We’re thrilled to announce two fantastic professional development opportunities designed to strengthen maths provision in early years settings across Bristol and beyond.
Mathematics Professional Development Programme Pilot
The Bristol & Beyond SPH is recruiting 15 early years settings to take part in this Maths PDP Pilot. These settings can be from Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset (BANES), however they must be willing to travel to attend the face to face sessions.
This is open to PVIs, schools with nursery classes, and childminders, as long as they have children aged 2 to 4 years.
The pilot comprises six interactive online learning units covering essential mathematical concepts: Counting, Cardinality, Measurement, Pattern, Shape, and Space, plus three face-to-face seminars. Our Maths lead will guide you through each module, providing practical ideas and activities to implement in your setting. Thousands have already benefitted from the Professional Development Programme, and now you can focus specifically on maths.
As a bonus, those who complete the course will receive a box of maths resources for their setting! Expression of Interest Forms must be submitted by 12th December, with the programme launching in January 2026.
Visit beyth.co.uk/sph/evidence-based-cpd/ for full details and to express your interest.
Maths Champions Programme
Developed by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) with support from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), the Maths Champions programme has proven results, boosting children’s maths and language attainment by an average of 3 additional months (and 6 months for EYPP children).
This low-cost, high-impact programme (currently funded by the DFE/EEF) involves training a Maths Champion and Deputy Maths Champion in your setting through three online modules, followed by a structured implementation process with up to six virtual 1:1 support sessions. 100% of settings reported beneficial impacts on their staff.
Both programmes offer evidence-based approaches to transforming early years maths teaching.
Visit beyth.co.uk/sph/evidence-based-cpd/ for full details and to express your interest.
Join our Maths Champions Information Session on Tuesday, 13th January – Register now!
Mathematising the Day Blog Post
Looking for inspiration on how to integrate mathematics throughout your daily routines? Don’t miss our recent blog post by Nicki Cherry, an alumni Early Years Specialist at the Education Endowment Foundation.
In Mathematising the Day, Nicki explores how we can ensure children’s encounters with mathematics aren’t left to chance. Drawing on recommendations from the EEF’s Guidance Report and the Early Years Evidence Store, she shares practical case studies from North Somerset nurseries showing how educators have transformed everyday moments, from welcome time and snack time to tidy-up routines, into rich mathematical learning opportunities.
Discover how simple changes can help children develop the early mathematical understanding that research shows is connected to better educational and life outcomes. Read the full blog post to see these evidence-informed approaches in action.
Upcoming Maths Events
Looking to dive deeper into early years mathematics? We have an exciting programme of maths-focused events coming up, including study days at Sefton Park School (November) and Hartcliffe Nursery School (January), sessions on outdoor maths, pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, and number sense. These free events provide hands-on learning experiences and opportunities to explore mathematical thinking in action. Check out our complete list of Maths events and book your place.
