Early Years
REACHOut Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs provide advice, share good practice and offer evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners. The Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs programme launched in November 2022 as part of the Department for Education's early years education recovery support package. For more information about Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs, visit the DfE page here or the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs page here.
The REACHout Early Years Stronger Practice Hub East of England covers the Saffron Teaching School Hub area.
Become a Maths Champion!
Free training programme for nurseries in the East of England. Express your interest here.
Early Years and Childcare: Guidance for Providers
Early years and childcare: guidance for providers - GOV.UK
A regularly updated repository of links to key information and guidance for early years providers, childminders and nurseries including guidance on the early years foundation stage (EYFS), funding, training and qualifications.
Early Years Child Development Training
Early years child development training : Home page
This free online training provides an overview of child development and offers practical advice for supporting children in your setting, including reception years.
Each training module on this site covers an important area of child development and has been written by early years experts, working with the Department for Education.
This training for childminders and nurseries:
- Combines theory with practical tips and ideas to use in your setting
- Includes opportunities to reflect on your practice
- Reinforces your understanding through learning check questions and tests
- Links to additional resources
- Offers the opportunity to download certificates of completion
Training Modules (expand the heading to view)
Each module takes 1-2 hours:
- Module 1: Understanding child development and the EYFS
- Module 2: Brain development and how children learn
- Module 3: Supporting children’s personal, social and emotional development
- Module 4: Supporting language development in the early years
- Module 5: Supporting physical development in the early years
- Module 6: Mathematics
- Module 7: Effective curriculum and assessment
- Module 8: Supporting individual differences and needs
Early Years CPD and Support
The Department for Education funds a range of training and support programmes for early years educators and leaders. Training is online or face to face, depending on the programme.
- Level 3 special educational needs coordinator (SENCO)
- Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) for Reception age children
- Maths Champions
- Early years safeguarding training package
For more information about each programme and details of eligibility see:
Early years continuing professional development and support - GOV.UK
Early Years Evidence Store
Early Years Evidence Store | EEF
The Early Years Evidence Store is a summary of evidence-informed approaches to help educators to understand, reflect on and develop their practice.
The Evidence Store includes six key themes for young children’s learning and development:
- Communication and language
- Personal, social and emotional development
- Early literacy
- Early mathematics
- Self-Regulation and Executive Function
- Personal development
As a living resource, the store will be continually updated with additional evidence, written examples, and videos.
Essex County Council EYFS Newsletter
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Practitioner Newsletter is published each month. It contains information for early years and childcare providers, including childminders, on topics such as, but not limited to:
- Funding
- Safeguarding
- The EYFS
- Training and qualifications
- Getting started
- Running your business
- Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion
Follow this link to subscribe and also to access previous newsletters: https://eycp.essex.gov.uk/eyfs-newsletter/
EYFS Profile (EYFSP) Assessment Support
The DfE has published a comprehensive EYFSP package of support to improve assessment reliability and build teacher confidence as assessors.
Located within the DfE’s Help for Early Years Providers site, this guidance provides support for making assessments within the EYFS profile and includes:
- Information about the EYFS Profile for headteachers and school leaders
- Guidance on making ‘best fit’ judgements
- Guidance on inclusive assessment strategies
- Guidance on using the EYFS Profile as part of transition
There is also specific guidance on making judgements against the following ELGs, including case studies of children at expected and emerging levels:
- Speaking
- Self-regulation
- Gross and fine motor skills
- Word reading
- Writing
- Number
- Natural World
There is also additional support and guidance in Module 7 of the online Early years child development training.
Help for Early Years Providers
Help for early years providers : Get help for your setting
Resources, activities and support articles for childminders and practitioners working with children aged 0-5 years (free).
- Support for practitioners: access resources and advice to help improve practice in the early years, including SEND guidance.
- Areas of learning: find out more about each area of learning, including activities you can do and guidance on meeting the needs of all children in your setting.
- Health and wellbeing: discover resources to help you support children’s wellbeing and enrichment in your setting.
National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership
The National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) is delivered by local delivery partners on behalf of the Department for Education. The next cohort will begin in Autumn 2026.
Target audience: leaders qualified to at least level 3 who are, or are aspiring to be, a nursery manager, headteacher of a school-based or maintained nursery, or registered childminders with leadership responsibilities. Settings must be Ofsted registered.
Course length: 18 months, plus 3 months for assessment period
Scholarship funding: there is a charge for this programme, but the Department for Education does provide access to funding (known as ‘scholarship funding’) for settings which meet the published criteria. Costs and funding eligibility criteria are yet to be confirmed for 2026.
NPQEYL with Saffron Teaching School Hub:
- For more information about the NPQEYL delivered in Essex by Saffron Teaching School Hub, and to express interest in the programme for 2026, see here: Saffron Teaching School Hub - NPQEYL
- Read case studies from previous NPQEYL programme members here
Starting Reception website
The Starting Reception website has been developed by a coalition of early years organisations, and is promoted by the Department for Education. It aims to support parents and educators with guidance and resources to help their children develop the essential skills needed for starting primary school.
https://startingreception.co.uk…
Spotlight on Early Years Evidence
Saffron Teaching School Hub's Spotlight on Early Years Evidence is a dedicated space to provide Early Years practitioners with access to key research and evidence on ‘what works’ to inform the development of evidence-led practice in the Early Years.