Aims of buddying
Any member of the Early Years workforce can apply for a buddying opportunity. The aim is to provide shadowing, mentoring and network experiences, which will support practitioners in extending and developing their existing practice by:
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observing best practice
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further understanding of the roles of colleagues
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partnership working
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accessing information and new learning
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developing a language rich environment
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supporting the work we do with our parents as partners.
Practitioners who are recognised as having a skill in a particular area can be supported to receive visiting buddies. Hosts and buddies can support each other by sharing ideas, experience and knowledge.
For background information and examples of case studies, read the Buddying Programme Leaflet [PDF 883KB].
Areas of interest
These listings are of buddying opportunities offered by hosts to date, and show how these fit into the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, or Leadership and Management categories.
In order to apply either as a host or a buddy, please refer to the tables in the list of buddying areas of practice [PDF 110KB] and identify the grouping which contains the subject area of interest; then use the reference number on your application form.
For example for ‘Building Active Minds’, apply for 1.1 Child Development, and specify ‘Building Active Minds’.
The list of Host Opportunities, as of January 2011, is growing all the time, so if you as a buddy don’t see what you want, please let us know and the team will try to find a possible host for you.
Hosting
Have you thought about becoming a host?
Do you or your childcare setting have something special to offer? Could you share your skills, knowledge and expertise with other colleagues across the county?
We are currently recruiting high quality hosts to share their own individual experiences with childcare workers within Nottinghamshire.
If you have something special to offer and you feel you could develop and mentor a buddy, please complete the host application form [WORD 311KB] and give as many details as possible.
