In this Early Years Spotlight, we’re looking at resources around screen use. Nearly 98% of two-year-olds watch content on screens daily, and the early years are a critical period of rapid brain development, so settings play a vital role in supporting healthy habits. Explore policy guidance, provider support, campaign resources for families, and practical alternatives that keep children engaged.
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In this staff meeting template, explore books, belonging and representation through five practical activities, including a ranking exercise, a book area audit, a case study and a team commitment. Designed to fit into 1 to 2 hours, it supports your team to reflect on whose experiences are visible in your book collection and whether children choose and connect with the books you provide.
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In this case study, Tawanda Tongogara, Early Years Practitioner at The Limes Nursery School, shares her experience of the Tuning in to Two-Year-Olds programme. She reflects on moving from the three- and four-year-old room into the twos, learning to slow down and follow children’s lead, and how the Principles of Attunement poster has shaped conversations with her team and with families.
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In this Early Years Spotlight, we’re looking at resources around potty training. There are 40 different skills a child needs to pull together to become potty trained – and a consistent approach between home and setting makes all the difference. Explore policy templates, practical guides, top tips, and support for children with additional needs.
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In this staff meeting template, explore the Characteristics of Effective Learning through four practical activities, including an obstacle course, video, group reflection and learning walk. Designed to fit into 45 minutes, it supports your team to reflect on how your environment and interactions nurture children’s curiosity, engagement and resilience.
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In this case study, Amber, a teacher from St Pauls Nursery School in Bristol, shares how the Emotion Coaching CPD programme transformed her practice, helping her support children’s emotional regulation and resilience, strengthen family partnerships, and shift her whole team’s approach to children’s feelings.
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In this case study, Amy Marsh, Head of Nurseries and Preschools at The Priory Learning Trust, shares her experience attending the Sensory Processing Immersion Morning at Springboard Opportunity Group, and how it shifted her thinking from managing children’s behaviour to understanding the biology behind it.
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This case study examines Sarah Ellis’s professional development as Nursery Manager at Bristol Children’s Playhouse, focusing on improving services for two-year-olds. By engaging with the Bristol Early Years All About Twos guidance and participating in the Getting it Right for Twos programme, she aimed to enhance team understanding in key developmental areas.
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Will Purcell, Early Years Teacher at Archfield House Nursery in Bristol, shares how implementing the EEF’s ShREC approach transformed adult–child interactions in his setting. Focusing on Share attention, Respond, Expand, and Conversation, Will and his team have seen real changes — children sustaining longer exchanges, showing greater confidence, and making noticeable progress in language development. Read how embedding this evidence-informed framework into everyday practice has strengthened staff confidence and deepened connections with the children in their care.
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This comprehensive 1-hour staff meeting template guides early years practitioners through critically reflecting on how festival celebrations are planned and experienced within their setting. The resource challenges surface-level approaches to cultural events, repositioning festival celebrations as opportunities for genuine inclusion and meaningful connection with children and families. Teams work through reflective activities that examine current practice, exploring the difference between tokenistic representation and authentic cultural experiences that truly resonate with the children and communities they serve. The template draws on principles of belonging and cultural identity, encouraging practitioners to consider how festivals can be woven meaningfully into daily life rather than treated as one-off activities disconnected from children’s lived experiences. Each element of the session prompts teams to reflect on the voices of families, the authenticity of resources and materials used, and the lasting impact celebrations have on children’s sense of identity and self-worth. With a focus on moving beyond the decorative towards the deeply relational, this resource includes follow-up activities to embed reflective practice and support settings in developing a more intentional, inclusive approach to cultural celebration throughout the year.
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Jen Wylie, Manager at Sticky Fish Pre-school in Bristol, participated in the Unlocking the Potential of Every Child programme, aimed at supporting bilingual children. Following the training led by Andrina Flinders, she and her team implemented inclusive strategies, enhancing the sense of belonging for bilingual families in their setting.
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After facilitating an INSET day to introduce the new maths curriculum to the team at Early Bird...
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