Early Years training and resources

Training Information

The Curriculum and Literacy Team provides many training opportunities through workshops for providers across a range of topics, including

Business
Committee Training
Learning and Development
Childminder training

The training is offered throughout the year and is advertised either on the Support Services for Education website, or on Eventbrite, and on our social media pages.

Some of our training held in the summer term 2021 for the preparation of the new Early Years Foundation Stage is on our YouTube channel for you to watch back with staff whenever suits you. You can find the playlist on Somerset Early Years and Childcare YouTube Playlist.

Course details

Training courses

Voluntary not Amateur (Committee) – Fully Funded – Explores the legalities of a voluntary management committee, looking at the role of the constitution (governing document), roles and responsibility of committee member and legal responsibilities under Ofsted, HMRC, Charities Commission

Preparing for your Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Fully Funded – goes through the process of preparing for from start to finish. Preparing, organising, running and after including completing all documentation.

Financial Viability and Sustainability – reviewing current business trends to support financial aspect of a childcare business. Examine business through financial health check, monitoring business processes which impact on future viability.

Marketing and Grants – look at strategies to develop and maximise your business, through marketing and external funding sources.

Employment Responsibility – looks at management’s responsibility regarding employment through recruitment to induction. It follows the safer recruitment processes and legislative requirements.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) training for Prospective Childminders – childminders must show evidence of completing training which helps them to understand and implement the before they can register with Ofsted or a childminder agency. Sessions cover aspects of this legal document and relate these to what needs to be in place to run a childcare business in a home environment. Topics covered include risk assessing and ensuring a suitable, safe environment, policies and procedures, supporting children’s learning and development and how to assess their development.

Bespoke training courses

We can deliver the courses listed below as bespoke training to individual settings, through Early Years Communities. Prices start from £150. For more details please email: EarlyYearsTeam@somerset.gov.uk.

Performance management – To have an overview of performance management and understand the need for performance management in the workplace. Define the processes which underpin line management and look at the impact on the setting if performance management is not carried out.[/accordion]

Safeguarding Management Responsibility – to enable management of childcare organisations to follow safeguarding procedures in line with legislation and be aware of their responsibilities. Review documentation which links to legislative requirements, ensure everyone is aware of the referral mechanisms and information sharing, importance of establishing a monitoring process for policies, procedures and current working practices.

From Wriggling to Writing – develop your understanding of why the journey of the development of gross motor skills to fine motor skills is crucial to support effective mark making control. Be confident to resource and create daily provision (adult led and continuous) which promotes and challenges the development of fine motor skills.

Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning – don’t let your passion for early years become extinct! Develop and use your skills as an ‘observasaurus’ to instil the Characteristics of Effective Learning within your little dinosaurs! Use the Characteristics of Effective Learning to motivate children to engage in the learning experience in an environment where practitioners support the process effectively.

Letters and Sounds – Phase 1 – develop your understanding of the value of Letters and Sounds linked to Literacy and Communication and Language. Build your confidence in using activities to embed in daily practice for planned and spontaneous learning.

Meaningful Maths – utilise your environment with continuous and enhanced provision to support mathematical development. Practical ideas to ignite your passion in the delivery of the Maths curriculum, including engaging parents in ‘playful’ maths experiences.

Explore, experience and challenge – effective outdoor play – explore what is understood by quality outdoor play and refresh your provision. Develop the adult’s role and strategies to enhance your provision, including time to audit and plan a vision for facilitating engaging and exciting outdoor learning spaces.

Maths through stories – explore stories which support mathematics (numbers, shape, space, and measure), develop a range of mathematical activities and investigations using stories and rhymes as a starting point, and gather ideas to use within your own setting.

Me Read? No Way! – explore why children are not engaging with books and the impact on future learning and development. Develop strategies to support children’s interest in books and look at how environments support reading. Practical ideas for making reading fun.

Enabling Environments – identifying what makes up an enabling environment and explore the different areas within an enabling environment. Look at the importance of monitoring and observing how the environment is used (auditing). Look at ideas to supporting individual settings in providing an enabling environment.