What are the early years stronger practice hubs?
The Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs programme has supported early years practitioners across England since its launch in November 2022, sharing evidence-informed best practice and offering professional development to improve outcomes for young children.
There are currently 18 Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs, with two in each government office region. In summer 2025, the government published its Giving every child the best start in life paper, confirming that the network will expand to 36 Hubs by September 2026. From April 2026, Ambition Institute has taken on the role of delivery partner for the programme, appointed by the Department for Education as part of the government's Best Start in Life strategy.
What do Hubs do?
- The stronger practice hubs support early years settings and childminders in their area to adopt evidence-based practice improvements. Through collaboration and shared learning, hubs:
- promote training and tools that reflect the latest, evidence-informed research and best practices in early childhood education, ensuring that staff feel confident and equipped to meet the diverse needs of children and families
- encourage equity and inclusion by helping settings identify and address barriers to learning so that every child has the opportunity to achieve their best, particularly those with socio-economic disadvantage
- foster a culture of continuous improvement, where early years professionals are supported to reflect on their practice, share insights and grow together as a community
- support pedagogy and help practitioners make informed decisions that nurture each child’s curiosity, confidence and wellbeing
For questions about the programme, get in touch with Ambition Institute at [email protected]