HEART Midlands Early Years SPH

Graphic for HEART Midlands EYSPH Network Meetings November 2025 - close up photo of a hand circling a date on a calendar.

🤝 November Networking at HEART 🌳💚

Connect with peers and strengthen your practice at one of our upcoming #network meetings.

All events are free and tailored for #EarlyYears professionals.

Browse and book now: www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/wm/hear...

🚨 Invitation to tender!

The EEF is funding a review of how early years educators support children’s language and communication.

We’d love to hear from research teams with experience in using mixed-methods or qualitative approaches.

Find out more 👉 tinyurl.com/62a4xdsn

Flyer for the Maths Champions programme developed by NDNA. Text says: Improve children's outcomes by three months through becoming a Maths Champion in your setting. Express your interest here: www.bit.ly/HEARTeoi

🧮 Want to boost early maths in your setting?

Join the #MathsChampions programme - 12 months of expert training, tools & resources to help early years practitioners build confidence and boost children’s maths from the start!

🔗 Find out more: www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/wm/hear...

Molly Devlin (Director of Early Years) and Vickee Twort (Executive Primary Head at Ark Victoria Academy) explore why boosting attendance in the early years is critical - and share four strategies that are already making a measurable impact.
💭 Read their @theeef.bsky.social blog: tinyurl.com/373asuce

Graphic image of two characters taking an online survey with thought bubbles showing happy and not happy emotions. The DfE logo is in the bottom left.

📋💬 DfE Early Years Workforce Survey

How do you check #EarlyYears #qualifications? What works well? What could be better?

This short survey (5 mins) is your chance to share honest feedback that will help shape future support for our sector.

🔗 dferesearch.fra1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

West Midlands Ofsted Big Conversation 7th November 2025 The West Midlands Ofsted Big Conversation is delighted to be running its next live event in Birmingham. Join us for some interesting chat.

📣 West Midlands early years professionals - don’t miss the #OfstedBigConversation on Thu 7 Nov, 10:00–12:00

🗣️ Open dialogue, sector updates, shared learning
🌍 Join in person or online
🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/west-midla...

Let’s shape the future together!

#EarlyYears #WestMidlands #SectorVoices

🗣️ Do you work in the early years?

We want to hear from YOU!

Take a quick 10-min survey on Early Years Pupil Premium funding to help shape future support.

💷 £50 for an optional follow-up interview!

🔗 Join here: www.iffresearch.com/...

Decorative banner image for the Nurture Network

💬 Each Nurture Network session will dive into the #PrinciplesOfNurture.

Sign up for all four sessions to get the full experience!

👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/nurture-n...

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Nurture Network Session 1: Transition and Learning Session 1: 'The importance of transition in children’s lives' and 'Children’s learning is understood developmentally'

🎉 West Mids Early Years Professionals—come and join the HEART #NurtureNetwork 🤝

🌱 Session 1: Transition & Learning

📅 Thu 25 Sept | 🕙 10am–12pm or 🌙 6–8pm

Let’s explore how transitions shape development—and how you can support them with care.

👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nurture-ne...

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It's #NationalInclusionWeek!

Make your classroom more inclusive: learn how to spot and support children with #DLD in our upcoming webinar👇
https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/educators-and-professionals/dld-educational-support/developmental-language-disorder-awareness-day-webinar/

Photo of the back of four young children holding hands, running in a sunny meadow with text that says "Growing Practice Summer Webinars 2025"

Let your practice GROW this summer 🌱🌻

Join Growing Practice—a national series of free webinars from Stronger Practice Hubs across the UK.

🤝 Open to all #EarlyYearsEducators
🎓 Practical, evidence-informed sessions
🔗 Book now 👉 www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/wm/hear...

#EarlyYears #CPD

Read the full evaluation to learn more: strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/national/eysph-updates/ebp/evaluation-shows-ey-stronger

#EarlyYears #StrongerPracticeHubs #Impact

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Highlights include:

🏅 Over 8,000 settings signed up, with 90% rating activities as “high quality”

🧒 74% of settings reported practice changes; 88% believe these will improve children's outcomes — notably in language, communication, and PSED

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Graphic quote card that says: "Stronger Practice Hubs have been commended as a model of supporting workforce development that is peer-led, responsive and inclusive with positive outcomes for the workforce and children." Alice Jones Bartoli, NCB Deputy Director, Education and Early Years

🎉 Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs Are Making a Real Difference!

An independent evaluation has found that the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs programme, which launched in 2022, is boosting outcomes across the country—especially in more deprived areas.

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New EEF evaluations strengthen evidence on effective early years… EEF publishes findings from evaluations of seven different early years programmes

The @theeef.bsky.social evaluation report of our Concept Cat approach from RAND Europe is out now. TLDR: Concept Cat helped Early Years children to learn conceptual vocabulary and maths. Read the full report here: educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/new-eef...

Graphic collage image for Supporting Self-Regulation in the Early Years CPD - children lying in a circle making lots of different faces, an EY practitioner plays with a child in nursery, a child holds three different paper smiley faces in their palm.

Supporting Self-Regulation in the Early Years 🧠💖🙂
📅 Wed 13 Aug | 🕙 10–11am or 6–7pm

Interactive session for #EarlyYears professionals.

Learn practical tools to support emotions, relationships, and independence 🚀✨

BOOK NOW 👉 www.eventbrite.com/e/supporting...

#EYFS #EarlyYearsCPD

Colourful image with National Children's Bureau and Council for Disabled Children logos that says 'New guide and training package for early years providers on the disability duties in the Equality Act'

Positive early experiences contribute to better happier childhood teenage years & improved life chances as disabled adults. @cdctweets have a new guide & training to support early years providers & practitioners tinyurl.com/4fymd7xu

A young child smiles while playing with picture cards at a table with an adult. On the left, bold text reads: “Take part in our Early Talk Boost research project! In partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).” The design includes bright colours and playful elements to appeal to early years settings.

Early support changes everything. We're working with @theeef.bsky.social to trial our Early Talk Boost programme in early years settings.

Help children struggling with talking & understanding words thrive.

Learn more & sign up: speechandlanguage.org.uk/.../early-ta...

Stronger Practice Insights: Working with Children under Two www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/wm/hear...

Photo of a cute baby under peeking out from under a cream blanket with the HEART Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub logo in the top left and text that says: Stronger Practice Insights - Working with Children under Two

✨NEW✨ Stronger Practice Insights: Working with Children under Two

A comprehensive collection of materials curated from Hubs nationwide, complemented by links to the #EYFS framework, further research, and online resources.

📥 Download free via our website!

#EarlyYears #UnderTwos

Three heart-shaped post-it notes with the words 'HAVE YOUR SAY' written across them on a white wooden background with the DfE logo in the top left.

📢 Early years practitioners—your voice matters!

The DfE is reviewing space requirements in childcare settings. Help shape the future, including outdoor spaces.

🗓️ Deadline: 11 July 2025

📝 Respond now: bit.ly/407oImO

#EarlyYears #EYFSConsultation #HaveYourSay

Graphic images of hands around a globe, young children in the garden, and a young child planting a seedling alongside the HEART Early Years Stronger Practice Hub and Climate Ambassadors logos

🌍 Ready to take climate action in your #EarlyYears setting?

Join Emma Baines and the West Midlands Climate Ambassadors Hub for a 2-hour online session—network, plan, and leave with key steps for sustainability 🌱

📅 Don’t miss out—start your Climate Action Plan today

Sign up: bit.ly/4l4s4zk

Graphic with a photo of Alison Hansen of Ally's House Childcare holding her certificate. Text on graphic says: coram pacey WEST MIDLANDS Childminder of the Year 2025. ALISON HANSEN - Ally's House Childcare

Congratulations to Alison Hanson of Ally's House Childcare (Leamington Spa), on her 'West Midlands Childminder of the Year' award at the Coram PACEY Regional Childminder Awards 2025 🏆

Alison is a fantastic childminder and firm friend of the HEART Midlands Early Years SPH 🌳💚

@corampacey.bsky.social

📣 Calling all educators!

We’re looking for passionate people like you to share your insights and experiences as part of our community of educators, the EEF Exchange.

Help make sure our work stays relevant and grounded in the real world. 

Apply: ow.ly/UtL450VCmn5

An early years practitioner playing with a young child in a nursery setting. The LGA logo is overlaid on the photo in the top left.

📢 Early Years Professionals – Have Your Say!

LGA Rising Needs in Early Years Provider Survey 2025: Share your insights on how children's needs are evolving in early education.

🕒 10 mins
📅 Deadline: Wed 14 May
🔒 Anonymous & confidential

🔗 smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EarlyYearsNeedsProfessionalsSurvey/

📢✨ Good News! ✨📢

The Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs programme has been extended until March 2026 🙌

We are excited to continue this vital work across the West Midlands region!

Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date: eepurl.com/ja8so6

Today, we’ve added two new approaches to our Early Years Evidence Store:

✍️Interactive writing, and,

🧼Self care.

In this blog, @juliangrenier.bsky.social, explores how educators can support the development of interactive writing in their setting.

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“This approach can help children to develop their expressive language, encouraging them to think aloud and rehearse what they want to say.”

Read: https://eef.li/SMxb4a

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You can explore the two new approaches and a host of other evidence-informed engaging content in our Early Years Evidence Store: https://tinyurl.com/yex6repu

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