Don’t miss out! We’ll help you plan the next seven days with our round-up of everything that’s happening in the early years sector.

Share your views on funded places

Help the Early Years Alliance collect sector views on the newly-increased funding rates, and tell them if you are planning to deliver funded places for one- and two-year-olds.

Click here for survey

Register for free professional development

Registration for the second cohort of the  Early Years Professional Development Programme, starting in September 2023, closes next week. The high-quality, evidence-based online CPD aims to help both managers and practitioners improve outcomes on school readiness, early language, early mathematics and Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED).

The programme is free and managers can also access funding to pay for cover for staff taking part. The funding can also be used to pay staff to complete the training in their own time. Don’t worry if you miss the closing date, there are two more cohorts planned.

Early Years Professional Development Programme

Make a mini wetland in your setting

The Wild Fowl and Wetlands Trust is calling for everyone to create their own mini wetlands over the summer to help wildlife thrive in soaring temperatures. The charity has released a series of guides and how-to videos showing how anyone can upcycle an old washing bowl or pot and attract frogs, dragonflies or even bats – a great way to get children involved with the environment.

Mini wetland resources

Access free training and resources by taking part in research

The Education Endowment Foundation evaluates intervention programmes to find out which are most effective for children. It is currently recruiting for Early Talk Boost, a small group language intervention aimed at three- to four-year-old children. Settings are offered training, support and resources.  Enter the name of your setting into their search engine to find out whether you can get involved in any programmes in your area. Some are subsidised, some are free and for some you can even get paid to take part.    

EEF search page