CPD opportunities

Our training service aims to support childcare settings in Leicester City with raising quality through workforce development, by offering continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities to the sectors early years practitioners.

Ofsted is running a series of Best Start in Life curriculum roadshows for Early Years settings, including childminders. There is a separate session for maintained nursery schools and any school with pre-reception age attending.

These half-day events will offer the opportunity to learn more about our Best Start in Life research reviews, what an effective curriculum for communication and language, PSED and physical development looks like in the early years, and how we look at the prime areas of learning at inspection.

These roadshows build on the previous roadshows on communication and language. It would be useful to watch the recording before attending.

Two representatives from your setting are welcome to attend. Each person attending will need to register separately. There is no charge for attending this event and spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Please note that the bookings for this event are not managed by the Local Authority To register your place, please see the link below.

Date: Thursday 26 September
Time: Schools with pre reception children 9:30am - 12:30pm/PVI providers 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Venue: Main hall, New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester. LE3 9RN.
Cost: There is no charge for this session.
Target audience: Leaders and managers.

Booking link:

Ofsted's Best Start in Life Curriculum Roadshow - Schools with pre reception children 9:30am - 12:30pm

Ofsted's Best Start in Life Curriculum Roadshow - PVI providers 1:30pm - 4:30pm

Recent Ofsted trends would indicate that there in a need for increased knowledge and understanding of child development within the sector. A Holistic Approach to Child Development and the Prime Areas has been created to target this area of focus.

The course provides an opportunity to unpick what expected development would look like in each of the prime areas of the EYFS 2023 and explore tools and resources, including the 2 year old progress check, that will aid practitioners in their observation and assessment of children; to inform planning and to support them in seeking external support if needed for a child.
Learning intentions - Practitioners will:

• Leave with the skills to use a variety of tools to support with observations and assessments.
• Have the opportunity to practice using the tools and apply their knowledge of child development to case studies.
• Be able to use a holistic approach to complete a referral to external agencies.
• Be able to use a holistic approach to child development and apply this to observations they make of children in all 3 prime areas.

Course code: HA01
Date/Time: Tuesday 1 October, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Venue: New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester. LE3 9RN.
Cost: There is no charge for this session.
Maximum numbers: 2 places per setting/school
Target audience: EYFS practitioners and leaders.

To enable schools and providers to plan ahead, below we have shared all dates for the EYFS Networks scheduled this academic year. In readiness for each event, a precise of the topic matter will be updated, with information about the agenda, speakers and activities you can expect!

All network events are scheduled to take place in the Main Hall of New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester. LE3 9RN. 

• Autumn 2024 - Tuesday 8 October, 9am registration opens. 9:30 start - 12:30 close. 
• Spring 2025 - Tuesday 4 February, 9am registration opens. 9:30 start - 12:30 close. 
• Summer 2025 - Tuesday 6 May, 9am registration opens. 9:30 start - 12:30 close.

Be sure to save the dates in your diaries now! 

Our termly forum will return this Autumn, offering opportunities for professional discussion, problem solving and sharing best practice.

More details to follow imminently. 

Course code: QF01
Date/Time: Tuesday 29 October 10am - 11:30 
Deliver method: Online via MS Teams.
Cost: There is no charge for this session.
Maximum numbers: 2 places per setting/school
Target audience: EYFS practitioners and leaders.

Course code: QF02
Date/Time: Wednesday 30 October 6:30pm - 8pm 
Deliver method: Online via MS Teams.
Cost: There is no charge for this session.
Maximum numbers: 2 places per setting/school
Target audience: EYFS practitioners and leaders.

• Do you currently or are you soon to be providing care and education for under 2's?
• Have you completed training that addresses the care of babies that is required as part of the EYFS?
• How confident are you in providing a stimulating and engaging, age appropriate environment for the under 2's?
• Are you able to plan and deliver a meaningful quality curriculum for under 2's that is age and stage appropriate?

During the session we will be exploring what it takes to offer quality provision for our youngest children. Whether you are already working with under 2's, have moved within your existing provision to work with the younger age group, or whether you're planning to expand your provision to offer places to under 2's - this course is for you!

Course code: SU201
Date/Time: Tuesday 12 November, 1pm - 3:30pm
Venue: New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester. LE3 9RN.
Cost: There is no charge for this session.
Maximum numbers: 2 places per setting/school
Target audience: EYFS practitioners and leaders.

Course code: SU202
Date/Time: Wednesday 13 November, 6pm - 8:30pm
Venue: New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester. LE3 9RN.
Cost: There is no charge for this session.
Maximum numbers: 2 places per setting/school
Target audience: EYFS practitioners and leaders.

Course code: SU203
Date/Time: Thursday 14 November 10am - 12:30pm
Venue: New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester. LE3 9RN.
Cost: There is no charge for this session.
Maximum numbers: 2 places per setting/school
Target audience: EYFS practitioners and leaders.

This course will give you an opportunity to explore what a quality curriculum should include and empower settings to begin to reflect and establish a curriculum that is both high quality and that can be articulated and justified. It will also consider how the curriculum fits into the 3 III’s and the language around the EYFS that’s supports this. This deep dive into curriculum exploration will give practitioners the tools and confidence to deliver a purposeful curriculum that keeps the child at the centre. A must for those getting to grips with the revised EYFS.

Course code: QC01
Date/Time: Wednesday 27 November, 10am - 12pm.
Delivery method: Online via MS teams
Cost: There is no charge for this session.
Maximum numbers: 2 places per setting/school
Target audience: Leaders and practitioners responsible for planning and delivery of the early years curriculum. 

Children’s well-being has been significantly impacted by the recent events of the Covid pandemic, this therefore becomes even more important that children’s mental health and wellbeing becomes central to everyday practice.
This online session aims to empower early years practitioners to proactively contribute and support children’s mental health and well-being. Through reflective discussions and exercises, you will gain a deeper understanding of how to support and lay the foundations for children’s lifelong wellbeing in your care.

Course code: SCMH01
Date/Time: Tuesday 19 November 1pm - 3pm 
Deliver method: Online via MS Teams.
Cost: There is no charge for this session.
Maximum numbers: 2 places per setting/school
Target audience: EYFS practitioners and leaders.

To book please send an email to EEDteam@leicester.gov.uk with the course title and course code in the subject bar.

Please confirm the name of the practitioner requesting a place, the setting they are from, a contact number and email address. For online courses, be sure to detail the email address for which the meeting link needs to be sent.

Each person must make a separate booking and log into the session on a separate device due to break out activities – those that have not made a separate booking will not be permitted to partake in the training.

To enable us to meet demand, we are limiting bookings to a maximum of two practitioners per setting. Should you feel that you require more, please contact the EED team and request to be added to the waiting list.

Early years support team (EYST)

The early years support team's SEND training programme for Autumn 2024 can be found via Booking Live

Prevent Training

Providers can utilise the eLearning for staff found here. 

National: Virtual training sessions

The Regional Prevent Education Co-ordinators (RPECs) offer large, virtual training sessions that are available to anyone working within an education setting in England. They focus on the implementation of Prevent and are designed primarily for those in dedicated safeguarding or Prevent roles.

Prevent in education: training for designated safeguarding leads (DSLs)
This training package has been designed by DfE for designated safeguarding leads to understand their responsibilities and the importance of the Prevent duty.

Click here to find dates and booking information. 

Statutory training opportunities

• Paediatric First Aid 
• Local Safeguarding Children Partnership Board Training 

For information about the Safeguarding Competency framework visit the Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) Safeguarding Partnership Board

Leicester Nutrition and Dietetic Services for Early Years Settings

Did you know? Leicestershire nutrition and dietetic service is commissioned to support settings in Leicester City with providing adequate nutrition. Further information about the Good nutrition for under 5 award. 

Find out more about how you can meet your statutory duties around promoting oral health within the early years by exploring the accredited Healthy teeth, Happy smiles award.

Active Together - Active Tots

Active Tots works to promote the positive impact of encouraging young children to be physically active and how it may help towards leading a healthy, active lifestyle later on as an adult. Active Tots (for professionals) provides information for childcare professionals including local events/courses and healthy tots accreditation. 

Find out more by visiting Active together - Active Tots and Active together - Active Tots for professionals. 

DfE expert and mentors programme for early years settings

The Early Years Experts and Mentors programme provides bespoke support, face-to-face and virtually, to help meet individual settings needs and priorities. The offer to settings will include providing leadership support, coaching for leaders, mentoring for practitioners and whole-setting support, depending on their need. 

Further information on the programme can be found on our delivery partner's website https://www.pengreen.org/about-the-programme/

Local authorities are now collecting interest from settings to engage in the programme as part of the next cohort. If you would like to take advantage of this funded development opportunity for your setting, please email your expression of interest to eedteam@leicester.gov.uk

DfE mentors programme for childminders

The Early Years Childminder Mentor programme from the Department for Education is focused on supporting early years childminders, to address the impact of the pandemic on the youngest children.

The programme is available nationally across England. Selected childminders will receive the support of a Mentor for one term, between May 2023 and July 2024. At the end of each term, Mentors will move on to support a new group of childminders. Mentors will offer mostly online support. Groups will be allowed to meet face-to-face, if this is feasible for both the Mentor and the childminders they are supporting.

Who is eligible to receive support from this programme?

To be eligible to receive support from the DfE Childminder Mentor programme, childminders must currently be providing childcare to children aged between 0-5 (to at least one child). You can apply for support as an individual, or with other childminders as part of a small group (of up to four people). If you apply as an individual, you will be placed in a group with others.

For more details on the programme, visit our delivery partner's website COVID-19 Recovery Childminders | Hempsalls or contact eedteam@leicester.gov.uk to register your interest and can put you forward to be involved in the next group.

DfE professional development programme (PDP) Phase 3

The Department for Education have now launched phase 3 of PDP, which has been adapted and streamlined from the original programme that was delivered in phase 1, in which several Leicester City schools and settings took part.

Please note this phase no longer includes the Communication friendly setting accreditation, but remains a valuable learning and development opportunity for practitioners and settings, which will enable you to support Covid recovery and children’s development, with a particular focus around PSED, Communication and Language and Early Mathematics. It involves self-directed study and participation in online webinars, as well as action planning as a result of the learning. There is some funding (administered through the local authority) to support settings engagement in the programme.

There is some introductory information that DfE have provided in the links below to give you information on the programme, who it is for and what it would involve, this should help answer any questions you might have. We encourage you to look through this information and ensure interested practitioners and settings meet the eligibility criteria.

• Common FAQs for EYPs - EYPDP3_FAQs video.mp4 on Vimeo 
• Key Note Speech by Jan Dubiel https://vimeo.com/eddevtrust/jandubiel 

If you would like to put your setting or yourself, as a childminder forward for the programme, please let us know and we can put your details forward to the delivery partner for this programme.

DfE early years child development training

The Department for Education has launched a free online Early years child development training course aimed at childminders, nursery practitioners and nursery managers. The flexible online training has been developed in consultation with early years experts and provides a greater understanding of child development.

The training: 

• gives practical advice for supporting children in early years settings
• includes opportunities to reflect on your practice
• reinforces your understanding through learning check questions and tests
• allows you to pause and restart the training at any time
• offers the chance to download certificates of achievement for each module 

The first 4 modules of the raining are available now. Find out more about the training and enrol.