Early Years

Raising boys' achievement: starting at early years

What are the social, emotional, intellectual and physical differences between early years boys and girls, and how does this affect their attainment in school? Reception teacher Steve Mynard discusses boys' attainment and SEAL

Early Years PiP Cards: 3.2 Supporting every child

Supporting every child is an important concept in EYFS effective practice, and is explored within a range of practical ideas which underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

Planning quality provision for early years

What are the early years processes involved for quality provision and planning positive outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage? Early years consultant Jane Cole has a look

Early Years PiP Cards: 3.1 Observation, assessment and planning

Observation, assessment and planning are important areas of practice to get right when dealing with early years. Early Years Update offers a range of practical ideas to underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

Completing the early years SEF

Ofsted's new self-evaluation form and how to complete it is looked at in detail by Early Years Update

SEN observation recording sheets

The free SEN resource for early years professionals and primary school teachers offers a number of observation sheets for individuals and groups. Each sheet is offered as a blank and as a filled-in example

Download now

Self-evaluation to improve early years provision

Self-evaluation has an important place in improving the quality of provision in early years education. Early Years Update discusses how self-evaluation can be used for maximum benefit

The EYFS principles: a breakdown

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles are designed to celebrate the importance of play and learning, by putting the child back at the heart of early years practice. Sally Jaeckle, senior regional adviser for the EYFS, South West, discusses

Early Years PiP Cards: 2.4 Key person

A key person has special responsibilities when working with small number of early years children. They are an important part of good early years practice, for which Early Years Update offers a range of practical ideas to underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

Managing early years staff performance

Early years staff perfomance can be reviewed in a simple but effective way as part of an overall quality improvement process

What’s the point of early years assessment?

Teachers may question the purposes and techniques of assessment at EYFS. Jan Dubiel, Programme Leader for the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile at the National Assessment Agency, discusses the practical reality of assessment at this level

A healthy diet for early years

What constitutes a healthy diet for babies and toddlers under five years old? Sarah Almond, a registered dietician, discusses this query with reference to examples of the nutritional standards of food served in a range of childcare settings

Ofsted inspections for early years

What are the implications of recent changes to Ofsted inspections of early years education? Early Years Update explains

Early Years PiP Cards: 2.3 Supporting Learning

Supporting learning is an important part of good early years practice with babies, toddlers and three- to five-year-old children. Early Years Update offers a range of practical ideas to underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

Effective school staff induction for early years

An effective induction process is an integral part of welcoming new members of staff to your school. This article discusses things to remember during your school staff induction

Spreading good practice from Foundation Stage upwards

When he took over a failing Manchester primary, Chris Fenton planned to develop the good practice he found in the Foundation Stage and spread it throughout the rest of the school

Fostering thinking skills in early years

Jenni Clarke offers some practical suggestions on how to encourage young children to think

Involving early years children in planning and evaluating their own learning

A reflective early years learning environment is not only conducive to achievement, but it is also required by the EYPS and the EYFS. Cathy Williamson describes how a pre-school aimed to create one as part of a school action research project

Teaching early years children to read using phonics

Despite his initial scepticism about using synthetic phonics to help young children learn to read, Steve Mynard enthuses about its benefits

Early Years PiP Cards: 2.2 Parents as partners

The importance of your relationship with parents of babies, toddlers and three- to five-year-old children is the focus of this article from Early Years Update. This is part of a range of practical ideas to underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

Interviewing and appointing early years staff

After advertising and shortlisting for your early years staff position, you will be ready to interview the prospective candidates. This article looks at how to plan and structure the interview

Creative solutions to early years behaviour

When dealing with the feelings and behaviour of early years pupils, teachers should try looking at creative ways to approach and deal with problems says Anni McTavish

Promoting good early years behaviour

Good behaviour in early years is something that practitioners can and should promote, says Juliet Neill-Hall, who offers some strategies on 'how to'

Early Years PiP Cards: 2.1 Respecting each other

Early Years Update focuses on the importance of respectful relationships in environments with babies, toddlers and three- to five-year-old children. This is part of a range of practical ideas to underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

Advertising and shortlisting early years staff

In order to recruit the right candidates to your early years staff, after putting together a teaching job description, you must think about how you will advertise and shortlist for the role

Enrichment Activities: Fossils and green energy

These enrichment activities get pupils to think about unusual animals and ways of converting natural power into electricity read more

Primary Assembly: Butterfly summer

This assembly looks forward to the coming of summer and thinks about what it would be like without butterflies, by focusing on some of the endangered species found in Britain read more

Primary Assembly: Paula's preperations for Beijing

This week's assembly tells the story of Paula Radcliffe, focusing on her experiences as an asthma sufferer and looking at how she is preparing for the Olympics in Beijing. read more

Primary Assembly: Dog's best friend

This assembly looks at the special link that developed between dog and soldier. read more

Primary Assembly: Crufts

This assembly celebrates the friendship that exists between a dog and its owner read more

Early Years PiP Cards: 1.4 Health and well-being

Early Years Update focuses on the importance of health and well being with babies, toddlers and three- to five-year-old children. This is part of a range of practical ideas to underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

Observing, recording and planning young children's learning

What is best practice when it comes to facilitating young children's learning? Stephanie Mathivet, curriculum and standards manager for the Pre-school Learning Alliance, discusses this issue

Early years: eight principles for observational assessment

The eight principles for observational assessment, provided in the DCSF’s Creating the Picture, can be used by practitioners in all early years settings to ensure that the requirements of the EYFS are met read more

Wraparound childcare provision

How effective is wraparound childcare provision in addressing issues in areas of deprivation? Therese Allen, head at Mychall Primary in Birmingham, dicusses why it plays such a key role in her school

EYFS: where to start

How does the EYFS framework fit into an early years setting in reality? How should early years education now move forward? Abigail Steel discusses

Playful science

Play-based learning can take a key role in the teaching of science and can encourage scientific enquiry skills, says Robert Sinclair

Creating a good job description and person specification for early years staff

Before you recruit a new member of your early years childcare team, you must first effectively define the job to be done and your expectations for the ideal person to do it

Early years: getting ready for Ofsted inspection

Early Years Update looks at the proposed new Ofsted inspection framework

Thinking skills in action

How can the process of developing thinking skills be put into practice? A glimpse into the environment within a day nursery in south-east England shows how read more

Building an effective childcare team

Discover how to manage the dynamics of a balanced and well-organised childcare team

Promoting healthy early years settings

Early Years Update looks at the National Healthy Schools Programme and the key issues it aims to address read more

Early Years PiP Cards: 1.3 Keeping safe

Early Years Update focuses on the importance of the personal and physical safety of babies, toddlers and three- to five-year-old children. This is part of a range of practical ideas to underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

Making provision for how boys learn best

In early years especially, boys should not be forced into a "girl-like" model of learning, explains Steve Mynard

Good leadership and management in early years setting

In the first of new series on managing people, Early Years Update looks at the distinction between leadership and management

The Children's Plan: key points for early years

The Children’s Plan was launched by Ed Balls in December 2007, but what are the government's objectives for this initiative?

What is the Early Year Professional Status?

Early Years Update looks at the opportunities available for practitioners to gain Early Years Professional Status read more

Early Years PiP Cards: 1.2 Inclusive practice

Early Years Update focuses on the importance of inclusion with babies, toddlers and three- to five-year-old children. This is part ofa range of practical ideas to underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

Area

Your Role

Early Years