MARCH 2023
NEWSLETTER
WHAT WILL OUR HUB DO?
Our aim is to help Early Years practitioners just like you to improve outcomes for children across the EYFS. We will support you to adopt well-evidenced practice improvements by:
- Establishing local networks of settings to share knowledge and effective practice
- Proactively sharing information and advice on evidence-based approaches
- Acting as a point of contact for bespoke advice, and signposting to other funded support
- Working with the Education Endowment Foundation to select evidence-based programmes to fund and make available to settings
The Stronger Practice Hubs programme forms part of the Department for Education's (DfE) Covid-19 recovery package. It is being led by the National Children's Bureau (NCB), with support from Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). To find out more about the Stronger Practice Hubs, click here.
BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET TO OUR LAUNCH EVENT
To formally launch our Hub and help you to understand our offer, we're running an in-person event! It's the perfect opportunity to come together in-person, share ideas, listen to examples of good practice, and discover inspirational resources.
What's in store for you
- An uplifting welcome from Sian Hudson, Executive Head of St Edmund's Nursery School and Children's Centre
- Keynote address from Keena Cummins, innovative SaLT with expertise working with practitioners and families to support the development of their children's communication, confidence, wellbeing and self-regulation
- Story time with Irene Lofthouse, an inspiring storyteller with experience in children's literature and in theatre
- Panel discussion about challenges and celebrations
- Reflections of the day by Christian Bunting, Director of Bradford Birth to 19
There will also be time for networking and playful activities, which you can enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee and a pastry! Each attendee will get a goody bag full of useful information and a free book provided by The National Literacy Trust.
Over 100 people already have their ticket. Click here to book yours!
ENGAGING WITH EARLY YEARS PROVIDERS
Engagement with our Hub is off to a great start! Over 300 people have signed up to the Hub so far, with representation from Childminders, Nursery settings, and Private, Voluntary, and Independent settings. You can read all about the outreach work we're doing and who our Partners and Advisors are in our very first blog post - now up on our website!
GOOD PRACTICE SPOTLIGHT
In each newsletter, we're going to showcase good practice from our network. This time we're spotlighting Belinda O'Hare, an outstanding Childminder based in Leeds. To collect some promotional photos for our Hub, our photographer Matthew Stoney went to visit Belinda. Here's what happened:
"I work from home as a registered Childminder and the children were very excited about Matthew's visit, although I was slightly apprehensive. Due to the restrictions over the last couple of years there haven't been many visitors to my 'Home from home' setting. I was unsure how the little ones would cope but I needn't have worried as from the minute Matthew arrived the children were amazing.
We were just getting ready to play in the garden and Matthew helped get 3 very excited toddlers ready, which is no mean feat especially when they are jumping all over you! I wanted Matthew to capture the children doing what they do best, playing and following their own interests. The children were quick to show Matthew their favourite things from climbing to playing in the water. Oliver immediately became curious about what Matthew was doing. Matthew was brilliant. He patiently answered every single question (and there were a lot!) and he let Oliver look through the camera lens.
Once back inside feeling warm and dry, the children gave Matthew no choice but to sit in what is lovingly know as Grumps's chair (my husband's) and be interrogated on everything. He managed to escape and laid on the floor to take some shots of me singing rhymes. It wasn't long before Oliver was laying on his back looking through the lens and asking questions. Once again, Matthew extended Oliver's curiosity by allowing him to take photos of me, mainly my nose, which hopefully have been deleted!
The whole experience was absolutely wonderful. The children are still talking about it and we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our own camera so we can continue exploring photography. Hopefully Matthew will come again!"
Do you have a story about some good practice happening in your setting?
Let us know at sph@stedmundsbradford.org.uk.
RESOURCES FROM THE EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) supports schools, nurseries and colleges to improve teaching and learning for 2-19 year-olds through better use of evidence. For more information about the EEF and what they do, have a look at their website.
Their newest resources, the Early Years Evidence Store and The Early Years Toolkit, have been developed to support the Stronger Practice Hubs programme and they are now available for you to use! The Early Years Evidence Store is a summary of evidence-informed approaches to help educators to understand and reflect on their practice. The approaches are illustrated with practices that typically make-up the approach and a range of examples of what these might look like in practice. with some wonderful new resources in Communication & Language, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development. The Early Years Toolkit is a summary of the best available evidence on key areas for learning and development.
Click below to check these resources out.
ADDITIONAL EARLY YEARS TRAINING
To further support your professional development, click the image above to find out more and enrol on this training courses from the DfE.