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Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Sharing gifted resource bags Kendal Childminding Network Sharing how resource bags gifted by Liverpool City Region and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub have made an impact to a childminder network. How did you use the resource bag? Thank you so much for the resource box that Tracie (Strategic Childminder Support Lead) brought to our Network Drop in at Beck Community Centre in Kendal. We used the ‘Owl Babie’s’ story sack within the drop in while Tracie was with us. The children absolutely loved the story and used the fabulous puppets. We extended the activity by playing ‘sleeping owls’ then flying around and swooping down to picking up toys to put them away for tidy up time. Please share further information on how the resource bag supported your setting and how the resource bag may inspire or support other childminders? Every week each childminder will take home a different resource bag to share with their minded children and then swap the following week. They will also take it in turns to use a bag within the drop in, for the activity and swap ideas to extend activities within the bags. What impact did this resource bag have on the learning of the children in your setting? The children and childminders absolutely enjoyed using the story sack. Everyone joined in, got excited, had fun and laughed all the way through the story. They learnt all about why babies get upset when their mummy leaves them. It promoted discussion about emotions including how they felt that morning being dropped off at their childminders. The children talked about cuddling their childminders for reassurance and how they felt safe. Some of the children cuddled each other, others cuddled the owls. The children pretended to be sleeping baby owls, when woken they flew around swooping and diving down, before going back to sleep to do the actions again. After the session the children all helped to put the contents back into the bag ready for next time. Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Αναφορές Ofsted Το νηπιαγωγείο του Everton και το Family Center επιθεωρήθηκαν από το HMI σύμφωνα με την Ενότητα 8 του πλαισίου σύντομης επιθεώρησης στις 16 Οκτωβρίου 2018. Κάντε κλικ παρακάτω για ένα αντίγραφο της επιστολής που στάλθηκε στον Διευθυντή Dr. Lesley Το OBE. Το νηπιαγωγείο της Έβερτον και το Οικογενειακό Κέντρο διατήρησαν την εξαιρετική κρίση, την πέμπτη εξαιρετική κρίση ως νηπιαγωγείο από το 2004. Click Εδώ για να διαβάσετε την επιστολή. Αναφορά νηπιαγωγείου και οικογενειακού κέντρου του Everton Ofsted Το νηπιαγωγείο και το οικογενειακό κέντρο του Everton επιθεωρήθηκαν από την Ofsted τον Μάιο του 2014, κατά την οποία απονεμήθηκε μια απόφαση Outstanding. Click εδώ για να διαβάσετε την έκθεση. Πριν από τον Μάιο του 2014, το νηπιαγωγείο και το οικογενειακό κέντρο της Έβερτον είχαν επίσης επιθεωρηθεί τον Μάιο του 2011, τον Μάιο του 2008 και τον Μάιο του 2004. Για λήψη και ανάγνωση καθεμίας από αυτές τις αναφορές επιθεώρησης, παρακαλώ Κάντε κλικ ΕΔΩ . Αναφορά νηπιαγωγείου Everton και Family Center Daycare Ofsted Το τμήμα Παιδικού Σταθμού Έβερτον Νηπιαγωγείου και Οικογενειακού Κέντρου επιθεωρήθηκε τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2014 κατά το οποίο απονεμήθηκε Εκκρεμής απόφαση. Για λήψη και ανάγνωση αυτής της αναφοράς επιθεώρησης, παρακαλώ Κάντε κλικ ΕΔΩ . Έκθεση του Κέντρου Παιδιών της Έβερτον του Όφστεντ Το Κέντρο Παιδιών της Έβερτον επιθεωρήθηκε τον Ιανουάριο του 2011 κατά το οποίο απονεμήθηκε μια εξαιρετική απόφαση. Για λήψη και ανάγνωση αυτής της αναφοράς επιθεώρησης, παρακαλώ Κάντε κλικ ΕΔΩ .

Liverpool City Region and beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Blogs Childminders Programmes Documents Subscribe Early Years Professional Development Programme Newsletters Recruitment Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYDP) https://www.earlyyearspdp.com/ I cannot recommend the Early Years Professional Development Programme enough to any early years practitioner whether they are new to the sector or have many years of experience. Being able to adapt ideas from the training and talking to colleagues on the webinar has been invaluable. Understanding children’s depth of knowledge in Early Maths has allowed me to enhance activities allowing me to see the immediate, positive impact on their learning. Ten simple hints and tips could make any setting become “language rich” and the ability to spot and fix communication “cold spots” personally I am so glad I signed up. June Cargill Ofsted Registered Outstanding Childminder Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment The hub offers free advice, support and training to childminders across Liverpool City Region and Beyond. We are aiming to set up Peer to Peer Childminder Support and Play Sessions for Children. Please join our mailing list to be kept informed of future events and launches, newsletters and availability for training dates and drop-in sessions. If you would like to be involved or have suggestions, please let us know. Online Childminder Network which is the last Saturday morning 10a.m. – 11.30a.m. of every month: CHILDMINDER DROP IN Deysbrook Network: Everton Nursery School and Family Centre, Spencer Street, Liverpool, L6 2WF Held every Wednesday 9.30- 11.30am Hunts Cross Network: St Hilda’s Church Hall, Stuart Avenue, Hunts Cross L25 0NG Held every Wednesday 9.30-11.30am Kendal Network: Beck Community Centre, 20 Esthwaite Avenue, Kendal LA9 7NZ Held every Thursday 9.30 – 11.30am Bromborough Childminder Network: Bromborough Family Hub, Gratrix Road, Wirral CH62 7BW Held Thursdays 9.30 – 11.30 am What is a Childminder Drop In? The childminder drop-in sessions provide local childminders with an opportunity to access up to date information, recourses, face to face support, support from a member of the hub team and for childminders to share best practices. The group offers the children a multitude of benefits including enhanced social, emotional, and cognitive development, improved communication skills and opportunities to access larger play equipment to promote physical development. The facilities provide a safe space where childminders can organise events, celebrations and provide larger scale structured activities for the children which in turn supports transitions to school. Liverpool City Region and beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Childminder Network Meetings Held every last Saturday of each month for Teams Link see the monthly newsletter. The aim of the Monthly meetings is to keep childminders up to date with local / national changes, information sharing, identify training needs and give general help and advice. Should you want to have anything specific added to the agenda please email the Stronger Practice Hub on sphubnw@evertoncentre.liverpool.sch.uk WELLCOMM BAGS If you are a Liverpool Childminder and wish to borrow a Wellcomm bag to use with your children, email the sph email as we can support you and loan a Wellcomm bag to you for a period of time. CHILDMINDER RESOURCE BAGS Calling all SPH Network Members….. FREE Resource bags coming soon, funded by the SPH this is a fantastic opportunity for Childminders. Each bag of carefully selected items will be a welcome addition to your setting which in turn supports your children’s development. Each resource bag is designed to be used individually, with a group of childminder colleagues and shared as a lending library. In the next few weeks you can apply for resources that cover Communication and Language, Early Maths and Story Comprehension including a selection of various quality Story Sacks. Also included will be Outdoor and Nature, Habitats and Musicical Instruments bags. Look out for the launch coming the end of April/early May depending on your location within Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub…. Literacy Blog, written for Childminders by June Cargill Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Sensory Garden Blog Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Homelessness Video blog Dr Diane Boyd talks to Everton Nursery School teacher Kate Doyle about young peoples awareness and understanding of others 1. Homelessness Part 1 2. Homelessness Part 2 Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment The following information and documents will provide you with an insight of the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs working with the Education Endowment Foundation A flexible way for settings to engage with various online recordings Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub, have introduced a flexible way for settings to engage with various online recordings. Feedback from Local Authorities highlighted Communication and Language development as a continued key priority, so this has been the focus of the CPD resource. The resource provides flexibility to suit all educators, whether refreshing their knowledge or exploring communication and language in more depth for the first time. Childminders plan to use the recordings during network meetings to encourage good practice and discussion. Similarly, other settings can incorporate the recordings into INSET days or staff meetings. To support this, there is a written INSET template for those who prefer this delivery format. This resource will be a valuable tool to support evidence-informed practice, encourage professional dialogue, and promote the effective sharing of knowledge across early years settings. If you would like the recording that accompanies this inset resource please email sphubnw@evertoncentre.liverpool.sch.uk providing us with your name, setting name, postcode and Local Authority your setting is registered with. Early Education Journal Early Education published a Journal issue on Cultures of Sustainability in Summer 2024. The journal started a conversation exploring sustainability, referenced by Jan White in the editorial. This issue is a follow on from that one, building on the articles and educators’ experiences of sustainability in practice. Communication and Language A short INSET template to use with your team which will support professional development to improve practice and outcomes for children. Early Years Pupil Premium | EEF - Education Endowment Foundation The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) has one aim: to improve outcomes for socio-economically disadvantaged children from 9 months upwards. In April 2025, the Department for Education (DfE) increased funding for the EYPP by 45% to £570 per child per year. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/pupil-premium A School’s Guide to Implementation Maximise the impact of new approaches and practices. educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk A School's Guide 1 A School's Guide 2 Early Mathematics The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years-evidence-store/early-mathematics Early Years Evidence Store https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/support-for-schools/evidence-for-the-early-years/early-years-evidence-store Support to help you put evidence-informed approaches into practice. educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk Early Years Toolkit A summary of the best available evidence on key areas for learning and development Early Years Toolkit | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Preparing for Literacy Seven recommendations to support improving early language and literacy Preparing for Literacy | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Early Literacy The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement. EEF | Early Literacy (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Liverpool City Region and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub Sign Up Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs will support other early years settings in the designated areas to improve outcomes for children in their local area across the EYFS, but specifically focusing on areas of development that research informs us have been most impacted by COVID-19: personal social and emotional development (PSED); communication and language, and early literacy and mathematics. Each Hub is led by a group-based (school-based, private, voluntary, or independent) early years provider. (Please check your inbox Junk folder for blocked correspondence). * Indicates required question Email Name Local Authority your setting is based in: School / Setting name Setting Postcode Setting URN number: What best describes your role in the Setting Choose an option What best describes your Setting Choose an option Which area would your setting like support with? * Απαιτείται Communication and Language Literacy Mathematics Other Which Social Media channels would you like to see our information on? * Απαιτείται Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Whatsapp Other Would you like to subscribe to our monthly newsletter? * Απαιτείται Yes No I understand that by signing up on this form, my contact details will be kept by Liverpool City Region and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub at Everton Nursery School and Children's Centre. Your details will be kept for the purpose of sending emails and newsletters. I agree Submit Thanks for subscribing! Please check your inbox Junk folder for blocked correspondence Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Sensory Garden Blog Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Sensory Garden Video blog Everton Nursery Teacher Kate Doyle and Dr Diane Boyd present The Authentic development of a Sensory Garden through the 17 SDGs 1. The 'otherness' of the non-human world - highlighting worms! 2. Agency in Action – Children voicing their thinking through mark making. 3. Discovering recycling waste and contamination through a community visit. 4. Understanding Construction and Positioning of a Bug hotel in our garden. 5 Sparking interest through visiting Everton Park Nature Garden in our neighbourhood 6. The Fix-it Shop! Shopping lists, money, decision – making in action. 7. Sensory cognitive explorations using recycleable sustainable resources through tyres, hurricanes and the rain! Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Blogs Childminders Programmes Documents Subscibe Early Years Professional Development Programme Newletters Recruitment Please fill out the following information in order to access this webinar on-demand. Email Name Local Authority your setting is based in: School / Setting name Setting Postcode What best describes your role in the Setting Choose an option What best describes your Setting Choose an option Setting Region Choose an option Number of practitioners/teachers watching on this device, including yourself * Session: Session URL: By ticking this box, you understand that all materials are the copyright of Liverpool City Region and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub at Everton Nursery School and Children's Centre and/or the webinar presenter(s). You will be subscribed to the Liverpool City Region and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub Mailing List and will receive occasional emails from us; you can manage your preferences and unsubscribe anytime. I agree Watch Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Exploring Understanding the world By Michelle Bennett. (Childminder) My Name is Michelle Bennett and I am an OFSTED Registered, outstanding childminder which I have undertaken for eleven years. I am based in the Morecambe area of Lancashire and one of the Lancashire leads for childminders in my area. I am the childminding representative for the Morecambe Bay curriculum and have worked previously in numerous Nurseries and as a teaching assistant in a local primary school. I am very passionate about the work we all do, as we are, in my opinion, very lucky to support education. We develop the young people that come to us, with their learning and understanding of the world that we live in. I believe that our actions will enable and encourage their knowledge for learning of the prime areas and specific area of learning: Communication and language, Physical development, Personal, social and emotional development Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the world and Expressive arts and design I am passionate about the freedom of childminding, and creating awe and wonder every day. For me play is so important in so many ways as this supports children to learn and develop and as a childminder I can plan for the children’s interests as individuals. In this blog I will share with you how the children gained knowledge of the circus theme and scarecrows and increased their vocabulary from a visit to a local village. What did our children find on the visit to a local themed experience? Our visit was to the annual Wray scarecrow display. This is the oldest running scarecrow display in the UK, since 1992 and is run by a committee of local people from the village of Wray, Lancashire. The display of scarecrows has a different theme each year, and most of the local community of Wray will make a scarecrow for this event. The children that come to me, on the week leading up to the visit did talk about the theme and what they knew about scarecrows and the theme. This year the theme was circus. We had numerous conversations between myself and the children, as well as conversations between child to child, and the topic of the conversations they were having was about what type of activities / acts that you would see in a circus? The vocabulary included: strong man, jugglers, tightrope walkers, acrobats, clowns. Where do the circus people live? What nationality or country do the circus people come from? What is a circus tent made from? How are the scarecrows at Wray made? Who makes them? Why do they make them? Who chooses the theme and what scarecrow they would make if they lived in Wray? The day of the visit to Wray…. We were armed with cameras for the children to take photos of what they wanted to. As we were going around Wray there was lots of conversations of what the children could see, what they like and why they liked the scarecrows and displays. We spoke about favourite colours, the different sizes of scarecrows, the role of the scarecrow made and what their role is in a circus theme. The children spoke with local people and asked why they had made their scarecrow and what was the reason for the ones they made. Two of the children that were present had come the last three years with me, and they could remember the last year’s theme (which was magic) and spoke about that, with the current children. They spoke about the previous children that had come on the previous visits and what they liked and where they were now. While we were having our lunch, the children had conversations between themselves, about which scarecrows were their favourite and why they were. When we return back home, this continued the theme and children decided to demonstrate Circus skills, drawings, role play games and ask numerous questions. The following week after the visit…. The week after we had visited Wray, the children were keen to make some scarecrows, so we made smaller ones and a big one, using sticks and decorated them using the fantastic box of crafts I won after attending the recent Stronger Practice Hub conference, which all the children loved using these crafts. The scarecrows where then placed around the garden and the children made their own pretend village scarecrow display. The children began role playing at being the local people of their pretend village. We also dressed up as scarecrows with a circus theme with items we purchased from local charity shops. When we purchased these items of clothing from the charity shops, we talked about what charity shops do, the reason behind the purpose of the shop. Why local people donate and buy from them, and about sustainability and my children have really been understanding all about recycling. What does the evidence say for Understanding the world? Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them – from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening children’s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension. Taken from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670f8c0f366f494ab2e7b93d/EYFS_statutory__framework_for_childminders.pdf The https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store references Communication and Language which became part of our focus within the visit as the children spoke to each other, with myself and grew in their understanding of new vocabulary connected with the circus. This resulted in the children knowing more and remembering more through their visit from last year and this year. Exploring the DfE module 4 on supporting language development in the early years enabled me to appreciate even more the importance of a language rich approach where interactions are promoted. I consider the circus theme visit supported both the children in their learning and development which in turn supported my continuous professional development (CPD) in researching the theme and the learning opportunities for the children in communication and language, physical development and Understanding the world. The children and I are looking forward to our next visit out to extend learning further within Understanding the world and the other Early Years Foundation Stage areas of learning. References: https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/strongerpracticehub https://www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/nw/liverpool-city-region-and-beyond-eysph https://wrayscarecrows.wordpress.com/ https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store https://birthto5matters.org.uk/ https://www.ncfe.org.uk/media/xbcbjrfj/early-years-sustainability-resource.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670f8c0f366f494ab2e7b93d/EYFS_statutory__framework_for_childminders.pdf https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/about/module-4 https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/about/module-5 Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment ENGAGING GROWTH WITH ‘THE GARDEN CLASSROOM’ By Tracie Dowling My name is Tracie Dowling, I have worked in childcare for over 30 years. I’m an OFSTED Registered Childminder, Mentor for the Department of Education , Northwest Childminder Representative and Childminding Network Co-ordinator, PEEP Facilitator and Childminder Employer based in Liverpool. I employ an amazing assistant, Debbie and together we care for eight children under the age of five years. Throughout my career as a Registered Childminder, I have incorporated holistic learning into my practices. Over the years this has evolved, and I refer to my way of teaching as ‘The Garden Classroom’ which you can read about on my blog . Although this way of learning is primarily outdoors, the learning is year-long and therefore I have created ways of learning no matter the season. The Garden Classroom practices always incorporate the three prime areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning. Read on to learn how I weave these key components into outdoor play. OUTDOOR LEARNING The Garden Classroom is a space where children can learn and grow, connecting to nature and the world around them. Outdoor exploration not only connects toddlers and babies with the seasons and everchanging weather, but also promotes physical activity, a sense of wonder, and an appreciation for the natural environment. Providing gardening activities for my children has proven to be great way to engage them with hands-on learning, including growing food from seed to plate, food sensory education , pond-dipping and lifecycles, and practicing sustainability through composting and recycling. The children learn vital skills such as adaptability and resilience by witnessing their environment going through the cycles. This helps them understand the concept of change and builds resilience in the face of transitions. In one area of our garden, we have a pet cemetery. Here, we have buried our family pets and other creatures who have come and gone. This space allows us to teach the children about the life-death cycle and accept change. Similarly, every year we experience frogspawn, giving us the opportunity to learn about birth and growth as we watch their little tails shrink and their legs grow. To support the children’s cognitive skills, we provide activities to observe and understand nature through investigation. The children’s favourite activities at the moment are pond dipping and growing and harvesting flowers, fruit, and vegetables. Some of the learning objectives within these activities are linked to lifecycles, categorising, comparison and pattern recognition in nature. Supporting the children to experience the wonders of changing seasons has a positive effect on their emotional well-being, mine, and Debbie’s too! The children take naps outside and participate in meditation while the birds are singing away. These activities provide opportunities for relaxation and promote a sense of calm and happiness. It is proven that spending time in nature has mental health benefits as well as emotional and physical benefits . SEASONAL LEARNING Every season and even every different day outdoors, brings a new set of sensory stimulation by exploring the sights, textures, aromas, even the noises of the natural world. The experiences are endless. The children love finding the strawberries and munching away, and there is no better taste than a sun-ripened cherry tomato, if they leave me any! Unfolding the characteristics of seasonal vocabulary during our activities also contributes to early language and provides children with the skills to articulate their observations and experiences. Whether its playing in the muddy puddles, counting the frogs or learning to sow seeds, the language opportunities are endless. The seasons are also a lovely way to promote cultural celebrations and traditions. We love the harvest festival where we like to gather our produce and share with our families, or Diwali where we cover the garden with lights and have a magical Diwali feast. There are many ways to weave cultural traditions into your very own Garden Classroom. “Lovely to watch her be so interested in how it grows. How she cares for it, and that she’s happy with the end result, we’ve even started growing our own strawberries and sunflowers at home” – Elsie’s Mum. By incorporating a Garden Classroom into your setting, your children can foster environmental awareness, develop a sense of responsibility and appreciation of the natural world, which in turn lays the groundwork for their future environmental consciousness. Seasonal changes spark natural curiosity and wonder within the children, giving them the opportunity for questioning and exploration, cultivating a mindset of inquiry and lifelong learning. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) The Early Years Toolkit brings together the best available evidence on key areas of learning and development. It can support all childminders when making decisions on how to improve learning outcomes. Physical development approaches | EEF educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Other research Useful resource: Garden activities for September :: The Garden Classroom - NurtureStore The Edible Garden – Alys Fowler (book and BBC Series 2010) Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Sign-up to receive our Newsletter on the second week of each month. Will aim to provide practical information from educators across the Liverpool City Region and Beyond as well as information from the Department for Education and Education Endowment Foundation. See below for previous editions. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIVERPOOL CITY REGION AND BEYOND EARLY YEARS STRONGER PRACTICE HUB MAILING LIST Sign-up to receive news from our Hub by email, including upcoming courses and events, links to additional resources, and more! Subscribe Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice