What our Associates offer

Delivery models to suit you - available in-person or virtually:

  • Tailor-made training courses

    Bespoke sessions available as twilights, half-days, or full-days delivered at times to suit you.

  • Conference keynotes or workshops

    Speakers to inspire and enthuse - whether for a large audience or small-group interactive sessions.

  • Extended programmes to support and enhance pedagogical practice

    Whether day-to-day practice and provision, or developing aspects of leadership and management practice, we can develop support programmes to meet your needs.

  • Strategic reviews of schools and settings

    For those wishing to take a strategic approach to reviewing the quality of early years provision in their locality: we can help to identify areas of provision in need of improvement and make recommendations as to how to address these.

  • Participatory action research

    Establishing an action research cycle and need assistance from expert researchers in the field? We can provide guidance or facilitate every step of the way.

  • Creative consultancy solutions

    We offer targeted support to meet your specific requirements and bespoke to your professional context - contact us to discuss your vision.

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Suggested themes

Our Associates are available to deliver bespoke support and training. Explore some of our suggested speakers on particular topics and themes to help narrow down your search – we can help set up a training programme or a conference around one of these areas.

Simply click one of the key areas below to view some of the possible options. 

All of our Associates have a strong knowledge of child development underpinning their work. If you are looking for specific courses on this topic, possible speakers include:

  • Helen Bradford
  • Carla Cornelius
  • Cathy Gunning
  • Tamsin Grimmer
  • Paula Lester
  • Jacqui Lewis
  • Stella Louis
  • Julia Manning-Morton
  • Kerry Murphy
  • Leslie Patterson


For courses around child development, you can view our suggestions below.

You can complete our brief booking enquiry form or if you would like to discuss options or suggestions please send us an email.

The core areas are fundamental to your provision – our Associates can help you to explore new ways of offering inspiring learning opportunities. If you are looking for specific courses on this topic, possible speakers include:

  • Elaine Bennett
  • Helen Bradford
  • Penny Cartwright
  • Carla Cornelius
  • Debi Keyte-Hartland
  • Leslie Patterson
  • Helen Williams


For courses around the core areas of learning, you can view our suggestions below.

You can complete our brief booking enquiry form or if you would like to discuss options or suggestions please send us an email.

Creative approaches to learning and learning through play are central to enriching provision. If you are looking for specific courses on this topic, possible speakers include:

  • Nicola Burke
  • Clare Devlin
  • Tamsin Grimmer
  • Steve Grocott
  • Debi Keyte-Hartland
  • Anni McTavish
  • Pete Moorhouse
  • Anne O’Connor
  • Jasmine Pasch
  • Jan White


For courses around creativity and play, you can view our suggestions below.

You can complete our brief booking enquiry form or if you would like to discuss options or suggestions please send us an email.

All of our Associates have a commitment to inclusive practice. If you are looking for specific courses on this topic, possible speakers include:

  • Sharon Colilles
  • Carla Cornelius
  • Donna Gaywood
  • Tamsin Grimmer
  • Jacqui Lewis
  • Stella Louis
  • Julia Manning-Morton
  • Kerry Murphy
  • Leslie Patterson
  • Julie Revels
  • Nicky Shaw


For suggestions of courses around inclusive practice, you can view our suggestions below.

You can complete our brief booking enquiry form or if you would like to discuss options or suggestions please send us an email.

Our Associates can offer strategies and support for current and aspiring leaders to fulfil their role effectively within their school or setting. If you are looking for specific courses or longer term support on this topic, possible Associates include:

  • Penny Cartwright
  • Di Chilvers
  • Carla Cornelius
  • Julie Fisher
  • Cathy Gunning
  • Jeanette Hiatt
  • Amanda King
  • Paula Lester
  • Jacqui Lewis
  • Julia Manning-Morton
  • Ruth Mercer
  • Leslie Patterson
  • Kathryn Solly


For suggestions of courses around leadership and management, you can view our suggestions below.

You can complete our brief booking enquiry form or if you would like to discuss options or suggestions please send us an email.

Relationships and interactions remain essential to effective pedagogy. If you are looking for specific courses on this topic, possible speakers include:

  • Penny Cartwright
  • Carla Cornelius
  • Rose Drury
  • Julie Fisher
  • Tamsin Grimmer
  • Steve Grocott
  • Paula Lester
  • Kerry Murphy
  • Leslie Patterson
  • Julie Revels
  • Nicky Shaw
  • Kathryn Solly


For suggestions of courses around relationships and interactions, you can view our suggestions below.

You can complete our brief booking enquiry form or if you would like to discuss options or suggestions please send us an email.

Suggested course outlines

You can browse our sample courses below – simply click on a course title to read the description. If you would like to make an enquiry, please get in touch:

  • If you know the course or Associate you would like to book, please complete our brief booking enquiry form and we’ll respond with options and prices to take your request forward.
  • If you would like to discuss options or would like suggestions on how we can best support your vision, please send us an email so we can make recommendations and talk through the possibilities of what we can offer you.

    Our Associates tailor each course to meet your context and requirements – these sample courses represent helpful suggestions of themes and content, and a brief overview of what each Associate can offer. Contact us if you might like to commission any of these suggestions, or if you are looking for something else we’d be happy to advise.

    We look forward to your enquiry! 

Behaviour, relationships & interactions

The relationships we build and the interactions we have with children are central to their learning and development. These sample outlines reflect on the crucial role of the adult in this process.

Behaviour and self-regulation

It’s not fair – promoting positive behaviour in the early years – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider why we need to support children in resolving conflicts and develop self-regulation;
  • Think about the characteristics of and sources of conflict for young children;
  • Find out about emotion coaching and the problem solving approach to conflict resolution;
  • Investigate ways of promoting positive behaviour through policy and practice;
  • Make links with the Prime Area of PSED in the EYFS.

Make an enquiry about this course.

The building blocks of behaviour – delivered by Kerry Murphy

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  1. explore developmentally expected behaviours and to consider reasons why behaviours occur.
  2. develop an understanding of the context of behaviour in modern childhood, and to consider reducing the risks of challenging behaviour.
  3. consider their own responses and trigger points to behaviour and how best to deal with this.
  4. build a wide repertoire of strategies to support behaviour and to help children to manage their own feelings and behaviour.

This course is interactive and thought-provoking. Of all areas of the EYFS, teaching behaviour can be challenging and frustrating. This course gives you the space to explore behaviour and the impact it may have but will also give you practical ideas for a consistent whole team approach that keeps the child’s health and well-being as the focus.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Control yourself! Supporting self-regulation in the early years – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Define self-regulation and consider how it affects our lives;
  • Consider self-regulation in terms of cognitive and emotional development;
  • Explore the self-regulation section of Birth to 5 Matters;
  • Gather ideas of how to support children to become better at regulating their emotions and explore calming strategies.

Audience: All Early Years Practitioners and Childminders

Make an enquiry about this course.

Self-regulation and play (a neuro-scientific perspective) – delivered by Dominic Gunn

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to explore:

  • How recent findings in neuroscience affirm the need for child-led play.
  • How that child-led play is essential in order to develop self-regulation.
  • What child-led play involves and how it differs from other types of play.
  • The role of the adult in children’s play.
  • The negative impact of limiting child-led play.
  • Why behaviourist approaches, including reward charts, and overly directive timetables can create dysregulation in children and lead to resistance rather than resilience.
  • How to support emotional self-regulation of children with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and specific additional needs during child-led play.

Participants will understand how child-led play is required for healthy brain development. They will feel confident to ensure necessary play opportunities are a major part of each child’s day. They will also feel more confident about their own role in this play. Participants will be empowered to advocate and articulate how child-led play leads to productive, respectful relationships quickly, in young children, and is sustained permanently in older children and later life.

This training is available in a bespoke format, based on initial consultation, and will usually include an interactive presentation followed by discussion of participants’ particular concerns, and concluding with a summary of key points and an action plan. On-site reviews are offered as an option.

An awareness-raising session can be provided as a 2-hour session, in flexible formats, with full training and consultancy increasing as required.

This training is ideal for all practitioners, managers, and school leaders responsible for the education of children aged 3-6 years. It will also be of specific interest to anyone working with children in older age groups who present as being dysregulated and resources on Nurture Groups can be provided as necessary.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Developing empathic approaches to supporting young children’s emotion regulation – delivered by Nicky Shaw

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Reflect on the impact of behaviour management approaches for young children.
  • ​Consider the science and purpose of human emotions.
  • Explore empathic approaches which enhance children’s emotional communications through co-regulatory interactions.
  • Develop understandings of the practitioner role in creating an environment of co-regulation

Make an enquiry about this course.

Every interaction counts –  early communication and interaction and relationships as the foundations for self-regulation – delivered by Julie Revels

Aims and objectives:

The session will focus on the importance of the earliest interactions and relationships as the foundation for developing children’s capacity to self regulate through repeated experiences of co regulation. There will be a focus on the reciprocal nature of communication and interaction including references to research which informs our understanding of how it is vital to provide opportunities in the early years for communication and interaction which is ‘conversational’ in its nature. 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Relationships and interactions

Interacting or interfering?: enhancing language, communication, and relationships – delivered by Julie Fisher

Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Explore what constitutes ‘effective’ interaction
  • Consider the importance of the learning environment as a context
  • Examine how adults ‘tune-in’ to children’s current thinking in order to maintain learning momentum
  • Discuss different strategies to employ when extending children’s learning in both adult-led and child-led situations

Make an enquiry about this course.

Who leads the learning? Supporting both adult-led and child-led learning – delivered by Julie Fisher

This course will enable practitioners to reflect on the different purposes, expectations and outcomes of adult-led and child-led learning. Using extensive DVD material in nursery, reception and key stage 1 classes, it will explore the different benefits of adult led and child-led learning for both children and practitioners. It will consider how both ways of learning are assessed and how these assessments feed into planning. It will also explore how the role of the practitioner changes when the purpose of an activity is planned by that practitioner as opposed to being planned by the child.

Delegates will:

  • reflect on the differences between adult-led and child-led learning – from the perspective of the adult and the child
  • consider why and how these two ways of learning should exist alongside each other in the classroom
  • explore how to observe and assess both adult-led and child-led learning and how to use those assessments to inform planning
  • examine the role of the adult in supporting and extending children’s thinking in both adult-led and child-led situations
  • observe DVD material to analyse how a range of practitioners make the most of both learning situations

Make an enquiry about this course.

Attachment & Key People – delivered by Kerry Murphy

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  1. learn about the connection between brain development and early relationships in a fun and accessible way
  2. explore attachment theory and how this impacts on early years practice
  3. consider the role of key person and attachment and consider ways to build a secure base for children
  4. think about the challenges they face in their key person role and to consider practical yet effective solutions
  5. think about strategies for strong parent partnership
  6. develop a repertoire of practices that support a whole team approach to key person and attachment practices

Every child deserves the benefits that a meaningful relationship can bring. As a key person, your responsibility is to provide a secure base from which growth, exploration and resilience can occur. This course provides you with the underpinning theory of brain development and attachment and also offers a range of strategies and practices that will empower you and the child.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Using an emotion coaching approach: considering the role emotion coaching can play in supporting children’s emotional and behavioural wellbeing – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Support children to understand the different emotions they experience, why they occur and how to handle them;
  • Consider how Emotion Coaching helps to create nurturing relationships;
  • Understand how to support children to effectively manage stress;
  • Consider how emotion coaching strategies can contribute towards children’s development of self-regulation.

Make an enquiry about this course.

The role of the adult in high-quality interactions and children’s communication development – delivered by Paula Lester

This course examines the role of the adult in high-quality interactions and children’s communication development – it explores:

  • The meaning of both Communication and Interaction.
  • What your curriculum says about Communication and Language development, what inspectors would judge.
  • What this currently looks like for each age group, are requirements being met?
  • Theories of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System.
  • What makes good, high-quality communication in Early Years.
  • The importance of observation and a ‘can-do’ approach.
  • What makes a high-quality adult-child interaction.
  • How to further support adult-child interactions and communication development in each age group.

This course complements Paula’s course on the importance of the environment – and can be delivered alongside this as part of a full day session.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Music for the development of the whole child and relationships in your setting – delivered by Steve Grocott

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Gain a repertoire of tried and tested multicultural songs, games and rhymes that is rich in content and that children enjoy
  • Learn simple ideas and techniques that increase their confidence in their innate musicality including help with developing lively rhythm work and using instruments
  • Learn to provide opportunities for musical play and ideas for extending that play
  • Learn how to use this new material (and the songs they already know) to improve children’s’ relationships with each other  
  • Use their music sessions to contribute to the wellbeing of parents, children and staff and the relationships between them

There is a CD/booklet that contains the material in this course.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Relationship Mapping: Attachment & Attunement in the Early Years – delivered by Jacqui Lewis

Using the beautiful simplicity of sociograms, this course will provide you with a visual representation of the relationships with the children in your setting. As early years educators and leaders of pedagogy, you are invited to deconstruct, confront, theorise, and potentially think otherwise about the significance of positive and nurturing relationships within the setting. This course can be tailored to support all early educators across a whole setting from 0-5 years, or for educators working with specific ages under 5 years – and is adaptable to be a single or multi-part course.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Reflect, identify, question, and potentially reconsider assumptions and perceptions of the connections and relationships with children in our settings.
  • Consider the significance of equitable, positive, and nurturing relationships, between every child and early years educator, to have the best possible start in life. 
  • Explore how the concept of relationship mapping can support each child to connect to at least one adult in the setting: to be known and feel felt. 
  • Reflect upon the individual and pedagogical factors of influence to these relationships, such as attachment stages and types, play, deployment, attendance, interaction styles, key person approach, gender constructs, transitions, unconscious bias and culture.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Child development

In recognising the unique nature of each and every child, these outlines explore how practitioners can most effectively support the learning and development of the children in their care. They help to increase understanding of the theory behind child development and how this is influential in practice.

Supporting children’s emotional development – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider which factors can influence young children’s emotional development and wellbeing;
  • Find out about the problem-solving approach and emotion coaching techniques;
  • Investigate strategies which will help to nurture children and promote their wellbeing.

Audience: All Early Years Practitioners and Childminders

Make an enquiry about this course.

Understanding and supporting young children’s emotional development – delivered by Julie Revels

‘Emotional development begins early in life. The ability to regulate one’s own emotions and manage successful interactions with other people is key for later academic performance, mental health, and social relationships.’ – Harvard Center on the Developing Child

This session will focus on how children’s capacity to regulate their emotions develops over time and how adults can support this in day-to-day practice.

Delegates will have the opportunity to.

  • Gain an insight into how children’s brains and nervous systems are shaped through early experiences providing the basis for healthy emotional regulation.
  • Explore the importance of the adult’s role as a source of co regulation.
  • Consider how emotional regulation links to other aspects of self-regulation.
  • Reflect on approaches that enhance emotional regulation (this could include Emotion Coaching).

Make an enquiry about this course.

Supporting children using the principles of nurture – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider which factors can influence young children’s emotional development and wellbeing and explore the principles underpinning nurture;
  • Investigate strategies which will help to nurture children and families and promote their wellbeing;
  • To gain confidence in supporting children’s emotional development and wellbeing

Audience: All Early Years Practitioners and Childminders

Make an enquiry about this course.

Schemas and the characteristics of effective learning – delivered by Dr. Stella Louis

Aims:

To provide delegates with a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in schematic exploration and how these link directly to how children become engaged and sustained in their self chosen activities.

Course outline:

  • Schemas and the links with the characteristics of effective learning
  • Understanding schema concepts
  • Understanding How children use their exploratory play as a starting point to extend their schematic explorations
  • Extending children’s investigations  so that they can be represented symbolically
  • Developing children’s schematic interests in cause and effect 
  • Developing and extending children’s language and thought through schema

Delegates will learn how to:

Support children’s development particularly in how they  represent their actions and symbolic ideas, thought and action through using all of their senses to find out about the things that interest them.

Audience: practitioners working in the field on early years with children aged 0-7 years.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Understanding schemas – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider some definitions of schemas and schematic behaviour;
  • Find out about different behaviour displayed relating to schemas;
  • Consider how to support children during these phases of learning;
  • Reflect upon their key children and consider how to plan for schemas and incorporate this thinking into their next steps.

Audience: All Early Years Practitioners and Childminders

Make an enquiry about this course.

Play ideas for children with sensory needs – delivered by Carla Cornelius

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

During this course we will draw on neuroscience and child development to explore play ideas to regulate the senses. These ideas will be particularly valuable to teach children with sensory processing difficulties, support children’s self-regulation and develop fine motor skills.

We will:

  • Consider children’s sensory preferences
  • Develop a plan to gradually expose children to different materials, textures and/or experiences
  • Look at practical ideas for activities and materials

Links to Early Years and SEND guidance: Birth to 5 Matters 2021 (Personal Social and Emotional Development; Physical Development; Expressive Arts and Designs); Statutory Framework for the EYFS 2021 (‘Managing Children’s Behaviour’ points 3.53-3.54); SEND Code of Practice 2015 (‘The Graduated Approach’ points 5.36-5.46 and 6.44-6.56).

Audience: All Practitioners in Early Years PVI Settings and Schools

Make an enquiry about this course.

Diverse pathways of development in early childhood – delivered by Kerry Murphy

One prevalent myth in early childhood development is the belief that all children follow the same developmental pathway. According to this misconception, for a child to be deemed to be progressing well, they must exhibit typical and non-disabled learning and development. However, child development is inherently rich, diverse, and varied. This course explores the various ways children can develop, providing new perspectives and insights into divergent pathways of development.

Aims and objectives:

  • To develop an understanding of neurodiversity and how this relates to early childhood development
  • To consider the impact of ableism on our understanding child development
  • To be introduced to key neurodiversity-affirming terms including divergent pathways of development, developmentally meaningful practice, and play patterns
  • To explore examples of diverse development in neurodivergent and disabled children and to consider how this translates to practice.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Understanding the influence of neurodiversity on child development – delivered by Kerry Murphy

Themes likely to be covered in the session include:

  • Understanding what neurodiversity is and its role within the early years
  • How neurodiversity can be influential in child development
  • How to support developmental differences in practice
  • What inclusive practice looks and feels like

Make an enquiry about this course.

Meeting children’s developmental needs – delivered by Paula Lester

How can we ensure all children we teach have a positive learning experience?

How do we know what children are seeking to learn, and how does this influence our curriculum?

How can we ensure we are meeting each child at the developmental stage they are at?

This interactive course will enable participants to reflect on:

  • What children (of all ages) need to thrive.
  • Why knowledge of child development matters.
  • How the adult role, and environment, shape children’s learning.

Discussions will flow using the knowledge and experiences of the group but will include:

  • The importance of Play
  • Observation
  • Structuring the learning environment
  • Schemas
  • Families and the community
  • Valuing childhood
  • Understanding behaviour
  • Risk taking

The practicalities:

  • 3-hour session (AM or PM, Twilight or Evening)
  • Suitable for Early Years Settings and Schools
  • Relevant for Support Staff, Educators, Teachers and Curriculum Leads
  • This course complements Paula’s course on observing children’s play – and can be delivered alongside this as part of a full day session.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Childminding support

These courses reflect on the statutory requirements related to childminding and what constitutes best practice. We can also offer longer-term quality improvement programmes for childminders to help support practice and provision across localities.

Effective Childminding Practice – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider an overview of effective childminding practice and what constitutes outstanding practice;
  • Review their policy and practice in the light of this;
  • Consider the statutory framework of the EYFS, both in terms of positive relationships and creating an enabling home-based learning environment.

Audience: All Childminders and childminding assistants 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Promoting positive behaviour in home based settings – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider why we need to support children in resolving conflicts and manage their behaviour;
  • Think about the characteristics of and sources of conflict for young children;
  • Introduce the problem solving approach to conflict resolution;
  • Investigate ways of promoting positive behaviour through policy and practice;
  • Link with the Prime Area of PSED in the EYFS;
  • Consider all of this in the context of a childminding setting.

Audience: All Childminders and childminding assistants 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Help! I can’t do maths: developing children’s mathematical thinking – delivered by Jacqui Lewis

Many of us profess to be less than efficient in maths. Research informs us as a nation we can become quite proud in our confession of this. However, do we readily share our lack of confidence and knowledge in literacy, for example, in the same way? How does this cultural retort impact on our children’s play and learning?  This course aimed at all childminders within the early years, acknowledges and alleviates the fear which can be associated with the development of children’s mathematics and serves to empower and strengthen your mathematical provision.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider the concerns and fears of many early years educators in nurturing children’s mathematical development.  
  • Explore the importance of the adult role in teaching and supporting children’s mathematical thinking.
  • Develop an understanding of how to support children’s deeper understanding, fluency, and mastery of mathematics.
  • Learn that maths is everywhere and in everyday practice and not a potentially perceived formal part of the curriculum.

This course can also be adapted for other audiences, such as early years practitioners.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Consultancy and strategic support

We offer a range of consultancy options, including strategic support through reviews of schools, settings, or wider teams. These represent the sort of services we can offer – or contact us to explore other ways we can support you.

Research and evaluation – delivered by Nathan Archer

A range of research support to settings and schools is on offer. From family surveys to stakeholder consultation, small-scale action research to large programme evaluation, a bespoke consultancy input can be delivered depending on the research you would like to undertake or the support you may require to facilitate the project. 

Make an enquiry about this support.

Policy analysis and development support – delivered by Nathan Archer

This consultancy support includes implementation of policy at school/setting level including changes to governance arrangements, place planning and implementation of the extended entitlement. At local authority level, consultancy can include a review of early years provision, production of guidance/resources and bespoke service delivery support. We are happy to discuss how we might look to support you within your professional context depending on your needs.

Make an enquiry about this support.

Bid writing and grant capture – delivered by Nathan Archer

Having experience of securing funding though local and national charities and foundations, Big Lottery, Arts Council, Heritage Lottery Fund and EU programmes for education projects, the consultant can support schools and settings with grant research and bid writing from small scale projects to capital programmes. To discuss a potential application and the support you may need, please get in touch to talk through the options available.

Make an enquiry about this support.

Sustainability support for your school or setting – delivered by Nathan Archer

A bespoke package of advice and guidance ranging from an audit and signposting to intensive consultancy, this flexible programme supports schools and settings to implement actions from the ‘Sustainability Jigsaw’ to support ongoing viability. We will look to tailor a package to suit your needs, appropriate to your context, so that you receive the necessary support to put into action.

Make an enquiry about this support.

Core areas of learning

These outlines focus on the core areas of learning and how these are fundamental within your provision. They offer ways to reflect on your practice and explore new ways of approaching learning opportunities.

Getting the foundations right for literacy and numeracy – delivered by Penny Cartwright

This session will provide participants with opportunities to:

  • develop their knowledge and understanding on how to lay the foundations for children’s literacy and numeracy
  • consider the role of the adult and how to maximise opportunities to support literacy and numeracy
  • examine how everyday routines and the organisation can support literacy and numeracy
  • explore a range of practical ideas on how to provide a literacy and numeracy rich environment, indoors and outdoors through all areas of provision
  • reflect on their own practice and identify ways to develop practice further

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

It all adds up! Supporting children to make rapid progress in mathematical development – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • consider how to maximise the opportunities for mathematical learning throughout the environment, both indoors and outdoors
    • explore the role of the adult in planning and extending opportunities through adult led and child-initiated experiences
    • examine how everyday routines and the organisation can support mathematical learning
    • explore a range of practical ideas and resources to support, motivate and engage children (and practitioners!)

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Roots of Literacy: Supporting early literacy throughout the learning environment – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • develop their understanding on how children become effective readers and writers
  • consider the role of the adult in supporting early literacy
  • explore a range of practical ideas on how to provide opportunities for early literacy through providing a literacy rich environment, indoors and outdoors
  • reflect on their own practice and identify ways to develop opportunities which will inspire and motivate children to be confident readers and writers
  • examine the relationship with other areas of learning: personal, social and emotional, physical, communication and language and how these support children’s literacy develop

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Exploring Understanding the World – delivered by Penny Cartwright

This course will support practitioners working in the EYFS to:

  • Deepen their understanding of what is Understanding the world and the different aspects of this area of learning
  • Examine the key role of the adult and planning effectively for Understanding the world
  • Explore how to maximise opportunities through developing rich learning environments and experiences for young children
  • Consider how Understanding the world supports the Characteristics of effective learning and all other areas of learning, including literacy and maths
  • Gain a range of inspiring, practical and simple ideas
  • Reflect on current practice and identify areas for further development

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Developing the art of mathematical thinking – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

Debi Keyte-Hartland delves into the world of mathematical thinking looking at the aesthetic and artfulness of maths as well as examining and exploring how opportunities for mathematical thinking can be found in our built and natural environments of our settings.  Patterns, symmetry, geometry surround us everywhere, as do concepts such as infinity, fractals, the golden ratio, and Fibonacci sequences.  Often it is a case of knowing for ourselves, building our own knowledge of subject to then know how to look for and appreciate the mathematics that surrounds us, so that we can delight in the joy of mathematical thinking, of the multiple strategies in which to test, investigate and solve mathematical problems as well as developing the skills to communicate and express reasoning, which is a fundamental requirement in mathematics.

We can also increase our understanding by looking at how maths is not simply a set of abstracted ideas that is taught and learnt by the child but are inherently concrete and embodied which aids understanding.  We will also explore the effect and impact of mathematical ‘provocations’ to assess their quality in developing mathematical thinking and to examine the role of the adult who actively supports their language, conversation and linguistics of their mathematical thinking and reasoning.

Essential Questions;

  • How can children see and play with mathematical ideas in the environment?
  • How can children experiment with materials to explore mathematical concepts?
  • How can you help children to reason out their thinking in expressive and communicative ways?

Make an enquiry about this course.

STEAM approaches in the early years: putting the ‘A’ into STEM – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

The Arts in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) seeks to weave these disciplines together to create deep and engaging opportunities for investigation, experimentation, and reasoning. STEAM approaches are holistic in nature and enable children of all ages to develop knowledge, construct working theories, and to reason and express their thinking. Putting the ‘A’ into STEAM cultivates creativity and critical thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, language, and communication and is rooted in playful and embodied experiences.

Develop your professional knowledge and practice so that you can:

  • Understand how STEAM approaches support play and learning across the EYFS
  • Develop and design opportunities for investigation, experimentation, and reasoning to support characteristics of effective learning and communication and language
  • Learn how the Arts can be used to develop learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths

STEAM approaches are multidisciplinary and embrace children’s curiosity and play in learning.  STEAM encourages collaboration; designing; evaluation; questioning; and identifying and solving problems that provide rich contexts for developing vocabulary, communication skills, and language.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Embedding STEM within your provision – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

This CPD looks at ways in which we can embed STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects within early years practice. During the session, Pete will provide many examples of different media and provocations that can provide rich experiences of a STEM curriculum, in imaginative and creative ways.  It includes reference to the arts that can be an integrating link between the separate disciplines that are often seen as being isolated and unconnected to the other areas (and is often referred to as STEAM). We will see how we can weave together the different disciplines within practice.

At the heart of STEM is children’s enquiry: building upon in their curiosity and posing new questions about the world around them as they begin to construct meaning. Play is central; playing with ideas and possibilities. In this sense Pete advocates a holistic transdisciplinary approach whereby children are enabled to express their ideas, develop working theories, hypothesise and problem solve. Children’s creative and critical thinking skills are central. It’s all about children developing their understandings, for example with using their emergent mathematical thinking to problem solve. We will look at how both indoor and outdoor environments can be utilised to support emerging thinking around STEM areas of learning.

The session will look at the theory that underpins practice and well as looking a wide selection of examples in practice such as looking at various types of construction such as blocks/woodwork/stick and pea, to the use of basic coding to program a robot, exploring pulleys and scales, embracing digital media – such as photography and webcams and much more. The day will also include practical sessions offering hands-on exploration of the various examples.

Aims and objectives

From this course you will:

  • Understand the theory and pedagogical contexts
  • Become familiar with a variety of media and provocations that can support STEM
  • Learn how STEM can support open ended enquiry-based learning
  • Learn how STEM can support creativity and imagination
  • See how STEM can support all learning areas in relation to the wider curriculum
  • Examine how makerspaces and tinkering labs can support STEM
  • See how STEM activities can facilitate cooperation and encourage communication
  • View examples of children’s STEM explorations from various countries
  • Have a hands-on session working with STEM materials.

Creativity, exploration & play

Creative approaches to learning and learning through play are central to practice and pedagogy across the EYFS. These outlines address the various ways practitioners can support and enrich these opportunities for children within their contexts. 

Creative thinking and curiosity

Captivating Learning: Making the ordinary extraordinary – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

When educators connect with children’s curiosity, they can make the everyday an extraordinary and joyful occasion for deep learning. Joy comes from the aha moments, and the successes felt when achieving things.  It also comes from the desire to know more and do more when the child joins in experiences that are meaningful for them.  Understanding the motivations that underpin your children’s play, learning, and development is key to designing learning environments and experiences that captivate and enthral young children.

Develop your professional knowledge and practice so that you can:

  • Confidently interact with children, engaging in sustained shared thinking
  • Create authentic learning experiences, by slowing down and looking for wonder
  • Identify and work with children’s ideas with ‘intelligent materials and tools’ such as light, found objects, and simple technologies

Making the ordinary extraordinary enables learning that is rich in children’s agency, that fosters a sense of belonging, nurtures habits of mind, and gives time to immersing in the joy of learning together.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Creative thinking through the visual expressive arts and design – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

This course highlights how creativity and critical thinking are essential characteristics of learning across all areas of learning in the EYFS.  You will examine specifically how to support your young children as they move from exploration and investigation of materials/resources to a point of thinking and expressing creatively and critically with them.   You will come to know how to observe and support their progression in learning through the visual expressive arts and design, and how to enrich their skills and reasoning, their imagination and possibility thinking in exploration and investigations of ideas in mediums such as different kinds of paint, drawing media, sculptural materials, wire, found objects and loose parts including the use and combination of technology and digital media in creative and communicative ways.

You will leave feeling confident to construct playful situations of creative and expressive learning that considers the interplay of using open-ended and ‘intelligent materials’ as well as thinking about the choices we can make in presenting and curating materials and tools that widen the possibilities for your children’s expression and communication of their ideas, feelings, thoughts and theories of the world. 

Essential Questions;

  • How can you recognise, support and build on young children’s creativity and critical thinking through the visual arts with your children?
  • What are the playful learning contexts that you can design in your settings using creative enquiry and the considered curation of materials and resources?
  • How can you use ‘intelligent materials’ to develop your children’s ability for creative possibility thinking and their expression of ideas, thoughts, emotions and experiences?
  • How can the arts and creativity help your children to construct knowledge and understanding whilst developing their language, communication, and vocabulary?

Make an enquiry about this course.

Creativity: nurturing creative and critical thinking – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

This CPD is designed to develop understanding of what creativity means and explore ways in which we can best encourage creativity. We will start by defining creativity and critical thinking and then look at the different aspects of children’s thinking that contribute to the process of developing ideas, including through the ‘Holistic Creativity Framework’. The training emphasises the importance of creativity as a fundamental skill that not only impacts on all areas of learning but also impacts on young children’s long-term outcomes to become resourceful and resilient adults. We will look at curriculum and see how creativity fits within the characteristics of effective learning and how it embraces all areas of learning.

The training will explore the many factors that facilitate children’s creative and critical thinking and role we can play, from creating a conducive environment to working together with parents. In particular, we will look at the role of the teacher in extending their thinking by looking at sustained shared thinking practice and how we can sensitively interact with children during the creative process. We will also consider ways in which we can observe children’s creative progression especially in relation to their developing thinking skills. The training highlights the importance of high quality documentation and reflective learning practice. It offers the opportunity to get hands-on with some inspiring materials to get creative ourselves and get a sense of the possibilities they afford.

Aims and objectives

From this course you will:

  • Gain a thorough understanding of what creativity means
  • Learn why creativity is so important in education and in life in general
  • Look at the many elements that contribute to encouraging and nurturing young children’s creativity
  • Understand the dynamics of creativity through the ‘Holistic Creativity Framework’
  • Investigate the role of the teacher in extending creative and critical thinking
  • Look at the role of the environment and resources
  • Reflect on the importance of documentation and reflective learning practice
  • Understand how to work together with parents to support children’s creative thinking
  • Have an opportunity to get hands-on and creative exploring different materials
  • View examples of inspiring resources and provocations
  • Explore how to best observe children’s creative development

Make an enquiry about this course.

Exploration and investigation

Making marks, drawing, and writing: Signs, codes, and symbols – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

This course explores how children’s mark-making (or graphicacy) is a form of communication and expression that deserves and requires the attention of knowledgeable educators.  Young children naturally make marks and develop drawing in joyful ways, with the processes and products revealing their ideas, feelings, thinking, stories, and experiences.  Through engaging in the drawing and mark making process, you get to know your children, noticing their interests and passions, their development and learning.  When children draw and make marks, they are also communicating their understanding of the world which surrounds them, developing and sharing their mathematical thinking and beginning the journey into signs, codes, symbols that become writing. 

During this course we will unpick how children:

  • develop their skills of graphicacy within a context of meaning-making and multimodal communication
  • how they communicate their ideas and thinking through graphicacy (including their mathematical thinking and engagement in multimodal communications and culture)
  • develop skills and mastery with visual forms, including signs, codes, symbols and writing

And how as attentive and responsive educators, you can:

  • explore the engaging and practical contexts and materials that support your children’s rich mark making, drawing, and writing
  • learn how to be better by your children’s side in playful contexts that amplify possibilities for your children’s deep thinking and communication

Make an enquiry about this course.

Musical Development Matters – delivered by Nicola Burke

This one-day course is accompanied by Musical Development Matters, free guidance written to support educators to develop their music practice and provision.

The course not only introduces participants to the guidance but also demonstrates how easily music can be incorporated into any early childhood setting without practitioners needing any previous musical knowledge or experience. This course is workshop style, fun and informative, exploring ways in which music compliments and contributes to all areas of learning and development.

Aims and objectives – participants will have opportunities to:

  • Become familiar with the Musical Development Matters guidance
  • Explore the free online Musical Development Matters resource
  • Learn songs to share and enjoy with babies and children
  • Discover musical games and activities
  • Explore children’s musical development
  • Develop an understanding of how music threads through all areas of learning and development
  • Gain ideas as to how to nurture the natural musicality of children
  • Observe children’s musical play and discuss how to nurture, and interact with children’s music making
  • Discuss audio environments and how to make use of recorded music effectively
  • Explore musical environments and how to create music making opportunities
  • Discuss effective planning for musical activities and opportunities linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage; supporting all areas of learning through music.

Audience: All Early Childhood Educators

Make an enquiry about this course.

Music and the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework – delivered by Steve Grocott

From before the moment of birth music and movement are integral to the healthy growth of the child both as an individual and in connecting with others and the outside world. This course provides the means for practitioners to foster that growth during the baby stage, through the early years and beyond.

While it is stressed that music making is a holistic thing this course gives activities that specifically address the three prime and four specific areas of learning, the three learning characteristics and the four guiding principles specified in the EYFS.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Gain a repertoire of tried and tested multicultural songs, games and rhymes that is rich in content and that children enjoy
  • Learn how to use this new material (and the songs they already know) to address each part of the EYFS statutory framework
  • Learn to provide opportunities for musical play and ideas for extending that play
  • Take away simple ideas and techniques that increase their confidence in their innate musicality including help with developing lively rhythm work and using instruments

There is a CD/booklet that contains the material in this course.

Audience: All Early Years practitioners

Make an enquiry about this course.

Children, technology, and the digital world – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

It is essential that young children use technology, digital media, and tools in creative and expressive ways, which enables them to see themselves as creators of content and not just as passive consumers of digital media.  Technology and digital media can encompass many areas of learning and development as well as demonstrating characteristics of effective learning.  Using rich examples and case studies from practice, the confidence of educators in using technology and digital media, together with familiar tools and materials of early years settings will be increased.  Find out how to explore your children’s questions, curiosities and interests and thinking about the world in which they exist and come to know using data projectors, web cams, digital microscopes, film, photography and animation, image manipulation, as well as older technologies such as overhead projectors, led lamps and torches.  It is through the blending of more traditional materials together with digital resources and tools that children can learn, construct, create, and express.  

Essential Questions;

  • What is the difference between consuming and creating with technology and digital devices and why is it important?
  • How has children’s play evolved in the digital world?
  • How can you enrich children’s learning using digital media and technology?
  • How can we enable creativity and expression of children’s own ideas to co-create content rather than simply consuming the content of others?

Make an enquiry about this course.

Introducing woodwork in early years education – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

There is something really special about woodwork. The smell and feel of wood, using real tools, working with a natural material, the sounds of hammering and sawing, hands and minds working together to express imagination and solve problems, the use of strength and coordination: all go to combine captivating young children’s interest. It provides a truly unique experience. Woodwork is hugely popular with children, providing a rich source of enjoyment as well as learning. It is truly cross-curricular, embracing so many areas of learning as well as building children’s dispositions for learning. The impact is profound and long term.

This practical workshop will look at ways in which woodworking can be safely introduced in your early years setting. We will look at the theory and the associated learning and development relating to curriculum. We will examine the historical context and look at examples from other countries that have been working successfully with wood for many years. There will be explanations of the most suitable tools for children and instruction on how best to use them. We will look at the most suitable woods. The training focuses on the health and safety measures we need to put in place and provides an example risk assessment. There will be suggestions for activities, open-ended explorations, and longer-term projects, as well as explanations on how to set up a woodworking area. There will be practical sessions for delegates to explore the tools, gain confidence, and share the experience of making creations in wood.

A comprehensive set of handouts are provided with additional resources available online, and information on potential suppliers of wood/tools will be provided.

Aims and objectives

From this course you will:

  • Understand the value and theory of woodwork especially in relation to the EYFS.
  • Learn about the historical context of woodwork
  • Understand the potential of woodwork for creativity and critical thinking
  • Learn how to introduce woodwork safely, implementing an effective risk assessment
  • Understand the most suitable tools for young children and how to use them
  • Be confident to develop a woodworking area
  • Know where to buy the most appropriate tools and materials

Make an enquiry about this course.

The language and dialogue of children’s photography – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

Photography is a powerful tool for communication and creative expression. It is open-ended and an extremely versatile medium. It is visual but it often becomes more about language – as it has so much capacity to stimulate and open up dialogue by allowing children to express their thoughts and their way of seeing the world, and then to talk about their images – all encouraging children’s voice.

We will look at the use of photography as a way of consulting with children and understand how photography can be used as a tool for self-evaluation. Photography is a holistic medium in that it can be seen to embrace all areas of learning and characteristics of effective learning. Cameras are a powerful addition to any classroom. In the training there will be information about the practicalities, looking at the best cameras for children, reviewing images, storage, software and how to successfully introduce photography to young children. There will also be practical activities so do bring a camera or smart phone!

Aims and objectives

From this course you will:

  • Learn how photography can be a versatile tool for children’s creative expression
  • Discover the potential for photography to stimulate communication – children’s voice
  • Learn how photography can support all areas of learning by children documenting their own work
  • Explore using photography as a way of consulting with children.
  • Find out how to successfully introduce photography to young children
  • Understand how photography can be used as a tool for self-evaluation
  • Learn about practicalities: best cameras for children, reviewing images, storage, and software.
  • Learn about image permissions
  • Have the opportunity for practitioners to get creative and experimental with cameras

Make an enquiry about this course.

Intelligent materials: making learning irresistible – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

This session looks at the value of using intelligent materials. These are materials and objects through which children can explore a plethora of possibilities to express their imagination. The CPD will focus on materials that are open-ended and often lead to high levels of sustained engagement, thinking, and curiosity, and that have significant opportunities for technique progression and ideas development. Examples will include clay, woodwork, paper and fabric. We will examine ‘intra-action’, how materials have ‘agency’, also having an impact on us.

We will explore the rich potential of loose parts, embracing natural, found, or recycled materials. Loose parts position the child at the centre of their learning as they use their imagination to create various arrangements/constructions/narratives as they combine the objects. We will look at examples from Reggio Emilia which has had a long tradition of working with natural and recycled materials and gain insights from Froebel (gifts), Nicholson (loose parts), and Goldschmied (Heuristic play). We will look at how placing and arranging meets many learning and development aspects within curriculum. The CPD will look at ways in which intelligent materials can be incorporated and developed within early years settings, in both the indoor and outdoor environment, and the role of the adult to support and extend thinking and learning.

Aims and objectives

From this course you will:

  • Learn to provide appropriate materials and resources to encourage open-ended exploration
  • Explore how to facilitate the conditions to enable children taking the lead role in their learning
  • Learn about various pedagogies that support investigation with intelligent materials
  • Understand progression, how best to develop skills and techniques
  • Reflect on suggestions for loose part material both indoors and outdoors.
  • Partake in a practical session to explore a selection of materials, gain confidence, and share the experience of getting creative with materials.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Play

Calling all Superheroes – Exploring how to successfully manage this play – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • To consider the benefits of superhero play;
  • To discuss controversial notions such as weapon play, death and killing;
  • To consider how to successfully implement this play in terms of positive relationships and enabling environments;
  • To explore how we can encourage children to find their superpowers.

Audience: All Early Years Practitioners and Childminders

Make an enquiry about this course.

The theory of loose parts play – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

This course explores the wonder and as well the theoretical underpinning of collecting and using loose parts across the EYFS.   Working with loose parts and found objects is a sustainable and ethical way of reusing and repurposing unwanted and left-over materials from business and industry, in fact anything that was heading for land refill that can be safely used, transformed, and combined with other loose parts and other media e.g., drawing, digital, clay, light.

We all collect them, but what are the best kinds of combinations, what do we need to specifically look out for, how do we best present them and how in their myriad of uses can they be used with your children for illustrating and retelling stories, or making up their own, what about mathematical thinking, or patterning and aesthetics?  What about outside? How can loose parts be best used in ways that promote physical development, or for use in construction and building, or the exploration of science, or the expressive arts and design?  

Essential Questions;

  • What is the best way of getting started with loose parts? (Safety, sourcing, storing, presenting).
  • How can the theory of loose parts build on children’s curiosity and creative thinking across areas of learning in the EYFS?
  • How do children learn with loose parts in both child and adult initiated play and learning?
  • How can I best support, nurture and also challenge my children by using loose parts? (Exploration, investigation, communicating and reasoning)

Make an enquiry about this course.

Block Play and Loose Parts in young children’s learning from birth to five – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

Since the early 1800s block play has played an important role in young children’s holistic learning and development. This course will guide participants through the theory of block play referencing Froebel’s Gifts and Pratt’s Unit Blocks (2014) to explore what is special about block play and how it can support children’s learning and development across multiple domains. These areas include their mathematical skills and thinking, their language and communication, their creative learning, their social and emotional development, their physical skills as well as across other cognitive areas of learning such as abstract, logical, and symbolic thinking skills.

Within this course, Debi will explore the stages of block play, what to observe and look out for, and how to support and interact with children as they play and encounter blocks.  She will also explore how to curate contexts with blocks, how to combine blocks with other materials (and other blocks), and how to offer them to babies, toddlers, and young children. 

Loose Parts can complement a block play area and is equally holistic in its capacity for learning and development across a wide range of areas. Loose parts are also materials that can be offered to children in other spaces, inside and outside, and on both a small and large scale.  The theory of loose parts (Nicholson,1971) will be referenced as a way of developing children’s creative thinking and an exploration of ‘possibility thinking’ to consider how young children move from the ‘what is’, to the ‘what if’ (Craft, 2014).

During this highly engaging day there will be opportunity for thinking and discussion, action planning, and practical engagement with materials to enable all participants to develop their pedagogy and practice in relation to the age groups they are working with.

Make an enquiry about this course.

The pedagogy of play – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

This session looks in depth at the importance and value of play in young children’s development. Play is an integral part of being human – it is how we are programmed to learn and develop in a holistic and healthy way. Play helps children relate to their inner world of feelings, ideas and lived experiences, taking them to new levels of thinking as children make sense of the world around them, building skills that will empower them as life-long learners. Through play children relate to others, collaborating, negotiating, and constructing narratives. By referring to ‘the pedagogy of play’, Pete highlights how our approach as teachers is crucial in providing the optimal conditions to allow children’s play to flourish.

We will examine the theory and practice of their learning and explore the role of the adult. The training will delve into the theory, looking at pioneering theorists such as Froebel, Vygotsky, and Dewey and more recently the work of Tina Bruce, looking at the core elements of play. We will examine the many different modes of play we can see young children engage in, such as role play, physical play, and exploratory play. We will see how children apply and develop their creative and critical thinking skills as they express themselves and problem-solve. We will also get active and engage practically in play such as exploring socio-dramatic play, and play and exploration with open-ended materials. The session will also highlight the importance of the outdoor environment to support play and children’s healthy development.

Aims and objectives

From this course you will:

  • Discover what counts as ‘play’ and ‘playful activities’
  • Learn how play supports children’s creative expression
  • Learn how freely chosen play can support all areas of learning
  • Explore the adult role in supporting playful learning
  • Learn about key theorists approaches to play
  • Explore the different types of play we can observe
  • Distinguish between free play, guided play, and structured didactic teaching.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Inclusion & diversity

These outlines offer ways to reflect on our practice and provision to ensure it is inclusive of everyone. 

Inclusive practice and pedagogies

Inclusion and Equality – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider why we need to support children in resolving conflicts and develop self-regulation;
  • Think about the characteristics of and sources of conflict for young children;
  • Find out about emotion coaching and the problem solving approach to conflict resolution;
  • Investigate ways of promoting positive behaviour through policy and practice;
  • Make links with the Prime Area of PSED in the EYFS.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Supporting young children who face significant life challenges – delivered by Donna Gaywood

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • To reflect on their role as an early educator.
  • To consider the impact of significant challenges on the lives of very young children.
  • To think about how to support children with SEND or SEMH needs.
  • To understand trauma responses and their role in supporting children.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Equality, Race and Unconscious Bias – delivered by Dr. Stella Louis

This training invites educators to reflect on the quality of their provision for babies and young children. When we observe children in our care, we need to consider their differences. Some of our children may come from homes where another language is spoken, or where their culture is different from the other children in our school or setting. Some children because of their gender and upbringing at home may not feel comfortable playing with the blocks or in the role play area. Other children may also experience barriers to learning, due to a disability or illness. When we observe those children, we need to be aware of how these differences will affect them and not to make assumptions about their behaviour.

This course will examine and challenge educators’ pedagogical practice and values reflected in practice, through having conversations about stereotypes, unconscious bias and myths about people, culture and communities. Set within the themes and principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage the training is broadly split into two parts. The first part covers the basis about discussing race. The aim here is to help educators feel more comfortable and confident in doing so. The second half explores unconscious bias and how we can become more aware of them.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Participatory pedagogy for transformational practice – delivered by Sharon Colilles

In recent years children’s rights to participate in matters that affect them the most has risen in prominence in research, policy, and in particular practice. Yet implementation of children’s rights can be the most challenging and yet rewarding aspects of professional practice. This course challenges educators to reflect on their current practice to examine how and in what ways their practice is shaped from the child’s perspectives. 

Incorporating knowledge and understanding gained from the practitioners own experiences of working with children, the course is aimed at those individuals who wish to seek approaches associated with empowerment, self-efficacy, and giving ‘voice’ to young children.

Exploring pedagogy in participation (Formisinho & Pascal, 2016), this training asks educators to reflect on situations in which relationships and interaction are sustained via joint activities and experiences to develop approaches that are responsive to the perspectives of children.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to: 

  • Define Praxeological principles (Pascal & Bertram, 2009; 2012) 
  • Obtain an understanding of pedagogy in participation (Formisinho & Pascal, 2016) as a means of exploring the practitioners own cultural knowledge about the children they work with.
  • Explore some of the ways that educators can use their existing knowledge to construct new meanings with young children. 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Creating ‘space’ for culturally appropriate resources in early years curricula – delivered by Sharon Colilles

This course invites educators to reconsider existing conceptualisations about the purpose of play to consider processes that involve internal representation that is specific to cultural and individual ethnic identity contexts. Described as a period in which children learn the language of their culture, Vygotskian theorisation suggests that between the ages of two to eight years learning about culture and ethnicity can be seen in children’s play. Whilst it may be challenging to clearly define Play, when we observe children in ‘play based settings’ there is a consensus of agreement that it is an important vehicle in which young children develop, learn, and explore socially constructed ideas from wider society.

Using play as a mediation tool for connecting ideas about how children choose to share and co-construct knowledge about their ethnic identity the course provides educators with an opportunity to consider the resources utilised within provision that facilitate discourse surrounding a raced and ethnic identity with young children. 

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Develop awareness and understanding about play and its potential to act as a:

•      powerful ‘bridge’ between children’s home and ‘school’ (Broadhead & Burt, 2012); 

•      mediation tool in interactions between peers and practitioners when co-constructing knowledge about ethnicity. 

  • Explore how resources can influence children’s conscious and unconscious beliefs about culture and ethnicity. 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Let’s talk about race – delivered by Dr. Stella Louis

This is an hour long course designed to start conversations about race and being an ally.

This session is broadly split into two. The first will cover the basis about discussing race. The aim here is to help participants feel comfortable and confident in doing so. The second half will focus on how we can be an ally and the practical steps that we can take.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Exploring children’s perspectives about their mixed ethnic identity – delivered by Sharon Colilles

This course encourages educators to explore contexts in which young children will be developing ideas about their ethnic identity. Coming from diverse backgrounds children enter early years settings rich in cultural knowledge (Karabon, 2017) acquired from their home & community environments. Children will make use of these cultural tools of thought and will go on to independently use them for their own purposes in their interactions with others.

This training will therefore challenge educators to reflect on sociological contexts surrounding culture, race, and ethnicity observed in pedagogical practices that impact upon and facilitate the judgements and preferences that children make about their own & others ethnic identity.

Located within the themes and principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage this training makes use of collaborative discourse to raise educator confidence to engage in the sensitives associated with ethnic/raced identity in their pedagogical practice.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to: 

  • Explore definitions relating to culture, race, and ethnicity. The objective here is to raise awareness and confidence amongst educators in making use of these terms. 
  • obtain an understanding of the terminology children use. The objective being to raise consciousness that children will ascribe terminology to themselves and others beyond known societal contexts.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Is poverty the poor relation?: Supporting children who are at risk of financial disadvantage – delivered by Jacqui Lewis

Early childhood educators are strategically positioned within a political agenda to reduce the impact of poverty and narrow the gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers. However, the voice of the educator is all too often silent within such political intention, implementation, and impact. This course will support all educators to develop their knowledge and understanding of how best to support our children and families, who are considered at risk from financial disadvantage.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider personal and professional contexts of disadvantage
  • Explore the significance of language associated with disadvantage and influences of bias informed practice.
  • Develop an understanding of the funding processes designed to support children at risk from financial disadvantage within an early childhood setting.
  • Learn effective ways to support children and families, who experience, or who are considered at risk from financial disadvantage.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Visualising vulnerability in early years provision – delivered by Jacqui Lewis

For children and educators alike, learning can be an emotionally high-risk activity where failure can often be extremely painful. This course provides a toolbox of visual aids to assist all educators to reflect, identify, and support vulnerabilities in practice which may exist. All too often vulnerability is projected towards children and cohorts and not within our provision and practice for children.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider how reflective practice can enhance the support provided for children and families.
  • Explore a variety of visual tools to support reflection and identification of individual children and family need.  
  • Develop an understanding of how these tools can support an inclusive pedagogy.  
  • Learn how your reflective artistry can impact directly on the support you provide for children and families within your setting.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Constructing a pedagogy of rights, respect, and relationships in your setting – delivered by Jacqui Lewis

This course invites staff to come together and consider the construction of a pedagogical approach which views the child through a lens of rights, respect, and relationships. A value base which centralises child voice and constructs a competent image of the child, can provide founding principles that inform and influence good practice.  The course will support educators with the ‘what’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ of such a pedagogy, bridging research, theory, and practice.

Aims:

  • Strengthen early educator’s knowledge and understanding of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, taking a deeper dive into specific articles and what this looks like in practice.
  • Promote thought regarding respect for children within society and our settings, and how this translates within areas such as wider policy, curricular frameworks, partnerships with families, our environments, and children’s participation and agency.
  • Encourage reflexive practice, through practical activity, to identify, question, and potentially reconsider assumptions and perceptions of the connections and relationships with children in our settings, considering the significance of equitable, positive and nurturing relationships, between every child and educator.
  • Influence an ethos of inclusivity within your settings, considering the interplay of a pedagogy of respect, rights, and relationships.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Supporting refugee children in Early Childhood Education and Care – delivered by Donna Gaywood

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Understand correct terms associated with forced migration
  • Think about the importance of pedagogy for refugee children
  • Consider professional positionality and the impact on practice
  • Reflect about the hidden curriculum
  • Explore practical welcoming practices

Make an enquiry about this course.

Inclusive practice: Neurodiversity, SEND, and SEMH needs

Effective SEN support – delivered by Kerry Murphy

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  1. develop their understanding of the four broad areas of SEND (Communication & Interaction, Cognition & Learning, Social Emotional & or Mental Health and Physical &/or sensory).
  2. learn about the various stages and cycles of SEN support and how this feeds directly into the EYFS.
  3. explore a repertoire of strategies across the four broad areas that can be used to develop a SEND toolkit back in the setting.

This course brings SEN support to life and is fun, practical and interactive.  Practitioners will have the opportunity to think about their high-quality teaching and provision including how to build upon this to support children with different types of SEND.  It will empower practitioners and give them the skills and tools to act in the first instance of early intervention. This course includes a free resource for building your own SEND toolkit.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Maintaining pedagogy with complex individual or cohort needs – delivered by Dominic Gunn

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Discuss how to support the increasing numbers of children with additional needs attending individual settings and classes.
  • Discuss how to support significant levels of additional need.
  • Consider the value, as well as the challenge, of including children with significant additional needs in their settings and classrooms.
  • Share similar experiences.
  • Discuss concerns about the impact on previously established practice.

Participants will understand how supporting complex additional needs, with confidence and from an informed position, improves provision for all children. Participants will feel more confident in advocating inclusive, child-centred learning to parents, school leadership teams, and to other adults. Managers will feel empowered to support children with additional needs effectively in the context of limited additional funding.

This training is available in a bespoke format, based on initial consultation, and will usually include an interactive presentation followed by discussion of participants’ particular concerns, and concluding with a summary of key points and an action plan. On-site reviews are offered as an option.

An awareness-raising session can be provided as a 2-hour session, in flexible formats, with full training and consultancy increasing as required.

This training is ideal for all practitioners, managers, and school leaders responsible for the education of children aged 3-6 years. It is also likely to be of interest to others who are more broadly concerned with educational inclusion.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Prioritising children’s mental health and wellbeing – delivered by Donna Gaywood

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • think about children’s mental health
  • examine how to create a positive learning environment where children can thrive
  • consider the link between adult and child mental health and wellbeing
  • explore some possible pitfalls
  • work out ways to intervene early.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Creating an inclusive learning environment – delivered by Donna Gaywood

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • reflect on their current learning environment and offer practical ideas to make it more accessible for all children.

Areas covered will include:

  • Children’s current presenting needs: speech and language delay, social, emotional, and mental health needs, and physical development
  • Developing inclusive practices as routine
  • Whole setting approach
  • An emotionally safe environment
  • Maintaining a healthy perspective: growing staff and children’s confidence.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Adopting a strengths-led approach to autism in the early years – delivered by Kerry Murphy

Themes likely to be covered in the session include:

  • Understanding what autism is (and isn’t)
  • Exploring misconceptions around autism, including around behaviour, assumptions, and stereotypes
  • How practitioners can support developmental differences in practice through a strengths-led approach (rather than a deficit model)
  • What inclusive practice looks and feels like.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Autism affirming practice in early childhood – delivered by Kerry Murphy

Our understanding of autistic identity has vastly increased in the last decade due to autistic-led research and community advocacy. There is, however, still the dominant view that to be autistic is to be disordered, impaired, or in need of ‘fixing’. This course draws upon a neurodiversity affirming view of autism, and explores meaningful ways to affirm and honour autistic child development and identity.

Aims and objectives:

  • To introduce autism through a neurodiversity-affirming lens
  • To explore the impact of ableist practice on autistic identity
  • To consider alternative child development theories related to autism including:
    • Monotropism
    • The Double Empathy Problem
    • Interoception
    • Gestalt Language Processing
    • Play Patterns
  • To consider practical ideas for supporting autistic children that affirm and honour their identity.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Exploring neurodiversity in early childhood – delivered by Kerry Murphy

Neurodiversity is becoming increasingly prevalent in our understanding of early childhood development and education. This course explores the key principles related to neurodiversity. You will consider how these can be translated into your everyday practice to ensure that every child and family feels affirmed and supported by the inclusion practices you adopt.

Aims and objectives:

  • To introduce neurodiversity and how this relates to early childhood development and education
  • To develop an understanding of ableism in early childhood practices and the ways in which this can disrupt meaningful inclusion
  • To consider the ways in which we can be in solidarity with children, parents, and carers during inclusion support
  • To explore strengths-led practices such as referral writing, goal setting, and planning for neurodivergence and disability.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Self-directed play and neurodiversity in early childhood – delivered by Kerry Murphy

There is a common misconception that paly does not come naturally to children who are neurodivergent and/or disabled and that they need to be taught how to play functionally, appropriately, and purposefully. This course debunks this myth by reimagining our understanding of play through a neurodiversity-affirming lens and embracing that play has infinite potentially. Our role as educators is to explore the diverse patterns of play and to facilitate their intrinsic meaning to children.

Aims and objectives:

  • To (un)define neurotypical and non-disabled measures of play.
  • To explore the importance of self-directed play in the play continuum.
  • To consider play patterns of neurodivergent and disabled children.
  • To unpick how play has been appropriated for learning and development, and to consider how to liberate play.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Strengths-led goal setting in early childhood – delivered by Kerry Murphy

As educators and specialists, we are contributing to a child’s biography of lived experiences. It is important that the way we document their early experiences supports positive self-esteem and what is developmentally meaningful to them. This course explores the different strengths-led ways we can document and child’s early learning experiences, and how goal setting should affirm unique developmental pathways.

Aims and objectives:

  • To introduce neurodiversity in the context of strengths-led documentation and goal setting.
  • To consider the purpose of documentation, and how we can reframe language to write in affirming empowering ways
  • To introduce the SHARE and ATTUNED framework for goal setting
  • To consider practical tools for building a network of perspectives in neurodiversity-affirming support

Make an enquiry about this course.

Understanding the EHCP Process – delivered by Carla Cornelius

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

What does the SEND Code of Practice (2015) say about Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP)?

Which children may benefit from this process?

During the course, we will:

  • Briefly look at the key points highlighted in the guidance in relation to EHCPs
  • Look at the different steps in the process to obtain an EHCP
  • Consider the evidence required to complete an EHC needs assessment request
  • Look at the importance of working in co-production and what this looks like in practice
  • Mitigate the barriers to co-production with practical strategies
  • Explore the importance of setting Aspirations, Outcomes and Targets

Links to Early Years and SEND guidance: SEND Code of Practice 2015 (‘Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Plans’ Chapter 9).

Audience: SENCOs in Early Years PVI Settings and Schools

Make an enquiry about this course.

Using a Provision Map – delivered by Carla Cornelius

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

“The use of provision maps can help SENCOs to maintain an overview of the programmes and interventions used with different groups of pupils and provide a basis for monitoring the levels of intervention” (SEND Code of Practice 2015 point 6.76).

Provision maps are a useful tool to plan provision across the setting and review the impact of interventions. They can be used successfully both in schools and PVI settings.

During the course, we will draft a provision map, taking into account cohorts of children, high and low incidence SEN in the setting, budget constraints and deployment of staff.

At the end of the course participants will have a working document which could be adapted to their own specific context.

Links to Early Years and SEND guidance: SEND Code of Practice 2015 (‘Use of Data and Record Keeping’ points 6.72-6.78).

Audience: SENCOs in Early Years PVI Settings and Schools

Make an enquiry about this course.

Language and communication

Language and communication underpin all our interactions. These courses offer a range of ways of supporting these aspects within your school or setting.

Bilingualism and multilingualism

Supporting bilingual learners in the foundation stage – delivered by Dr. Rose Drury

Delegates will have opportunities to;

  • Make links with the principles of the EYFS and how to put these into practice with bilingual children and their families who are new to English
  • Understand the importance of recognising and building on early bilingualism
  • Develop strategies for supporting bilingual children’s learning in their setting

Make an enquiry about this course.

Effective support for children who speak English as an additional language – delivered by Donna Gaywood

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Reflect on their current practice
  • Consider attitudes and think about a celebratory approach
  • Identify the skills children need
  • Consider practical ways to develop a positive language environment.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Bilingualism in Children with Delayed Language – delivered by Carla Cornelius

Aims and objectives:

Is bilingualism a barrier or an advantage for children with delayed language? This course aims to answer the question by exploring the current research studies on multilingualism in children with delayed language.

We will:

  • Dispel some of the myths surrounding bilingualism
  • Understand the principle of language development in the dominant and second language
  • Consider the cultural aspects of language development and their influence on language mastery
  • Look at practical ideas to promote bilingual language development
  • Share useful tips to work alongside parents to enhance children’s language.

The course is based on current research in the studies of bilingualism, language development and neuroscience. The course also considers the influence of attachment on language development.

Links to Early Years and SEND guidance: Birth to 5 Matters 2021 (Personal Social and Emotional Development; Communication and Language; Understanding the World); SEND Code of Practice 2015 (‘The Graduated Approach’ points 5.36-5.46 and 6.44-6.56).

Audience: All Practitioners in Early Years PVI Settings and Schools

Make an enquiry about this course.

Exploring language and communication

Signing the Way! – Using signs with young children – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider why signs are used with young children;
  • Unpick the definitions related to using signs;
  • Consider the benefits of signing for children, their parents/carers and practitioners, including evidence from research;
  • Learn some signs which they can use with children in their settings;
  • Find out how using signs links to the EYFS.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Music, Language & Communication – delivered by Nicola Burke

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Explore how music is intrinsically linked to the development of language and communication. 
  • Learn songs and activities to explore the important role that music plays in the development of language and communication.
  • Be involved practically in this workshop style session and have an opportunity to look at film footage of children communicating through musical play and the use of musical instruments.
  • Consider their provision and practice and how to develop opportunities that foster communicative musical play.

Audience: All Early Childhood Educators

Make an enquiry about this course.

Music and Phonics – delivered by Steve Grocott

This highly enjoyable and accessible course focuses on ways of fostering early phonological development using carefully chosen musical activities and play. It follows the “Letters and Sounds” document Phase One. Steve recorded the CDs for A&C Black’s Singing Phonics series. While there is a focus on laying the foundations for phonics the activities are holistic and will contribute to all aspects of children’s development.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Learn tried and tested songs rhymes and games that their children will love to sing
  • Gain an understanding of the integral relationship between music and early phonological development
  • Boost their ability and confidence in all their musical activities with ideas linked to “Letters and Sounds”
  • Learn simple ideas for using body percussion and rhythm sticks that will make a big difference to their sessions
  • Learn how to encourage children’s experience of instrumental sounds and using instruments

There is a CD/booklet that contains the material in this course.

Audience: All Early Years practitioners

Make an enquiry about this course.

The art of conversation – delivered by Nicola Burke

In this ever-increasing world of technological advances and the hyperconnectivity this enables, how are we ‘speaking’ with colleagues, children and with people in our individual worlds? This session involves delving into the 3 ‘types’ of conversation and codes / ‘rules’ around the different forms of communication from the written word to the voice note.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Are we listening? – delivered by Nicola Burke

How much time do we spend listening and how much time have we spent being taught ‘how’ to listen? This session will explore listening, what this means and how we can develop this crucial skill. Participants will be invited to consider and reflect on their own listening styles, and their perspectives of listening within the workplace to children and colleagues and within everyday life.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Developing emotional intelligence – delivered by Nicola Burke

What do we mean by emotional intelligence and how can we harness and develop our EI further? In this session participants will be invited to consider and discuss emotions such as empathy, compassion and develop our understanding of our own feelings and those of others, to create better relationships with other people.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Supporting language development

Breaking Language Down – Promoting Children’s Understanding – delivered by Carla Cornelius

Language development is a central concern in the education field, particularly following the recent pandemic. The new curriculum guidance and government priorities focus on language development as a precursor of children’s academic progress and a foundation for better life outcomes.

Understanding is a major component of language processing, both on a curriculum and social level. However, many children who have difficulty in this area of language are often not promptly identified in our educational settings, particularly when they are verbal.

During the course, we will:

  • Look at the role of understanding in language development
  • Consider some of the main difficulties and behaviours that children with delayed understanding  present
  • Plan support strategies to enhance understanding
  • Investigate what services to refer to for further support and guidance

Links to Early Years and SEND guidance: Birth to 5 Matters 2021 (Personal Social and Emotional Development; Communication and Language); SEND Code of Practice 2015 (‘The Graduated Approach’ points 5.36-5.46 and 6.44-6.56).

Audience: All Practitioners in Early Years PVI Settings and Schools  

Make an enquiry about this course.

Breaking Language Down – Listening and Attention Skills – delivered by Carla Cornelius

Language development is a central concern in the education field, particularly following the recent pandemic. The new curriculum guidance and government priorities focus on language development as a precursor of children’s academic progress and a foundation for better life outcomes.

Attention and listening skills are the base of communication and allow children to successfully access new skills and thrive in a social environment. In this course, we will look at the different levels of attention and how to support their development with practical ideas.

Links to Early Years and SEND guidance: Birth to 5 Matters 2021 (Personal Social and Emotional Development; Communication and Language); Statutory Framework for the EYFS 2021 (‘Managing Children’s Behaviour’ points 3.53-3.54); SEND Code of Practice 2015 (‘The Graduated Approach’ points 5.36-5.46 and 6.44-6.56).

Audience: All Practitioners in Early Years PVI Settings and Schools  

Make an enquiry about this course.

Music and Stories to Support Communication and Language – delivered by Steve Grocott

Sharing stories and music is arguably the primary method we have of passing culture on to our children.  Including stories in our early years music making enriches the activity immeasurably. This practical workshop is about how to bring the story out in our songs and how to put music into our stories.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Learn new highly tellable and memorable stories and story songs
  • Learn ways to encourage children’s own stories and story play
  • Learn about acting out stories and how music can help
  • Think about telling stories without books – creating magic and shiny eyes in the room
  • Discuss the usefulness or otherwise of props and costumes
  • Gain a mental toolbox of basic story elements and structures and see how this helps with an improvisatory approach to story telling and making

The CD/ROM that accompanies this course was made with Pie Corbett and forms part of the Early Years element of his Talk for Writing project.

Audience: All Early Years practitioners

Make an enquiry about this course.

Supporting children through developing high-quality language rich environments – delivered by Penny Cartwright

The aim of this course is to support practitioners working with children aged two, three and four, to develop high quality language rich environments, in order to support children to become confident and effective communicators.

During this session, participants will have opportunities to:

  • consider how to develop high quality language rich environments and to identify the key features of a ‘communication friendly’ environment
  • examine the role of the adult in supporting children’s communication and language
  • consider how everyday routines and experiences can be maximised, to support children’s language development, including a wide range of practical ideas and strategies 
  • develop an understanding of how to monitor children’s progress and how to plan for adult initiated and child-initiated opportunities to support language development
  • explore a range of ways to involve parents in their children’s learning
  • reflect on their current practice and identify ‘next steps’ to develop and improve practice further

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Overcoming Shyness and Selective Mutism – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Children’s communication and language development is fundamental to all other areas of learning, but in particular links closely with personal, social and emotional development. Confidence, self-esteem, and social skills has a significant impact on children’s ability to communicate. Children who experience shyness, selective mutism or social anxiety, will find communication and interactions very challenging. This course will support practitioners to:

  • consider reasons why some children are reluctant or unable to speak
  • develop their understanding of what selective mutism is
  • examine the factors that may contribute to selective mutism and shyness
  • consider strategies to support children with chronic shyness and selective mutism, as well as to discuss strategies that are not helpful
  • consider a range of practical ideas to support all children’s communication and language development
  • explore ways in which parents and practitioners can work together

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Leadership & management

These courses consider leadership in the early years, offering strategies and support for current and aspiring leaders to fulfil their role effectively within their school or setting.

Coaching and mentoring

Core Skills in Coaching for Leaders and Managers – delivered by Ruth Mercer

Aims and objectives –

  • A coaching and mentoring approach can help you and the people you work with bridge the gap between potential and performance
  • This course teaches mentoring-coaching skills to use in both formal and informal learning context with colleagues
  • It aims to add to the repertoire of skills you already have, further developing your self-awareness as a colleague, mentor or teacher
  • It can help open up people to new insights, new perspective and avoid feelings of helplessness or defensiveness
  • It is a practice led course backed up by selected input on relevant theory

This course is run as two consecutive seminar days, then time to practice, with a third day once you have had some practice in the work place (6-8 weeks after). It is effective for all leaders and managers.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Introduction to Coaching and Mentoring – delivered by Ruth Mercer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Appreciate the key principles of coaching and mentoring
  • Practice some coaching conversations within the group
  • Learn some tools and techniques of coaching to take into the work place

This practical one-day introductory interactive course is designed to give an introduction to the power of a coaching approach for leaders in the workplace. It provides insight into the theory behind coaching and offers useful tools that participants can take away to practice with their team/colleagues.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Coaching and mentoring – delivered by Paula Lester

This course will enable you to lead and support your teams more effectively. By understanding coaching and mentoring strategies, you will become more self-reflective on your own supporting style. You will learn how to bring out the best in the individuals you manage having an impact on professional and personal lives. Empowering your staff to be the best they can be and feel positive about their role will impact the quality of your provision and therefore improve outcomes for children.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  1. Explore the difference between the terms and why each may be needed and who may benefit from which.
  2. Understand assumptions that are made, and how this impacts on our professional and personal wellbeing and career effectiveness.
  3. Develop realisation of the importance of body language/ non-verbal communication and the difference this makes.
  4. What makes a conversation a ‘coaching conversation’?
  5. Experiment with different styles, what makes someone assertive rather than aggressive?
  6. How to give, and receive, effective feedback.
  7. Capture your next steps to develop your coaching and mentoring skills.
  8. Have a personalised plan to take away and put into practice.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Leading and managing

Leadership of the EYFS – delivered by Julie Fisher

In this course, Julie explores leadership of the EYFS and the implications for practice within your professional context.

Themes likely to be covered include:
1. the qualities of an effective early years leader
2. building and motivating your team
3. leadership of curriculum development
4. monitoring colleagues and dealing with conflict
5. principled leadership in practice

Make an enquiry about this course.

Leadership Matters – delivered by Ruth Mercer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Understand what makes an effective and reflective leader
  • How to get the best from a team, including delegation, supervision and a coaching approach
  • Develop a vision for your setting and take your team with you
  • How to manage difficult conversations
  • Network with colleagues

This practical, interactive course is designed to meet the particular needs of leaders and managers working in the early years, to strengthen practice and build leadership capacity in this vital phase of education. The course is balanced to provide useful tools for taking into your setting as well drawing on as current leadership theory.

It is best delivered as six sessions over the course of a year, and is aimed at Leaders and Managers in Early Years Settings.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Leading Progress in the Early Years – delivered by Ruth Mercer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Understand what makes an effective and reflective leader,
  • How to get the best from a team, including coaching and supervision,
  • How to make your vision come to life in your school, taking your team with you
  • How to Problem solve and manage conflict.

This practical, interactive course is designed to meet the particular needs of teachers working in the early years, to strengthen practice and build leadership capacity in this vital phase of education. The course is balanced to provide useful tools for taking into your school as well drawing on as current leadership theory.

It is best delivered as six sessions over the course of a year, and is aimed at EYFS Leaders in schools or Senior teachers in nursery schools.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Inclusive leadership – delivered by Jacqui Lewis

It is both a challenging and exciting time to be a leader in early childhood education. Inclusive Leadership is about creating an environment where everyone matters, where allyship, not privilege resides. Where children and staff from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge, can come together and feel seen, knowing that every voice is afforded the agency and autonomy to achieve a sense of belonging and psychological safety.  Inclusive leaders are aware of their own biases and actively seek out collaboration to consider different perspectives to inform decision-making.

Your setting identity, its ethos, vision, and values, are constructed from a plurality of influences, bound within philosophies of childhood, theoretical persuasions, and political sway, not to mention, the perceived perfectionisms from social media. It is no wonder, therefore, that within our intent and enactment of such influences, to provide the best for our children and families, we may lose sight of our own setting identity. This can lead to a deviation from, and dilution of, our core values, which may have more significance than first appears, for example upon staff recruitment, and retention, and relationships with children.

Aims:

  • Develop an understanding of inclusive leadership, definitions, theory, and styles.
  • Consider the role of identity, positionality, and intersectionality within your setting community.
  • Begin to reflect on the importance of belonging and psychological safety as a critical component of inclusivity and workforce retention.
  • Strengthen a collaborative authentic alignment of your setting ethos, core principles, and practices.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Leading and learning outdoors – delivered by Kathryn Solly

Aims and objectives – delegates will have a brief introduction to leaders and leadership, before exploring:

• Good manager or great leader?
• The importance of TEAM
• Aspects and dimensions of quality
• Key skills and qualities to lead outside
• Key responsibilities- Developmentally Appropriate Play, COEL, PSED, Physical Development, Communication and Language and quality Interaction, Creative and Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Independence and Extending Learning, Promoting Inclusion.
• Leading Change with your team

Make an enquiry about this course.

Leadership Skills for SENCOs – delivered by Carla Cornelius

In our busy early years settings, the SENCO role is not often given the importance it deserves and needs to fully develop into a leadership role. This course aims to:

  • Explain the role of the SENCO in the context of leadership
  • Clarify the difference between leader and manager
  • Establish the key responsibilities of the role and how to effectively fulfil them
  • Consider practical ways to use time management and decrease workload
  • Explore how to effectively implement change in practice

The course will briefly look at some of the recent theories on leadership, change management and coaching.

Links to Early Years and SEND guidance: Statutory Framework for the EYFS 2021 (‘Special Educational Needs’ point 3.68); SEND Code of Practice 2015 (‘The Role of the SENCO’ points 5.52-5.54 and 6.84-6.94).

Audience: SENCOs in Early Years PVI Settings and Schools

Make an enquiry about this course.

Leading Practice and Developing Provision for 0-3 year olds – delivered by Julia Manning-Morton

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

Develop initial leadership skills and practice leadership strategies and tools in developing effective practice and provision for 0-3 year olds.

Audience: Early Years Practitioners and Teachers leading provision and practice with 0-3 year olds

This is a Professional development course accredited by Middlesex University worth 20 credits at Level 4.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Developing effective leadership in the EYFS – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Aims and objectives – This session will provide opportunities for EYFS leaders to consider:

  • the roles and responsibilities of the EYFS leader and what makes an effective leader
  • how to empower children as learners and develop contexts which promote high quality learning and how this can be organised and monitored
  • the purpose of self-evaluation and how to develop rigorous and effective systems which impact on children’s learning and development
  • the role of coaching, mentoring, appraisal and supervision
  • current practice and identify areas for further development

Target audience: EYFS leaders working in schools

Make an enquiry about this course.

Whole school/setting approaches

Leading pedagogy: a whole team approach – delivered by Jacqui Lewis

It is both a challenging and exciting time to be in early childhood education.  We are informed by an abundance of theories, approaches, methods, and interventions, not to mention a new wave of inspiring early years pioneers. It is no wonder, therefore, that within our intent to provide the best for our children and families, we may lose sight of our own setting identity. This can lead to a variance and dilution of core values and may impact upon staff retention. This course is for all educators across a whole early childhood setting, regardless of size.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider your own professional identity and influences within early childhood education.
  • Explore through reflection and discussion your core principles within the setting.
  • Develop setting vision and values which are both authentic and collaborative.
  • Learn how this translates into practice and where aspects of provision could be strengthened.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Quality Improvement Support (Getting ready for inspection) – delivered by Paula Lester

Are you always thinking about that imminent inspection and how to ensure you and your staff are ready to proudly show what you do every day? Are you striving for high quality practice, wanting the children in your setting to experience this every day, but not quite knowing how? Are there areas you feel you could do better in but not sure what needs to change? This course will not only support you to self-reflect and think critically about high quality practice for children and families, but also help you and your staff team prepare to be proud and confident in articulating your practice and showing your best in an inspection.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  1. Explore what is meant by ‘high quality provision’ or ‘best practice’ and why it matters anyway?
  2. Discuss the role of inspectors and what they are looking for and why.
  3. Examine your current practice and areas for improvement.
  4. Develop strategies to improve quality, understanding the foundations of what this looks like.
  5. Explore your thoughts around and what your grade means to your stakeholders.
  6. Reflect on tools you can use to be the best you can be and how to support your staff to shine.
  7. Identify and create a plan of action, with real life strategies to take forward.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Looking inward, outward, forward: reflective practice for continuing professional growth – delivered by Nicky Shaw

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Identify the nature of reflective practice in early years settings.
  • Reflect on the purpose and value of reflection as a professional practice.
  • Consider practical and creative approaches to reflection for early years professionals.
  • Practice the skills of feeding back to feed forward.
  • Investigate purposeful approaches to documentation of professional growth.

Nurturing a change-friendly team – delivered by Nicky Shaw

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Develop an understanding of the issues affecting teams in a change process.
  • Identify potential causes of challenge or conflict in a team in relation to change.
  • Reflect on the impact of changes facing early years teams.
  • Consider approaches which nurture a change-friendly environment.
  • Identify ways to lead and evaluate the social process of change.
  • Practice the skills required to nurture a collective commitment to change.
  • Plan ways to apply new understandings within the context of your own establishment.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Supporting Young Children’s Well-being through Developing Strong Teams – delivered by Julia Manning-Morton

This course has been developed to support practitioners who are in a senior leadership position in developing their knowledge and skills so that they are better equipped to lead teams and groups in supporting the well-being of babies and young children.

Participants explore and analyse concepts of good quality practice and provision and the implications of this for approaches to leading teams and developing provision. 

Audience: Early childhood setting managers and practitioners who are in a leadership role

This is a Professional development course accredited by Middlesex University worth 40 credits at Level 7.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Aiming High; Improving Quality: Developing effective self-evaluation to improve children’s outcomes – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • reflect on the purposes of self-evaluation and how it can be used to impact on children’s learning and development
    • consider how to develop rigorous and effective systems for self-evaluation
    • discuss a range of manageable and practical methods and tools to support ongoing quality improvement
    • reflect on their current systems for self- evaluation and how these can be developed further

Audience:  Leaders working in schools, settings and childminders

Make an enquiry about this course.

Using Environment Rating Scales to reflect on practice and to improve quality – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Aims and objectives – This session will support participants to:

  • consider the purpose of self-evaluation and why this is so important
  • reflect on a range of different ways to evaluate practice
  • develop their understanding of the range of Environment Rating Scales and how these can be used to promote reflection, discussion and ongoing quality improvement
  • reflect on their own practice and identify how to improve the quality of practice further

Target audience: EYFS leaders and teachers working in schools and managers working in settings

Make an enquiry about this course.

Learning environments

The learning environment – indoors and outdoors – is crucial, and it is important to consider how they can offer the richest, most stimulating experiences for children. They consider ways of maximising the space and opportunities you can provide within your context. 

Enabling environments

A Place to Learn – Developing a stimulating learning environment – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • consider why it is so important to develop a stimulating learning environment and how this supports children to become confident and successful learners
    • explore the Prime and Specific areas of learning and development and how to extend children’s learning across all areas
    • examine a range of practical ideas to support the organisation and planning of a high quality  environment, indoors and outdoors
    • reflect on their own learning environment and identify ways to develop these further, to provide rich and challenging ‘Places to Learn’

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Extending children’s learning through providing rich and stimulating small world and role play provision – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • develop their understanding of the value and importance of small world and role play
    • consider the role of the adult and how to plan high quality small world and role play provision, indoors and outdoors
    • explore how to support and extend children’s learning in all areas of development, providing purposeful and meaningful experiences to support literacy and maths
    • share a range of practical ideas to inspire and motivate children

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Implementing the EYFS on a shoestring – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Children need a wide range of stimulating experiences to support their learning and development in all seven areas. This session will give participants opportunities to share a wealth of practical ideas on how to make the most of using resources that are either FREE or low cost, including recycled materials. The session will include opportunities to:

  • Consider lots of simple ideas that can be implemented quickly and easily
  • Reflect on how different collections can be used to support children’s play and enhance the learning environment
  • Make the most of using natural materials in a range of ways to extend children’s learning in all areas
  • Share ideas that will inspire and motivate children (as well as adults!)

Please bring a resource to share that is free or of low cost.

Target audience: Practitioners working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Environments to best support children’s communication and high-quality adult interactions – delivered by Paula Lester

This course examines how the environment can best support children’s communication and high-quality adult interactions – it explores:

  • The importance of play in developing children’s communication.
  • Equity and Inclusion and what this means for children’s communication development.
  • How transitions are managed to best support children’s communication and adult-child interactions
  • How songs, rhymes, and stories enhance children’s learning of communication and language.
  • Reflecting on current environments in the setting.
  • How to further enhance environments to benefit children’s language and communication.

This course complements Paula’s course on the role of the adult – and can be delivered alongside this as part of a full day session.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Enabling environments: the third teacher – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

The impact that the environment can have on learning, development, well-being and creativity is profound. We will look at the aspects of the environment that enhance continuous provision supporting play and self-initiated enquiry. We will look at the influence of leading approaches and pedagogies which have influenced current practice focusing on the Reggio Emilia approach. In the Reggio Emilia they refer to the environment as the ‘Third Teacher’ – highlighting the importance placed on creating the right environment for learning and growth and for children to construct their own learning.

We will look at an in-depth environment audit – a resource that can be used to evaluate and reflect on your current learning environment and plan for possible improvements. We will consider the many elements that contribute to creating an outstanding environment from aesthetics, access to intelligent materials and open-ended resources, opportunities for enquiry-based learning to environmental factors and sustainability. We will discover how the environment impacts on wellbeing, health, and children’s learning dispositions. The training will also emphasise the value and importance of learning outdoors and how we can really enrich our outdoors space working within realistic budgets.

 Aims and objectives

From this course you will:

  • Develop an understanding of the importance of the environment for learning, development, and well-being
  • Learn about the Reggio Emilia approach to the environment referred to as the ‘Third Teacher’
  • Learn how the environment can support creativity and imagination
  • Examine how environments can facilitate and encourage communication
  • Learn how the environment can support open ended enquiry-based learning
  • Look at ways that physical development can be enhanced
  • Explore examples and case studies of inspiring indoor and outdoor environments
  • Complete an in-depth environment audit
  • Consulting with children – examples of children’s feedback and contributions to design ideas
  • Explore a selection of design ideas for all budgets.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Sustainability education in the early years – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

Early childhood is the ideal time to establish a foundation of understanding around the environment. Sustainability education is often referred to as Education for Sustainable Development. UNESCO describes this as: ‘Education for Sustainable Development allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future.’ This means weaving key sustainable development issues into practice such as climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable consumption of resources. ESD is all about improving our quality of life now and for the generations to come.

This session will explore what this looks like in early years. We will explore how we can help children form deep and meaningful connections with nature, from embracing all the elements nature affords us such as the wind and rain, observing the incredible beauty, the awe and wonder of nature, learning to care for our natural environment through planting, encouraging biodiversity such as with bug-hotels and ponds, or care for animals such as hens or a rabbit. We will look at developing an understanding of growth and life-cycles, as children begin to make sense of their world.

We will explore resources and materials that are themselves more sustainable and have a low or zero carbon footprint. Pete will give examples and hands on experience with natural materials that are more sustainable such as clay, charcoal, and wood. We will think about ways in which we can embed recycling culture and zero waste into the setting’s culture, as well as looking at ways in which settings can make larger commitment to the environment thought energy source choice, insulation, and furniture and resource selection.

Aims and objectives

  • From this course you will:
  • Understand the importance of sustainability and the environment
  • Examine how the outdoor environment promotes children’s health and well-being
  • Examine how we can nurture making strong lasting connections with nature
  • Learn about key theorists’ approaches to sustainability and ESD
  • See how we can contribute in wide-ranging ways to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly
  • Explore a selection of resources and materials that have low/zero carbon footprint
  • Examine examples of stimulating innovative environmental approaches from a variety of countries.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Learning outdoors

Reach for the Stars – Developing high quality learning environments outdoors – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • develop their understanding of why learning outdoors is so important for young children
    • explore the potential of the outdoor learning environment and how it can be used to maximise opportunities for learning  in all seven areas of learning and development
    • examine the role of the adult outdoors and how to develop an effective outdoor learning environment
    • consider a range of practical ideas and resources
    • reflect on their own outdoor provision and identify how this can be developed further to extend children’s learning

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Leading Learning Naturally – delivered by Kathryn Solly

Aims and objectives – this course will cover aspects of how nature can support:

  • children’s emotional wellbeing
  • tinkering with thinking and talk
  • physical development
  • creativity and imagination
  • understanding of the world scientifically and mathematically
  • risk benefit assessment skills and safety awareness

Make an enquiry about this course.

Growing a learning community in the Early Years – delivered by Kathryn Solly

Aims and objectives – delegates will have the opportunity to explore:

• The influence of the pioneers on Early Years
• Learning from others around the world
• Creating an ethos
• Where we are today-ethos, principles and practice
• Providing the right environment for play and learning indoors and out
• Nurturing habits, attitudes and dispositions in children and adults
• Cultivating confidence, calm independence and creativity
• To outstanding and beyond….

Make an enquiry about this course.

Young children, gardening, food and outdoors – delivered by Kathryn Solly

Aims and objectives – delegates will have the opportunity to explore:

• The importance of health and wellbeing
• Partnership with parents and the community
• Staying safe and being responsible
• Understanding food and growing
• The gardening year and how it supports the COEL
• What to grow, what to taste and what to cook
• Exciting discoveries and explorations
• Feeding fascinations!

Make an enquiry about this course.

Establishing your Enabling Environment Outdoors – delivered by Kathryn Solly

Aims and objectives – delegates will have the opportunity to explore:

• Learning from the past
• What a child needs
• Your ethos, policies and procedures
• Organising space, time and other essentials
• Enabling environments
• Our responsibilities as leaders and managers
• Challenge and challenges for children
• What helps parents and practitioners?

Make an enquiry about this course.

Learning on the Wild Side – delivered by Kathryn Solly

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Learn about some of the background to quality leadership and management in the early years
  • Learn about creating a vision, building team motivation and being a lead learner.

Audience: Early Years staff considering leadership and management posts or those already in them in schools and settings

Make an enquiry about this course.

Learning outdoors with nature: developing children’s ecological awareness and identity – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

When children learn with nature they generate many connections, associations, ideas, imagination, stories, and working theories of how the world works and their relationship with it. Educators can support babies, toddlers, and young children to attune to the rhythms, cycles, evolutions, patterns, sounds, and movements and help children to develop their ecological awareness and identity (which is how they understand the importance of nature to themselves and others).

Develop your professional knowledge and practice so that you can:

  • Develop ways to learn with the nature evident within your setting (under the children’s feet and above them in the sky) even in an inner-city urban context
  • Explore approaches to attune, map, journey, story, place-make, seek, collect, name and make special, all contributing to the development of children’s ecological awareness and identity
  • Learn how to use the expressive arts and design and technology to build meaningful learning through children’s engagement with insects, plants, stones, soil, leaves, snails, trees etc

Developing an ecological awareness and identity develops transformative and creative learning which enables children (and their families and educators) to consider the impact of their actions on the world in learning, growing, and living together.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Outdoor learning – delivered by Paula Lester

Everyone has heard of the benefits of being outside but do we really know what this means and why? This course will develop your knowledge of the outdoor world and the unlimited ways it can benefit adults and children in Early Years. We will tackle the challenges which sometimes stop us from being outdoors as much as we would like to be. You’ll struggle to be back indoors afterwards!

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  1. Differentiate between playing outdoors and outdoor learning.
  2. Gain experience of how vital being outdoors is to Early Years children learning through play.
  3. Reflect on high quality practice and the importance of the outdoors.
  4. Explore children’s behaviours inside, and outdoors, building links to mental health and benefits to the holistic child.
  5. Investigate what nature can provide with the affordances of the seasons.
  6. Overcome real-life daily challenges and hurdles.
  7. Consider sustainability in today’s climate.
  8. Plan the way forward – I’m on my way, what now?

Make an enquiry about this course.

Learning outdoors and in nature – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

Outdoor environments provide children with some of the finest learning opportunities as they learn through play and their natural curiosity is stimulated by unparalleled experiences. Nature encourages them to explore and discover, to take on new challenges, and to learn new skills. Children have a wealth of opportunities to express their imagination, develop their creative and critical thinking skills, and to learn across all areas of the curriculum.

Children have the right to learn and play outdoors, to be active with their bodies and minds and to experience nature in all its wondrous forms. Research concludes that children can learn more effectively outdoors than indoors, and that they need to be active in order to learn best. When children are given unhurried time in an outdoor environment, their learning can have deeper meaning and create long-lasting memories. The importance of learning in nature has been embraced by many settings in recent years, with some settings successfully spending the majority (if not all) of their day outdoors.

In the training we will examine the value of learning outdoors, we will look at how we can create and make the most of outdoors environments, looking at the range of opportunities we can offer children. We will examine leading educational pioneers thinking in promoting outdoor learning and reflect on our own pedagogical approach. We will also look the value of embracing risk and challenge in a positive sense. Pete will provide many examples of outstanding outdoor environments from many countries that will offer ideas and inspiration.

Aims and objectives

From this course you will:

  • Understand the importance of learning outdoors
  • Examine how the outdoors promotes health and well-being
  • Explore how to create a rich and varied outdoor environment and explore risky play
  • Examine how we can nurture making strong lasting connections with nature
  • Learn about key theorists’ approaches to learning outdoors
  • See how learning outdoors encourages play and can embrace all areas of learning
  • Examine many examples of stimulating environments and rich outdoor resources from a variety of countries.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Observation, assessment, and planning

These courses engage with the importance of observation, assessment, and planning, indicating how these aspects are at the very core of our practice. In reflecting on how each informs the other, these courses address how through the cycle of OAP that practitioners can meet the needs and interests of every child.

Planning effectively to meet children’s individual needs and interests – delivered by Penny Cartwright

The EYFS states that ‘Practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests and development of each child in their care, and must use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all areas of learning and development’ (September 2021)

During this session, delegates will have opportunities to:     

  • consider how to identify children’s individual needs and interests, including children’s starting points and ongoing achievements
    • develop their understanding on how to use observations and assessments to plan effectively for the next stage in children’s learning
    • reflect on the different stages of planning, long term, medium term and short term
    • examine how to plan stimulating and challenging experiences to support all children to make good or outstanding progress

Target audience:   Practitioners working in the EYFS in schools and settings and childminders

Make an enquiry about this course.

Effective Observation, Assessment and Planning in the EYFS – delivered by Penny Cartwright

The Statutory Framework for the EYFS states: Practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests, and development of each child in their care, and must use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experiences for each child in all areas of learning and development.

This course will support practitioners to:

  • develop their understanding of the assessment requirements and the principles of assessment as set out in the Statutory Framework for the EYFS (September 2021)
  • become familiar with the educational programmes as set out in the revised EYFS for each area of learning, what this looks like in practice, and how to plan to support all seven areas of learning and development
  • reflect on the observation, assessment and planning cycle and how this can be used to identify children’s individual needs and interests and to support children’s learning in all areas
  • become familiar with the non-statutory guidance (Development Matters 2020 and Birth to 5 Matters and how these can be used to support effective practice
  • consider ways to involve parents and children in contributing to assessments

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Observing and documenting learning – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

Observation is an essential part of daily early practice and getting it right is important for assessment and planning and for sharing children’s learning and development with the children themselves, their families and others interested in finding out about how you know your children and what they are developing understanding about.  Observing and documenting is about tuning into how your children learn and what they are making sense of.  It is a process of making learning visible that begins with your values and beliefs of children, of childhood and education. You cannot observe that which you don’t see or understand, so observation and documentation is also a process of reflecting on and in practice as well as being a rich source of ongoing professional development that helps you to learn about how children learn. 

This course draws upon international research and case studies of practice that enables you to explore and practice a way of observing, reflecting, and documenting young children’s learning that enables you to share your knowledge of your children and how they learn in your context.

Essential Questions;

  • Getting the balance right: What is effective and purposeful observation and documentation in the EYFS?
  • Looking for learning: How can photography or film be used sensitively and effectively to capture and communicate learning, for children, for families and others?
  • Developing Daily Practice: How can you use observation and documentation as part of a reflective cycle of assessment and meaningful planning?
  • Continuing professional development: How can processes of observation and documentation be used for professional learning of individuals and teams?

Make an enquiry about this course.

Connecting Observation, Assessment, and Planning and the Curriculum – delivered by Di Chilvers

“Keeping the OAP cycle at the heart of our practice enables practitioners to build on children’s motivations and interests to support and extend their development and learning. The curriculum is co-constructed between children, practitioners and families through this process.” (Birth to Five Matters, 2021, p.39)

In this course, Di will focus on:
– The connection between observation, assessment and planning and the curriculum
– Explaining the process through the OAP holistic diagram in Birth to Five Matters (p.38)
– Children’s experiences of the curriculum – how we use observation to see their motivations, interests, involvement, development, and learning
– Children and adults constructing the curriculum together – how a dynamic curriculum can respond to children’s funds of knowledge, their families, and community
– Making links between the EYFS Statutory Framework and the Ofsted EIF
– Ending with a discussion about your unique curriculum recipe – what will you include?

Make an enquiry about this course.

Observing children at play – delivered by Paula Lester

What really is play?

How can we know what children are learning in their play?

How do we know we are observing what matters, and do our observations really make a difference?

How can we ensure children have the best possible opportunities to play?

This interactive course will enable participants to reflect on:

  • Why it is so important children have uninterrupted time for play
  • What we are looking for when observing children at play
  • How observations influence our curriculum, planning and the role of the adult
  • How we articulate to others what children are learning through their play

The knowledge and experiences of the group will lead the direction of the discussions but will include:

  • What play is (and isn’t)
  • How play coordinates learning
  • Child developmental stages
  • Schemas
  • Quality observations
  • How the environment influences the quality of play
  • How high-quality play is nurtured by the role of the adult
  • Understanding children’s behaviour

The practicalities:

  • 3-hour session (AM or PM, Twilight or Evening)
  • Suitable for Early Years Settings (Maintained/Non-Maintained) and Schools
  • Relevant for Educators, Support Staff, Teachers and Curriculum Leads
  • This course complements Paula’s course on meeting children’s developmental needs – and can be delivered alongside this as part of a full day session.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Pedagogical principles into practice

Our pedagogical principles underpin the provision we offer. These outlines provide the opportunity to reflect on our practice, to help us articulate and justify our approach.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

How Do I Learn? – The Characteristics of Effective Learning – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Explore how young children learn and consider different learning behaviours;
  • Focus on the characteristics of effective learning in detail and unpick what they look like in our everyday practice;
  • Develop how we link observations of children with these characteristics and the Prime and Specific areas of learning within the EYFS;
  • Consider the role of the adult in promoting the Characteristics of Effective Learning in terms of positive relationships and enabling environments.

Make an enquiry about this course.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning, Creativity and Exploration – delivered by Kathryn Solly

Aims and objectives – delegates will have the opportunity to explore:

• Introduction to the COEL
• Deeper understanding of the Characteristics and Themes
• Unpicking what it means to play and explore, create and think critically
• Observation through child-led learning
• Documenting and sharing children’s learning
• Making links between the prime and specific area of learning

Make an enquiry about this course.

Exploring the Characteristics of Effective Learning – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

This course is designed to deepen practitioner knowledge of the Characteristics of Effective Learning, focusing on the process of how young children learn. The Characteristics of Effective learning are fundamental to every child in becoming a lifelong learner. This session aims to raise their profile, to gain insights in current thinking, and to propose new ways in which we can monitor children’s progression in this vital area. The session will consider:

  • Playing and Exploring: looking at how we support each child as a unique individual, how we encourage independence and how we encourage children to construct their own learning through play by following their own curiosity and lines of interest.
  • Active Learning: thinking about dispositions for learning, motivation for learning and engagement – looking at the Leuven scales of involvement and well-being. In terms of persistence, we will look at the work of Dweck in terms of growth/fixed mind-set.
  • Creating and Thinking Critically: focusing on creative and critical thinking as a process, Pete will emphasise the importance of creativity as a fundamental life skill that impacts on all areas of learning and also impacts on young children’s long-term outcomes to become resourceful and resilient adults. The input also focuses on the practitioner’s role in fostering creative and critical thinking skills.

The session will consider ways in which we can observe children’s progression of the characteristics especially in relation to their developing thinking skills. There will also be an opportunity to reflect upon values and how these relate to the Characteristics of Effective Learning especially in terms of our view of children and their ability to construct their own learning.

Aims and objectives

From this course you will:

  • Gain a deeper knowledge of the Characteristic of Effective Learning
  • Explore theories of play based learning
  • Gain an understanding of the Leuven scales of involvement and wellbeing
  • Develop a stronger understanding of what creativity means
  • Learn why creativity is so important in education and in life in general
  • Look at factors that contribute to encouraging and nurturing young children’s creativity
  • Investigate the role of the teacher in extending creative and critical thinking
  • Examine the importance of documentation and reflective learning practice
  • Gain insight into how to observe progression

Pedagogic approaches

How do children’s interests inform your early years curriculum? – delivered by Di Chilvers

In this course Di Chilvers explains the ‘Pedagogy of Children’s Interests’ and how central this is to their development, identity, thinking, and learning. Including examples of practice from an extended project at Maples Nursery School and Children’s Centre.
We will explore:
– How we recognise, support and build on children’s interest and ideas
– The relationship between children’s interests, funds of knowledge, and cultural capital
– How children’s interests and funds of knowledge inform and inspire your curriculum
– How you can support children’s interests in partnership with them through co-construction

The following extract is from a child’s learning story at Maples Nursery School, Ealing, as they explored the pedagogy of children’s interests through an extended project. This is how children co-construct their curriculum with supportive adults: “Your interest in construction and building was the spark for continuous investigation and unfolding ideas of how to build walls and roads and then houses, towers and stairs. I wonder why you are so interested in these types of buildings? There are so many different types of towers in the world we could have a look at some of those together? What do you think?”

Make an enquiry about this course.

What’s love got to do with it? Adopting a loving pedagogy in our settings – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Explore what we mean by love and loving in the context of early childhood;
  • Consider what constitutes a loving pedagogy;
  • Think about how we can help children to feel loved in our settings;
  • Review and evaluate our practice in the light of love.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Ready, Get Set, Go! – Exploring ‘school readiness’ – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider what we mean by school readiness;
  • Consider some research and guidance around this issue;
  • Reflect upon school readiness in terms of parents, schools, children and society;
  • Explore practical ideas of how to support children to be ready for school.

Audience: All Early Years Practitioners and Childminders who work with children who will transfer to reception classes in school.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Teaching and learning through play and practical experiences – delivered by Penny Cartwright

 Aims and objectives – This session will support practitioners to consider:

  • how young children learn best and the importance of play
  • the key role of the adult in planning and supporting children’s child-initiated play
  • how to develop a stimulating learning environment indoors and outdoors to maximise the potential for learning in all seven areas
  • a range of practical and simple ideas that can be easily implemented at low cost

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Action Learning Sets – delivered by Ruth Mercer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Learn a particular approach to facilitation of groups (may also be called learning set, peer learning set, continuous learning group)
  • Hear their own story/issue differently
  • Understand and create different responses to a range of experience
  • Become more self-aware and open to different possibilities in themselves and others

The central techniques that underpin and support such growth are careful listening, open questions and thoughtful feedback. Sets work best when the group is made up of participants working at peer level, which might be peers across or within an organisation – leaders, managers, practitioners (4- 7 people). Please do enquire for further information.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Curriculum design and curriculum-making with children – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

Curriculum is lived out by children through the daily life of the setting through interactions with the environment, with practitioners and each other, as well as being a top-level plan of what settings want for their children to learn.  As young children’s learning is often driven by their play and interests, curriculum design needs to be flexible and dynamic, with a balance of what is intentionally planned to bring new ideas and experiences to the children. Curriculum-making with children takes account of children’s learning in how they see themselves as learners, their interests, funds of knowledge, their working theories, and how they learn as described in the characteristics of effective learning.

Develop your professional knowledge and practice so that you can:

  • Evaluate, articulate and reason out your curriculum intent for all children based on how they learn, their needs, and rights
  • Take your children’s interests seriously and use them to inform your curriculum by valuing and responding to their funds of knowledge and working theories
  • Use your professional knowledge of your children and community to build a curriculum that holds meaning and relevance for children through being attuned, responsive, and inclusive

Curriculum is a dynamic process and through valuing play, relationships, and shared enquiry you can create a bespoke curriculum in line with the EYFS Framework that is pertinent, connected, and with purpose for your children.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Sustained Shared Thinking: thinking and talking together with children – delivered by Debi Keyte-Hartland

Sustained shared thinking fosters and improves children’s communication, confidence, collaboration, agency, criticality, thinking, and development of strong levels of well-being.  High quality interactions with children and between children amplify opportunities for Sustained Shared Thinking. This course will help you to build your knowledge and practice of the kinds of interactions with children that will actively broaden and deepen your children’s knowledge and thinking skills across the EYFS Framework.

Develop your professional knowledge and practice so that you can:

  • Develop understanding of how to interact with children, through episodes of Sustained Shared Thinking
  • Reflect on your own practice to identify and test out strategies that support Sustained Shared Thinking
  • Explore research and evidence linked to working theories, collaborative talk, dialogic teaching, and the EPPE project that supports Sustained Shared Thinking for children’s learning and development

Sustained Shared Thinking focuses on the importance of children being curious and motivated in which they build on their thought processes through interacting with others. It appears when children think deeply, and critically about things that matter to them, in which they can make links between different ideas and solve problems that they have identified.

The course will be informed by key research on SST, including REPEY (Siraj-Blatchford et al, 2002), EPPE (Sylva et al, 2004), ‘Working Theories’ by Hedges (2022), Teaching through Collaborative Talk (EEF, 2023), and Dialogic Teaching (Alexander, 2020), and will be supported by case studies and video exemplars.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Learning from Reggio Emilia – delivered by Pete Moorhouse

The Reggio Emilia approach is a world-renowned educational philosophy originating from the preschools of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy and was inspired by Loris Malaguzzi following the Second World War. Central to the philosophy is the importance of creativity and developing the child as a confident independent thinker. The Reggio approach is a body of pedagogical thought and practice – the result of many years of commitment to young children and their families and pedagogy builds on many previous educators such as Froebel, Dewey, and Vygotsky. There are several aspects of the Reggio early years school system that stand out. Central is a powerful image of the child – strong, competent, and naturally curious about the world and capable of constructing their own learning. Relationships are valued with children, teachers, and parents seen as being equally important – and development and understanding is viewed to be socially constructed. Teachers are viewed a co-constructors of knowledge whereby they research and explore the world alongside children.

Much emphasis is placed on developing children’s creativity and the importance of the environment to facilitate this. Over the decades, practice has developed with many innovative ways of working, particularly with their rich explorations of materials and phenomena with insightful reflection and documentation. During the session, Pete will share many examples from Reggio Emilia and we’ll also have opportunity to experience some of the media and investigations hands-on that they have found to be particularly engaging. A comprehensive handout and additional links to resources are included.

 Aims and objectives

From this course you will develop an understanding of:

  • The teacher as co-learner, emergent curriculum, children with direction over their learning
  • The 100 languages of children– the endless opportunities for creative expression
  • The role of Atelieristas – artists in residence/ studio spaces
  • The importance of the environment – physical space/resources as third teacher
  • The value of high-quality reflective documentation
  • Parents as partners: how Reggio practitioners work together with parents
  • Working together with the local community
  • How we can take inspiration from Reggio Emilia into our own professional practice, and the potential for longer-term project work.

Transitions

Moving on to key stage one: transition from the foundation stage – delivered by Julie Fisher

Delegates will have opportunities to;

  • Examine what is currently the same and what is different about EYFS and year 1 practice
  • Explore how young children learn when they are 5,6,7 years of age
  • Discuss the place of child-initiated learning in KS1 and how to plan for it in the learning day
  • Consider the role of the adult in observing and supporting both adult-led and child-led learning
Audience: Reception teachers, year one and year two teachers and their TAs
 

Developing effective transitions for young children – delivered by Penny Cartwright

The session will provide participants with opportunities to consider:

  • The different transitions children experience
  • The importance of effective and smooth transitions
  • The key principles which underpin the transition process
  • The role of the key person in supporting children’s transitions
  • A range of simple and practical ideas which support effective transitions for all children
  • Current practice and ways this can be developed further

Target audience: Practitioners and managers working with children aged two to five in schools and settings 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Managing transitions and change – delivered by Paula Lester

‘Change is difficult, even good change.’ Managing change is different for everyone regardless of their age. During the Early Years Foundation Stage there are unavoidable transitions such as when a child starts school. This course will look at how we can help prepare children and their families for this big transition in their lives. We will also reflect on many transitions children may be exposed to in your setting that may be avoidable and, if children can be supported by any tweaks to your environment and/or structure of the day.

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  1. Discuss what a Transition is and why we are talking about them. So What?
  2. Reflect on the effects of change, however seemingly small, on early years’ children.
  3. Think about children’s behaviour and what can be avoided to support this.
  4. Look at avoidable/non-avoidable transitions and what can be done to manage these.
  5. Consider ‘School Readiness’……and what this really means to you and your children.
  6. Plan strategies to overcome transition challenges you have.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Transitions – Starting school and moving to Key Stage 1 – delivered by Dominic Gunn

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to consider:

  • Why uninterrupted periods of child-led play are essential throughout the EYFS, and for children continuing to access this in Year 1.
  • Practical implications and the adult’s role.
  • Would we alter our pedagogy based on a child’s chronological age while presenting the same curriculum?
  • Is our teaching for each Unique Child based on a proven set of principles or disconnected prescription?
  • What is the impact on learning of increased adult direction with a more tightly timetabled day?
  • How well do we understand the relationship between children’s physical development and their most effective learning?
  • Does our Year R and Year 1 provision facilitate a connection with the natural world and the act of creation? Why is this necessary?

Participants will understand how to support children, and their individual learning, comfortably and with the greatest impact while they change physical environments and make new relationships. Participants will feel confident in preparing educational opportunities that enable the most effective learning for young children. They will feel empowered to advocate and explain the value of lengthy, autonomous play exploration above pre-determined lesson plans.

This training is available in a bespoke format, based on initial consultation, and will usually include an interactive presentation followed by discussion of participants’ particular concerns, and concluding with a summary of key points and an action plan. On-site reviews are offered as an option.

An awareness-raising session can be provided as a 2-hour session, in flexible formats, with full training and consultancy increasing as required.

This training is ideal for all practitioners, managers, and school leaders responsible for the education of children aged 3-6 years.

Make an enquiry about this course.

A relational approach to supporting transitions – delivered by Nicky Shaw

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Consider the emotional impact of transitions on children, parents, and staff.
  • Introduce the concept of a transition ‘journey.’
  • Identify opportunities for partnership working in the transition process: children, parents, carers, educators.
  • Examine the children’s views of the transition process.
  • Investigate practical examples of transitions supported through a relational approach.

Physical development & risk and challenge

These outlines reflect on the centrality of movement and physicality to children’s development, exploring ways to enhance opportunities through the environment and provision to offer children suitable challenges to learn and grow. 

Developing an enabling environment for physical development – delivered by Kathryn Solly

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to feel inspired to provide improved indoor and outdoor learning experiences for all children. These will include:

  • Experiences to express emotions and develop their well-being
  • Experiences on different scales on a bigger, bolder, messier and noisier scale
  • Experiences which benefit their health and well-being from being physically active

Make an enquiry about this course.

What Do Children’s Brains and Bodies Really Need? – delivered by Jasmine Pasch

Children are “full of it” and leave us in no doubt that we need a lot of energy to keep up with them as they move, play and dance. There are very good reasons for this, and the workshop will explore why children move in the ways that they do at the different stages of their development.

This workshop will allow delegates/parents to:

  • Recognise the importance of movement, dance and play opportunities for young children in the development of firm sensory and motor foundations.
  • Explore the connections between physical movement and brain development, and how this contributes to cognitive, social, emotional, creative and physical development, and to good health and long term wellbeing.
  • Make connections with later learning skills needed for school.
  • Remind parents of their own childhood play experiences.
  • Think about risk, and risk/benefit

This course covers from birth to five years.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Telling Stories: Making Dances (Expressive and Creative Dance) – with Jasmine Pasch

Children have many ways of communicating their meaning and intention with their bodies, of “talking with the body” and telling their stories. Body movement is a child’s first language, and so dance and story are intertwined from the start.

“We sing before we talk, we dance before we walk”  – P. Grendrad

This course is a practical session with plenty of fun ideas, so please come suitably dressed to move.

Delegates will have the opportunity to:

  • Explore stories and ideas to stimulate children’s imaginations, and from which we can make simple dances together in a variety of styles.
  • Recognise the importance of movement and dance opportunities for young children in the development of firm sensory and motor foundations.
  • Explore the connections between physical movement and brain development, and how this contributes to cognitive, social, emotional, creative and  physical development, and to good health and long term wellbeing.
  • Make connections with the characteristics of effective learning
  • Engage with a film of children dancing, drawing, making sculptures and expressing their ideas.

Observation tools

The session will include practical exercises, partner work, discussion and case studies.

This course covers from three to five years.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Emotion, Mastery and Meaning – delivered by Jasmine Pasch

Making relationships, being able to do things and being able to think and make connections are at the heart of learning and wellbeing throughout life, and body movement underpins these essential capacities right from the start.

Active engagement of the body influences far more than we might imagine.

The content of the course will include:

  • An understanding, through practical experience, of why babies and children move in the ways that they do, explaining the sensory and motor foundations for learning and development.
  • A look at some of the significant developmental patterns of the first year of life, and how these form the foundations for later learning, brain development, health and well being  (based on the work of Bette Lamont “The Brain Nanny”, Seattle, USA)
  • Ways to improve the environment for young children, indoors and outdoors.
  •  Creating “irresistible invitations” using a variety of inexpensive, open ended resources to engage babies and children’s imaginations in stimulating and meaningful play. 
  • Games and ideas using a variety of resources to extend practitioner’s skills, including a look at rough and tumble play.

Observation tools

The session will include practical exercises, DVD illustrations, and discussions.

Please come suitably dressed to move.

This course covers from birth to two years.

Make an enquiry about this course.

I move; therefore I am – Movement for thinking and learning – delivered by Kerry Murphy

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  1. learn about infant brain development and movement in a fun and accessible way.
  2. consider the risks in physical development including increased sedentary and challenging behaviours.
  3. consider their own environment and practice in supporting active learning and increased physical play.

Physical activity is a must for everyone including young children and being active has a wealth of benefits. Children should not be learning to sit still and focus but using the full capabilities of movement to think and learn. This course turns learning on its head and offers fun, healthy and appropriate ways to move across the early the early years’ curriculum. It gets practitioners moving as well into to a new way of thinking about fidgeting, wiggling, wriggling and roaming. 

Make an enquiry about this course.

I like to Move it, Move it! – Physical movement and brain development – delivered by Tamsin Grimmer

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Review how our brain develops and how connections are made;
  • Consider some research into movement play and its positive impact on learning and development;
  • Develop links with the Prime Area of Physical Development within the EYFS;
  • Review and evaluate our practice in the light of this learning.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Planning adventurous play throughout the year – delivered by Kathryn Solly

Aims and objectives – delegates will have the opportunity to explore:

• What is adventurous play?
• Other important concepts-risk, challenge, hazard
• Adventure and the Characteristics of Effective Learning
• Extending thinking through adventurous learning
• Using risk benefit assessment
• Enhancing play and learning for the creative, competent child
• Strategies to support parents and colleagues

Make an enquiry about this course.

Elemental play and learning through risk, challenge and adventure outdoors – delivered by Kathryn Solly

This two day course is spread over consecutive days or can be separated with a gap task for Early Years leaders/managers in small groups who are keen to enhance and develop their pedagogical practice outdoors.

Aims:

  • To consider different ways of seeing children – powerful, active and adventurous.
  • To reflect upon how we can ensure our outdoor spaces provide for these confident risk-takers and adventurers by using the elements and nature.
  • To enhance practitioner confidence and practice in challenging children by providing adventurous play with different resources including loose parts.

Day One

a.m.

  • Presentation of principles, practice and theory of risk, challenge and adventure via outdoor play and learning.

p.m.

  • Exploration of resources and books etc.
  • Discussions in groups about outdoor provocations
  • Planning next steps

The gap task will reflect on your current practice following the training day, with a view to bringing further ideas and feeding back at the next session.

Day Two

a.m.

  • Feedback by groups as to progress with next steps
  • Presentation about outdoor leadership and physicality

p.m.

  • Sharing DVD material
  • Exploration of loose parts

Make an enquiry about this course.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) reforms 2021

These courses focus on the recent changes to the EYFS (September 2021) and will help you to reflect on the implications for your professional context. 

Developing an Effective and Appropriate Early Years Curriculum – delivered by Leslie Patterson

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities:

  • To think about the intent behind their own curriculum and how to express this to wider audience
  • To identify the complex issues that need to be considered in the delivery of their curriculum
  • To begin to evaluate how well the implemented curriculum matches the intentions
  • To consider how the impact of a curriculum can be demonstrated

Audience: For those with responsibility for developing and implementing a curriculum in the EYFS. Ofsted are placing curriculum at the heart of how they will inspect the Quality of Education.  This course supports professionals to articulate this aspect of their provision and to reflect on how well the curriculum matches the needs of those in their care.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Developing concepts that underpin learning in the reformed EYFS – delivered by Leslie Patterson

“Unless children have early and frequent experience of what it feels like to understand something in depth, they cannot acquire the disposition to seek in depth knowledge and understanding – to engage in life-long learning.” -Lilian G Katz

The EYFS offers many opportunities for children to develop skills and knowledge. By offering these opportunities in strong learning environments, with knowledgeable, supportive adults and a wealth of broad learning experiences, we cultivate the conditions in which children can understand more and become competent learners.

These two sessions explore some of the concepts which promote understanding across the areas of learning in the revised EYFS and consider the sort of provision which will provide the strongest likelihood of broadening and deepening understanding.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Working with parents & the community

The community around the child plays a key role in supporting their learning and development. These courses reflect on how you can in turn support the home learning environment.

Engaging practitioners, parents, and children in values-led observations – delivered by Nicky Shaw

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Explore the purpose and values that drive your observations.
  • Examine the role of the practitioner in ensuring high quality observation are key to the responsive planning cycle.
  • Reflect on the role of the child being observed.
  • Practise purposeful, skilled observation through scenarios.
  • Consider how to embed observation within the child’s systems of support.
  • Evaluate the purpose of documenting observations.
  • Identify next steps for professional practice.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Strengths-based, relational support for children and families – delivered by Nicky Shaw

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • Examine how the child with ASN is viewed from the perspectives of different professions involved in interagency working. 
  • Consider the perspective of parents and carers in the decision-making process for ASN.
  • Consider the perspective of children in the decision-making process for ASN.
  • Investigate the practitioner role in advocating for children and families within the decision-making process for ASN.
  • Identify opportunities for the empowerment of children and families through a relational, strengths-based approach to the ASN process.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Developing partnerships with parents and carers of children 0-3 years – delivered by Julia Manning-Morton

This course introduces participants to key issues for parents of children aged 0-3 and considers approaches to sharing care of young children and involving parents in their children’s setting. Participants will identify and practice skills in communicating effectively and developing a triangle of trust with parents and their children.

Audience: Early Years Practitioners, Teachers and Childminders working with 0-3 year olds

This is a Professional development course accredited by Middlesex University worth 10 credits at Level 4.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Working with under threes

These outlines help to reflect on aspects of best practice when working with children under the age of three, to ensure it is high quality and developmentally age-appropriate.

Inspired by Babies – delivered by Julie Revels

‘There cannot be compromise on quality and we must be unrelenting in our insistence on improving experiences for all babies and young children. They must have the best.’ – Professor Cathy Nutbrown (2012)

Are you working with babies? What an incredible privilege it is to be caring for and interacting with these incredible little learners!

This course will explore how you can be an attuned and responsive carer for the youngest children in your setting. It will be an opportunity to learn about the development of babies and how opportunities and experiences shape their future development.

Delegates will have the opportunity to:

  • Consider the impact of all experiences during a baby’s first few months and years and the role early years practitioners have on these.
  • Develop an improved understanding of early child development.
  • Explore how observation helps to provides the opportunity to understand what will support individual children.
  • Understand that brain development, relationships and communication are key to offering high quality provision.
  • Reflect on providing close, responsive and respectful relationships with children and their parents as a key person.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Ready, Steady, two-year-olds – what two-year-olds need us to know and do! – delivered by Julie Revels

Are you new to working with 2-year-olds? In this course we will look at the exciting world of learning and development for 2-year-olds.

Delegates will have the opportunity to:

  • Consider the key influences on the development and learning of the 2-year-old so far.
  • Reflect on the role of the key person in enabling learning and development.
  • Understand the interrelated nature of development in the Prime Areas for 2-year-olds.
  • Describe and support the learning and development of each child using the characteristics of effective learning.
  • Explore emotional development including emotional and behaviour regulation.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Effective planning and assessment for two-year-olds – delivered by Penny Cartwright

Delegates will have opportunities to:

  • understand the statutory requirements for assessment, including the Progress Check at age two
  • examine the characteristics and needs of two-year olds
  • consider how to identify children’s individual needs and interests, including children’s starting points and ongoing achievements
  • explore ways on how to develop parental involvement in contributing to children’s assessment
  • develop their understanding on how to use observations and assessments to plan effectively for the next stage in children’s learning
  • reflect on the different stages of planning, long term, medium term and short term
  • share practical ways on how to support all children to make progress and to plan stimulating and challenging experiences

Target audience: Practitioners working with children aged two in schools, settings and childminders

Make an enquiry about this course.

Developing high quality learning environments for two-year-olds – delivered by Penny Cartwright

This session will support practitioners working with two-year-olds in settings and schools to consider:

  • the characteristics and needs of two-year-olds
  • how to support the characteristics of effective learning and support children to develop positive attitudes
  • how to support children’s individual needs and interests
  • the key features of an effective, high quality learning environment
  • practical ways on how to provide stimulating and challenging experiences
  • and reflect on their current practice and to identify strengths and areas for further development

Make an enquiry about this course.

Professional Practice in working with 2 year olds – delivered by Julia Manning-Morton

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

Through their observations of practice in a setting, participants explore and analyse concepts of good quality practice and provision for 2 year olds in relation to developing and resourcing a holistic curriculum that meets the needs of children from diverse cultural and family backgrounds. 

Audience: Early Years Practitioners, Teachers and Childminders working with 2 year olds

This is a Professional development course accredited by Middlesex University worth 20 credits at Level 4.

Make an enquiry about this course.

Professional Practice in working with 0-3 year olds – delivered by Julia Manning-Morton

Aims and objectives – Delegates will have opportunities to:

Through their observations of practice in a setting, participants explore and analyse concepts of good quality practice and provision for babies and toddlers in relation to developing and resourcing a holistic curriculum that meets the needs of children from diverse cultural and family backgrounds.

Audience: Early Years Practitioners, Teachers and Childminders working with 0-3 year olds

This is a Professional development course accredited by Middlesex University worth 40 credits at Level 4. 

Make an enquiry about this course.

Support in implementing the EYFS reforms 2021

Our Associates are available to deliver bespoke support and training on implementing the EYFS reforms which came into force in September 2021.

We can offer:

  • Briefings for heads, governors and leaders on the implications of the reforms
  • INSET days and training on pedagogy, curriculum and assessment under the revised EYFS
  • Consultancy to support reviews of curriculum and practice

We can offer:

  • Bespoke packages of conferences and training courses on all aspects of the EYFS reforms
  • Speakers to contribute to your own events
  • Consultants to work with groups of settings and schools on curriculum review or focused projects
  • Quality improvement support 

As a leading member of the Early Years Coalition, we can also provide consultancy on how the Birth to 5 Matters guidance can support your implementation of the EYFS reforms.

Enquire now

Get in touch to discuss your booking today: we're happy to make recommendations to fit your vision, whether a twilight session, a day course or conference, or a long-term project. Our Associates will bespoke the delivery to your professional context and requirements - whether that's in-person or virtual - to meet your training and consultancy needs.  

Make a booking enquiryDownload the Terms and Conditions

Examples of our project work

Exploring the Wider World - funded by the Stoke-on-Trent Opportunity Area

Delivered by Early Education between April 2019 and March 2020, this project offered fully funded training and support to all private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings in Stoke-on-Trent to give children wider experiences of the world around them.

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Outdoors and Active - London Borough of Newham

Outdoors and Active – an action research project led by the London Borough of Newham – took practitioners from nurseries, schools, PVI settings and children’s centres on an eight-month long exploration of movement in 2- and 3-year-olds, which generated intriguing discoveries and practical, realistic changes to routines, resources and risk taking.

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Early Years Pupil Premium project - Department for Education

Early Education received funding from the Department for Education under its 2015-16 Voluntary and Community Sector grants programme, for a project to support and evaluate strategies for implementing the Early Years Pupil Premium. Our aim was to explore how to help the sector make the best possible use of the EYPP, and to demonstrate the impact it can have. 

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Greenwich Maintained Nursery School Review

Early Education was commissioned by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to undertake a review of their maintained nursery schools (MNS) in July 2019.  The brief was to review the MNS in Greenwich and offer ideas and proposals as to how the high quality early education they offered could be sustained and preserved.

Oldham Childminders Project

The project has offered on-going quality improvement support and training to a cohort of childminders in the Oldham area since early 2021. The project has offered a blend of virtual and in-person support as both a targeted and universal offer.

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A registered charity in England and Wales (no. 313082) and in Scotland (no. SC039472) and a company limited by guarantee

Contact Information

Early Education
2 Victoria Square
St Albans
AL1 3TF

T: 01727 884925
E:  office@early-education.org.uk

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