Welcome

History of our Early Years Teaching Centre

We support schools/settings in a reflective research focus and will endeavour to make training/support as bespoke as possible.  We are passionate about everyone learning and are committed to ‘Everyone matters – be the best you can be’.  All our work is based in research and underpinned by current thinking about children’s learning.  We encourage everyone to self-manage and develop your own learning.  We try to build positive appreciative enquiry with practitioners so that you are motivated, excited and curious about children’s learning and are inspired to improve your teaching.  We like to engage in dialogue and discussion:  we are sure that we will learn from you just as much as you learn from us.

Since 2008 we have been working with practitioners, teachers and headteachers in schools and settings across West Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Reading and Hampshire – and often from further afield.  Linking closely with our partners, we offer a range of professional development opportunities for headteachers, teachers, teaching assistants and support staff that work in schools and settings.

Designated in 2011 by DfE as one of just sixteen Early Years Training Centres nationwide, we have helped over 600 professionals to deepen and extend their Early Years skills and knowledge.  Our involvement with practitioners in Norwegian kindergartens has included leading 10 study tours to experience the excitement and enrichment of learning outdoors; we have also organised mutual exchanges of staff with our Norwegian colleagues – sharing and stimulating best practice.  Close relationships and reciprocal visits with New Zealand practitioners, academics and advisory consultants continue to keep us at the leading edge of Early Years pedagogy and practice.

In June 2017 we became a National Support School.   A National Support School is an Outstanding school that works with others to provide high quality training and development to new and experienced staff in schools and settings.  We are part of the Government’s plan to give schools a central role in raising standards by developing a self-improving and sustainable school-led system.

From summer 2022 we have been working as area leads, experts and mentors as part of the Early Years Recovery programme.

From late 2023 we have been a part of a partnership that forms the Thames Valley Early Years Stronger Practice Hub. 

Thames Valley Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs will provide advice, share good practice, and offer evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners.

The hubs are part of the early years education recovery support package which also includes the early years experts and mentors programme.

The early years stronger practice hubs programme is supported by the Education Endowment Foundation and the National Children’s Bureau