Thrive Together Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Spring Newsletter

Edition 2 - Spring 2023

New from the Education Endowment Foundation Resources designed to support early years professionals in using evidence to their advantage

The EEF's Evidence Store has been specially designed to support the Stronger Practice Hubs work with early years providers. It focuses on two key theme: communication and PSED. These areas have been prioritised due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on children's learning and experiences in these areas.


The EEF has also updated the Early Years Toolkit, which is the go-to place to find out about high-quality evidence in the early years. The Toolkit provides information on average impacts and costs of different strategies, alongside guidance on what to consider when putting a particular approach into practice in your setting.  

Read More

EYFS - Maths

An early understanding of numbers provides a strong foundation for developing mathematical skills.


Practitioners give their top tips for children who are learning to count.

Setting News & Updates

An update on the Spring Budget education sector announcements


At the Spring Budget on Wednesday 15 March, the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a series of major childcare reforms, including:


  • working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week, from when their child is 9-months-old to when they start school, implemented through a staggered role out beginning April 2024, until September 2025.
  • an uplift to the funding rates of existing childcare entitlements
  • increased flexibility in childcare ratios for 2yr olds, with the introducton of an optional 1:5 ratio
  • a new national wraparound childcare pathfinder scheme
  • start-up grants to help people become childminders ranging from £600-£1200


You can find out more in our Education Hub blog.

Childminders


Guidance from DfE

Childminders: report new adults in the home

You must tell Ofsted about new people aged 16 or over who live or work in the home you look after children in within 14 days. This includes children who turn 16.


Schools

Gill Jones HMI, Deputy Director, Schools and Early Education, discusses the importance of children developing a good vocabulary from when they start primary school, and how a broad, rich curriculum helps.

Nurseries & PVIs

Find out if a person’s qualifications allow them to work in an early years setting, and if you can include them in staff:child ratios.


Qualifications and ratios

The Department for Education (DfE) defines the qualifications that staff must hold to count in EYFS staff:child ratios. Providers can use our early years qualifications lists to:

  • check if a person’s qualification meets the approved ‘full and relevant’ criteria for early years qualifications
  • confirm if a person counts in the EYFS staff:child ratios
  • 

The guidance on Early years qualifications and ratios covers:

  • which qualifications are acceptable to work in early years
  • paediatric first aid (PFA)
  • how to contact the department and disputes



Ofsted inspections: what EY providers and practitioners need to know

What schools, registered early years providers and childminders need to know about delivering the early years foundation stage (EYFS), and Ofsted inspections under the education inspection framework (EIF).

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Safeguarding Information

Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment. To access the latest policy, please follow the link below.

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022

Register for Fully-Funded Programmes

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the following funded programmes.

During the Learning Language and Loving It programme, you will learn practical strategies for helping children in the classroom to build language, emergent literacy and social skills, no matter what their learning and communication styles are, and even if they have special needs.

The strategies can be easily woven into everyday activities. Each strategy is designed to engage and maintain the interest of the child, making language and literacy-learning a fun and natural part of their day.

The program will provide you with ample opportunity to practice each strategy with the children, and to receive feedback from your Programme Leader to help you adapt the strategies, as needed.


Participants will access 6 group workshops (each 2.5 hours) interspersed with 8 individual coaching sessions where participants use videos of their interactions with children to reflect on their practice.


Training will begin on the 30th October 2023 and will commence in May 2024


Register your interest here

Early Talk Boost is a targeted intervention aimed at 3-4 year olds children with delayed language helping to boost their language skills to narrow the gap between them and their peers. The programme aims to accelerate children's progress in language and communication by an average of 6 months, after a nine week intervention.

Children who are selected to take part in the intervention will attend three sessions per week during circle/story time, each lasting 15-20 minutes delivered by an early years practitioner. The sessions include activities that cover the foundation skills in speech, language and communications that children need for learning and understanding new words, as well as having conversations.


The Early Talk Boost programme will commence in April 2023 with 3 virtual twilight/afternoon sessions ending in May, followed by 9 weeks of intervention finishing in July 2023.


Register your interest here

Our Number Sense Programme will help young learners to acquire the skills to develop a deep understanding of number. Through play-based counting activities, subitising and recognising patterns and relationships, children will develop a strong foundation in number that will support them to become stronger, more confident mathematicians.


Number Sense is an EEF funded research programme for 2-4 year olds, which has been written by Ryders Hayes in partnership with Roy Broadfield, Founder and Primary National Consultant, Impact in Learning and is a prerequisite to the NCETM Maths Mastery programme for 4-5 year olds.


The programme will be delivered across Autumn 2023, with a completion date of January 2024, and will involve three online twilight professional development sessions


Register your interest here

Case Study: A Parent’s Voice on Early Talk Boost


The introduction of Jake and Tizzy into my girl’s development was nothing short of genius. The concept and

foundations of the intervention was introduced at nursery setting which we built on at home.


Read the full article here

Early years child development training


The DfE has worked with early years experts to create a free, flexible online training course that can help you build on your early years child development knowledge. For more information and to enrol visit: www.child-development-training.education.gov.uk/ 

Important Dates for your Calendar


  • Stronger Practice Hub Open Day - 21/04/2023
  • PVI and School Early Years Leads Network Meeting - 13/06/2023
  • Childminder Conference - 17/06/2023


What's On Offer


Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP)

The course covers the important areas of learning of C and L, PSED and Maths. It is an 8 month online learning programme to enhance skills and knowledge in children aged 2-4’s learning. It is delivered through eLearning, online facilitated webinars, videos, articles and recommended reading and trainer/ peer support. This course is OCN endorsed and participants will receive certification.

To find out more and register your interest please go to the website: www.earlyyearspdp.com


Early Years Online Child Development Training

This free, online training, developed by experts, provides and overview of child development and gives practical advice for supporting children in your setting. It gives practitioner opportunities to reflect and reinforce their learning. It also links to other resources. Each module covers an important area of child development. The training is free for childminders and nurseries and again practitioners can gain certificates of completion.

To access this training please go to: https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/


National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)

The NPQEYL has been developed to increase knowledge of leadership in early years settings, strengthen staff approaches to teaching and learning, and support children whose development has been impacted by the pandemic. Participants will gain skills and confidence so they can deliver high-quality education and care to support children’s development, become a better organisational leader and develop staff so they can reach their full potential. The course is free, flexible and designed by sector experts to help professionals across the sector to develop their career. We are in discussion with our local, Manor Teaching School Hub, about a bespoke programme starting in September/October 24 for settings and childminders with 6:30pm twilights and Saturday conferences. Please note this is an 18 month National Professional Qualification for Leaders in EYFS.

To find out more and enrol please go to: https://manorteachingschoolhub.com/npq/


Expert and Mentors Programme

This programme focuses on supporting EY’s practitioners and leaders to address the impact of the pandemic on the youngest children. The programme is available nationally, across England, until July 2024. Eligible early years practitioners, leaders and whole settings will be offered bespoke support to be delivered both face-to-face and virtually. The offer to settings will include leadership support, coaching for leaders, mentoring for practitioners and whole settings support, depending on needs. 

To find out more please go to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-experts-and-mentors-programme 


Early Years Level 3 SENCO Award (PVI Nurseries and Childminders only)

The Level 3 Early Years SENCO qualification is for a level 3 practitioner in a private, voluntary or independent setting. It is also appropriate for Ofsted-registered childminders and Ofsted-registered childminder agencies. This is an important role to ensure the best possible educational outcomes are achieved for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

You can apply by following the link:

https://www.bestpracticenet.co.uk/early-years-SENCO#:~:text=training%20be%20delivered%3F-,The%20Level%203%20Early%20Years%20SENCO%20qualification%20is%20delivered%20over,group%20discussion%20and%20group%20training.

Spotlight: Victoria Day - Expert Practitioner

I have been fortunate to work in the world of education and early years for the whole of my career. Early years is without question, the most important years of a child’s life and throughout my career the youngest children and their families have always been at the heart of my work. 

I have a long track-history of working with EY Leaders and practitioners to improve practice, both intensively within single schools and collectively, leading high-quality professional development to leaders and practitioners across the Black Country, including the NQPEYL programme.

Having designed numerous EYFS programmes myself and worked collaboratively with research colleagues at University of Oxford and Billesley Research School as an Evidence Lead in Education (ELE), I fully understand the importance of evidence-informed practice and the real difference it can make.


I strongly believe that all children need a safe, secure setting, with caring adults who understand all children as unique individuals. It is this belief that was the driver for me to become involved in the  DFE EY Covid Recovery Programme. I am proud to be Area Lead for Walsall and Wolverhampton within the programme and now a Leader within  the Thrive Together Early Years Stronger Practice Hub (West Midlands)

I have been privileged to be part of the DFE Covid Recovery programme and work in authentic collaboration with DFE, Education Endowment Foundation, Local Authorities EY Leaders and EY professionals across the EY sector, I believe that we can address the challenges faced following the pandemic together to make a sustainable difference to young children and their families across the West Midlands.


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