Securing the Best Start to Life
‘time to talk’ – Warwickshire
Time to Talk Warwickshire has information for families on what to expect at different ages and stages, advice on dummies, bilingual support and information videos. The site also lists the main organisations to contact for support.
Click the following link for lots more information…https://timetotalkwarwickshire.co.uk/families/?fbclid=IwAR0f08umRz0_PSJ8TMxh61JeBorXkZ7k5wErRxMMfrVNBZG4WOmDB7OKsZc
Makaton Library
Makaton Library – did you know that you can access the Makaton Library via their hub?
Find downloadable free resources that are stored in the Makaton Library..
Free membership is available and will provide access to Topics covered such as Vocabulary (health, animals, food and places, events and special days, religion and festivals, wordlists), Songs and stories, Activities and games (special days, people and characters, life skills, food and transport, nature) as well as Reports and guides.
Early Education Centenary Festival
Join Early Education on 16-18 May for three days of free CPD sessions on the theme of play to celebrate 100 years of Early Education’s pioneering role in advocating for high quality, play-based early childhood education for all.
To view the programme and book sessions, please visit the Early Education website.
Updated guidance on EYFSP 2023
As the 2023 Early Years Foundation Stage profile (EYFSP) assessment period approaches, the Department for Education want to provide teachers and school and Multi Academy Trust leaders with important information on completing the EYFSP this year. The new webpage on the Foundation Years website includes:
- An overview of the EYFSP
- Guidance on administering the EYFSP
- An update on exemptions and exceptions from the EYFSP
Frequently asked questions on the EYFSP
Read more on the Foundation Years website.
New research on child development from A Better Start
A new report on improving child development outcomes in times of uncertainty has been published on the National Children’s Bureau’s website.
The report provides insights from The National Lottery Community Fund’s five A Better Start (ABS) partnerships based in Blackpool, Bradford, Lambeth, Nottingham and Southend.
In the report, partnerships provide a summary of emerging evidence across child development outcome areas including, improving children’s diet and nutrition, social and emotional development, and speech, language and communication.
Read the full ABS report here.
Foundation Years Events
On Monday 24 April, members of the Foundation Years community gathered together for there first face-to-face event of the year. They heard from expert speakers, including Jason O’Rourke on sensory food education, Jan Dubiel on curriculum progression and James Hempsall on workforce recruitment and retention.
Delegates had the opportunity to share thoughts and expertise on putting new ideas into practice in breakout sessions, and most importantly network with each other. It was an opportunity to engage, connect and share best practice.
The next Foundation Years event will be online on Thursday 11 May 10am – 11.30am. At this event you will be able to hear from TastEd about sensory food education and from the Department for Education about choking prevention.
These events are free and open to all. They are popular and get booked to capacity quickly, so please only book if you are confident you will attend. To book, please register on Eventbrite here.
The Early Years Development Programme: Registration now open
The Early Years Development Programme (EYPDP) is part of the DfE’s Early Years Recovery Programme to help address the impact of the pandemic on the youngest and most disadvantaged children. Delivering high-quality, evidence informed professional development to early years practitioners, the EYPDP is available to up to 10,000 eligible practitioners across England.
The programme is being delivered by Education Development Trust (EDT) and the next cohort of learners are due to start this September, with registration now open. The programme has been designed to fit flexibly around busy lifestyles, covering 3 tailored modules in:
- Communication and Language (with content from Speech and Language UK)
- Early Mathematics (with content from early years mathematics experts Dr Sue Gifford and Dr Cath Gripton)
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (with content from the Anna Freud Centre)
Further eligibility criteria details can be found here. Registration for cohort 2 starting this September is now open and places are limited. Find out more and register your interest by visiting www.earlyyearspdp.com
Education Endowment Evaluations
Early Years Settings can now register to take part in a range of new EEF evaluations of early years programmes, co-funded by the Department for Education’s Stronger Practice Hubs.
These fully funded projects will test the impact of interventions which aim to support young children’s (2-5 year olds) early language and numeracy skills
Early Years Conversation Project
Concept Cat
Early Talk Boost
Talk with Tales for Children (TWiTCH)
Tales Toolkit
The One Project
These projects include the first ever EEF-funded evaluation involving childminders. The pilot of Communication Friendly Home-Based Settings, developed by Elkan, will give childminders training to improve their provision and practice to support their children’s language skills.
Explore the programmes available in your area and express your interest in taking part on the EEF website here.