Win a Wellbeing Goody Bag – Complete Our Needs Assessment Survey!
We want to hear from you! Our Stronger Practice Hub Needs Assessment Survey is now live and ready...
Read Moreby Ali | Jun 6, 2025 | Featured News to Spotlight, News | 0 |
We want to hear from you! Our Stronger Practice Hub Needs Assessment Survey is now live and ready...
Read Moreby Ali | Apr 22, 2025 | Featured News to Spotlight, News, SPH Blog | 0 |
As the impacts of climate change become increasingly visible, the work of building sustainable futures for the youngest generations has never been more urgent. Millie Colwey explains how childminders and early years settings play a pivotal role in fostering environmental responsibility and sustainable behaviours in children. This blog explores the importance of education for sustainability, practical steps you can take, and how our sector can lead the way to creating a greener, safer future for young children. Through simple changes to their environments, such as using scrap stores for resources and choosing ethical banking, settings themselves can become more sustainable. Meanwhile, activities like outdoor nature exploration and food growing help develop children’s understanding of the world while teaching them they can make a real difference to our environment.
Read Moreby Ali | Mar 21, 2025 | Featured News to Spotlight, News, SPH Blog | 0 |
For too long, compliance has been the only goal for children with developmental differences in education and society. In this blog post by Jenna Jefferies, she explores how teaching self-advocacy skills to neurodivergent and disabled children can empower them to communicate their needs and stand up for themselves. By presuming competence, explicitly teaching self-advocacy in early years settings, and creating spaces where children feel validated, educators can help shift societal attitudes from deficit-focused to celebratory-driven. Learn practical strategies for supporting children’s self-advocacy that will raise a generation confident in getting their needs met and create a more inclusive society that values neurodiversity.
Read Moreby Ali | Mar 14, 2025 | Early Years Recommendations, Featured News to Spotlight, News, Useful CL&L Resources | 0 |
The Early Years Book Club, a collaborative initiative in Bristol, invites early years practitioners to enhance their knowledge of children’s literature. Monthly themes foster dialogue and resources, such as books focused on feelings and race equality. The club promotes community and celebrates reading, offering valuable tools for enriching children’s learning experiences.
Read Moreby Ali | Jan 14, 2025 | Featured News to Spotlight, News, SPH Blog | 0 |
Explore the meaning behind common educational phrases like ‘Belonging Strategies’ and ‘Trauma Informed’ while discovering how to make a meaningful difference in children’s lives. Early years educator Terri Mitchell challenges us to shift our perspective on challenging behaviors and view them through a trauma-informed lens. Drawing from her extensive experience and training in Trauma Informed Schools, she explains how early childhood experiences shape brain development and why understanding trauma and attachment is crucial for every educator. This insightful post offers practical guidance on becoming an emotionally available adult who can positively impact children’s life outcomes.
Read Moreby Ali | Dec 19, 2024 | Case Studies, News, SPH Blog | 0 |
In this blog post, by Dr. Louise Hannan, the complex emotional landscape of Early Years settings is explored through the lens of staff well-being and self-care strategies. Drawing from her experience as a practitioner, manager, and researcher, she examines how staff emotional well-being directly impacts children’s development through warm, responsive relationships. Through a case study with Bridgwater and Taunton College Childcare Centre, the research demonstrates how implementing simple self-care strategies can enhance job satisfaction, reduce stress, and create a more positive environment for both staff and children.
Read Moreby Ali | Dec 11, 2024 | Featured News to Spotlight, News | 0 |
Evidence-Informed Leadership Programme The Bristol and Beyond SPH is collaborating with the...
Read Moreby Ali | Nov 26, 2024 | Case Studies, News, SPH Blog | 0 |
Relationship Mapping, Attachment and Attunement in the Early Years is a training course delivered by Jacqui Lewis, an early years specialist. The Bristol & Beyond Stronger Practice Hub funded Jacqui to extend the delivery of this training to include our SPH area. The course explores the concept of relationship mapping, using sociograms to visualise relationships, and provides an opportunity to reflect upon the individual and pedagogical factors which influence adult-child relationships, and to consider how to strengthen relationships so that every child has a meaningful connection.
Read MoreWhen children learn to read, they gain knowledge, articulate ideas effectively, expand vocabulary, and enhance their attention span. However, literacy is more than a skill; it profoundly impacts children when they see a reflection of themselves, their identity, home structure, culture, and lived experience.
Read Moreby Ali | Oct 23, 2024 | Early Years Recommendations, News | 0 |
Over the past few months, we’ve gathered some of our favourite new resources and recommendations...
Read MoreUnderstanding the significance of the physical development of 2-year-olds helps parents, caregivers, and educators provide the necessary support for healthy growth throughout childhood and later, adult life.
Read MoreWe are giving away ten fantastic Early Years books to one lucky winner to celebrate our...
Read More