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10 Strategies for Success - Supporting Communication in the Early Years
Do you want to be more effective at developing early communication skills?
As part of our promotion of Communication week the Early Years team is pleased to offer this fully funded session. As Early Years practitioners we know the importance of developing early communication skills and the necessity to intervene early if children’s early communication skills are delayed. This session reminds practitioners of 10 successful strategies to support early communication and gives them ideas to share with parents to encourage collaborative working to develop children’s communication.
Strategies will include creating a communication friendly environment/using the child’s interests/creating opportunities for communication.
Building a Unique Curriculum
A coherently planned and well-sequenced curriculum enables children to make progress by knowing more, understanding more and being able to do more. In the early years, the curriculum enables all children to make progress in the areas of learning. In this way, early education provides the building blocks of knowledge for subjects that children will study in later years. (Ofsted, Best Start in Life: Settling the Scene, November 2022)
This session will focus on how to build a unique curriculum, what needs to be considered when planning one, as well as how to put your curriculum into practice.
£62.00
(excl. VAT)
Developing Early Mark Makers
This training is designed specifically for Practitioners in Preschools and Nurseries.
Laying the foundations to develop keen and enthusiastic mark makers in nurseries and preschools.
Practitioners will focus on the first steps of early literacy and will explore the development of gross motor skills to mark making. We will consider the experiences and activities that will enable children to secure these core skills to become enthusiastic mark makers. We will consider the importance of communication and language, physical skills and how these impact children’s ability to mark make. There will be links to the revised EYFS Statutory Framework and Early Years Inspection Framework.
Effective Leadership and Management
An interactive course aimed at all management roles including managers, deputies and committee trustees, whether you are new to the role or require a refresh.
The course covers key topics including, statutory requirements, leadership and team styles, staff performance management and how to manage a sustainable provision.
Discussions around leadership techniques, dealing with conflict, challenging conversations and disciplinary & grievance procedures will also be included.
Please note, lunch is not provided on this course.
EYFS Profile Professional Dialogue Meeting
These events are aimed at Reception class teachers.
This professional dialogue meeting will give those reception teachers completing the EYFSP for 2025 the opportunity to discuss the early learning goals as well as their judgements to ensure accuracy and consistency in EYFS profile for parents and year one teachers. The course will use the EYFS profile handbook, it will have an element of evidence sharing through professional dialogue.
Foundation in Phonics
Children’s literacy skills in school are generally influenced by their earlier experiences. Adults working with younger children can support them to develop a strong foundation from which to learn the specific skills needed to be successful readers and writers. This session will explore ideas for developing children’s early phonics skills through:
Adult-led activities
Fun, practical games
Resources which can be differentiated depending on a child’s age and stage of development
Getting started - Support for Early Career teachers in Early Years
This recently developed course, consists of 4 in person meetings throughout the year, and has been designed to provide a highly informative introduction to teaching and learning in the Early Years, helping support ECTs at the beginning of their career
- Autumn: Session 1 - Continuous provision, enabling environment, successful transitions and structuring the day. Reflect on how carefully planned routines, organisation and resources promote a broad range of learning and development opportunities.
- Spring: Session 2 - Enhancing the environment based on the skills your children need to develop and have been taught so far, including the use of Buckinghamshire Early Years audit tools.
- Summer 1: Session 3 - Professional dialogue around the EYFSP
- Summer 2: Session 4 – Reflection and celebration of the year.
This is great opportunity for those teachers beginning their journey to network with other ECTs in Early Years throughout Buckinghamshire and with members of the Early Years Service to support with developing good practice and teaching within the EYFS. Benefits include:
- Deepening your knowledge of child development theories and shape your early years pedagogy
- Exploring the connection between the learning environment and developing routines for learning within your provision
- Understand the holistic nature of the early years and develop strategies to support and extend children’s learning and development
Leading the Early Years with Confidence
This course is aimed at Early Years Managers and Leaders in the EYFS and will identify the key changes within the revised EYFS statutory framework. Through discussions we will explore effective ways to develop a shared understanding of what is quality practice within EYFS and effective strategies to improve teaching across a team. It will look at the requirements of Ofsted and how both the EYFS framework and Ofsted inspection framework work together, identifying key features of both documents. We will reflect on current trends, curriculum, and the enabling environment to enrich your professional knowledge of outstanding early years and focus on how to shape actions for the future development of your EYFS.
Making Maths Matter
An excellent course that will help practitioners and teachers recognise the importance of a solid grounding in number. There will be lots of practical examples of how to use concrete materials to support counting and how we can develop children’s spatial reasoning skills. Along with suggestions to support problem solving through everyday opportunities. It will include links to the EY Inspection Framework, revised EYFS Statutory Framework and non-statutory guidance. You will learn:
- To understand the importance of a solid grounding in number, mastery of maths
- To know how to support the development of counting
- To recognise how we can support problem solving as a part of everyday practice
- To learn how to develop children’s spatial reasoning skills
Delegates will increase their knowledge and skills so they can:
- Help children to develop a strong base knowledge of number
- Encourage children’s spatial reasoning skills.
- Make problem solving a part of everyday practice.
Moving Up, Moving On: Transition from EYFS to KS1
Delivered by Professor Julie Fisher
Julie Fisher is a nationally and internationally recognised expert on early childhood education and is currently an independent Early Years Adviser and visiting Professor of Early Childhood Education. Julie holds a doctorate for her research into the changing role of early childhood educators and is a proud recipient of the Nursery World Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to early childhood education.
Training session for,
- Reception and Year 1 teachers
- Headteachers and senior leaders with responsibility for KS1 pedagogy
We recommend booking two places from each school
This session is designed to encourage Year 1 and Year 2 teachers to build on effective practice in the Foundation Stage as children make the transition into KS1. Drawing on research and first-hand examples, Julie will revisit how children learn best at 5 and 6 years of age and the implications of this for effective teaching in the KS1 classroom. The session will consider how the pandemic has, and still is, impacting on the need for a developmentally sensitive KS1 pedagogy, where environments, the timetable and the role of adults are all crucial when planning a learning day balancing the best of adult-led and child-led learning. Through the use of DVD footage from Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes, the session will give delegates the opportunity to discuss these issues amongst themselves, but also with senior leaders in school who, research has shown are crucial in giving support, encouragement and finances to the development of a seamless transition that is effective and enjoyable, for both children and their teachers.
Nurturing Successful Writers
This course is designed specifically for Practitioners in Reception
How to develop enthusiastic and independent writers from early mark making to confident writing in reception.
This course will explore how to develop enthusiastic and independent writers from early mark making to confident writing. Practitioners will focus on the first steps of early Literacy and will explore the development from early mark making to independent writing. We will reflect on the interconnected relationship between phonics and early writing and consider the experiences and activities that will enable children to secure these connections to become enthusiastic, confident, and independent writers. We will consider how to best support vulnerable groups.
- To gain teaching strategies and practical ideas to develop and support writing indoors and outdoors
- To plan teaching opportunities to support children make connections between phonics and writing
- To understand how to promote literacy through creating an enabling environment.