Connected Futures Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
Growing Possibilities Transforming Futures
The Connected Futures Early Years Stronger Practice Hub is led by Dorothy Gardner Nursery School, an inclusive maintained nursery school with expertise in early education, SEND, professional development and integrated support for families.
Dorothy Gardner is home to a specialist resourced provision and leads the strategic development and delivery of Queen’s Park Family Hub. As part of the wider Connected Futures Partnership, it connects nursery and primary education, specialist provision, family support, health, early help and community services.
What makes our Hub distinctive is the breadth of practice behind it. Led by a maintained nursery school with specialist SEND provision, strategic leadership of Queen’s Park Family Hub and strong connections across nursery and primary education, our offer is informed by direct experience of improving provision for children, developing practitioners and coordinating support for families. We understand how evidence becomes effective practice because we apply, evaluate and refine it within our own settings and communities.
About our Hub
We work with early years settings, schools, childminders, Family Hubs, local authorities and wider partners to strengthen practice and improve outcomes for children from birth to five.
Our work focuses on:
- Translating evidence into practical improvements
- Strengthening curriculum and teaching
- Developing early language, personal, social and emotional development and early mathematics
- Improving SEND and inclusive practice
- Building practitioner knowledge, confidence and leadership
- Connecting early education with family and community support
- Reducing the impact of disadvantage
Our approach is collaborative and responsive. Settings help to shape, test, evaluate and share the Hub’s work so that it reflects different communities, priorities and types of provision.
What settings can expect
Settings involved with the Hub can access:
- Evidence-informed professional development
- Support from Early Years Stronger Practice Advisers
- Communities of Practice and professional networks
- Practical resources and implementation support
- Coaching, reflection and collaborative learning
- Opportunities to develop and share effective practice
- Connections with local authorities, Family Hubs and specialist partners
We work with maintained nursery schools, nursery and primary schools, private, voluntary and independent settings, childminders and other early years organisations.
Our lead setting
Dorothy Gardner Nursery School
Visit Dorothy Gardner Nursery School
Dorothy Gardner Nursery School provides the educational leadership and strategic direction for the Hub. As an inclusive maintained nursery school, it brings extensive experience in curriculum development, early identification, SEND, professional learning and working in partnership with families.
Its carefully sequenced curriculum connects children’s learning, assessment, staff development and support for parents. Practitioners use their detailed knowledge of each child to adapt provision, strengthen communication and language, build independence and ensure children are well prepared for primary school.
Inclusion is central to Dorothy Gardner’s work. Through its specialist resourced provision, children with additional needs receive timely, personalised support while remaining part of an inclusive nursery community. Close work with families and other professionals helps identify needs early, remove barriers and create continuity between nursery, home and wider services.
Dorothy Gardner’s leadership extends beyond the nursery through its strategic leadership of Queen’s Park Family Hub and its role within the Connected Futures Partnership. This connects education with health, early help, family support and community services, enabling families to access coordinated support when they need it.
The school has a strong culture of professional learning and continuous improvement. Staff development is closely linked to children’s needs, curriculum priorities and evidence-informed practice. This means the Hub’s professional development offer is grounded in real delivery and informed by a setting that continually evaluates, refines and strengthens its work.
This combination of high-quality early education, specialist SEND expertise, workforce development and integrated family support makes Dorothy Gardner particularly well placed to lead the Early Years Stronger Practice Hub and support sustainable improvement across the sector.
The strength of Connected Futures
The Hub is strengthened by its place within the Connected Futures Partnership.
The Partnership brings together nursery and primary education, specialist provision, Family Hub leadership and community services. This provides continuity for children and families from the earliest years into primary education and strengthens support for children with SEND or those facing disadvantage.
Our work is rooted in four Connected Futures values:
- Respect: We start with people and build relationships based on trust and dignity.
- Unique: We recognise and value individual strengths, perspectives, needs and aspirations, creating space for creativity, self-expression and diverse ways of thinking and being.
- Grow: We support learning, reflection, leadership and continuous improvement.
- Connected Futures: We bring people, practice and possibility together to achieve more.
Areas we cover
The Connected Futures Early Years Stronger Practice Hub supports early years settings across seven London local authority areas:
- Barnet
- Camden
- City of London
- Enfield
- Islington
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Westminster
Our seven-area reach allows us to respond to different local priorities while building a connected early years professional community across London.
Our partner settings and organisations
Our partner settings contribute nursery, primary, SEND, community and workforce expertise:
- Mary Paterson Nursery School
- Tachbrook Nursery School
- Hallfield Primary School
- Lisson Grove Crèche — Westminster Adult Education Service
Together, our lead and partner settings help to shape, test and share the Hub’s evidence-informed offer.
Our wider network
The Hub also benefits from the experience and community connections of:
- Queen’s Park Primary School
- Oxford Gardens Primary School
- Essendine Primary School
- Queen’s Park Family Hub
- Bayswater Children’s Centre
These connections help us bring together early education, school improvement, inclusion, family support and community development.
Get involved
Whether you are a nursery school, primary school, PVI setting, childminder or early years organisation, the Connected Futures Early Years Stronger Practice Hub can help you engage with evidence, strengthen practice and connect with others.
Join a professional community where settings shape the offer, learn from evidence and work together to improve outcomes for young children.