Early Excellence Podcast

Do your Early Years’ classroom spaces truly reflect your vision for learning? Have they come together by accident or been carefully planned to offer rich, meaningful and joyful experiences for young children? In this weeks Podcast, we explore how our learning environment needs to be valued as a key part of the curriculum.Join our Spring National BriefingWatch our Spring into Spring Twilight EventRead the Blog

In this week’s Podcast, Andy interviews James Hitchens, the Headteacher from Penryn Primary Academy & Nursery in Cornwall. James discusses the school’s journey of rapid improvement from a RI Ofsted inspection in 2017 as he shares their vision, approach and the thinking behind it. From the creation of inspiration learning environments to the value they place on continuous provision in EYFS and into Year 1, James highlights the positive impact this has on the teaching and learning, the staff as well as the children’s wellbeing and happiness.Order our KS1 Continuous Provision GuideExplore our Ideas & Inspiration PageAccess Bespoke Training and School Improvement Support

The new EYFS framework stresses the importance of talk in supporting children’s learning. In this week’s episode, we explore how to put talk at the very heart of your practice. Join our “Understanding Language & Communication in the EYFS” Webinar Package Explore our free Audits & Planning Guides Read the Blog

In this week’s Podcast, Andy interviews Maeve Birdsall & Jasmine Priestley from Co-op Academy Oakwood in Leeds. Together with Claire Clithero, they have written and published a book that shows the positive impact on children when they value and nurture creativity.Order the Rainbow Birds Book OnlineExplore more about Oakwood Academy

How is colour used within your classroom? In this week’s Podcast Episode, Andy explores the use of colour and poses some key questions to consider including whether it is really needed to keep children engaged or if it is distracting to the learning. There are also lots of top tips for alternatives to move forward.Explore our FREE Room Planning serviceTake a 3D Virtual Tour of our CentreRead the Blog

This Episode is Available on the Early Excellence Inspirational Hub AppDiscover the App TodayIt’s essential that your team understand how young children develop maths expertise, especially when choosing, using and evaluating set schemes or programmes. In this week’s Podcast Andy welcomes back Jude Twani who provides her insight and tips on approaching maths in the EYFS.Access the Exploring Subitising: Developing Children's Understanding of Number Recorded WebinarJoin our Exploring Shape, Space and Measure: Developing Young Mathematicians WebinarOrder Jude Twani & Michael Jones’ publication - Let’s Talk About MathsRead the Blog

Exploring and experimenting with water is a key fascination for many children and if you have it available continuously, you may even find that some children go back to it a lot! This week’s Podcast explores how the Water Area can be packed with a wealth of opportunities for scientific and mathematical thinking as well as opportunities for storying and developing narrative. Attend Professor Julie Fisher’s Interacting or Interfering: Developing Powerful Learning Partnerships in the EYFS course Take a Virtual Tour of our National Centre to see this area and more Watch our FREE training video: Get Set for Outdoor Learning Read the Blog

Well organised and well planned provision areas, alongside effective adult interactions, enable children to develop sustained play, practise new skills and extend their ideas over time. Some areas of provision work particularly well together like Block Play and Small World, and this week Andy looks at these in more detail.Explore our Structures & Spaces: Inspiring Young Architects Through Block Play webinar recordingJoin our upcoming It’s a Small World: Inspiring Children’s Storytelling Through Small World Play webinarOrder our Guides to Continuous ProvisionRead the Blog

Have you ever wondered what it is like to work overseas? In this week’s fascinating Podcast, Andy interviews Rachael Stevens from Panyaden International School in Thailand about their unique approach. As well as taking a tour of their natural environment, they chat about all kinds of things including behaviour management, risk and challenge.Take a 3D Virtual Tour of our CentreView Andy's Photos of Panyaden School:Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3

Welcome back to the start of a new term and a new year! Join us this week as we explore the importance of the Characteristics of Effective Learning, and consider how they are used as part of our everyday practice. Explore our FREE Room Planning service Order our Guides to Continuous Provision Read the Blog