Schools

Audience

Schools reception.

Aims

Network sessions are held by an early years adviser and a lead practitioner working in Ofsted-rated 'Outstanding' and 'Good' early years provision.

The focus of the autumn visits:

• An inclusive curriculum supporting children with SEND
• Setting up an enabling learning environment that engages all children through the stages of development.

The focus of the spring visits:

• Achieving excellence in the outdoor learning environment
• The power of play and the importance of interactions in the EYFS.

The focus of the summer visits:

• Exploring a progressive curriculum and how the provision supports the curriculum
• How to accelerate writing progress in the continuous provision.

Additional information

The price for the full package, which includes the opportunity to attend unlimited sessions and additional support from a named adviser throughout the year, is £90 for Local Authority (LA) maintained settings as part of the early years Membership Offer, and £140 for non-members. Individual sessions cost £18 for members and £30 for non-members.  

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Early years leaders, teachers, teaching assistants, and PVI staff.

Aims

To recognise the value of high-quality outdoor provision and learn how to optimise outdoor spaces to enhance learning outcomes for all children in preschool, nursery, and reception.

• To understand the benefits of outdoor experiences for children's development and well-being.
• To understand how outdoor experiences support children's physical, social, and cognitive development.
• To develop confidence in creating engaging, purposeful outdoor learning opportunities.
• To identify ways to use natural resources and the outdoor environment to inspire curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving.
• To consider ways to make outdoor spaces inclusive and accessible for all children.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

All primary school subject leaders.

Aims

To support and strengthen school subject leaders’ understanding of the early years curriculum and how it connects to their subjects, delivered through a series of pre-recorded webinars and guides. The webinars delve into how subject leaders can collaborate with their team to co-construct a sequential, progressive curriculum linking to future learning and provide an overview of all aspects of teaching and learning in the early years.

This can be viewed as a whole school, with reflection points throughout the presentation, serving as prompts for discussions on how your school monitors each subject in the early years.

Seven subject-specific webinars offer insights on how subjects are taught in the early years. These encompass how subject leaders can support the co-construction of the curriculum and ensure effective monitoring in subjects. Webinars include:

• Art and Music.
• Communication, Language and Literacy.
• History, Geography and RE.
• Maths.
• Physical Education.
• PSED.
• Science and IT.

The subject leader guides provide information, resources and links for each area of learning.

Additional information

Cost: £99 per LA-maintained school, £118.80 including VAT per non-LA-maintained school.

You will receive access to a dedicated Knowledge Hub, the webinars and supporting documents. For further information and sign-up details, please email EYA.schools@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

Audience

School SENCo’s, early years leaders, and headteachers.

Aims

• To explore the early support pathway for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• To understand the paperwork and documentation associated with early years SEND, including risk assessments.
• To gain knowledge about the funding options available for school-based nursery classes and preschools.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Teachers who have a mixed-age class of children in reception and year one.

Aims

Throughout the course, participants will learn to:

• Overcome the challenges and recognise the benefits of teaching a mixed-age group.
• Identify key principles in addressing the needs of a mixed-age class.
• Consider the benefits of teaching a mixed-age group class.
• Develop strategies to deliver an effective curriculum in a mixed-age class.
• Develop manageable assessment procedures.

Additional information

Please bring your weekly timetable.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) teachers, leaders, and senior leaders.

Aims

To ensure that EYFS school teachers and leaders receive the latest advice and updates on local and national developments. To provide a forum to understand and share good practice. To raise standards in practice and outcomes for children in early years across the county.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Teachers working in reception, literacy subject leaders, and senior leaders.

Aims

• Deepen your understanding of early writing development.
• Gain practical ideas to support children’s writing journey.
• Learn effective ways to enhance your setting’s writing provision.

This session will explore how to support children from early mark-making to confident, purposeful writing while maintaining their excitement and creativity.

Discover practical strategies to embed writing naturally into play and everyday activities. Gain fresh inspiration to create meaningful writing opportunities indoors and outdoors, helping children develop essential skills with enthusiasm.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

School-based teaching assistants in early years foundation stage (EYFS).

Aims

Enable teaching assistants new to the EYFS to feel more confident in providing high-quality provision that ensures good outcomes for all children.

Throughout this course, participants will develop their understanding of how young children learn and explore those aspects of teaching and learning that are unique to the EYFS.

These sessions will help teaching assistants explore best practices and develop strategies to support children's learning through play in the continuous provision. We will examine strategies for observation and assessment in the continuous provision and how to decide on the next steps.

Additional information

This is a two-part course with an additional recommended visit to the setting with an Early Years Lead Practitioner - The visit will be arranged at the first session.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

This course is suitable for all school practitioners, including class teachers, assessment coordinators, and year one teachers, responsible for the end-of-year early years foundation stage profile (EYFS) profile assessments.

This course is also suitable for private, voluntary, and independent sector practitioners who have children in their setting who will be turning five on or before 31 August.

Aims

To provide practitioners with an opportunity to moderate early learning goal judgements using national exemplification materials and provide a forum to facilitate discussion through an ​agreement trialling process.

Additional information

Places on this course are free of charge. Please come to the session with a copy of the EYFS profile handbook.

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 private, voluntary, and independent settings.

Aims

To understand the importance of providing quality, continuous provision to improve learning outcomes for all children.

Throughout this course, participants will learn:

• How high-quality interactions support learning and development.
• What continuous provision is and how to create a well-planned framework where children can learn and be challenged.
• The role of the adult in the continuous provision, including assessing and supporting children's learning and next steps.
• The purpose of enhanced provision, and how this can support the children's learning.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Teachers working in early years foundation stage (EYFS) within a school.

Aims

• Enable practitioners new to the EYFS to feel more confident in providing high-quality provision that ensures good outcomes for all children.
• Identify and discuss key features of effective teaching and learning in the EYFS.
• Support practitioners to understand strategies for observation and assessment in the EYFS.

Throughout this course, participants will develop their understanding of how young children learn and explore those aspects of teaching and learning that are unique to the EYFS.

Led by experienced early years advisers, these sessions will help practitioners examine best practices and develop ideas to enrich teaching and learning for young children.

Additional information

This is a two-part course with an additional recommended visit to the setting with an Early Years Lead Practitioner - The visit will be arranged at the first session.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

Audience

Teachers working in early years foundation stage (EYFS) within a school.

Aims

• To promote successful transitions into year one through a collaborative approach.
• To develop teacher knowledge in how to support children's learning of those who did not meet the good level of development expectations at the end of EYFS.
• To compare the curriculum and practices of the EYFS and year one to consider ways to support the fundamental differences in both style and content.
• To learn how child-led learning in an effective, well-planned year one environment supports learning and how links are made, skills and knowledge are revisited and embedded.
• To demonstrate how continuous provision can provide increasingly challenging and valuable learning opportunities throughout year one, enabling children to revisit and embed skills and knowledge, whilst continuing to strengthen the effective learning behaviours.

Additional information

Prior knowledge of both the EYFS learning and development requirements and the national curriculum for year one.

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.