Curriculum, pedagogy, and practice

Audience

For all early years practitioners working with children aged from birth to five.

Aims

Recognise the importance of early mark making. Understand the factors that contribute to early mark making and later literacy. Explore practical ideas to support motor skill development in relation to literacy development.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Early years practitioners and childminders.

Aims

Gain an understanding of the significance of the characteristics of effective teaching and learning (CoETL), so that they become part of the daily practice. Challenge current practice with up-to-date research and knowledge on the CoETL. Understand what is meant by the CoETL. Understand how to embed the CoETL into practice for all ages throughout your setting.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Early years teachers or early years leaders in schools. Members of staff supporting the development of the EYFS curriculum.

Aims

This course aims to provide delegates with the tools to reflect upon, and review, their EYFS curriculum, in order to adapt and develop their curriculum to best support the needs and interests of their current cohort, in line with the statutory framework and recommendations for best practice.

Additional information

Your EYFS curriculum - including, if relevant, from nursery to reception. The school's curriculum progression beyond EYFS.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

All practitioners.

Aims

The aims of this session are to support practitioners to gain an understanding of where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fits into the early years foundation stage, and how to embrace it within the curriculum. The session aims to provide practitioners with practical ideas to support STEM in practice, and a broad understanding of the importance of supporting STEM in the early years.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Qualified and unqualified practitioners with an good understanding of child development who are keen to expand their practice in supporting children's mathematical development.

Aims

This session aims to:

• Broaden practitioners understanding of the importance of mathematical play.
• Support practitioners to gain knowledge and ideas of how to build on children's early maths concepts.
• Build practitioner confidence in celebrating maths within the every day environment, indoors and outdoors.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

All early years practitioners.

Aims

To develop children's artistic and cultural awareness. To support children's imagination, creativity and problem solving skills. To provide opportunities for children to express themselves and communicate ideas and feelings. 

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* Cambridgeshire Essentials

Audience

Early years practitioners with an interest in understanding and supporting children's all-round physical development.

Aims

Understanding and supporting sleep, nutrition, drinks, physical activity, screen use, oral health, supporting independence during care routines, toilet training, and possibly safety.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

All practitioners.

Aims

Understand what schemas are. Develop knowledge about the importance of schema. To learn about different types of schema that fascinate children. How to support these and ideas for practice.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

All adults who work in the early years sector, including schools, preschools, day nurseries, childminders and community groups.

Aims

The aim of this series, consisting of one hour online bitesize sessions, over the academic year is to share information and spark professional discussions to look at an ambitious and inclusive curriculum for all children within the challenges of changing times including:

• Risk assessment benefits, keeping children safe.
• Creating a sense of belonging in a diverse community - Do all children feel welcomed into an early years’ setting?
• Using the outdoors and nature as an additional learning environment - Embedding the next generation to care about our planet and climate change.

The aim is to encourage all adults to upskill their knowledge and professional practice supported by current pedagogical approaches and an opportunity to share best practice with like-minded peers.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Teachers, teaching assistants and early years practitioners working in preschool, nursery or reception classes. This course is suitable for both schools and PVI settings.

Aims

• Define phonological awareness and its importance in early literacy development.
• Identify the key components of phonological awareness.
• Explore effective teaching strategies and activities to support phonological awareness. Participants will learn how to integrate phonological awareness activities into daily routines and play-based learning.
• Develop techniques to create a language-rich environment that fosters phonological awareness.
• Understand the role of adult-child interactions in promoting phonological awareness.
• Explore ways to involve families in supporting phonological awareness at home.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Early years practitioners in PVI and school settings.

Aims

Learn what physical development looks like for children aged five and under. Explore how to promote physical development within setting. Make connections between physical development, physical movement and later academic skills, including fine motor and writing. Promoting physical movement for health and wellbeing.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

All practitioners working with early years children who would like to develop a therapeutic approach to understanding children's behaviours and interactions, and would like to refresh their knowledge on strategies to support positive interactions.

Aims

This is an updated version of previous courses and has been written in conjunction with Therapeutic Thinking Cambridgeshire Steps, and contains key elements of that course. This course replaces STEPS and is available to support practitioners to

• Develop an understanding of why children’s behaviours occur
• Consider the impact that children’s interactions and behaviours can have on group dynamics
• Explore an overview of healthy brain development, understand neurodiversity and the effect of the pandemic on the brain
• Explore how the role of the adult can successfully influence positive interactions to occur within group provision
• Analyse the impact that the environment can have on children’s behaviours and interactions.

Additional information

There will be some pre-course reading and a task for practitioners to complete before attending this course. All details will be sent before completion.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

These hour-long reflective sessions are offered free of charge to practitioners who have completed the three-hour 'Understanding Children’s Behaviours and Interactions' training. 

Aims

• Discuss any aspects of the training and talk about the impact the training has had in supporting positive interactions within your setting
• Create an opportunity to revisit the strategies discussed
• Provide an opportunity to network with other settings.

Additional information

As discussed in the course the training supports a wide range of scenarios in different settings, and therefore the reflective sessions have been grouped as follows:

• Pre-schools, Nurseries, and Childminders
• Schools, and Wraparound Care.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Early years practitioners, leaders, teachers, and childminders.

Aims

This bite-sized course aims to provide support to guide children to understand the world around them through our toolkit, practical activities and ideas. The adult plays an important role in supporting children in understanding the world. Practitioners will be able to create an inclusive environment that supports all their children in building on their cultural capital, their home lives, cultures and interests.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Suitable for practitioners working in the EYFS who want to increase their knowledge about wellbeing and mental health in the early years.

Aims

To raise the status of wellbeing and mental health for all stakeholders of EYFS provision.

Objectives:

• Develop a deep understanding of the terms wellbeing and mental health.
• Explore the barriers and challenges to ensure the early years offer is inclusive for all.
• Begin to identify ways to ensure wellbeing and mental health are at the heart of provision.
• Consider strategies to embed into pedagogy and curriculum.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

All early years practitioners with an interest in understanding the new EYFS nutrition guidance, applicable from September 2025, and how to apply the guidance in practice.

Aims

Participants will:

• Gain an understanding of the EYFS nutrition guidance.
• Consider current and relevant safeguarding and health messages linked to EYFS nutrition guidance.
• Develop good practice principles related to and in response to the guidance.

Additional information

It is useful for practitioners to have read the EYFS nutrition guidance, updated May 2025, before attending the training.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.