PANCo

PANCO stands for physical and nutrition co-ordinator and what this entails is I help to implement and support children’s growth and development by ensuring that they are being physically active throughout their days here at nursery. PANCO is part of the foundations to ensuring healthy lifestyles for young children in various ways.

A PANCO is responsible for promoting healthy lifestyles in early years settings by focusing on children’s physical activity and nutrition. They help to plan and encourage daily active play, such as outdoor games and movement activities, to support children’s physical development. They also help ensure that meals and snacks are healthy and balanced, promoting good eating habits like drinking water and trying a variety of foods. In addition, a PANCo supports other staff by sharing ideas and guidance on health and wellbeing, and works with parents to provide advice on healthy routines at home. They also help the setting follow health guidelines and create an environment that supports children’s overall wellbeing. We also work closely with our settings SENDCO’s to support children who have physical development needs and support them through doing processes like ECAM’s and planning targets to support them.

A PANCo is important in early years because it helps children develop healthy habits from a young age, when routines are easier to establish and more likely to last into later life. By encouraging regular physical activity and promoting balanced nutrition, the PANCo supports children’s physical development, including their coordination, strength, and overall physical activity. This also helps to reduce the risk of health problems such as obesity, poor fitness, and tooth decay. In addition, healthy children are more likely to have better concentration, higher energy levels, improved sleep, and more positive behaviour, which supports their learning and wellbeing. The PANCo also plays a key role in guiding staff and working with parents to create a consistent approach to healthy lifestyles, ensuring children receive the best possible start in life.

To implement PANCo into our setting we plan a range of simple, engaging activities that can be built into daily routines to promote both physical activity and healthy eating.

-For physical development, children can take part in active play such as obstacle courses, dancing to music, parachute games, and outdoor activities like running, climbing, and ball games. Activities like “shake your sillies out” or short movement breaks throughout the day help keep children active and focused. Fine motor activities, such as threading, building blocks, and mark-making, also support physical development.

-To encourage healthy eating, we involve children in food-related activities like tasting different fruits and vegetables during snack and mealtimes, simple cooking or baking, and growing herbs or vegetables in a garden area. Talking about foods during snack time and encouraging children to try new things helps build positive attitudes toward nutrition.

-Other activities may include reading stories about healthy lifestyles, role play (such as pretending to run a shop or café), and celebrating themed days like “healthy eating week” or sports days where we can involve parents. We also plan activities and share any new information with parents about things they can be doing at home to support children’s physical and nutrition development.

In our setting we have a range of agencies and training that we have done to help develop and expand our knowledge on ways that PANCO can be impactful to children’s physical and nutritional development across the nursery. Some of the companies and agencies we have worked with to develop this are:

-Derbyshire Smile4life

-Jabadao

-Risky play

-Sun accederations

-Brave play partners

-Vaccination uptake

-Health and wellbeing

-SEND toothbrushing

-Dailymile

Overall, the role of a PANCO is essential within an early years setting because it supports children in developing healthy lifestyles from an early age. By encouraging regular movement and promoting nutritious eating, the PANCo contributes to children’s overall growth, including their physical, social, and emotional development, while also helping to reduce the risk of future health concerns. The role also enhances the setting by supporting staff and working closely with parents to maintain a consistent focus on wellbeing. Ultimately, a PANCo helps lay the groundwork for children to develop into healthy and active individuals.