Navigating the Sea of Talk
Alongside the release of Ofsted’s new research review of the prime areas of learning, which aims to provide support for practitioners, we reflect upon our current cohort of children within…...
...read moreJoin our Early Excellence community and explore our inspirational blogs which cover a range of themes, challenges and case studies across the EYFS and into Key Stage 1. Take a look below and get ready to take your practice and provision forward. Some of our blogs are now also available as a Podcast too, offering you and your team a range of free, bitesize CPD opportunities.
Alongside the release of Ofsted’s new research review of the prime areas of learning, which aims to provide support for practitioners, we reflect upon our current cohort of children within…...
...read moreHow is tidy up time viewed at your school or setting? Is it seen as a race, rushing to finish tidying so that the learning can continue, or do you…...
...read moreThis month saw the latest edition of Ofsted’s subject report series, this time exploring the quality of teaching English in primary and secondary Schools. The report is designed to be…...
...read moreSo much more than ‘Go find out….’ ‘Inquiry is not a ‘subject’ but rather a stance and a mindset for both educators and learners.’ Kath Murdoch Enquiry (or Inquiry) is…...
...read moreAre you currently reviewing your Early Years curriculum? Wondering if it is progressive? Perhaps you’re even in a spin with where to start!...
...read moreDo your early years’ classroom spaces truly reflect your vision for learning? Have they come together by accident or been carefully planned to offer rich, meaningful and joyful experiences for…...
...read moreWhen it comes to teaching and learning outdoors, this quote from the Professor Tina Bruce always comes to mind: “Frequent lack of attention to the external environment must come from…...
...read moreWhat is Continuous Provision? Early years education is special and unique with its focus on child development, effective learning characteristics and holistic approaches. It’s this breadth that can sometimes be…...
...read moreWhat does your outdoor curriculum look like? Is it simply a replication of the indoors, or does it provide additional and unique experiences as it should? Being clear about the…...
...read moreJanuary 4th 2024, saw a significant change with the EYFS. There are now two distinct versions of the EYFS framework: one tailored specifically for childminders, and the other designed for…...
...read moreOne thing that always puzzles me about Early Years education is how quick we are to change things in our classrooms and settings. We plan out our room at the…...
...read moreOutdoor Learning – Big Coat Weather There’s no getting away from it. After weeks of wet and windy weather bringing squelchy mud, the outdoor learning in the Summer is fast…...
...read moreMoreso than ever, language and talk has become the new hot topic of conversation in settings everywhere. Talk is a key aspect in building strong relationships, developing communication and language…...
...read moreThe end of October 2023 saw the publication of two key DfE documents focusing on the EYFS. Regulatory Changes On October 27th the DfE published its response to the…...
...read moreIn the Early Years, creating a stimulating and engaging learning environment is crucial for young children’s development. From experience, one of the most popular things to do in the EYFS…...
...read moreIt’s that busy time of year again where you’ve received a brand new cohort of children and have undoubtedly spent most of your time getting to know them as individuals…...
...read moreWhen thinking about equipping your classroom to facilitate high-quality play, the starting point for most practitioners is to plan out their classroom and carefully consider where each area of continuous…...
...read moreWorking in Key Stage One, it can sometimes feel as if the Curriculum is weighing us down – looming over every decision we make. It can feel unmanageable and ‘too…...
...read moreEarly this month, Ofsted published the second in series of Early Years Reviews. As expected, this new instalment focuses on the Prime Areas, and builds on the previous reviews’ comments…...
...read moreAs you settle into the start of the school year, you have probably spent time reviewing your provision, thinking about the starting points of your children and how your provision…...
...read moreFor many years schools have sought ways to create a more linked learning journey for their children as they move between different phases of education; reviewing transition processes, reflecting on…...
...read morePersonal, Social and Emotional Development is, quite rightly, one of the prime areas of learning in the EYFS and, now more than ever, our practice should reflect this. With this…...
...read moreWhy is this Important? Anyone who has ever spent quality time alongside young children will know that their drive to learn is often powered by their own interests and fascinations…....
...read moreJust before you reach for yet another brightly coloured roll of paper or border to cover your classroom walls and display boards, stop. Let’s just pause and think for a…...
...read moreAs an ECT, starting a new teaching job is exciting, and a chance to put into practice so many ideas that you have seen and heard about through training and…...
...read moreIn part one of our ECT blog we outlined some of the fundamental relationships that need to be formed and nurtured when working in the EYFS environments. Now, let’s look…...
...read moreVisit any Early Years classroom or outdoor area and the resource you are guaranteed to find is blocks. In fact, whenever I’m asked what the first resource on my own…...
...read moreExploring and experimenting with water is a key fascination of many children – and if you have it available continuously, you may even find that some children go back to…...
...read moreIn part three of our ECT series, we are going to focus on the role of the adult in the Early Years Foundation Stage. As part of this we will…...
...read moreOfsted has recently announced a series of reforms aimed at reducing pressures on teachers and school leaders during school inspections. According to Ofsted, these changes have been implemented in response…...
...read moreWhether you’re setting up your new classroom for the first time, or changing your existing layout, it is vitally important to get it right. The actions you take and the…...
...read moreYoung children have a natural interest in their own lives and their own circle of experience. They will often seek out opportunities to play imaginatively with familiar contexts, exploring the…...
...read moreConsider the children currently moving towards the end of their time in Reception. The chances are, you will have a group of children confident in their abilities and secure in…...
...read moreDo you have children in your class who consistently repeat the same actions and behaviours; perhaps moving things from one place to another, putting things into bags or containers and moving them around, or perhaps they are even throwing things? They might well be engaging in schematic play....
...read moreIn our last maths blog, we shared some practical ways to support children to really understand the principles of counting. Jo Berry, EYFS teacher at Thrussington Primary School in Leicestershire…...
...read moreJo Berry, EYFS teacher at Thrussington Primary School in Leicestershire has explored a wealth of ways to engage young children in mathematics, and in particular, teaching children the principles of…...
...read moreA Home Corner is the most familiar experience the children can have. It relates directly to their own lives and their interests and is something that all children have in…...
...read moreDo you offer a play-based curriculum in Key Stage 1? Discover an inspiring and informative series of blogs written by Joanna Redfern, Executive Headteacher of All Saints CE Infant and…...
...read moreIn this blog, Joanna Redfern, Executive Headteacher of All Saints CE Infant and Pre-School and Selston CE Infant and Nursery School in Nottinghamshire describes how an effective balance between child…...
...read moreIn this blog, Joanna Redfern, Executive Headteacher of All Saints CE Infant and Pre-School and Selston CE Infant and Nursery School in Nottinghamshire writes about how she and her KS1…...
...read moreDiscover the impact of developing a child-centred, play-based curriculum in KS1 on both levels of engagement, of both children and staff, and progress towards end of Year Two expectations. In this blog,…...
...read moreWe are understandably keen for the children in our settings to access as many stories and books as possible and for them to build a repertoire of familiar texts and…...
...read moreWhenever I am asked about why I chose to focus on Early Childhood Education I talk about my fascination with beginnings; those first steps that we take on our personal…...
...read moreInvestigating how things join together, whether to construct something in their imagination or following another’s design, has long been a fascination of young children and many adults! But how can…...
...read moreAssessment processes within the EYFS can, if we’re not careful, be a bit of a minefield. As with many things, the extremes are to be avoided. At one end of…...
...read moreRead our latest blog by Jude Twani, who is an Associate Consultant for Early Excellence. One day I was introduced as an “early years maths expert” and imposter syndrome flooded…...
...read moreDomestic role play provides an invaluable opportunity for young children to pretend to be the key people in their lives and begin to make sense of the world around them…....
...read moreRead our latest blog by Jude Twani, who is an Associate Consultant for Early Excellence. I have been dancing now for about 8 weeks and it is the first time…...
...read moreWhen we compare the curriculum and practices of the Early Years Curriculum to that of the Key Stage 1 Curriculum we are often faced with fundamental differences in both style…...
...read moreLast week the DfE released three short videos titled Implementing the Early Years Foundation Stage Reforms. Using a combination of views from practitioners and leaders in Early Adopter schools and…...
...read moreSo, hopefully you’re all set. You’ve attended the training on the new EYFS framework, you’ve read the documentation, followed the many online debates and now, finally you’re ready to put…...
...read moreWhenever our children arrive back into school, they will have needs unlike any cohort that has gone before them. The range of lockdown experiences in any given class will vary…...
...read moreBack in the summer I was kindly asked by Nursery World to offer some thoughts on how things had changed since the pandemic; the impact this was having on everyday…...
...read moreIf we want children to successfully embed a range of mathematical concepts then we really need to reflect on our pedagogy first. Effective teaching of mathematics in the EYFS doesn’t…...
...read moreFrom Zoom meetings and Facetime chats to online activity ideas and YouTube story times, technology has provided us with the ability to stay connected with family, friends and our classes…...
...read moreHome Schooling We’ve entered a new time. A time of home schooling, of online PE lessons, live link up phonics sessions and an avalanche of online support. Much of this…...
...read moreAs we try to get to grips with this new, isolated way of life, education for our youngest children has also changed dramatically. EYFS teachers have been working incredibly hard…...
...read moreIn the last week, we have seen the publication of Development Matters, the new non-statutory curriculum guidance which supports delivery of the recently revised EYFS. This follows the announcement from…...
...read moreIn our recent Early Excellence Blog we explored the vital importance of talk in EYFS classrooms and how high quality role play supports children as they experiment with language, allowing…...
...read moreLike you, we have been trying to keep up with the multiple guidance publications issued by the Department of Education since the outbreak of COVID 19. Many schools and settings…...
...read moreWhy is Transient Art & Creativity Important? Transient Art and Creative opportunities will give children a sense of control over their surroundings and a feeling of satisfaction and are, therefore,…...
...read moreOne thing that the lockdown situation has given many of us is a lot of is time. As we emerge from isolation, desperately needing haircuts but with kitchen cupboards tidier…...
...read moreTime to Reflect on the Characteristics of Effective Learning As we know, the EYFS framework is currently under a process of review that will lead to changes being made to the…...
...read moreThe DfE’s EYFS Consultation is coming to an end. Respond by the 31st January With so much change heading our way it is essential for all involved in the EYFS to…...
...read moreAt Early Excellence, we are delighted to sell on Amazon Business our fantastic range of early years furniture, classroom resources and storage. You are sure to already know and use…...
...read moreThe role of the practitioner, as well as being incredibly important, is also inordinately complex. We work in an environment and a profession that is simultaneously challenging on a multitude…...
...read moreWhy staying true to your values and keeping informed will help secure the right outcomes for children, despite the latest and ongoing challenges presented by uninformed reports and government policy…....
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