Early Years Learning and Development

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Please note all prices include VAT

Birth to Five Training Workshop

Our Journey Birth to Five Years Workshop - Empowering parents to access trusted information to support their child's healthy development.

Course overview

It will support you to:

  • Understand the background and purpose of the Our Journey Birth to Five Years tool
  • Understand how the tool can support Early Years settings to achieve the Healthy Early Years London award
  • Navigate the online content
  • Translate the online content to make it easier for parents/carers with English as an additional language to access the information
  • Share ideas with other professionals
  • Understand how to download/order marketing for your parents linked to the content

This training is suitable for: 

  • This brief interactive workshop is aimed at all professionals working with families who have children aged 0-5 years old.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£0.00

(incl. VAT)

Block Play - The Value of Open Ended Play

Course overview

This course focuses on the value of using blocks and other open ended resources to support children's learning across the early year's curriculum. Practitioners will learn how high quality block play can offer a range of rich experiences for children such as exploration of shapes and space, construction, problem solving, language and communication skills, social interaction as well as fine and large muscle control. There will also be an opportunity for practitioners to explore a block play resource for themselves. 

This training is suitable for:

  • Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£30.00

(incl. VAT)

Creative Maths and Problem Solving

Course overview

This course focuses on how to embed mathematics creatively in Early Years practice through stories, songs, rhymes and routines. It explores the importance of creativity for children and how as adults we need to be creative practitioners. It demonstrates the importance of developing an effective mathematical environment and the ways this impacts on learning.

This training is suitable for: 

  • Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£30.00

(incl. VAT)

Expressive Arts and Design: Using Open Ended Materials

Course overview

This course explores the range of experiences which support children's developing mind to think imaginatively. Creativity is more than 'banging a tambourine or painting a picture!'

Practitioners will develop their understanding of the key strands within children's creative development and how they can make links to other core curriculum areas when planning activities.

This training is suitable for: 

  • Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£30.00

(incl. VAT)

Forest School Coordinators' Forum

Course overview

This Forum will take place termly and will be an opportunity for all neighbourhood based Forest School Coordinators to come together to share good practice, celebrate successes, discuss challenges and concerns and new research and developments within the Forest School field. The focus will be on development of Forest School sites and how local neighbouring settings have engaged with the programme. We will also explore the impact on children's wellbeing and attainment, and impact on parent's attitude. 

This training is suitable for: 

  • Forest School Lead Practitioners based in schools and settings.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£0.00

(incl. VAT)

Forest School Training - Storytelling and Land Art with Richard Skrein

Join us for a day of exploring storytelling and land art with Forest School Association-Endorsed Trainer Richard Skrein.

Create, play and develop your skills in a stress-free and supportive atmosphere, leaving with lots of ideas to take back to your setting and learners.

 

Who should attend?

Forest School Leads or Level 2, Outdoor educators

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years

£84.00

(incl. VAT)

Getting Ready for School

Course overview

This course focuses on the many skills that children will need to prepare them for school. This will include PSED and self- regulation as well as communication and language and physical skills.

The  course will provide practitioners with an understanding of children's early reading and writing development and how 3-4 year old children can be supported to develop their literacy skills, alongside being emotionally prepared for school.The many ways we can teach self regulation will be explored.

It will also provide practitioners with some simple  ideas that can be used to create home learning links with parents/carers.

This training is suitable for:

  • Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£0.00

(incl. VAT)

Hackney Forest School Lead Accredited Training Level 2

Hackney Forest School is excited to announce Forest School Level 2 & 3 training taking place in summer 2025!
The training will be offered by Hackney Forest School and in collaboration with the charity, The Garden Classroom (TGC) and Richard Skrein, the only London's FSA - endorsed trainer.
Immersive Training Week: 14th - 18th July 2025
Practical Skills Development: 23rd & 24th September 2025 
Ethos & learning: 2nd & 3rd June 2026

 

COURSE STRUCTURE 

  • First initial training consists of 5 Day immersive week
  • Reunite for a full packed 2 days of practical skills - woodwork, fire making and cooking!
  • Starting your new journey with finishing off with 2 days Ethos and Learning
  • Each Level 3 Trainee receives an individual, supportive on-site visit
  • Portfolio development: one year from the initial training week to develop their portfolio. Six Forest school sessions are required as evidence
  • Trainees will also be required to organise their first aid training during this period, which is not included in the cost of the course
  • Hand in portfolio of evidence, one year on from initial training week, or sooner
  • Discount off for trainees booking onto cpd training workshops coordinated by HFS

Level 2 Award for Forest School Assistants: This qualification is intended for those who wish to become an assistant Forest School Leader or intend to become a Forest School leader in the future, developing knowledge practical skills suitable for the role. 

All of our Forest School training courses are certified by ITC First, who are approved by and meet the requirements of the Forest School Association.

£580.00

(incl. VAT)

Hackney Forest School Lead Accredited Training Level 3

Hackney Forest School is excited to announce Forest School Level 2 & 3 training taking place in summer 2025!
The training will be offered by Hackney Forest School and in collaboration with the charity, The Garden Classroom (TGC) and Richard Skrein, the only London's FSA - endorsed trainer.
Immersive Training Week:14th - 18th July 2025
Practical Skills Development: 23rd & 24th September 2025 
Ethos & learning: 2nd & 3rd June 2026

COURSE STRUCTURE 

  • First initial training consists of 5 Day immersive week
  • Reunite for a full packed 2 days of practical skills - woodwork, fire making and cooking!
  • Starting your new journey with finishing off with 2 days Ethos and Learning
  • Each Level 3 Trainee receives an individual, supportive on-site visit
  • Portfolio development: one year from the initial training week to develop their portfolio. Six Forest school sessions are required as evidence
  • Trainees will also be required to organise their first aid training during this period, which is not included in the cost of the course
  • Hand in portfolio of evidence, one year on from initial training week, or sooner
  • Discount off for trainees booking onto cpd training workshops coordinated by HFS

 

Level 3 Certificate for Forest School Leaders: This qualification is intended to provide the skills and knowledge required to set up and deliver safe and effective Forest School programmes, for those who wish to become Forest School Leaders. Download the qualification specification here.

All of our Forest School training courses are certified by ITC First, who are approved by and meet the requirements of the Forest School Association.

£980.00

(incl. VAT)

Heuristic Play and Treasure Baskets

Course overview

This course provides information about babies' and infants' early development and how practitioners can use treasure baskets and heuristic play resources to support this.

It explores the cognitive development of babies and infants and how the brain's neural connections are formed through quality interactions and an environment that supports sensory play and exploration.

This training is suitable for:

  • Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£0.00

(incl. VAT)

How to interact effectively with Children to promote learning

This course focuses on strategies to promote children’s language, learning and concentration by engaging in conversations which sustain children’s thinking and develop their curiosity.

Who should attend?

Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years

£30.00

(incl. VAT)

Making Stories Come Alive

Course overview

This course provides participants with ideas about how to bring children's story books to life.

It enables participants to explore how stories can be shared in creative and interactive ways to support children's language skills and to encourage their enjoyment of books. The use of core books in Early Years practice will also be explored.

This training is suitable for: 

  • Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£0.00

(incl. VAT)

Observation and Assessment Planning

This course will focus on the importance of observations and how to record and use the information to plan the next steps in learning, particularly in relation to the 'Progress Check at Two'. It will support practitioners to gain a sound knowledge of child development and to make appropriate judgements of children's progress. It will provide practitioners with the confidence to make the distinction between developmental concerns and behaviour typical of a developing child.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years

£0.00

(incl. VAT)

Outdoor Learning

Course Overview

This course addresses the learning which takes place outdoors, which is different from indoors.

As such, we will focus on the natural environment, with reference to the Forest School approach, and on physical development, with reference to Physical Literacy strategies, designed to ensure active learning, rather than sedentary behaviours.

Much of the course will take place outdoors, so that practitioners can be inspired by the stimulating environments and can practice some of the recommended strategies.

This training is suitable for: 

  • Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders’ with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£30.00

(incl. VAT)

Planning for Continuous Provision to Support Children's Independent Learning

This course clarifies what good continuous provision looks like and how to develop practice further. Exciting and interesting child-initiated activities that can be accessed independently throughout the day are an essential part of good Early Years provision.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years

£30.00

(incl. VAT)

Promoting Diversity in Early Years

Course overview

This course will run over 2 half days -the course will explore issues relating to an anti-bias approach to race and gender equality, considering how to instil an anti-racist, anti-sexist ethos and practice in our settings.

 We will discuss, for example, strategies to promote positive racial identity and to challenge traditional gender stereotypes, in order to create an environment where all feel respected, valued and special whilst actively challenging the barriers which young children experience from an early age. Much of the course will be interactive, exploring our attitudes and beliefs, in order to promote a shared outlook towards diversity.

Who should attend?

Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years

£0.00

(incl. VAT)

Promoting Independence and Self-Regulation

Course overview

This course will explore ways in which practitioners can encourage children to manage their own needs, including accessing resources independently, self-serving at mealtimes, managing hygiene and dress needs.

Research from the Education Endowment Foundation shows that children who are encouraged to be independent, confident and self-regulating, are those most likely to succeed throughout their education, so we will explore what is meant by ‘school readiness’.We will refer to the Leuwen scales of involvement and engagement as a measure of how engrossed, motivated and how deeply children concentrate whilst at nursery, and will explore the HighScope approach to conflict resolution.

This training is suitable for: 

  • Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders’ with children aged 0-5. 

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£30.00

(incl. VAT)

Supporting the Development of Babies

Course overview

This course includes information and resources about how early development unfolds and what you can do to support young children's healthy growth and learning. The first three years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of baby's development. A newborn's brain is about 25% of its approximate adult weight, but by age 3 it has grown dramatically producing billions of cells and hundreds of trillions of connections. Between birth and age 3, babies learn to give and receive love; to roll, crawl, stand, walk and run; to talk, joke, rhyme and sing. Each child develops at their own pace and in their own way.

This training is suitable for: 

  •  Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£0.00

(incl. VAT)

Understanding Children's Behaviour

Course overview

This practical and highly interactive course shows delegates how to use everyday activities and situations to develop children's social skills. Children learn about behaviour all the time. During a typical day there are endless opportunities for practitioners to support the development of children's social skills and support positive behaviour. This course will support practitioners to understand behaviour as communication and a means by which children show us what they need. We will also look at High/Scope Conflict Resolution to help children in their daily interaction.

This training is suitable for: 

  • Practitioners working in private, voluntary, independent, maintained settings and childminders with children aged 0-5.

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£0.00

(incl. VAT)

Working with Two Year Olds

Course overview

This course aims to focus on improving quality in working with two year olds. It includes elements of self-evaluation, action planning and improvement strategies.

To promote an understanding of how two year olds develop, to enhance understanding of the appropriate environment and resources, to promote planned appropriate adult directed and child initiated experiences.

This training is suitable for:

 

  • Practitioners who are working with two year olds

 

 

  • Target audience:
  • Early Years
  • Primary

£0.00

(incl. VAT)