Welcome to
BRISTOL EARLY YEARS
As a city, we are committed to reducing inequality and building inclusion so that all our children and young people grow up in a city where they feel at home, where they feel they belong, and where they and their families can thrive
Bristol Early Years is aware of the significant workforce recruitment and retention challenges facing the sector, both here in our city, and nationally
Bristol Early Years are committed to addressing diversity and inclusion in a meaningful, constructive and holistic way
The Free Entitlement has been expanded to include 2 year olds from working families from April 24 and Under 2s from working families from September 24.
The government is providing a package of training, qualifications, support and guidance for the early years sector to address the impact of the pandemic on the youngest and most disadvantaged children.
Early Years Bulletin
Five to Thrive
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Reminder: Our next Senco cluster will be virtual!!
Tuesday 21st January 2025 1.30pm
We will be joined by the SEN team again to discover more about annual reviews of EHCPs.
Please book here on the Bristol Early Years calendar using the link in our bio 🔗
#bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation #send #portageandinclusion
Early Years Book Club theme this month is…
Sound Play!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Check out the 5 books we LOVE this month:
Big Green Crocodile: Rhymes to say and play
Supermarket Zoopermarket – Nick Sharratt
Odd Dog Out – Rob Biddulph
A Great Big Cuddle: Poems For the Very Young – Michael Rosen
Tanka Tanka skunk – Steve Webb
These books support phonological awareness and early reading skills and they are perfect for tuning little ears into sounds.
Have a look at our website for more: www.bristolearlyyears.org.uk/early-years-book-club
#earlyyearsbooks #earlyyearsbookclub #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
The Five to Thrive building blocks describe a sequence of relational activities that build healthy brains in young children and maintain healthy brain function throughout life.
These are the ‘building blocks for a healthy brain’.
•Respond
•Cuddle
•Relax
•Play
•Talk
Practitioners can observe and reinforce positive interactions between parents/carers and their children.
Have you had the chance to explore our Five to Thrive on the Bristol Early Years website?
They contain lots of information about 5 to Thrive including resources to use with families, a webinar and a staff meeting to use with your team.
#bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation #fivetothrive
Dimension 6: Observation, Assessment and Planning. Observing children offers you a unique opportunity; a window into their world and how you use assessment to plan learning opportunities that build on what children already know and can do. This dimension helps you to reflect deeper into OAP. Why not try one of the conversation starters with your team? ‘Discuss ways of listening to parent’s knowledge and incorporating this into the opportunities you provide.’ For more information contact: bristol.standard@bristol.gov.uk
#thebristolstandard #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
Following the massive success of the Sharing Inclusive Practice Conference earlier this year, the Bristol Portage and Inclusion team bring you, SEN Tools Day with a Wellbeing focus!
Friday 24th January 2025 @ BAWA Health & Leisure, BS34 7RG
We’re here to banish those January blues with an exciting day investigating how to make the most of the SEND support tools Bristol has to offer; including the new and improved Support Plan, ABC analysis, Individual Risk Assessment and DEYO. In addition, we will be celebrating and sharing good practice and exploring tools to support practitioner wellbeing.
This event is open to all practitioners in Bristol working with children with SEND. We can’t wait to see you there!
Book a place on the BEY calendar link in bio 🔗
#bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation #send #portageandinclusion
Early Years Book Club’s ‘What, Why, Wonder’ this month is…
Alphabreaths by Christopher Willard & Daniel Rechtschaffen
In Alphabreaths, children will learn the alphabet and the basics of mindfulness through playful breathing exercises. A brilliant way to create calm, this unusual non-narrative book will come to life through the actions created in the different breaths. We wonder what your favourites will be?
Don’t forget to check out our webpage on the Bristol Early Years website: www.bristolearlyyears.org.uk/early-years-book-club
#earlyyearsbooks #earlyyearsbookclub #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
🌟 Childminders and their children had a great group time at Bannerman Rd Children’s Centre child-minding group! 🎉 Helen, the Specialist Children’s Centre Inclusion Practitioner (SCCIP), led the group with engaging activities like Talking Tunes 🎶, songs 🎤, and Attention to Bucket. She shared some fantastic tips for supporting our singing sessions together. If you’re interested in learning more about practicing Talking Tunes and supporting children’s attention and listening skills, you can find more information here 📚: Talking Tunes – Children and Young People’s Services
https://sirona-cic.org.uk/children-services/services/talking-tunes/
#bristolearlyyears #bristolchildminding #bristolchildminders #growingwithchildren #earlyyears #earlychilddevelopment
Signing up to the new Pathway 3 with just 2 dimensions a year to submit towards your quality improvement journey provides a valuable framework to support and develop early years leadership, pedagogy, practice and provision. For more information contact: bristol.standard@bristol.gov.uk
#thebristolstandard #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
Have you heard of SCERTS?
Social communication, emotional regulation and transactional support.
Scerts is an evidenced based neuro-affirming framework for supporting individuals to be able to advocate for their own needs.
It is designed to be a collaborative model between autistic children/young person, families, educators and clinicians.
The Portage and Inclusion team have embarked on a 3 day training session to identify a learners communication stage and how to promote active engagement. The framework creates opportunities to think about how adults can enable children to reach their goals with the help of transactional support. The team feels excited and empowered and hope to share it with you very soon!
#bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation #send #portageandinclusion
Early Years Book Club giveaway this month is…
The Nose, Toes and Tummy Book by Sally Nicholls, illustrated by Gosia Herba.
We love this book, and we know you will too. It is perfect for reading with toddlers & preschoolers and will excite & delight through funny noises & sounds!
To be in with a chance of winning, tell us your favourite way to bring books to life in the comments below…
Don’t forget to check out our webpage on the Bristol Early Years website:www.bristolearlyyears.org.uk/early-years-book-
The competition will close on Tuesday 10th December 2024, and the winner will be notified shortly afterwards. It is open to those working in early years education living in the UK. A winner will be drawn at random. This Competition is not affiliated with Facebook or Instagram.
#earlyyearsbooks #earlyyearsbookclub #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
Join us on the 21st November as we will be leading a session focused on ‘Thinking about our professional development and reflecting on good practice’. We will be thinking about how researchful and reflective practice positively impacts on early years practice, provision and leadership. We will refer to Dimension 3: The Reflective and Researchful Practitioner,Booking link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/thinking-about-our-professional-development-reflecting-on-good-practice-tickets-915302302827
#thebristolstandard #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
Baby Week 14th- 20th November
Every week is baby week in Bristol!
Please take a look at our story to see some of the support we have in Bristol for your babies and their families.
Please share your baby posts with us to celebrate what is happening in Bristol.
‘Baby Week is a registered charity and aims to bring sectors and services together to promote the best start in life. By celebrating services and raising awareness about the importance of early childhood, Baby Week aims to make UK the best place to grow up in. The initiative was inspired by Brazil’s ‘Semana do Bebe’ (UNICEF 2010), following a visit to the country by Churchill Fellow Lucy Potter. Leeds hosted the first English speaking Baby Week in 2016 with Child Friendly Leeds, NHS and partners across the city and since has shared best practice with other towns and cities.’
@babyweekuk
#bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #languagedevelopment #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation #babies #babyweek #babyweek2024
AAC - Augmentative Alternative Communication
AAC is a child’s voice. It is essential that we understand more about how to support non-speaking/ minimally speaking children to promote their independence, confidence and autonomy.
Learn more here: https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/clinical-information/augmentative-and-alternative-communication/#section-2
#bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation #send #portageandinclusion
Early Years Book Club Knowing a Poem this month is Rocket by Tony Mitton
I am a rocket
crouched on the ground,
waiting quietly
without a sound.
Light this fuse
on my little toe…
Ready for take-off?
Here I go :
WOOOOOOOOOOSH!
This poem is great for adding actions & movement to bring it to life. It could also spark fantastic talk about Diwali & Bonfire Night this month.
#earlyyearsbooks #earlyyearsbookclub #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
Have you got any parents/carers at your setting that maybe interested in becoming parent champion? If so please contact Jayne Maclver on 07825106679 or jayne.maclver@bristol.gov.uk
Parent Champions are parent volunteers who give a few hours a week to talk to other parents about the local services available to them. Being parents, they can chat informally and share their own positive experiences of using local services. They meet parents in all sorts of places such as playgrounds, markets, libraries, and playgroups. They are supported by the Local Authority through a Parent Champions Coordinator, who delivers initial training, signposts Champions towards opportunities to increase their work skills and links them with Early Years Settings that are offering volunteering opportunities. They will also be given a laptop and have access to our CPD training hub.
The Parent Champions strategy brings together several priorities from across the Local Authority, with Champions delivering messages around free childcare entitlements, free adult education opportunities, the home learning environment in relation to communication and language development and the Early Years workforce recruitment and retention strand. Parent Champions are not expected to know everything about these areas but will be able to signpost parents to the most appropriate organisations and places for further help and more detailed information about childcare and other local services, backed by local marketing of resources.
The Parent Champions scheme will aim to run a rolling programme of online or in-person training for Parent Champions, consisting of the 2 Coram sessions which are accompanied by the handbook for each parent champion and delivered by the PC Coordinator, and then a further 2 sessions delivered by the Speech and Language Therapy Early Years team and the BCC Community Learning team This will focus on resources available to parents to help them enhance their children’s language and communication development and opportunities for adult learning.
Join us at one of these 2 sessions on 19th November! There is one session at 4pm and repeated at 7pm. Choose which time suits you best and join us! This session will show you how to include the Bristol Standard in what you already do; celebrating your strengths and how it can support your ongoing quality development journey. You will see how it can inform staff meetings and discussions and be integrated into your setting’s development plans. There will be an opportunity for mentor support for 30 minutes immediately following both sessions.
4pm session: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-the-bristol-standard-in-your-setting-4pm-tickets-914559400787
7pm session: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-the-bristol-standard-in-your-setting-7pm-tickets-914560554237
#thebristolstandard #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
Are you familiar with the Bristol Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion strategy?
This week, the Portage and Inclusion team shared information with the wider Early Years team to enable consistency and a joined up approach.
We learned that the current strategy is being reviewed and a draft is under consultation. We discussed how the work of the Portage and Inclusion team is linked to the proposed new priorities for children and families in Bristol. We also reflected on the roles of wider early years teams in supporting children and families with SEND.
It was a fun session that reminded us of our shared vision within Bristol Early Years.
#bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation #send #portageandinclusion
Early Years Book Club theme this month is…
Bringing Books to Life
Check out the 5 books we LOVE this month:
1. Whisper, Shout, Let it Out! – Madhvi Ramani
2. Good Night, Gorilla – Peggy Rathmann
3. The Nose, Toes and Tummy Book – Sally Nicholls
4. First Words, Slide and Seek - DK
5. The Duck Never Blinks – Alex Latimer
These books are BRILLIANT for bringing to life in different ways, using voice, props and more!
Have a look at our website for more: www.bristolearlyyears.org.uk/early-years-book-club
#earlyyearsbooks #earlyyearsbookclub #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
This month, the Early Years Book Club ‘What, Why, Wonder’ non-fiction focus is…
This Book Will Make You an Artist by Ruth Millington.
A fantastic information book to encourage budding artists through the exploration of 25 different art techniques - from cave painting to contemporary performance - inspired by ground-breaking artists from around the world.
Sparking imagination & exciting talk, we think this book will engage and motivate our youngest artists.
Have a look at the Bristol Early Years Website for more great stuff! Early Years Book Club - Bristol Early Years
#earlyyearsbooks #earlyyearsbookclub #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
As you have been focusing on developing strong positive relationships with your new children and families, why not use the Bristol Standard- Dimension 2 RELATIONSHIPS & INTERACTIONS to reflect on the progress your team has made? Use some of the conversation starters such as ‘How does what children know and can do inform your provision planning when developing adult-led experiences?
For further information to be part of the Bristol Standard Email: Bristol.standard@bristol.gov.uk
#thebristolstandard #bristolearlyyears #earlyyearsdevelopment #equalitymatters #earlyyearspedagogy #earlyeducation
We would like to share the very latest news and information relating to Bristol Early Years on this website. From inspirational case studies, to exciting developments within professional networks, to new legislation that affects your work, we hope this website provides a regular ‘go to’ place… keeping Bristol’s Early Years professional community informed, inspired and connected.
We look forward to working with you to capture and disseminate the world-class nature of Early Years practice in Bristol. This is your website and we welcome your views, contributions and feedback.
EARLY CHILDHOOD ORGANISATION
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KCA. TRAINING
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UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
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NASEN
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Contacts
Deborah Brown – (General Enquiries)
Dawn Butler – (General Enquiries)
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