PurpleBee PANCOs are putting wellbeing at the heart of their practice
A huge well done to our first group of amazing learners who have worked exceptionally hard to become fully fledged Champions for Wellbeing having achieved their PurpleBee CACHE L4 Award: Become a PANCo. (Physical Activity and Nutrition Coordinators)
Whilst many Early Years settings might be closed, it is positive to see that the learning still goes on. Despite the fact that staff may be either working in very difficult circumstances looking after keyworker children, or are furloughed at home, what we are experiencing is that Early Years professionals want to keep their CPD, knowledge and skills up to date.
“It has been a very user-friendly experience with good quality reading and videos that are pitched at the right level to help the learner gain the information without too much overload. When learning from home you can feel quite isolated and the fact it was challenging but at an enjoyable level helped me to stay on task and focused. It is the first time I have embarked in online learning and do usually like face to face contact, but I was pleasantly surprised at how I could individually work through this course. The layout was easy to navigate, and the website has helped.” Jill, Cumbria
We can’t be sure how long restrictions will be in place, but it’s been refreshing to see that we have had individuals and also nursery teams signing up to become PANCos. Many leaders we have spoken to are constantly looking for ways to keep their teams connected and to support their staff remotely. Training had proved to be a positive way of achieving this and at the same time supporting staff wellbeing.
“I’ve always been interested in health and wellbeing for children, completing the PANCo course has given me a structured path to follow. It’s informative and well guided with excellent support on hand from the PurpleBee team.” Glenn, York
Whilst we are all aware of the importance of health and wellbeing in the Early Years, now more than ever it’s becoming obvious that the current situation requires us to reevaluate both our personal and work wellbeing priorities. Feedback from our PANCos has been heart-warming. The work and effort that students have put into their PANCo portfolios has been incredible and many have started to think about mitigating strategies that they will implement back in their settings once they fully reopen.
“I just wanted to say this course is fabulous! I can’t stop reading and reflecting! Thank you for making this course clear and easy to follow and packed with information.” Aisha, Manchester
We are proud to say that our PANCOs not only have the skills and knowledge but also the confidence to implement their change initiatives. They very much see their role as the perfect vehicle for assessing and leading the challenging and changing wellbeing needs of children, parents and their colleagues, in preparation for when the whole sector fully re-opens post lockdown.
“Thank you for creating such an insightful course – I feel like every early years setting needs to have someone do this course to really improve aspects of health, wellbeing, physical activity and nutrition!” Courtney, Essex
Interested in PANCo but want to find out more? Why not try out our FREE Taster Get up to Speed with PANCo in 15 minutes .
Our fully accredited main course CACHE Level 4 Award: Become a PANCo is available now.
