Centre for Research in Early Childhood

Initial Teacher Training — CREC Accredited by Teach First

Where does all our rubbish go? How do we recycle things?
What makes a rainbow appear in the rain?
Do all birds float?
Does a hot drink cool you down?

Interested in SCITT? Find out more: buff.ly/xA756A6

#SCITT #TeacherTraining #Science #BritishScienceWeek

Initial Teacher Training — CREC Accredited by Teach First

What are we curious about? Science questions from the SCITT trainees:

Do ducks feet get cold in the water?
Why do some people like coriander and others don’t?
How do we develop allergies?
What makes the tides move in and out?
How many grains of sand are there?

how to balance adult-led and child-led exploration and then how the conceptual knowledge and skills develop into the Key Stage 1 science curriculum. We thought of our own questions and curiosities to model the kind of scientific thinking we want children to develop.

British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths that will take place between 6-15 March 2026. Recently, our SCITT trainees gathered for a session exploring how Understanding the World in EYFS builds the foundations for scientific thinking,

Making the transition to Year 1: Practical ideas to help children flourish - Nursery World Supporting children to ‘land’ well in Year 1 isn’t about ‘lowering expectations or slowing progress, it’s about thoughtful continuity’ says Michelle Windridge. She provides some practical advice on…

Supporting children to ‘land’ well in Year 1 isn’t about ‘lowering expectations or slowing progress, it’s about thoughtful continuity’ says Michelle Windridge: buff.ly/KTet7AI

#Transitions #Year1 #Reception #EarlyChildhood

Train to Teach event | Birmingham — CREC Come and see us at the Get Into Teaching: Birmingham event. We will be on hand to answer your questions about training to be a nursery or a primary school teacher. These free events are a great…

Come and see us at the Get Into Teaching: Birmingham event on Thursday 19th March. These free events are a great opportunity to get expert advice on funding and your application, and talk to teachers and other course leaders. buff.ly/x32y6LT
#GetIntoTeaching #Teaching #BirminghamTeacher

We’re asking for donations to create a small support fund to help out any struggling CREC student to stay the course and gain their qualification.

Thank you for your continued support; you can donate here: buff.ly/e8mbOoZ
#CREC #StudentSupportFund #StudentLife #EarlyChildhood

Why babies’ first relationships matter - Centre for Mental Health Supporting parent–infant relationships improves child and parent wellbeing, and delivers strong social and economic returns.

"Secure parent–infant relationships underpin a baby’s emotional regulation, resilience, and healthy development, bringing lifelong benefits." Excellent piece from the Centre for Mental Health: buff.ly/UrvGDrK
#EarlyYears #ParentInfantRelationship #MentalHealth

Early Years Maths CPD Day at CREC — CREC This one day event at CREC is designed for anyone wishing to learn about and improve teaching maths in nursery and reception classes.

Early Years Maths CPD coming up with Roy Broadfield at CREC in 2026 - check it out and book your place - this is highly regarded CPD and great value: buff.ly/BR7ihAQ
#Maths #EarlyYearsMaths #Numbers

School-based nurseries not providing places for under-threes as they believe it isn't financially viable - Nursery World Very few school-based nurseries are providing places for under-threes or offering out-of-school provision due to staffing challenges and a perception it’s not financially viable, reveals a new report.

School-based nurseries (SBN) that function outside the ‘traditional model’ are ‘statistically significantly’ less inclined than other childcare providers to accommodate children under three. Full report available here: buff.ly/fBXTG7L

#SchoolBasedNurseries #EarlyYears

Advance Your Career with an MA in Education (Early Years)

Looking to deepen your impact? CREC’s part-time Master’s programme is built for busy professionals.
Register your interest, book a call, or enrol today! buff.ly/8ykaAkc
#MAEarlyYears #EYFS #EarlyChildhood

10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child Schools to be inclusive by design, with dedicated ‘inclusion bases’ and new guidance on adaptations to improve inclusivity and accessibility.

Schools to be inclusive by design, with dedicated ‘inclusion bases’ and new guidance on adaptations to improve inclusivity and accessibility. buff.ly/kHTxhoW

#EarlyYears #Inclusion #Schools

Thinking of SCITT? Hear from a recent graduate: “I would recommend this teacher training and specialist early years route to anyone! I have had a really positive and amazing experience the whole way through my training.”
Emily Bennett, SCITT 2024 - 25
Find out more: buff.ly/Q93KXyV
#TeacherTraining

The Princess of Wales highlights how early childhood shapes lifelong wellbeing this Children’s Mental Health Week The Princess of Wales highlights how early childhood shapes lifelong wellbeing this Children’s Mental Health Week

Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales visited Castle Hill Academy in Croydon to mark Children’s Mental Health Week 2026, emphasising the role of early childhood in lifelong mental well-being.
buff.ly/06GerGm
#ChildrensMentalHealthWeek

Best Start Family Hubs will be the 'backbone' of a connected network, linking early years education and health services, says Early education minister - Nursery World Speaking at the National Centre for Family Hubs conference, the minister, Olivia Bailey, set out her vision for the next phase of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies programme ahead of…

During her address at the National Centre for Family Hubs conference, Minister Olivia Bailey outlined her vision for the upcoming phase of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies initiative, set to launch in April. For more details, visit buff.ly/5RXEV4I. #FamilyHubs #BestStartInLife

Government publishes updated early years guidance for local authorities | www.eyalliance.org.uk The revised document includes updated guidance on the requirements local authorities can place over patterns of delivery.

The Department for Education has released updated statutory guidance for local authorities, effective 1 April 2026. More here: buff.ly/0oMWI7T

#EarlyYears

The Art of Learning: Strengthening Pedagogy and Practice in Expressive Arts and Design (EAD) for EYFS and KS1 — CREC This professional learning day with international artist-educator Debi Keyte-Hartland is designed to support all EYFS and Key Stage 1 educators to deepen their understanding and enhance their…

Planning your CPD for 2026? Don't miss this - affordable and informative CPD at CREC with Debi Keyte-Hartland:
buff.ly/OGw5FNW
#CPD #Teaching #EarlyYearsTeaching #Arts #EarlyChildhood

Out-of-date sufficiency data could undermine latest round of nursery funding, sector warns - CYP Now Councils risk drawing up plans for the next wave of school-based nursery funding using outdated or incomplete data, undermining efforts to expand childcare where it is most needed, childcare sector…

The sector cautions that outdated sufficiency information might jeopardize the most recent funding cycle for nurseries in this article: buff.ly/355ksx7

#NurseryFunding #ChildcareFunding

Why SEND reform depends on the early years Because the EYFS shapes children’s first learning experiences, it is where the SEND crisis begins - so it needs to be a key focus in fixing the problem, writes Julian Grenier, who offers three ways…

Julian Grenier argues that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes children’s initial educational experiences and is where the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) crisis originates. He suggests three methods to enhance practice in this area: buff.ly/Bx91zjV
#SEND #EYFS

Government to consider introducing mandatory CCTV in nurseries - Nursery World Speaking in the House of Commons earlier this week, the early education minister, Olivia Bailey, said the Government is considering the mandatory use of CCTV in early years settings as part of its…

What are your thoughts on introducing mandatory CCTV in Early Years settings? buff.ly/z3QnST5
#Nursery #CCTV #EarlyYears

The early years is not just preparation for school | Famly Our Early Years Educator, Julia Rose, explores why the concept of ‘school readiness’ does us no favours in the early years.

"Why is the early years sector only seen as important when it’s viewed as a stepping stone to something else?" "School readiness" has been in the news a lot again recently, but is it good for children...or for schools?
Find out more: buff.ly/bRwJbnE

#SchoolReadiness #StartingSchool #Reception

BECERA 2026 — CREC Our 2026 annual conference will be hosted in Birmingham on Monday 16th February 2026. Save the date and sign up to our newsletter for updates.

There are just a few tickets left for BECERA 2026 in Birmingham on 16th February. Book your ticket here: buff.ly/0TRtTGP
#BECERA2026 #EarlyChildhood #CPD #Birmingham

Shortly, our SCITT students are to take part in a session on job applications and interview prep with a recruitment agency. This is really helpful, as our previous SCITT cohort report in this video.

Find out more about our SCITT course here: buff.ly/538Rlg3

#SCITT #TeacherTraining #JobInterview

The Power and Pleasures of Play Following our recent session exploring the ‘Power and Pleasures of Play’, Chris Pascal shares her thoughts on the importance of reflective pedagogy and the importance of play.

The Birmingham Early Years Networks was pleased to host a session led by Professor Tina Bruce (CBE) and Professor Chris Pascal (OBE), exploring the “Power and Pleasures of Play” recently. Find out more in their blog where you can also re-watch the session. buff.ly/6YqIbda

#Froebel #EarlyYears

Kindred Squared ‘school-readiness’ survey suggests rising number of children are not prepared for reception | www.eyalliance.org.uk Survey results show an increasing number of children are struggling with key skills when they get to reception.

Survey results show an increasing number of children are struggling with key skills when they get to reception: buff.ly/bajkEF1
#EYFS #EarlyYears #Reception

Chris and Tony are joining University of Wolverhampton students for their graduation ceremony today. The University is one of CRECs key partners in the West Midlands and supports our doctoral programme and research profile. Congratulations to all those graduating! #GraduationDay #PHD #EarlyChildhood

Advance Your Career with an MA in Education (Early Years)

Looking to deepen your impact? CREC’s part-time Master’s programme is built for busy professionals.
Register your interest, book a call, or enrol today! buff.ly/8ykaAkc
#MAEarlyYears #EYFS #EarlyChildhood

Midlands families needed for pioneering autism study involving at-home robot - University of Birmingham World’s first large-scale, long-term study to explore how a social robot can support early development for young autistic children at home.

Midlands families needed for pioneering autism study involving at-home robot: buff.ly/zV3IkMX

#Birmingham #Autism #Research

Opportunities for dialogue and reflection are at the heart of our SCITT programme. If nurturing confident, curious learners from the very beginning inspires you, now is the perfect time to apply.

Find out more here: buff.ly/7Kr3O4C

#SCITT #CREC #TeacherTraining

Have your say on the current state of the early years sector in our new survey | www.eyalliance.org.uk Share your views on funding, the expanded entitlements, staffing, quality and more...

‘State of the sector’ survey for early years providers, looking at the impact of recent policy changes.
The survey should only take around 10 minutes to complete, and all responses are anonymous. The deadline for responses is Tuesday 3 February 2026. buff.ly/AmYYXuj

#EarlyYearsAlliance #EarlyYears