Local Authorities covered:
Bracknell Forest, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Slough, Southampton, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham
Overview:
We recognise that in the post-pandemic period, children need additional support. We know from research, and our own experience running settings, that there are more children with communication needs, more children who have difficulties in managing their feelings, and more children with social communication differences. We recognise that family anxieties are also having an impact on early years children.
At Thames Valley Early Years Stronger Practice Hub, our aim is to support the early years sector and help develop the practice of setting practitioners and childminders. We do this through the sharing of evidence based practice messages, using the EEF (Education Endowment Fund) Early Years Evidence Store, as a basis for all we do. Through the EEF we have been providing fully-funded opportunities for evidence-based professional development, as well as developing our own research pilot called "Through My Eyes" which involves settings in our reach area. Practitioners are kept up-to-date with the key messages from this evidence-based approach, through newsletters, our social media pages, networks, in-person training and webinars.
Our highly experienced partners work collaboratively to bring together their expertise from across the early years sector. We work with our partner settings and local authorities to support the sector to give every child and family the best experience of early education and the best chance to achieve their potential. We also support leaders in early education, sharing how to lead change and measure impact effectively.
Lead setting:
Blagdon Nursery School, Reading
Partners:
- Paula Wylie (Childminder)
- Victoria Park Nursery School and Family Hub, Newbury
- Maidenhead Nursery School
- Dingley’s Family & Specialist Early Years Centre, Reading
Relevant links to settings:
https://www.reysfederation.org/blagdon-nursery-school
https://victoriapark.w-berks.sch.uk/westberks/primary/victoria-park