ECAD4007: Using the pupil profile given, identify how specific aspect of the child’s holistic development could be met within an educational setting. Underpin this with references to relevant theories and examples of excellent practice.

Analyzing Ella’s pupil profile reveals areas where she may need assistance and room for growth. Professionals must comprehend child development, cognition, learning and emotional, well-being to holistically support a child’s development. Tis holistic approach, championed by Freidrich Frobel (1782-1852), considers a child’s physical, social, emotional and mental needs. 
Modern education systems increasingly embrace child-centered approaches, as observed in School A, ‘learning involves making personal sense of information and experiences …. Essentially a reflective process – Mike Hughes’ (School A Teaching and Learning Policy).
Ensuring that the child remains at the center of planning ensures the legal obligation to the child is met in regards the United Nation Conventions of the Child (UNCRC).
Ella’s profile however, lacks essential background information, making it challenging to create strategies based on incomplete knowledge.

Ella’s emotional development appears to be affected by her separation anxiety from her mother, which can negatively impact her readiness to learn. This is in line with Maslow’s Hierarchy of need, as before Ella meets the need for self-fulfillment, affiliation and esteem (higher levels), she first needs to achieve the levels of physical and psychological (lower levels). Ultimately Maslow’s theory details that if a child’s levels of need are not met, then that pupil will not be in the right state to develop and reach their potential. This highlights the importance to have Ella settled and having a smoother transition to the start of her day so that she is ready and in a state for learning. ‘A person’s actions will be focused around the lower-priority needs and will then move on to reach higher-priority needs.’ Kurt/Education Library (2020)
Ella’s attachment to other children and allowing them to care for her may provide her comfort and security. Ella presents as being anxious-avoidant which is in accordance with Bowlby’s theory of attachment, that when a child is removed from their main caregiver they can become increasingly distressed. At the age of 4 Ella is still within what Bowlby defined as ‘a critical period for developing attachment’ (reference). Using this theory Bowlby went on to define the 4 stages of attachment which he titled as: secure attachment, anxious avoidant attachment, anxious resistant attachment and disorganized/disoriented attachment. 
We cannot be clear due to the missing history if Ella has suffered any separation from her mother, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) nor any recent traumas which may be feeding into this state. Attachment theory is based upon the bonds an individual has, particularly in regards to that of a care-giver and child, if a child has strong bonds of attachment and these are securely attached then a child may feel free to explore the world around them with confidence and enthusiasm, if not then a child may cling to things that are more familiar to them and offers them comfort and security. Ella’s growing imagination could also introduce new fears and insecurities.
In order to address the emotional issues within the classroom I would make the following suggestions. 
1.	Meet with Ella’s primary caregiver/s for more background information
2.	Have Ella’s mother stay with her for a brief settling in period at the beginning of the day, this can initially be for a certain amount of time, depending on what Ella may need, and then gradually tapered off to ease her transition. 
3.	Using bracelets the bracelets to reinforce the connection between Ella and her mother. It was noted on bridging that when another child struggled with separation from a parent/carer that the child would be given either a comfort toy, or a bracelet which they would return to the parent/carer, reassuring not only that the day would end but that the parent would return for them. It was stated that this soothed and appeased the child enough that they felt secure in their attachment to partake in the sessions. 
4.	‘The Invisible String’ by Patrice Karst (s), the book specifically discusses being away from a loved one for an amount of time, but the connections we all have, it is age appropriate for Ella, this could also then be kept in school as a reminder for Ella, or her mother could read it with her during the transition period before she leaves, reinforcing the values and reassuring Ella. 
However it also bears in mind that Bowlby’s theory of attachment may have been universal and it is important to differentiate attachment issues from other diagnoses, ‘in 1938 – 1944 Hans Asperger described autistic psychopathy where many of Bowlby’s, ‘affectionless characters’, really belong,’ Fitzgerald/Research Gate (2020). This can then again be supported by the publishing of the ‘Coventry Grid Version 2’ Moran/NHS (2015)the Coventry Grid was create as a tool aid with the differentiation between what could be attachment and what could be ASD, it could be argued that some of the subjects used to base his theory upon may have been suffering from an unknown diagnosis, therefore calling into the question the theory’s concrete foundation.
We can also see by looking at the profile, that Ella has difficulty in her social development, this is highlighted as she takes a passive role in interactions by allowing others to ‘care for her’, not initiating interactions with peers or other professionals, her in-ability to resolve social conflicts. It should also be highlighted that even though Ella has already begun to make progress, by beginning to comprehend others may have different feelings, as well as communicating her feelings to others. 
This shows that Ella is progressing naturally and that this can be enhanced and supported. At 4 years old Ella will mostly develop her social skills by her experiences and interactions with others and the world around her. The importance to developing social skills is that a child needs to participate in the community around them, in this context the community referred to is the school. 
In the Curriculum for Wales: Foundation Phase Framework, it states that ‘children should be given opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding through being involved in a range of experiences including activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.’ (*foundation-phase-framework-revised-2015.pdf (gov.wales)) This highlights that practitioners have an obligation to provide the child with numerous and varied opportunities to engage and build upon their social interactions. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) was most famous for his work on ‘The Hierarchy of Needs’, these highlighted that if a child is not secure in all levels then they cannot achieve a higher level of learning, as their focus will be dominated by fulfilling the lower levels until they are well established. If Ella is not yet established in the third stage ‘Affiliation: sense of belonging (affection and love)’ she may struggle to achieve then Esteem and self-fulfilment. This highlights the importance of providing Ella again with enough support and experience to increase her social skills and interactions. 
‘Learners will also want to feel accepted by their peers’. This can be achieved through providing more enhanced opportunities of play for Ella, where teamwork may be required, allowing an opportunity for Ella to practice social skills. 
Another way of allowing Ella to feel confident and secure in her social skills is to provide her with the ‘tools’ she may require to navigate social situations. It was observed whilst on placement that School A uses a resource called PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies), there are books specifically catered to young children with the aim to ‘increase knowledge of, and skill in, the steps of social problem-solving: stopping and thinking; identifying problems and feelings; setting goals; generating alternative solutions; anticipating and evaluating consequences; planning , executing and evaluating a course of action; trying again if the first solution fails,’ (PATHS® Curriculum | Early Years Education | Paths UK PATHS (pathseducation.co.uk))as well as many more outcome aims. The resources observed were a collection of Twiggle stories with characters navigating social constructs, puppets used to engage children, posters displayed for children and staff to use as references.
Another method would be to utilise the outdoor world more with Ella as the environment can offer more stimuli and invoke a curiosity in children. Outdoor play offers a stimulating environment, which can be engaging and build upon Ella’s understanding of herself, others and the world around her. The writer observed this as being beneficial from the documentary. 
The importance of outdoors can provide a child with real experiences, a variety of spaces, places and perspectives, freedom, contact with the natural world, whole-body, multi-sensory experiences, dynamic experiences and relaxed relationships with adults and other children. ‘Children respond differently to adults outside. For example, some children who talk little inside are less inhibited outdoors. It is often possible to engage children in activities outdoors that they are reluctant to participate in inside,’(reference) it may be possible for learning tasks to be taken outdoors, such as roleplay opportunities, or outdoor construction materials. The outdoor environment could also impact Ella on a holistic level as it is so diverse in the opportunities it can provide.
Play is a vital a key part to children’s development, though children may need support to keep the flow of play going, whilst allowing privacy to explore and practice skills at their own pace. Practitioners of the setting need to decide when to be involved, as well as when to allow play to progress naturally without intervention. 
Roleplay areas should be established within the setting, allowing Ella access to this with an adult or peer to interact with may aide in her further skill development. As in imaginative play a child can be in charge of a world, or story of their own creation, allowing them the freedom and confidence to broaden and deepen their skills and knowledge. Understanding of the world can grow in parallel with fantasy and play.

In order to support Ella in developing her cognitive skills Lev Vygotsky’s theory of the Zone of Proximal Development could be utilised. ZPD is defined as ‘the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers.’ (Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development & Scaffolding Theory In Psychology (simplypsychology.org)) This theory can then lead onto another aspect of Vygotsky which is the use of the MKO (More Knowledgeable Other) whom can be either another peer or the adult themselves. 
This was observed in School A on bridging, when the teacher had two children work on a numeracy task, one of higher ability and one of lower ability. This could also be used for Ella by pairing, or placing her in small group work with peers who are more knowledgeable. The ZPD itself is the gap between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with support, the MKO provides vital guidance, modelling and skills, which through interaction can increase the childs capability of taking on the knowledge of others, developed skills and higher-order mental functions. 
However, Vygotsky argued ‘that higher mental abilities could only develop through interaction with more advanced others’, (Lev Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory Of Cognitive Development (simplypsychology.org)), if Vygotsky’s theory is to be wholly believed that the importance is upon socio-cultural; and that social interactions and the community around Ella will define her cognitive development then then the above suggestions in regards to her social development will greatly reinforce this. 
This was then supported by Bruner’s theory of Scaffolding learning, where the learner discovers subject content for themselves, the role of a practitioner is then divided into six key areas ‘ recruitment, reducing degrees of freedom, direction maintenance, marking critical features, frustration control and demonstration.’ (Jerome Bruner Theory of Cognitive Development & Constructivism (simplypsychology.org)) By using scaffolding the practitioner can support Ella through the zone of proximal development, as well as withdraw the support when it is no longer required, such as when a child can complete a task competently. 
It was also noted in School A on a bridging day that there was a whole-school approach to the concept f ‘YET’, that if a child is not successful in a task, then their attempt is celebrated more than succeeding, enforcing the belief in the child themselves that they are confident, capable individuals, building upon their resilience. 
It was also suggested above to use outdoor activities for Ella, this will also support Ella with cognitive development as children’s brains are still developing, outdoors Ella can repeat any learning outcomes she has been working on in class, assimilating more information, experiences and skills to the schema. ‘important brain connections are made when very young children are actively involved in exploration, discovery and interactions,’ (REFERENCE).  
By addressing some of the various concerns, we may see an improvement in some of the issues highlighted by the class teacher, by consistently supporting, engaging and providing Ella with opportunities to engage and thrive. However at the heart of all of this should be a pupil centred approach, the possibility and acceptance that some solutions may not work as it could be Ella’s ‘nature’, for example does she play by herself because it is what she prefers or because her skills are not yet equipped to do so? Does she progress in all areas, of only some? If she struggles in certain areas, it therefore may not be because she is unprepared, nor unpractised, but possibly due to an underlying diagnosis, in which case further investigation will be required by a professional. The development of children is never clear cut and linear. Though onus is on practitioners in order to provide every child with the opportunities they require to flourish and become confident, happy individuals, with a sense of belonging and achievement. Incorporating UNCRC, outdoors, play, individuality and values, community, opportunity, the experiences to succeed and fail as well as much more, a child should achieve and improve while feeling valued and supported within a setting, allowing for a more well-rounded learning journey within an educational setting.