Children First Forum

logo with text 'merseyside children first forum'

About the Merseyside Children First Forum

Vision

To share and celebrate the variety and depth of children’s creative and cultural learning across Merseyside, strengthen its roots and build its legacy.

Purpose

In support of the Every Child Matters Framework, the Merseyside Children First Forum aims to be a regional model of excellence in demonstrating how partnership can work between the emerging network of provision for early years educators, parents and carers, creative practitioners, young children and cultural providers.

Structure

In October 2007 the Merseyside Children First Forum created a new framework for this partnership network. This new framework includes a steering group, task groups to progress specific action areas, whole-forum meetings each term and ongoing communication via email and the web.

It is envisaged that this new framework will help progress its partnership work and action to improve understanding of children’s creative learning and create new opportunities for creative practice.

Steering group

The steering group will oversee the Children First Forum, with input from each of the task groups. Monitoring progress against objectives and priorities, the steering group will also identify additional resources for development and advocate nationally on behalf of the forum.

Task groups

There are three task groups which explore different strands of the Children First Forum aims and objectives:

Children’s Creative Learning

  • To explore and research the most effective models and approaches for children’s creative learning and development and how these can be employed for more effective creative learning and provision for and with children, and how to sustain this through collaborative working.
  • Mapping of existing arts, cultural and creative learning provision.
  • Linking creative practice to the early years’ frameworks: Every Child Matters and the new Early Years Foundation Stage.

Children’s Creative Practice

  • Mapping of existing arts & cultural provision & facilitating new creative opportunities.
  • Facilitate the development of collaborative projects, including celebratory events and festivals to expose the depth, range and quality of creative and cultural learning for children across Merseyside.

Termly forum events

Each term a whole forum event is held, which offers the opportunity to hear visiting speakers, both local and national, disseminate research about excellent creative practice, present early years focused evaluation reports, or present new exciting projects. There will also be opportunities to hear about progress from the task groups.

For information about any of the work of the Merseyside Children’s First Forum, including task group dates, please email the Co-ordinator.

Membership

Chaired by Carol Rogers, Executive Director of Visitor Management and Learning at National Museums Liverpool, the Children First Forum has a wide range of stakeholders, including:

  • local authority early years advisors and arts services across Merseyside
  • Liverpool arts and cultural organizations
  • Sure Start
  • Children’s Centre practitioners
  • higher education representatives
  • museums and galleries from across Merseyside
  • regional arts and culture advocates

Contact us

Send the Children First Forum Co-ordinator an email.

Other events

We usually hold lots of early years events at National Museums Liverpool for Sure Start Month in June. Have a look at our What's on pages for further details nearer the time.

Past events

100 languages of children exhibition

Find out more about the 100 languages of children exhibition, held at World Museum Liverpool in 2005.

Children First conference November 2005

The Children First conference was held at World Museum Liverpool to accompany the 100 languages of children exhibition. Read more about it using the links below

 

Children and Young People's Plan 2009-2011

Liverpool City Council have produced the Children and Young People's Plan. It is their key strategic statement for children and young people, and is part of the wider strategic planning for the city which is overseen by Liverpool First, the Local Strategic Partnership. You can access the plan on the Liverpool City Council website.


Back to the top