Knowsley is based in the North West of England. The Borough is made up of 49 Primary Schools and 1 Primary Special School. The majority of the schools have both Nursery and Reception classes. In most of the schools, children start in the EYFS with skills and knowledge that are below expectations for their age. In the majority of the schools, the percentage of children with Pupil Premium and SEN are higher than the national average.

How Effective was the Training & Support across Knowsley Schools?

Following the project, Knowsley Council announced that they had achieved the highest local authority increase in Good Level of Development (GLD) results of all 24 North West Local Authorities and the third largest increase for Free School Meal pupils. Considering the 10 schools which received two consultancy visits, 9 recorded increases in GLD. The partnership with Early Excellence will continue for a second year – with a focus on early writing development and continued school visits.

What was the Impact on Teaching & Learning at Park Brow School?

“The support we received from Lynda was really bespoke to us! Our setting is unique – our children and our context is very different from other schools, as are our areas of provision. The fact that Lynda’s advice met the needs of our children was hugely important. Working with Lynda was amazing! Upon exploring our setting, she swiftly identified key areas that were quick wins that we could fix ourselves. There has been significant impact for our children, particularly their GLD, which increased by 10%!”

What was the Impact on Teaching & Learning at Our Lady’s School in Prescot?

“The biggest impact we’ve seen is in the knowledge and understanding of our staff. They now know what belongs in each of the provision areas. Importantly they can talk about why it is there and how they can use with the resource to support learning. The adults feel more confident when engaging in play with the children and in moving learning forward. We had quite a lot of new staff to the EYFS and they were unsure in their role – the difference in them is huge!”

What was the Impact on Teaching & Learning at Stockbridge Village Primary School?

“Lynda helped us to develop a shared understanding! The Senior Leaders, EYFS Lead and EYFS team have crystalised a vision for the learning environment. Now, each provision area maximises the potential for learning and supports the Characteristics of Effective Learning. Everybody who has visited the school now comments that the children are calm, engaged and engrossed in their learning!”

What was the Impact on Teaching & Learning at West Vale Primary School?

“Our GLD has gone from just below 40% to 70%, which is amazing and above the national average! The training and support that we had from Andy was so practical and manageable – the staff were really able to take it on board and implement it! I feel very proud of the improvement in the confidence of our staff, and the positive impact this has had on the children in our EYFS.”

What was the Impact on Teaching & Learning at St Alberts Primary School?

“Andy has really helped the Senior Leadership Team and EYFS Leader to create a clear vision for effective EYFS practice. Andy’s responsive work with the EYFS team within the classrooms has improved the quality of provision and practice and bought a greater consistency in approach. Learning outside is much better! The children are thinking, talking and exploring much more – it’s a massive, massive improvement.”

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“The Early Excellence collaborative project with Knowsley schools has proven highly effective in strengthening Early Years provision and practice across the borough. Supported by expert input from Early Excellence and a sustained strategic focus from the Local Authority, the work has successfully raised the profile of EYFS at all levels.

This collective commitment is reflected in outcomes, with GLD in Knowsley increasing by 3.2%, representing the highest rise across the North West. This notable improvement highlights the Local Authority’s clear commitment to investing in Early Years through targeted funding, professional support and strong partnership working.

Equally, the dedication and leadership of Headteachers, alongside the drive and expertise of Early Years Leads and their teams across the 49 schools involved, have been instrumental in embedding high-quality provision and practice. Together, this shared ambition to secure the very best outcomes for children continues to build strong, sustainable capacity across Knowsley’s Early Years sector.”

Chris Price
Head of Education,
Knowsley Council

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