early years alliance - Promotion

‘Connect, Learn, Discover: Elevating Early Education’ - Registration Now Open for Childcare & Education Expo London 2024

Tanya_temp — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:58:31 +0000

This article was written by Elizabeth Hearn, marketing and events assistant at Childcare & Education Expo.

We’re ecstatic to announce that registration is officially open for the education event of the year - Childcare & Education Expo London 2024. Taking place at Olympia London on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd March 2024, the much-awaited event is returning with an exciting new strapline: "Connect, Learn, Discover: Elevating Early Education."

Childcare & Education Expo London has been the leading event for early education since 2009 and 2024 promises to be a pivotal moment for educators, professionals and enthusiasts in the childcare and education sectors.

The newly introduced strapline reflects the event's commitment to fostering a supportive and innovative community that elevates early education to new heights. The event is a safe haven for anyone working in early years, whether you just want to discover new ideas, learn or develop your CPD, meet leading suppliers or reignite your passion for the sector… the event has it all.

Here's a glimpse of what you can expect:

Connect: Find the golden opportunity to join the largest education community, not only from the UK but also from around the world, as you connect through collaborative workshops, discussions and social spaces. Whether you come solo to make new friends or bring your entire team, our one-of-a-kind experience awaits you. We understand the dedication you put into your work and now is the perfect time to unwind and enjoy the experience.

Learn: The event will feature an impressive CPD programme led by world-class speakers. You’ll have the opportunity to explore the latest trends, strategies and best practices in early education, empowering you to excel in your role. You can also join free-to-attend well being workshops, to learn how to support yourself, your colleagues and children’s mental health.

Discover: Reflecting the dynamic landscape of the industry, the vibrant exhibition will showcase over 100 suppliers. Discover innovative solutions, exciting products and supportive services designed to enhance the learning environment. Across the show floor, you will also discover several feature areas promoting new learning ideas and techniques.

There are some incredible announcements on the horizon! A lineup of exceptional speakers and exhibitors, a very special guest attending, new feature areas, a start-up zone to meet smaller independent companies in the sector and �°��ϲʹ�� will be having a bigger presence than ever before.

Join us at the Childcare & Education Expo London 2024, and together, we can "Connect, Learn, Discover" as we elevate early education to new horizons. Click here to register for your free ticket to attend the show.

Click here to find out more about Childcare & Education Expo London 2024.

Promotion

How is technology supporting early years educators with literacy?

Tanya_temp — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 16:57:45 +0000

Famly’s Julia Rose explains how their new feature, Sidekick, is revolutionising the way educators complete written work  

I write for a living, so you might wonder why I’m here talking about utilising technology to support literacy in the early years. With artificial intelligence becoming more and more capable of producing written content, shouldn’t I be worried that Famly will just replace me with a computer programme before I can so much as type out my CV? Well, no. 

Just as Famly’s early childhood platform can’t replace early years educators in settings, I don’t think the robots are coming for my job any time soon, either. However, it’s important to stay curious about how technology can make our work better and more efficient. 

As with tools like Grammarly and Google Docs’ spell check to improve writing, early years educators using Famly can now use our new feature, Sidekick, to help aid theirs. And with 16.4% of adults in the UK scoring at the lowest level of proficiency in literacy, it’s safe to say it’s really common to need some extra help with reading, writing, and spelling.  

Introducing Sidekick 

Essentially, Sidekick is a writing assistant for early years educators. 

Sidekick can be used across the Famly platform in observations, messages, Newsfeed posts, and assessments to check spelling and grammar or even change the tone of your text. You can make text more professional, more polite, more observant, or more conversational – think of it as built-in support for when you’re just not sure something looks or sounds right.    

And that really matters in the early years sector. With the battle to be seen as the qualified educators we are, professionalism is key. Even if you’re the Shakespeare of your setting, Sidekick is a safety net to catch those little mistakes we all make before you share a post or observation.  

And, if you’re short on time (aren't we always, in the early years?) you can even add short notes in draft form and ask Sidekick to turn it into a fully-fledged post for you. A ten-minute job becomes a two-second one. Using Sidekick means educators can get their written work completed efficiently and accurately, so they can get back to actually teaching. 

“Sidekick has been a game changer as it has given staff the confidence to post to parents in more detail. I have two dyslexic staff and they are overwhelmed with the new feature. It has given them the chance to celebrate their professionalism without the worry of spelling and grammar mistakes.”  

Famly customer Jennie McMahon, Manager, Limes Court Nursery School 

A confidence boosting time saver 

While there is certainly no shame in asking for help and support, many adults feel that way when struggling with literacy; having to rely on a peer or manager to correct written work can feel stressful or embarrassing for early years educators. With Sidekick, educators can review and correct their writing independently and in-the-moment, meaning they don’t have to wait for someone else to check their work – saving much-needed time for other tasks and effectively reducing workload.

After all, isn’t relieving stress and celebrating the professionalism of the early years workforce something that we can all get behind? 

Alliance members get 50% off Famly software!

The Early Years Alliance is proud to work in partnership with leading early years software provider Famly to give our members an exclusive 50% off for the first six months of Famly's Premium or Professionals packages.

Famly is an all-in-one software that significantly reduces workloads and improves daily routines in early years settings.

With Famly, settings can send instant messages, pictures and updates to parents, manage staff, create and send invoices, compile and update learning journals, manage finances and admin, and much more!

Find out more and sign up for a free demo using the link in the Members' Area: portal.eyalliance.org.uk

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Discovering Loose Parts Play

Tanya_temp — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 10:29:05 +0000

Alison Heseltine, early years development manager and Ruth Richardson, early years development officer at the Early Years Alliance, share more about our interactive area at the recent Childcare and Education Expo Midlands event

Following the success of our Joy of Doing area at the Bolton Childcare and Education Expo North, we were delighted to continue sharing the important ‘process over product’ message at the recent Coventry Childcare and Education Expo Midlands. With a complementary, interactive workshop running alongside the popular feature area, our aim was to offer a practical, hands-on session to early years educators, where they as adults could experience what we mean by ‘the joy of doing’: the freedom to set your own play agenda with no fixed outcomes or demands.

After a brief introduction to the theory behind open-ended or loose parts play, educators were quick to accept the challenge of freeing their imaginations. They discussed how even a simple wooden disc could enhance play – suggestions included everything from foods to control buttons on a spaceship, and even part of a unicorn! It’s important that, even though all the wooden discs were identical, each participant connected to them in their own unique way – just like children will if given the opportunity to do so.

Once we were all warmed up, the next activity introduced transient art where either in small groups or as individuals, educators could explore a wide variety of natural materials and develop their own combinations and designs. The possibilities for construction, exploration and experimentation were endless – and it was great to hear adults narrating their play just as we hear children do. People also shared their feelings about how as an adult it can be difficult to let go of constraints and preconceived ideas, and that they had found a moment of calm and creativity in the activity.

Throughout the session, participants shared ideas for how to get started with loose parts play, using real life examples to prompt conversations and discussions. A key topic was how to share the learning with families – how to support them in seeing how loose parts play can benefit their child’s development and understanding. How would you explain the ideas and concept to a parent or carer who had never experienced or didn’t recognise ‘the joy of doing’ in their own play memories?

The workshop also provided an opportunity to address safety issues, particularly around the potential risks associated with small, loose parts alongside the importance of knowing your children and their stage of development to guide choices around resources. Taking a proactive approach to the understanding and benefits of such play with risk management and assessments was seen as an essential part of introducing loose parts/open-ended play into provision.

This then led into the final activity of the session: a chance to recognise that not all loose parts play needs to be ‘small’ – there’s a chance to ‘go large’, too. Fabrics, rope, pegs, sticks, cardboard boxes and tubes allow for being truly surrounded by play and immersed in the world it creates – and the educators at the session truly embraced this!

Promotion

Are you ready for World Prematurity Month?

Tanya_temp — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 10:09:52 +0000

The Alliance works with the Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity to raise awareness of babies born too soon

In the UK, one in thirteen babies are born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy). A high percentage of these babies require treatment in a neonatal unit and may need more support in pre-schools, nurseries or childminding settings.

November is World Prematurity Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of the needs of premature babies and their families worldwide. It’s also a month for celebrating those that have made it through difficult periods with their premature babies and gone on to thrive.

We at Ickle Pickles have made it our mission to give every newborn a chance, functioning as a charity that helps hospitals raise money to buy essential equipment for premature babies nationally. We provide much-needed intensive and special-care equipment, dedicating our time and expertise with families affected by premature birth.

For World Prematurity Month, we are sharing some tips on how you can help prem babies thrive, because we know how important it is to support vulnerable babies and families who have experienced neonatal care.

While each neonatal journey is different, we want to share one story that particularly touched us.

Charlotte's story

Michelle experienced a frightening and emotional birth via emergency C-section at just 24 weeks pregnant. Beautiful Charlotte was born weighing just 518 grams (1lb 2oz) – the same as a small bag of sugar – and spent the next 16 weeks in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Michelle remembers her time as a NICU parent as challenging: “You feel like you are existing in a bubble while the normal world continues all around you.”

Meeting her new baby for the first time after she’d recovered was this “completely unreal experience” of “seeing this tiny baby attached to so many wires and monitors, in an incubator, completely helpless”. Many NICU parents recall the beeping and humming machines being the soundtrack to their lives in the NICU.

Every day is different and can change quickly. Despite picking up some dangerous infections, baby Charlotte became stronger each week. Each milestone hit gave her parents hope and excitement for the future. Michelle learnt about the importance of blood gases, oxygen requirements and infection control – but she also experienced a range of emotions as their NICU journey continued: fear, sadness, excitement, guilt, disengagement and helplessness. When Charlotte was finally well enough, she was transferred to a more local hospital, which meant her family no longer had to travel 525 miles a week to see her. Thanks to all the care teams, Charlotte was finally discharged just after her due date.

Later, she attended two separate nursery settings where all staff were made aware of Charlotte's early entry into the world. For premature babies, reaching developmental milestones may take a little longer. Charlotte was delayed in hitting some developmental milestones, so nursery staff supported her in the areas she struggled with.

One nursery educator recognised that Charlotte showed signs of delays in some of her gross motor skills and would need physio support. The nursery then referred her to an occupational therapist, who advised on exercises to strengthen her core muscles. The nursery’s proactive approach, alongside the timely support of the occupational therapist, helped to alleviate her parents’ worries.

Thanks to all the excellent care in the NICU and her dedicated nursery staff, Charlotte is now thriving at school.

It’s important to note that while some parents and carers of premature children may feel their child is ready to start school or pre-school in line with their actual birth date, others may feel it would be better for their child to start school a bit later, in line with their projected birth date or corrected age. It’s different for every family’s experience.

World Prematurity Month

The increasing incidence of premature birth and the improving survival rates mean that you might look after a child born prematurely in your setting. A short stay in a neonatal unit can often be overlooked. We hope you will join us this World Prematurity Month to raise awareness of the challenges of premature birth.

Explore some of Ickle Pickles’ World Prematurity Day ideas around how you can show NICU families that they are not alone. The colour purple is seen as most synonymous with World Prematurity Day on Friday 17 November, so wearing something purple is a great way to show your support. You could ask everyone to donate £1 and wear something purple, even if it’s something subtle like a ribbon, scarf, tie or hairband.

Together, we can make a difference and help raise awareness of babies like Charlotte as well as help others during World Prematurity Month.

To get involved and find out more, visit icklepickles.org

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Settling in without settling for less

Tanya.Svilar — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 08:30:30 +0000

Famly’s Julia Rose reflects on settling into settings from both sides

Having worked in the early years myself, I thought that when it came to dropping my own son off for his first day at nursery, I’d be the parent that all educators dream of. I pictured myself with a bag packed with all the correct spare clothes and nursery-appropriate accessories, meticulously labelled, of course. I would stride in proud and prepared, give my son a confident kiss and walk quickly out of the door, while he ran joyfully to play.

But while my son certainly did toddle off without a backward glance… I was a wreck. What if he couldn’t find his comfort toy (a small yellow car that he clutched in his chubby little hands)? What if his teacher didn’t know that “mumum” meant he was hungry but “uunngghh” meant he wanted a drink? What if she didn’t call me immediately if he so much as whimpered?! It was an unthinkable catastrophe.

Later on, when I collected my son, who by some miracle was not only completely intact but happy to boot, I took some time to reflect. All those parents and carers I’d reassured over the years as they dropped off their whole world with me had – just like me – really only wanted to be sure that their child was cared for, safe, and understood.

And that’s where a tool like Famly comes into its own. Despite my best efforts, my son’s setting do not yet use Famly, but I truly wish they did. As an educator, I can see how Famly would have made my job better, but as a §parent, I can see how Famly would make my life better.

Take signing up and settling in. Famly’s new custom registration forms mean that all the things I had painstakingly documented in an encyclopedia-sized notebook could all have neatly been entered into my son’s child profile on Famly. His teacher would have had all the information she needed about allergies, dietary restrictions, and our contact information. I would have been confident she knew the essential things about my son, without having to give myself repetitive strain injury handwriting a novel about him.

Not only that, but Famly’s new registration forms also allow you to add your setting’s terms and conditions, or other documents, with the option for parents to sign with a digital signature. So when my son’s setting finally does get Famly, they could use this feature to make me agree to stop using them as an example in all of my articles…

But even after enrolling, my son’s teacher could have sent me photos of him on the Famly newsfeed, throughout his first sessions, to show me that he was fine and happy. And I wouldn’t have had to be shooed away from the window and had my binoculars confiscated. Ultimately, knowing that my son was happy by seeing it for myself would have been so much more reassuring than just a passing confirmation from his teacher at an already rushed pick-up time.

And all of those things would be useful for my son’s teachers too (not least because it would keep me out of their hair). Doing the already complex job of caring for and teaching underfives is exponentially easier when you start with all of the correct information about your little ones, presented clearly, and kept up-to-date by the people who know them best.

50% OFF!

Alliance members get an exclusive 50% discount on their first six months of Famly’s Premium and Professional packages. The purchase must be made before 31 August 2024, and the offer is open to all Alliance members who are not currently on a paid Famly package. To access your exclusive discount, just log in to the Members’ Area on the My EYA Portal (portal.eyalliance.org.uk) – you can claim your discount directly from there. To learn more about the benefits of the Famly platform, head over to famly.co.uk.

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Removing the barriers to outdoor play

Tanya.Svilar — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 11:02:04 +0000

Outdoor play provides fantastic opportunities for exciting open-ended learning and role play, but we understand that it’s not always easy and there are things you need to prepare for. Here’s some advice on how to tackle common barriers to exploring the great outdoors.

Limited space

If your space is only small, make sure it’s well planned and invest in storage that means you don’t have all of your equipment out at once. Organise activities that play to the strengths of your environment – grass and woodland areas are great for minibeast hunts and paved areas are great for mark making.

Unpredictable weather

Be prepared! Ask parents to bring warm clothes in winter and hats and sun cream in summer. If necessary, you can limit the time spent outside – even short bursts of fresh air can really benefit children. When it’s cold plan activities with lots of movement to keep children feeling warm, and in hot weather incorporate water and ice into your outdoor play.

Safety concerns

It’s hugely important to keep children in your care safe; however this does not mean eliminating all risks. When managed properly, small risks help children to learn. Good planning and training can ensure safety across a huge range of outdoor activities. That said, do ensure to conduct a risk assessment outside and provide training for staff if necessary.

Making a mess

Messy play is fantastic for sensory exploration. To minimise the burden of the big clear up, get the children involved and turn it into a fun activity which can also help a child’s learning and development. Invest in protective clothing to reduce the mess while still enabling children to get stuck in to all activities. Outdoor handwashing stations are also great for cleaning messy hands and promoting good hand hygiene outside.

Costly resources

Purchasing resources for both indoor and outdoor areas can make budgets feel stretched. Don’t overcomplicate the outdoor space – some of the best activities involve only loose parts and other natural materials along with a little imagination. Why not take a look at our blog to see how easy it is to encourage sensory play and development using natural loose parts.

Storage

If your outdoor space is only small, it’s a good idea to invest in space-saving storage for all of your equipment and toys which will also protect them from the elements and help them last longer.

Parental concerns

Communication is key – explain outdoor activities clearly and highlight the benefits. If you have facilities to share photos with parents, ensure that you share some of the children enjoying outdoor spaces.

Staff motivation

Involve staff in planning– the more imaginative the better! If necessary, book training courses to enthuse staff about outdoor learning and provide resources that make it as easy as possible for staff to manage outdoor environment themselves.

Are you looking to maximise your outdoor space? The Cosy Collection at YPO can help you do just that.

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Supporting children’s behaviour – the emotionally-intelligent way!

Tanya.Svilar — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 10:54:43 +0000

I think it would be almost impossible to have a career working directly with children and never find yourself facing a child’s emotional or physical escalation, what might be perceived as ‘defiance’, or their rejection of you! These are some of the most extreme behaviours a teacher can find themselves managing and yet my early teacher training did not even mention how best to deal with such things. It’s always assumed teachers somehow pick up the ‘magic wands’ required for supporting children’s self-regulation and surprisingly little focus is given on behaviour management as there are always just so many other agendas in education.

So it is unfortunate that in recent years there is no doubt that some children have become increasingly dysregulated, and their behaviour more challenging. It’s no surprise considering the strain we have all been under in the past three or so years. We’ve felt it and therefore, so have our children.

And I’m not just talking about the impact of Covid. The world seems ever more frantic and pressured with less time and capacity to care. This has undoubtedly increased vulnerability and ‘need’, leaving me considering any beneficial changes in approaches we could make – including how we support children’s behaviour.

I am glad to say we left the antiquated methods of ‘bullying’ children into compliance behind us decades ago and we generally work more collaboratively with children. But my consideration of the recent increased vulnerability of children, along with working for 10 years with children who really struggled to regulate (in a Pupil Referral Unit) has led me to consider how emotional intelligence could be usefully employed when it comes to supporting children’s behaviour. And the first place I have been focussing is on the adults…

When a child presents us with what may appear to be challenging behaviour, we often react automatically, with little awareness of our own ‘back-story’. By ‘back-story’ I mean being aware of what the child’s behaviour is triggering in us, what our automatic ‘go to’ response is, and even awareness of the fact we are responding repeatedly in the same way. We might not even have considered that we could change our response. When I explore these reactions with teachers, many emotional and thinking responses become more conscious. For example, some adults report a panicked adrenaline rush when facing escalations. Other adults become very fearful of colleagues’ judgements when faced with a child’s non-co-operation, and some adults feel rejected and react defensively when they believe a child is rude to them. In making ourselves aware of what is going on for us when faced with testing behaviours, we can start to better manage our responses and have more flexibility in how we address what is happening.

Once we have considered our own unconscious and automatic reactions, we are then in a much better position to pay greater attention to what might be going on for the child. We can use a variety of tools to speculate about the emotions and thoughts that are troubling a child when they are not co-operating, escalating or dismissing us rudely. This reduces the chance of us simply locking horns with the behaviour and actually can enable us to uncover the root cause of it. It’s all about dealing with the underlying reason, not the symptoms and it’s finding out what the child’s behaviour is really communicating. Obviously, when working with lots of children, this is not possible with every single interaction, but when you find yourself managing the same behaviour over and over again, it’s time to move away from being reactive to being proactive.

Let’s consider, for example, a child who struggles to enter the early years setting on a regular basis. Quite often, in the name of expediency, we can find ourselves employing a number of tools to encourage the child over the threshold: goading, challenging, bribing, insisting and/or distracting. Sometimes these tools work, but they do not address whatever was triggering the child’s behaviour and the reticence might well reappear the next day, and the day after. When this happens, it’s time to step back from ‘repeat’ and speculate with the child about what they might be feeling (if you make a wrong assessment of the situation, the child will soon correct you!) Helping a child to recognise the emotions of a situation can make a child feel instantly understood and, as we know as adults, can in itself alleviate the intensity of any emotion. It also helps the child become more emotionally aware. This can also ultimately result in more sustained changes in behaviour.

The reality is, there are no magic wands when it comes to supporting children’s behaviour. What works one day won’t necessarily work the next and we often find ourselves in a flurry of reactive and flustered muddling-throughs. However, if we embrace a long-term aim towards both adults and children increasing their understanding of the impact emotions and thoughts can have on behaviour, not only does behaviour improve, wellbeing and resilience does too.

Molly Potter has spent many years teaching in both mainstream schools and a pupil referral unit for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, helping them to trust adults, develop self-esteem and learn to self-regulate. Molly has also been a county advisor for all things PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) with a special focus on RSE (relationships and sex education) where she developed her keen interest in how best to help children navigate life’s tricky elements. Her own two children (and guinea pigs) roll their eyes at her openness when it comes to delivering the honest facts! Along with writing books, Molly currently writes teaching resources for different organisations, delivers training to teachers, parents/carers and practitioners, and gives one-to-one support to children, focused mainly on developing emotional literacy. Molly is the author of the Let's Talk series which includes the bestselling How Are You Feeling Today? and is perfect for helping adults start discussions with children to support their social, emotional and wellbeing.

Follow Molly on Twitter @PotterMolly, on Facebook facebook.com/Mollypotterbooks and discover more resources at www.mollypotter.com

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/discover/superpages/education/lets-talk/lets-talk/

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Speaker highlights at Childcare & Education Expo London 2023

Mei.Tsang — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 15:23:20 +0000

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Childcare & Education Expo will be kicking off its first show of 2023 in a matter of weeks at Olympia London on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 March.

The event is the perfect place for educators to source new and exciting ways to improve their early years practice.

The seminar programme will cover a range of subjects such as the public perception of early education; child behaviour, communication, language, movement and play.

Book your free ticket now

International speaker sessions

The show will welcome two exciting international speakers. Behavioural specialist and founder of the ‘Phoenix Cups’ approach to guiding behaviour, Sandi Phoenix will be flying from Australia, to teach educators how to reframe their behaviour management practices.

International consultant and author of seven books focused on the environmental design of early childhood places, Dr. Sandra Duncan will be speaking on the ‘Honeycomb Hypothesis’. The hypothesis is grounded in Piaget’s theory of cognition and Wilson’s theory of biophilia (a human instinct to connect with nature) and will provide an understanding of the connection between learning, movement, play and nature.

Special guests

Renowned early years consultant Alice Sharp will be delivering a seminar on both Friday and Saturday at the show. On Friday, visitors will learn about provocations for play and on Saturday, get ready to read as Alice will explore the importance of literacy rich environments for children.

CBeebies presenter and special guest, Ben Faulks (AKA Mr. Bloom), will be delivering two free workshops across both days, taking a fun approach to storytelling and using his 2 years of performing experience to reveal how you can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary in childcare practice.

Fan favourites

Ben Kingston-Hughes, Director of Inspired Children, is returning to the show with his new partner, Harriet Thomas – Founder of Boogie Mites. Together, they will take you on a fascinating journey into neuroscience and biology, to highlight the importance of music in child development.

In 2022 at Childcare & Education Expo Midlands, a panel on understanding and supporting children’s behaviour, communication and language needs, saw an outstanding positive and emotional reaction. Due to its success, the thought-provoking panel will make a return at the London show, featuring panellists:

Dr. Sue Allingham: Independent Consultant at Early Years Out of the Box Chair
Cheryl Bedding: Director of Aperion Training
Dr. Mine Conkbayir: Award-winning Author, Trainer, and Early Years Consultant
Paul Moore: CPD Manager at Busy Bees Education & Training;
Andrea Sofroniou: EYFS & Education Consultant at Posiquisitive Children Ltd
Matt Bawler: Early Years Development Lead at The Villa School & Nursery.

Register for your free tickets

Alliance Members get 20% off all seminars - log in to the Members' Area of the My EYA portal to find the code

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Creative ways for collaboration

caroline.graham — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 12:08:58 +0000

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Pernille Schmidt Ripp at Famly, explains why collaboration should come first...

As an early years educator you work your hardest for your children and families.

But inadequate funding, shifting policies, recruitment challenges and bureaucracy can make the day-to-day very tough.

The only way to weather the storm is together — to collaborate with colleagues and parents and work collectively for the children in your care.

You may be wondering how you could possibly squeeze any more into your day — more conversations, more feedback and more inspiration.

But at Famly, rather than adding to your to-do list, we incorporate collaboration into the processes that are already there.

Built-in collaboration

Unlike traditional nursery management software, where the focus is on your admin, Famly is an early childhood platforms that focuses on helping all adults involved in a child’s care and education to work together.

So how does a platform such as Famly bring more collaboration into your everyday work?

Here are a few ideas…

Share observations – Educators can share and see each other’s observations and assessments, so they can learn and improve together.
Share more from home – How are families sharing their experiences from home? How can you integrate these into the setting?
Collaborative admin – Rather than passing information back-and-forth through endless phone calls, parents and providers can document, edit or upload information.
Parents can pay right away – There is no need to set up a separate billing process, everything you need to invoice and receive payment is built into the platform.
Act on live insights – Quickly get an overview of the happenings and needs of your setting in real-time. No more time wasted on pulling reports only for the moment to have passed.
Community, not messaging – The best settings are a hub for their parent communities – and your platform should reflect that too.

Of course conversations with colleagues and parents will always be the best way to work together.

But incorporating collaboration into the tools you use can offer further support as you navigate these choppy times.

Get 50% off your first six months of Famly

To find out more about Famly and how you can get your exclusive Alliance member discount, saving 50% off your first six months, log in to the Members’ Area of EYA Central.

“Parents don’t have to wait for a consultation three times a year to see what their child is learning at nursery. Parents can log in and see straight away that their child has achieved something.”

Rob Danks, owner, Honey’s Nest

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Get ready for Childcare & Education Expo North

caroline.graham — Tue, 10 May 2022 14:07:04 +0000

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The next Childcare & Education Expo North is taking place in Bolton in June and registration is now officially open.

Book your free ticket now

The event (17 & 18 June) will offer inspiration, ideas and fun for everyone working in the early years and primary education sectors.

Panel discussions and CPD seminars

Take part in one of the panel discussions on education and staffing, where experts will unpack the issues surrounding recruitment and retention. In addition, the conversation will look into how we can start rebuilding the workforce and reveal how to unlock some of the key issues that will shape the future of the sector.

There are eight seminars during the two-day event offering opportunities to debate, learn new skills and expand your knowledge.

On Friday, Alistair Bryce-Clegg from ABC Does will talk about the superpower we all possess – play!

This will be followed by topics including speech, language and communication difficulties and nature pedagogy.

The programme will end with the lowdown on early years inspections and curriculum updates from �°��ϲʹ��.

Saturday will look at child-led learning and how to create curious and creative little ones.

Pennie Akehurst, Managing Director at Early Years Fundamentals will take a deeper look at the areas that frequently appear in inadequate and RI inspection reports; the reasons, trends and what practitioners can do to avoid these outcomes.

To close off, early years expert Shaddai Tembo will reflect on our responsibilities as educators in promoting social justice.

Free interactive workshops

Visitors will be thinking green on Friday as practitioners look at using loose parts to create a sustainable eco-system. Things may also get a little messy as Sarah Seaman will be offering her, ‘Muddy Fingers and Muddy Movers’ workshop!

On Saturday, learn about the benefits of language learning from Kidslingo and how to bring learning to life with award-winning Nanny and Author – Kathryn Lord.

Speakers from Alfresco Learning will also provide visitors with plenty of practical outdoor activity ideas.

Feature areas

New to North is an interactive Forest School Feature Area created by Cambium Sustainable. There will be a range of natural activities to get stuck into such as mud painting, natural weaving and charcoal mark making. Visitors can also enjoy the many craft zones, where special treasures can be found and created to take home or to their settings.

Exhibition and shopping village

The show floor provides opportunities for shopping, forming relations with exhibitors, sourcing new suppliers, networking with associations and redeeming exclusive offers. This is the perfect opportunity to be united with those who are passionate about early years and primary education.

Come and join Childcare & Education Expo in North for guaranteed learning and laughter as we connect with one another.

Register for your free tickets

!! WIN - a free ticket to one of the seminars !!

Alliance members have the chance to win one of five FREE tickets to a seminar of their choice at Childcare & Education Expo North.

Seminar tickets usually cost £15 when booked in advance or £20 on the day.

Send us your details by 27 May and we'll enter your details into a draw.

Five winners will be drawn at random and then sent an email with a code that can be used to book a seminar for free.

Enter the draw now!

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