Thinking together with children: conversations that generate, amplify and sustain children’s learning

Early Education Associate, Debi Keyte-Hartland reflects on a recent commission by Balcarras Teaching School Hub In Gloucestershire to deliver a four-day course on Sustained Shared Thinking. The aim of this 4-day professional learning course for Balcarras Teaching School Hub is to build educators knowledge and practice through a combination of professional learning mechanisms designed to […]

Supporting Oldham’s childminders

Early Education Associate, Caroline Eaton writes about developing bespoke support for childminders for Oldham Borough Council. Since 2021, Early Education has been working alongside Oldham Early Years service to support their childminders To celebrate their achievements, we recently arranged an event for participants to share good practice and to get together with others working in […]

Researchful practice: a “breath of fresh air” for early educators in challenging times

Guest blog by Frances Giampapa and Claire Lee Introduction A wealth of evidence demonstrates the fundamental role played by early years (EY) education in shaping a thriving and equitable society. The importance of valuing and nurturing skilled professionals in this sector is more evident than ever before. Years of underfunding, the devaluing of skills and […]

The benefits of sustained CPD

In this article, Kate Irvine from Bristol Early Years discusses the impact of practitioners engaging in a sustained process of CPD through cluster groups and the communities of practice to improve children’s learning and development, with additional benefits for staff wellbeing and retention. When we first embarked on the “Building on EYFS” project back in […]