Play Strategy For Scotland: Learning About Play - Investigating Play Through Relevant Qualifications In Scotland

Executive Summary

The Scottish Government National Play Strategy for Scotland - Our Vison was published in June 2013 followed by an associated National Play Strategy For Scotland - Our Action Plan (2013a) in October 2013. In November 2013, the Play Strategy Implementation Group (PSIG) was set up to ensure delivery of actions within the plan. This research report relates primarily to Action 7.1 -

"task a working group to review current levels of play training provided to school and nursery staff and to recommend how elements of play rights, theory and practice could be incorporated in both the initial professional training and career long professional learning and leadership" (Scottish Government, 2013a, p.20). In order: "to ensure that all education manager, school and centre leaders, school staff and early years practitioners are adequately trained on the importance of play and are able to support qualify play opportunities in their setting," (Scottish Government, 2013a. p.20).

The report also relates to four additional action points from the plan: The literature review for this research contributes towards a medium term aim of:

7. 2 "Commission and publish an evidence/literature review on links between play and children's attainment, achievement, wellbeing and learning across all ages, stages and abilities. - To build knowledge, and increase awareness amongst educators, parents and carers of the impact of outdoor and indoor play and active learning opportunities on children's learning and development at all stages of education" " (Scottish Government, 2013a, p.21)

9.2 "Promote the Play Strategy: Our Vision to universities delivering the B.Ed. and M.Ed. and the Childhood Practice Award" (Scottish Government, 2013a, p.29)

9.8 "Investigate how the skills of the play workforce could be utilised more widely to develop quality of play opportunities in a range of other settings." (Scottish Government, 2013a, p.32)

9.9 "Map career long professional learning opportunities available to play workforce across

Scotland to identify gaps and ensure quality" (Scottish Government, 2013a, p.32)

It was agreed that the first main action point should be divided into two main strands of work-

The first to look at how, and if, play is included and covered in formal qualifications for all professionals working with children within early years, education and childcare settings in Scotland (an expansion beyond that of the original remit of nursery and school staff). The professional qualifications to be looked at relate to teachers; daycare of children (nursery, playgroup and out of school care) workers; residential childcare workers; pupil support assistants; childminders and playworkers.

The second strand was to compile information on play training providers offering Continuous Professional Development (CPD) play training for professionals, separate to any formal qualifications, and the play training that they offer. (The training section contains a separate discussion of the methodology used for this strand of work).

STRUCTURE CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

While this report is primarily a rich information resource, there are ideas and recommendations developed through the synthesis of literature, findings and discussions held over the course of this research process.

The main report is divided into executive summary, introduction, context and background, then interviews. The Literature Review follows and develops the evaluation criteria. This is used to analyse the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) regulated workforce qualifications; with a section on Childhood Practice degree level courses and above, as well as a section on SVQs, PDA and NC/HNC level qualifications.

There is a complete section on Play in Education, which includes data on qualifications, providers, Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) (Scottish Executive, 2004) and associated guidance, early learning and childcare guidance, results of the teacher training survey and focus group discussions, and resources from Education Scotland. This is analysed according to the evaluation criteria developed through the literature review.

There is a specific training section, which discusses the training survey, methods, results and concluding points. This information is all brought to the discussion and conclusions final section.

Where this work is a rich information resource is that all of the data compiled on the courses and individual qualifications is set out in a series of tables in the appendices. Many are either hyperlinked to source material directly or with links provided in the extensive references section to the universities or providers of degree level and above courses, relating to childhood practice and teacher training.

There is also an extensive table setting out play training providers with their contacts and throughout the document, relevant agencies, legislation or any information obtainable online is hyperlinked or links are provided in the references section. Therefore, readers of the full report can use the appendix information to find out more, or form their own conclusions. After the publication of the final draft of this report in March 2015, the Scottish Government website changed from www.scotland.gov.uk to www.gov.scot therefore in June 2015 the relevant links in the references section and the main hyperlinks in the text have been updated to reflect this change.

Background and Context

The introduction immediately addresses the UNCRC (UN, 1989) in terms of the right to play under Article 31, and the related General Comment (UN, 2013), but also brought in other Articles relating to children's rights to education, Articles 28 and 29, as well as participatory rights and freedom of expression, Articles, 12 and 13.

Most services In Scotland, providing play, including free and spontaneous play, as set out in the Playwork Principles (Playwork Principles Scrutiny Group, 2005) are also concerned with children's care, development and learning. This can be in either the specific educational sense (active learning in early learning and childcare and in Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) (Scottish Executive, 2004) or in a broader social and cultural sense (out of school care, playgroups, childminding, parent and toddler groups, play break times).

We found that in investigating the play content of qualifications, for the relevant workforces in Scotland, to focus only on the narrower playwork principles definition of play, as the analytic tool, would miss many other strong dimensions of play within qualifications. Play is a necessary part of child development and learning, and should be covered, in this sense, in workforce training and qualifications. Furthermore, we found that the play environment, children's rights, creativity and curriculum also all relate to the question of discovering how play is covered in qualifications and training.

A background section provides contextual data on the SSSC registered workforce and the GTCS teacher workforce, alongside data of children using services or school pupil numbers. The roles of the regulatory bodies such as the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland, as well as that of relevant Sector Skills Councils (SSSC, SkillsActive) and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), are also covered in this section. The common core for social services qualifications is also described in this section. The Play in Education section includes the role of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), while the Standard for Childhood Practice (QAA, 2007) is included in the Degree level qualifications and above section.

METHODOLOGY

Initial research was conducted to supplement information on relevant contacts in terms of providers of qualifications, national occupational standards (NOS), and relevant contacts for interviews and online training surveys for play training providers and, later, teaching training surveys. All providers of the main degree level qualifications for the SSSC registered workforce and teacher training providers were contacted, as well as some specialist courses in the UK.

Detailed information was obtained from all but two (Glasgow and Edinburgh which both provided some information) of the childhood practice related degree courses, and this information was analysed and set out in the appendix (tables 1.1 - 8.1) all core modules are covered and relevant identified modules relating to the enquiry are also set out in each table. The references section contains direct links to all course website pages.

There was a poor response from the teacher training providers. This gap was addressed by producing a short online survey, which gained responses from three teacher training providers, holding a focus group of teachers and primary school assistants, and conducting in depth research into guidance, registration standards and contents relating to CfE, teacher training and early learning and childcare in Scotland. This information is compiled in the Play in Education Section, with hyperlinks to literature, government policies, relevant agencies and information resources. There are also links to all teacher training provider websites in the references section.

For the relevant Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs), HNCs and PDAs this data was gathered and reviewed via publicly available online sources, such as the National Occupational Standards (NOS) as it would have been impossible to contact or identify every single college or accredited centre. Over 350 individual units within the 15 qualifications relating to the main SVQs accepted on the SSSC register from levels 5 - 9 were analysed, and the appendix provides hyperlinked tables to demonstrate the core units and those units identified as relevant for the enquiry, for each qualification.

The online play training survey responses are set out in the play training section while again the appendix provides a table of further useful information and contacts for play training. A series of interviews were held (interview section) with key agencies and individuals, including two interviews each with representatives from the Sector Skills Councils (SSSC and SkillsActive), the SSSC and GTCS in their regulatory roles, representatives from universities providing the BA Childhood Practice, national childcare organisations, SVQ qualification providers, playwork researchers and experts, and playwork masters level course providers.

LITERATURE REVIEW

A broad ranging literature review, includes a sketched historical perspective on early philosophies relating to play e.g. Locke (1884), Groos (1898, 1901), Huizinga (1949), Hall, (1904), alongside the child development and early learning pioneers e.g. Rousseau (1762), Froebel (1826), Dewey, (1897), Steiner (2002/1965), Montessori (Pollard, 1990) the McMillan sisters (Steedman, 2004) and Robert Owen's groundbreaking work in Scotland (Donnachie,2003).

The review covers play theorists relating to playwork: e.g. Bonel and Lindon (2009), Hughes (2001, 2006), Brown (2003, 2009) Sturrock and Else (1998), Sutton-Smith (1997), Russell and Lester (2008), Gill (2014), Greave and Cole-Hamilton (2011, 2012) Rogers, Pelletier and Clarke (2009) and, Else, Sexton and Nutall (2010). The Playwork Principles (Playwork Principles Scrutiny Group, 2005) and the role of the playworker are included.

Child development and learning theorists illustrate that play is an integral part of learning and development, in a wide range of views: e.g. Piaget (1955, 1962), Vygotsky (1933/1966, 1978, 1987), Bronfenbrenner (1979), Erikson (1951), Bandura, Ross and Ross, (1961), Ainsworth and Bell (1970), Laevers (1994, 2001) and, Bruner and Ross (1976). The work of socio-cultural researchers, sets out the cultural context, such as Rogoff (2003), Lave and Wenger (1991), James and Prout (2004), and Super and Harkness (1986, 1992).

Recent paradigms, based on children's rights, participation and perceptions, their agency and choice: e.g. Kellett (2005, 2009a & b, 2010), Siraj- Blatchford (2002, 2009) Moss and Petrie (2002) are also considered relevant for the current context for play, and this includes new methodologies in consulting with and acting on children's own views. Bruce (2001) emphasises the importance of play for young children, Moyles (2010) and Goouch (2008) discuss playful pedagogies and different perspectives on play and learning. Malaguzzi, in Edwards, Gandini, & Forman (2008), affirms the 100 languages of children, and the concept of the rich child in terms of their own creative talents, interests and engagement.

The literature review has two focused sections: one on break/ play time in schools, (Blatchford and Baines (2013) breaktime project, the British Library Opie's related research project (2011), Grounds for Learning reports (Robinson, 2014a, b & c), Lawton, Audain and Shoolbread (2008) lunchtime research). The other is a case study of the Finnish Education system (Sahlberg, 2014a, b & c), including play as process, in a small study of primary schools in Finland (Hyvönen, 2011).

These studies extend thinking about how play can support education, whilst still remaining free play processes for children. They also ensure that the needs of school aged children are covered and to demonstrate the value of play in and out of the classroom, in terms of supporting children's wellbeing and learning needs, and the importance of a supportive environment (political, cultural, social, emotional and physical) for play. The literature review underpins the evaluative framework.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Main themes:

• Play Pedagogies/ Playwork Theory and Practice
• Play, Child Development and Learning

Sub themes

• Children's Rights and International modern/postmodern theory
• Play and Learning Environment
• Play and Learning - Creativity, curriculum, Active Learning / digital learning

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Research questions:

1: To what extent is play covered in formal qualifications within education, childcare (and play) settings? (Action 7.1)

We found that more than half the Childhood Practice BA, BA (Hons) MEd, PGDip and PDA level 9 Qualifications covered Play Pedagogies, Playwork related theories and practice in some detail (Table 32), however, most in depth modules were optional. All covered play in terms of child development and learning, included children's rights, the environment, curriculum and some covered creativity. These are mainly management and leadership qualifications, their core modules focus more on this and all are aligned to the Standard for Childhood Practice (QAA, 2007) (see Tables 1.1-8.1).

Apart from one historical support worker qualification (HNC for ASN), the fourteen SVQ or NC/HNC, PDA or progression awards qualifications assessed, contain play in the fundamental playwork sense in either core or optional units. Those with mandatory core units include The National Progression Award in Playwork and Childcare at level 5, the SVQ playwork at levels 6, 7 and 9, the NC (level 6) and HNC (level 7) in Early Education and Childcare, the OU DipHE at level 7, including module E100, accepted for support workers. The SVQ Social Services (CYP) at levels 9, 7 and 6 all covered this only in optional units, as did the SVQ CCLD at levels 9, 7 and 5.

The SVQ CCLD level 9 does not actually mention play but does cover child development and learning, conversely, there is little about child development or learning in the playwork related qualifications.

Most other qualifications covered play in the child development and learning sense. At the lower levels of qualifications, children's rights are mainly about protection rather than participation, while the environment is better covered across all qualifications and a few have specialist units on creativity, while many focus on curriculum related topics. The SVQs Social Services (CYP) all have value statements about child agency and choice and therefore meet rights criteria through this.

Play in Education

Free play is included in the curriculum and is a strong feature of guidance for the youngest children, including reference to the play strategy and playwork principles in Building the Ambition (Scottish Government, 2014a) and guidelines for the curriculum in early learning (Scottish Executive, 2007) also mentions free play and active learning.

Child development and learning though play is well understood in a range of guidance materials and especially through using the concept of active learning, which does include spontaneous and free as well as planned play. Outdoor learning guidance also includes active learning and child agency and choice (Learning Teaching Scotland, 2010a)

Through teacher registration standards (GTCS, 2012) and links to the UNCRC (UN, 1989) and Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), (Scottish Government, 2008a) , teacher training includes children's rights and agency, as well as their holistic wellbeing needs under GIRFEC (Scottish Government,2008a), which is also reflected in the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) overarching indicators (Scottish Executive, 2004).

Teacher training providers cover play and child learning and development, with one mentioned this comprised around a third of their course, however, one teacher interviewed in the focus group who had done the PGDE (2011) felt neither play or child development were covered.

The OU courses for education support assistants (Table 15) are very focused on play in both the playwork principles sense and on active learning, creativity, the environment for play and children's rights, as well as curriculum and specific topics.

Teachers and PSAs interviewed in the focus group believed in children having opportunities to play, even take risks, and play in school for this to help make learning fun. They felt that there was not support for this from society, and this was also borne out in early year's curriculum guidance (Scottish Executive, 2007), which noted that it might be hard to convince parents of the value of learning through play in schools, although teachers should try to do so.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) also can accredit "professional update" courses, and there is an example given of a recent award developed on the topic of outdoor learning.

Other Courses: Table 9: Robert Gordon University of Aberdeen BA Social Pedagogy (Working with Children / Working with Adults) and Table 10: University of Strathclyde: The MSc in Advanced Residential Child Care: For both courses there was limited information about child development and care, global and contemporary issues are covered while the lifespace relates to the ecological environment.

2: Are there existing courses or units in qualifications or CPD courses relating to play that could be integrated into other qualifications where there is little/no evidence of play? (Action 7.1)

This question needed to be changed, as all qualifications did contain play (bar one), to: What additional units or CPD courses could complement the training already in place on play in qualifications?

At the BACP/ PDA degree level (and above) in SSSC registration qualifications, it was demonstrated that at least five courses contained a range of optional in depth materials on play pedagogies, playwork theory and principles.

The (forthcoming) updated Standard for Childhood Practice (QAA, 2007) will likely incorporate Government legislation and guidance as part of the updating process (interviews), therefore, this will include GIRFEC, the National Play Strategy and Associated Action Plan (Scottish Government, 2013b, 2013a) and the Children and Young People Act 2014, with associated guidance. Given that courses must map on to the Standard for Childhood Practice, those that already include play theories, play pedagogy and principles, will not have much to change, however, others might need to develop additional materials in optional modules.

Above BA level, there are opportunities to develop modules covering play in both the widest sense and in the stricter free play sense, which could be applicable to both childhood practice graduates and to teachers looking to work towards master's level. E.g. The University of Strathclyde: Early Years Pedagogue (Table 11) contains all of the elements of the criteria developed to analysis the different types of play, play in learning and development, the play environment, children's rights, global and modern theories, children's languages and creativity and curriculum such as Te Whariki.

Play is expected to be part of the learning practice in Primary 1 and Primary 2 through CfE, and this is perhaps an area where qualifications for Pupil Support Assistants provide a bridge across the active learning, curriculum and playwork, especially where options to cover playwork training are taken up by assistants. The playwork unit, supporting playwork in schools, might be useful here, but again, perhaps this is needed at level 7 as well as level 6 and all Playwork SVQs could be updated to include more knowledge of the curriculum, active learning and child development, which might then equip workers with skills to work in both play and school settings.

In the interviews, it was identified that suitable professional update courses could be accredited by GTCS and a CPD course on play could be developed for teachers, similar to the outdoor learning professional update award.

The Finnish case study, (Hyvönen, 2011) shows, even in a culture and school system where play is highly valued, using such processes are not always simple to understand, deliver or assess. If there is a play professional update developed, it might be better to develop this at a higher academic level, which includes learning how to assess different types of play as processes and in learning and using creative methods (e.g. Reggio Emilia) to measure progress. Some modules from the PDA Childhood Practice could be relevant and useful (interviews).

Although childminders are not required to register or to hold specific qualifications, the phased out SVQ CCLD at level 5, did have a useful unit on caring for children at home. It would be useful for childminders for a successor unit to this to be developed in the Social Services (CYP) level 6 qualifications and/ or a play@home unit as part of playwork, as some childminders do want to take qualifications (interviews).

3. What potential is there for the playwork-qualified workforce to support play opportunities within more formal education/settings other than their more usual play/childcare settings? (Action point. 9.8)

As identified in the literature review, and through interviews and focus group discussions, the area that has strong potential for development here is during in the break and play time, as well as in play and childcare, out of school care, breakfast and holiday clubs often co-located in schools.

The Finnish case study (Sahlberg, 2014a, b & c) is of particular relevance is terms of the information about how the school day is broken up with frequent breaks for play, rest and restoration. Overall, Finnish school children spend much less time in the classroom than peers in the USA or UK, yet consistently the Finnish PISA scores are in the top ranking three (Sahlberg, 2014 a, b & c).

Play based learning techniques are used within and outside the classroom, as Hyvönen (2011) demonstrates, while using highly trained, well-respected and autonomous teachers also creates positive outcomes, according to Sahlberg (2014a). Following Teaching Scotland's Future (Scottish Government, 2011) there are moves to make teaching a Masters level occupation in Scotland, (interviews, play in education section), perhaps combining this development with reassessing the structure of the school day might bring in more aspects of the Finnish approach to improve outcomes and everyday wellbeing for children.

As the break time project website information and articles (Blatchford and Baines, 2013) demonstrated, children and young people's time for breaks in schools are getting shorter in the UK, with less time for play, relaxation or eating lunch. However, the Finnish study (Hyvönen, 2011) suggests, more time for play and/ or short frequent breaks from learning, longer lunch breaks and play based learning can enhance children's educational outcomes as well as their general wellbeing.

Extending children and young people's break time should include extending and improving the environment of the playground, as the recently published grounds for learning studies demonstrate (Robinson, 2014a, 2014b & 2014c).

This is where, in terms of the holistic environment e.g. (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 and Bronfenbrenner and Morris, 2007), extending the role of playwork trained staff to support play and leisure activities for children and young people, during breaks is an opportunity. Especially if creating or preserving longer lunch breaks and perhaps more frequent play breaks throughout the day, as well as being able to work with many of the same children in the breakfast, out of school and holiday clubs, or indeed the classroom as a support assistant too.

They could work with the children and school management in improving the physical play environment, and how it is used, and they can support and facilitate play using playworker methods, which ensure children's autonomy, choice, balanced risk and the joy and fun of play. This is not entirely new; it is already the case, for example, in Fife council (interviews), where some playwork trained staff might work across schools, nurseries and out of school care services and holiday clubs.

What might be quite radical is in meeting the needs for children to have slightly longer or more frequent breaks, inside and outside the classroom, where both free play, including risky play, and active learning through play processes can support, indeed enhance, learning, development and educational outcomes.

Even if it is not possible to extend the time for breaks, the literature, interviews and survey responses suggested that improved play during break times was highlighted as being the most realistic time free play and risky play opportunities within schools. It was suggested in interviews, that those schools which have focused on play during playtime and in the playgrounds, and where there is a whole school approach in place tend to find greater success (interviews).

Certainly supporting teachers, creating a whole school approach, and utilising the skills of play trained staff during breaks, in the classroom and in wider play activities for children before and after school contributes towards the outcomes set out in the introduction, from the National Play Strategy Action Plan (Scottish Government, 2013a).

"Outcome: All children and young people enjoy high quality play opportunities, particularly outdoor free play in stimulating spaces with access to nature, on a daily basis in school, nursery and early learning and childcare.

Impact: All school staff and early years' practitioners will receive play training, as part of their initial education and career long professional learning. They will have sufficient skills, knowledge and understanding of play to support play opportunities. Al schools and settings will have well designed inclusive spaces for play in local communities. Education managers and leaders in school and early years settings demonstrate their commitment to increasing and developing play opportunities and to supporting staff to do so through priorities in the improvement planning cycle, ethos and community life of their establishments and their own professional learning" (Scottish Government, 2013a, p.20).

Therefore, the use of the school as a site of play in breakfast clubs, breaks, lunchtime, after school and holiday clubs is an essential component of supporting play in the community, while utilising playwork trained staff would help facilitate such opportunities for children.

4. What does the literature tells us about the benefits of play? ( Relating to Action 7.2)

The literature review tries to synthesis play in the playwork principles sense and in the wider child development and learning sense in order to demonstrate that the processes of free play can be utilised for child development and learning outcomes without taking away the intrinsic motivation and freedom of the child's own personally determined play choices. It also demonstrates that play as a process and the affordance of play, can be justified within learning frameworks, as well as supporting children's wellbeing and happiness on a day-to-day level. The literature also affirms the centrality of social relationships to child development and play is very much part of the process of creating social relationships and learning social skills relevant for their culture and environment.

There is little literature on the play needs of children of school age, in school, which is also why the break time study, grounds for learning and the Finnish case study extend the literature to cover this age range and setting in more detail.

5. Where are the gaps and how can professional development opportunities be extended in studying play ( Relating to Action 9.9)

Although much relating to this question is covered in the discussion of question 2, the content of other courses such as Gloucestershire; Professional Studies in Children's Play (Masters) (Table 12); and Leeds Beckett University: BA (Hons) Playwork (Table 13); demonstrate that there are not, at this level, similar specialist playwork courses in Scotland. In the interviews, some respondents believed that there is not enough knowledge of Playwork at this level amongst those delivering degree level and higher courses. Suggested solutions to address this gap included; Funded play Doctorates (Professional doctorates), Academic play research network and Professional Doctorates and Part-Time PhDs.

The interviews also identified a gap in terms of the promotion of Playwork in Scotland. This is the responsibility of SkillsActive, however, due to cutbacks and personnel changes there have been gaps in their work in Scotland, which they are aware of, and keen to address (interviews). The interviews also brought out that funding has been obtained by SkillsActive to update the Playwork National Occupation Standards later this year; therefore, this is an opportunity to address some of the issues highlighted in this report, and work will begin on this from April 2015.

Further discussion points emerging from the research

Responsibilities and Resources

In terms of this enquiry, we looked at the contents of qualifications and noted that there are various paths a learner might take in terms of including a great deal, or much less, play focused units or modules at all levels of qualifications. We also noted that, apart from specialist playwork qualifications, and a few others, to cover play in this playwork principles sense required choosing available optional units or modules, which are playwork focused. In addition, it was found that at least three initial teacher training courses do cover play, including free and spontaneous play, but for at least one PGDE course, in the past, it was not covered (focus group).

Given the optional factor of studying play in many courses, this then relates to the point (interviews) that qualifications should be seen to be not the end but the start of an individual's professional learning journey, which should embrace lifelong learning and Continued Professional Development (CPD). The individual professional should therefore take responsibility for their learning to ensure that their skills and knowledge fit with their role and setting, this if includes changing roles or settings, looking to address any new gaps in learning.

However, the employer must also take responsibility and ensure that employees are provided with the resources and opportunities to allow their employee to meet the gap in their skills or knowledge. Both the roles and responsibilities of the individual and employer are covered by the SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Social Service Employers (SSSC, 2003). While GTCS registration (GTCS, 2012) also includes a requirement to engage in professional updates.

As discussed in the interviews, for employers and individuals to legally be required to engage in lifelong professional development, also has resource implications, in terms of the time of staff involved, and the funding, costs and availability of the CPD resources. Indeed, staff motivation, after a whole career building up experience in the field, with many teaching staff and a high proportion of childcare managers in their fifties (Chart 1, and statistics background section), in taking further CPD, might be also an issue to be addressed.

If the playwork NOS are updated to include more links to play development and learning, and qualifications such as the OU primary school assistant qualifications (Table 15), and others for PSAs are utilised more for school staff, then this does bring in more play-based qualifications to schools. There are also potential opportunities for professional update courses on play to be developed for teachers and PSAs and then accredited by the GTCS for teachers.

There are cost implication for childcare, teaching and PSA staff, as well as for employers across the public, voluntary and private sector, and time implications for all staff. Therefore, we would recommend, in order to meet aspirations for the workforce to be more educated in play and to deliver more play based work with children, then this requires investment in both qualifications and in CPD resources.

Play, safety and risk: We have identified that for school age children the play breaks and lunchtimes could both be extended in terms of time and in terms of content of facilitated risky play as well as using play processes within classroom practice.

The approach to risky play in early learning and childcare, and out of school care, holiday care services, especially those with playwork trained staff, has developed over the years to looking at the positive risk benefits to children and young people of extending their skills, judgement and knowledge of risk taking, as well as those related to keeping children safe.

As the literature (Moss and Petrie, 2002, Gill, 2007) also covered, using risk to constrain and control children's play and freedom can be seen as part of wider social attitudes as well as, parental fears and expectations about child safety and "learning not play" (Focus group, Scottish Executive, 2007). As the interviews demonstrated, for childcare providers to move beyond this and extend children's development and enjoyment of risky play through using scooters or skateboards etc., should they choose, has been difficult to do in terms of the strict requirements of insurance companies. While the health and safety executive is quite clear that there should be risk in play (HSE, 2012), insurance companies take a tougher stance.

A head teacher will have overall responsibility for health and safety in their school so it is not necessarily teachers being averse personally to risky play (focus group) if they do not allow certain risky play activities, as they have to manage both legal responsibilities and parental perceptions of how they are keeping children safe.

Therefore, as Bronfenbrenner & Morris (2007) clearly identify, the environment for play, is highly influenced by wider cultural factors; in this case insurance companies (national and internationally influenced by growing litigation cultures) perceptions of risk in play. This issue must be addressed for future development of a play friendly culture in Scotland, indeed the UK.

Conclusions and next steps

In conclusion, we found that play in both the strict playwork principles sense and the wider child development and learning sense is covered, to different degrees, in the whole range of main qualifications assessed, albeit it is often only an optional choice to study play in the stricter sense. We found that it is up to the individual and their employer to ensure that they fill gaps in their learning about play, as required by registration bodies and the needs of their setting.

We found a rich tradition of learning through play and spontaneous play in terms of early learning and childcare guidance in Scotland. We see an opportunity for schools to become better sites of the complementary support to learning, development and wellbeing of children through the provision of play opportunities and processes in both free time and in classroom practice, as well as before and after school and holiday care services. We found some units in some qualifications, need to be updated or clarifications provided and we engaged, in interviews and literature, with a range of opinions on current practice and ideas for future developments. Through this, we make the following specific recommendations for next steps:

Specific Recommendations:

Qualifications contents

• Every qualification unit at the SVQs related to playwork could be updated in terms of reference to UNCRC, Article 31 and the UNCRC overall.
• Child development should be a compulsory core, not only an optional unit, in all relevant qualifications.
• If and when playwork NOS/ related qualifications are updated consideration should be given to including play in terms of learning and development topics to make the qualification more useful to a wider range of staff, especially PSAs in Scotland. Creativity could also be a stronger focus.
• The Social Services (CYP) qualifications should be clear about "activities" including planned or free play as defined in some, but not all, relevant units.
• The PDA level 5 in playwork and childcare needs updating especially on child development and children's rights.
• While there are some specialist units on creativity, there should be more about creativity and creative play techniques, embedded across all qualifications.
• For Childhood Practice degree level courses, in terms of the play principles or play and child development, if these topics are not covered (or where we did not have information), then it is clear from other course providers than modules can be developed. If the Play Strategy and Action Plan (2013b & 2013a) are included in the updated Standard for Childhood Practice, it is likely they may have to do this in the future, while child development is a crucial element at all levels and should always be a strength of such courses.

Qualifications promotion and development

• SkillsActive have the role to promote Playwork in Scotland and to update the playwork qualifications, which will now have to meet the SSSC NOS standards too.
• The possibility of funding or supporting doctoral level play related qualifications could be investigated.
• There is a possibility that a professional update for teachers on play could be developed and then accredited by GTCS.
• Financial support could be provided to enable access to CPD including paid time for staff to do so.
• It might be worth reminding employers that they have responsibility to support CPD as well as qualifications.

Promoting and Extending Play in Schools Practice

• With CfE and official guidance clear, that play is a learning process, there needs to be more opportunities for teachers to learn and understand techniques to facilitate this type of learning in the classroom and to allow for spontaneous play.
• The literature review demonstrated that play and breaks actually enhance and support children young people's wellbeing in school, and their readiness to learn, therefore we recommend schools find ways to incorporate longer, more frequent breaks during the school day and week, or at least preserve and do not cut what breaks they have now.
• To support the above recommendations we recommend using play trained PSAs across the school, in class, in play and break times and linking with or also working in the before, after school and during holiday out of school childcare services.
• Play training should include how children learn and develop through play, especially in terms of social relationships and skills, which enhance the ability to engage in learning across subjects.
• Taking risks is also part of learning and development therefore there should be opportunities for risky play supported by a whole school approach, trained staff, and understanding risk benefits, including outdoor activities and trips.

Further Research

• Perhaps as part of funded doctorates or Masters level courses, there should be a body of new studies into play as a process and how it supports learning and development in schools, out of school care and holiday services.
• Building the Ambition (Scottish Government, 2014) could be a useful catalyst for new units, courses or research studies relating to younger children in early learning and childcare.
• This research did not cover the play and leisure needs of young people except those in the breaktime and grounds for learning studies, it also did not cover youth and community work, therefore, these are areas for further study.

Wider Recommendations

• Parents should be told more about the benefits of play, especially play and breaks beyond the early years, in school and how this helps, not hinders wellbeing and learning. Therefore, we suggest an awareness campaign similar to play talk read but for primary aged children.
• There should be more done on a national UK level to change insurance companies' attitudes to risky play.