without experiencing prejudice. Practitioners should avoid gender stereotyping or limiting the experiences offered to children based on their gender or personal preferences.
Practitioners should also respond positively to issues of gender and sexuality with families and practitioners in the setting.
“Providers must follow their legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 including the fair and equal treatment of practitioners regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.”
(EYFS statutory framework)
There are a growing number of resources to support practitioners in considering how to support issues of gender identity and sexual orientation including the following:
- Allsorts Youth Project
- Challenging gender stereotypes in the Early Years - The Foundation Stage Forum
- Confident, capable and creative: Supporting boys’ achievements (PDF, 1.7MB)
- Early Years Research - Zero Tolerance
- Eight ways to challenge stereotypes in Early Years settings - Let Toys Be Toys
- Language Tips - Zero Tolerance
- Top 10 FAQs on Gender Equality in the Early Years - Zero Tolerance
- Unlimited Potential - The final report of the Commission on Gender Stereotypes in Early Childhood - The Fawcett Society
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It is likely that within your setting you will have children and families with a range of ethnicities and faith backgrounds. Gathering information about children’s backgrounds will enable you to support them effectively.
Parents/carers may be happy to share aspects of their ethnicity or faith with children in your settings. This will provide enrichment to your curriculum as well as modelling how diversity is valued.
The links below provide more information and guidance about supporting children and families with different ethnic and faith backgrounds:
- Building futures: Believing in children - A focus on provision for Black children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (PDF, 1.7MB)
- Building Futures: Developing trust - A focus on provision for children from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller backgrounds in the Early Years Foundation Stage (PDF, 1.6MB)
- Glossary - The Anti-Racist Educator
- Helping young children to think about race in the early years - Anna Freud
- How do I talk about race with children in the Early Years setting? - The Foundation Stage Forum
- Nurturing children's spiritual development in early childhood context - The Foundation Stage Forum
- Working with families from diverse communities in the early years - Anna Freud
Although they don’t work directly with early years and childcare providers, the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service are a source of information, support and training.
There may be times when cultural values need to be challenged or cannot be accommodated within your setting. This could include where a child’s wellbeing is compromised or where personal preferences conflict with your setting ethos and routines – such as a preference for only female staff to change a child’s nappy. Issues can usually be avoided by engaging in an open and honest dialogue with families and working together to find solutions.
Where you are concerned about a child’s wellbeing, you may find the child abuse linked to faith or belief web page on the West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership website useful.