The Bristol & Beyond Stronger Practice Hub provides support to the early years sector across eight Local Authority Areas: Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, Swindon, and Wiltshire.
Across our region, early years practitioners and childminders are engaging with our offer and benefiting from our evidence-based programmes, CPD, and network support.
We work closely with each Local Authority’s early years team to understand local needs and identify where we can provide additional support. In line with this, our universal regional offer, with online CPD and network sessions, is open to all. We also offer, in collaboration with each LA team, specific CPD and local network sessions in local areas, following identified needs.
Some of these local events are with SPH delivery partners in these areas (eg, Springboard in North Somerset, East Wichel Primary and Nursery in Swindon, and Bridgewater and Taunton College Childcare in Somerset, to name a few).
To make these local opportunities easier to find and to link with our LA early years teams, we are developing local web pages for each LA.
On these pages, you can find information and links to your LA early years team and offer.
You can also see our upcoming local CPD, network sessions, study days, and more, and find out how to book a place.
To highlight a few upcoming local events, please use these links. Click the posters below to open, download and share.
Bath and North East Somerset
EYFS: Talking with Babies – March 2026
📅 Thursday 5th March, 6:15–8:00pm | 📍 Keynsham Civic Centre
Explore how we can talk with babies to help them become confident communicators — from mindful care routines and the power of non-verbal communication to learning the ‘conversational dance’ and making contingent talk part of everyday practice.
Bristol
Early Years Book Club Together
📅 Wednesday 25th February, 4:00–6:00pm | 📍 Fishponds Library
Bristol Terrific Twos Network Sessions – March 2026
📅 Monday 23rd March, 4:00–6:00pm | 📍 Filton Avenue Nursery School
Bristol Baby Practitioner Network Sessions – April 2026
📅 Tuesday 21st April, 4:00–5:30pm | 📍 Southmead Children’s Centre
Gloucestershire
How Babies Learn
📅 Wednesday 18th February, 9:30–11:30am | 📍 Gloucester Farmers Club
Curriculum and Slow Pedagogy in the Baby Room
📅 Wednesday 18th February, 1:15–3:15pm | 📍 Gloucester Farmers Club
Gloucestershire Baby Room Network Meeting – March 2026
📅 Tuesday 24th March, 6:15–7:45pm | 📍 Cherry Blossom Pre-School
North Somerset
Getting it Right for Babies – For North Somerset
📅 Wednesday 18th March, 9:30am–12:00pm | 📍 The Campus
Somerset
Leadership and the New Ofsted Toolkit Reflection: Somerset Network Event
📅 Tuesday 3rd March, 6:00–7:30pm | 📍 Bridgwater & Taunton College Childcare Centre
Mythbusting Early Childhood: Writing – Conference with Jan Dubiel and Helen Battelley
📅 Monday 9th March, 9:30am–4:30pm | 📍 Taunton Rugby Club
Things I Wish I Knew About the Emotional Environment of Early Years Settings
📅 Tuesday 17th March, 6:00–8:00pm | 📍 Online
Leading Emotionally Nurturing and Responsive Practice – Study Morning
📅 Friday 15th May, 9:15am–12:30pm | 📍 Bridgwater & Taunton College Childcare Centre
Swindon
Calm Starts Here: Welcoming Ways to Build Self-Regulation
📅 Tuesday 17th March, 3:45–5:15pm | 📍 East Wichel Primary School & Day Nursery
Model, Practice, Thrive: Teaching Self-Regulation in the Early Years
📅 Tuesday 28th April, 3:45–5:15pm | 📍 East Wichel Primary School & Day Nursery
We look forward to you joining a local early years training event near you!
Also, please let us know if your setting or nursery school would be interested in hosting a network session or study day on behalf of the SPH in your area.
