Early Excellence Podcast

This week, Nova Robinson interviews Jude Arkwright and Jane Godfrey from St Michael's School in Wiltshire. They discuss the school's approach to continuous provision in Key Stage 1 and the impact it has on children's learning and well-being. Explore our FREE KS1 Room Planning Webinar Visit St Michaels Website to find out more

This Episode is Available on the Early Excellence Inspirational Hub App Discover the App Today Early Excellence Curriculum Consultant, Matthew Sayer, joins us for this week’s episode of the podcast as we explore the wonderful possibilities of muddy play. As part of our chat, we discuss how to get the most out of your mud kitchen area, which resources should be available and how to manage the space...

This week, we’re joined by Phil Armstrong from the Early Excellence Curriculum Team as we explore effective transition processes within the EYFS.  Read our Blog all About Effective Transition to Year 1 Listen to The Podcast Episode "5 Things to Remember in September" Access our EYFS Training

In this inspiring discussion, Gillian Jones and Jayne Richardson reflect on their school’s journey of implementing continuous provision from Pre School through to Year 2. They discuss the process of developing well- planned learning environments and how this has had a positive impact on the practice, the children and the staff team. Watch our Free KS1 Planning Your Environment Webinar Read our Blo...

Gillian Hewitt, the Deputy Headteacher at Dyce Primary School, joins us this week to discuss the fantastic possibilities of baking in the EYFS. Explore our CPD Opportunities for EYFS Listen to our Gardening and Growing Episode

Catherine Laing, Senior Lecturer in Developmental Linguistics, rejoins us this week for a close look at speech and language research.  Book your Place on our Let’s Get Talking Training Course Listen to our Earlier Episode with Catherine Laing "Exploring Early Speech and Language Development" Explore our Free Continuous Provision Guides and Audits

This Episode is Available on the Early Excellence Inspirational Hub App Discover the App Today We catch up with our very own Clare King for this week’s episode of the podcast. As part of our chat, we explore the powerful impact of building on children’s interests and Clare tells us all about a very successful bee project. Explore our CPD Programme Read our Blog on Building on Children's interests...

In this episode of the Early Excellence podcast, Andy Burt interviews Janette Quinn, Director of Education and Professional Learning at COBIS (Council of British International Schools). They explore her global education experience, passion for early years education, and COBIS's role in accreditation and professional development. Highlighting effective practices and the importance of planning and r...

How do you meet the needs of all of your children? In this week’s episode, we talk to Alex Sutcliffe from Ravenshead Church of England School in Nottinghamshire as we reflect on meeting the needs of children with SEND. As part of this, we focus on the importance of effective learning environments indoors and outdoors and discuss how physical challenge is crucial to meeting children’s needs. Find o...

Join us for this week’s podcast as we explore the link between EYFS practice and research and find out how teachers and practitioners can get involved in their own research projects. Discover more about Dr. Frances Giampapa Explore our CPD Training

This Episode is Available on the Early Excellence Inspirational Hub App Discover the App Today This week, we’re joined by Clare King, one of our Curriculum Consultants at early Excellence, as we talk about the importance of gardening and growing with young children. We offer practical advice on getting started, what you’ll need, and how to successfully grow vegetables with young children. Shop our...

This Episode is Available on the Early Excellence Inspirational Hub App Discover the App Today With more schools recognising the growing interest in continuous provision for Key Stage 1 education, Andy Burt and Nova Robinson delve into its implementation. From understanding the needs of Key Stage 1 children to navigating transitions from early years, this conversation offers invaluable insights in...

This week, we visit Whitefield Primary School in Liverpool and take a tour of their inspirational EYFS learning environments Watch our Free Planning your Environment Webinar Shop our Inspirational Resources Download our free Audits and Planning Guides

Are the Characteristics of Effective Learning central to your EYFS practice? Are you confident in supporting children’s learning skills and attributes? In this episode of the podcast, we chat to Sayeh Mariner from the Co-Op Academies Trust about developing inspirational practice to nurture young learners. Discover our series of webinars focusing on the EYFS & KS1 Read our Blog "Exploring the i...

For the podcast this week, we’re joined by Rachel Yeung from Hawkshead Primary School in Cumbria, as we discuss the benefits and challenges of teaching in a mixed-age class. Rachel highlights the importance of understanding each child's needs and planning accordingly. She also emphasizes the role of the learning environment in facilitating learning and the positive impact it has on children's deve...

This week, we’re joined by Sara Adams as we discuss her experiences and reflections as an early career teacher. As part of the conversation, we explore the importance of an effective learning environment, building meaningful relationships with children and peer learning.  Watch our free ECT Webinar Explore our free Audits and Guides Discover all our CPD courses and Webinars

We’re joined by Sam Caseley and Ruby Thompson from the Herd Theatre for this week’s episode as we hear all about their transformative Replay Project. We discuss the vital importance of nurturing creative thinking and the wonderful impact of immersive open-ended environments on young children. Explore more about the Herd Theatre Watch a trailer about the Replay project Find out more about the Repla...

Emma Hudson, Early Years Lead at Willerby Carr Lane Primary School, discusses the impact of the redesigned EYFS environment on children and staff. She highlights the importance of stripping back and refining provision to focus on core continuous provision and interactions. Emma also shares the school's approach to peer coaching and the ongoing process of skill progression within each area of provi...

This week, we’re joined by Sarah Carey, School Improvement Lead at Early Excellence, as we explore the impactful Early Excellence Roadshow, a full-day training event for school leaders, EYFS leads and early years teams. Discover key insights on effective practices, learning environments, and the roadshow's focus on professional dialogue.    Find Out More and Book Your Place on an Early E...

Nigel Plaskitt discusses his career in film and television, including his work on Labyrinth and Muppet Christmas Carol. He also talks about the magic of puppets and their use with young children, highlighting the educational and emotional benefits. Nigel tells us all about his recent work on the children's show Monty and Co., which aims to teach children about differences and resolving conflicts i...

In our last episode before Christmas, we’re joined by Sarah Watkins as we celebrate the fantastic learning possibilities of the outdoors.   Order your copy of our Early Excellence Guide to Outdoor Provision Read our Early Excellence Blog - The Fantastic Possibilities of Learning Outdoors in Cold, Wet and Windy Weather Connect with Sarah Watkins on LinkedIn  

Jess Gosling joins us as our guest for this week’s episode. As an experienced early years teacher working in settings across the world, Jess has lots of key advice and experiences to share. Explore our International Support Services Find out more about Jess' work on her website https://jessgoslingearlyyearsteacher.com/

This week, we visit Willerby Carr Lane Primary School in Hull to hear about the Early Excellence room planning process and the impact that their new learning environment has had on the children’s learning. Find out more about our Free Room Planning Service Watch our Free Planning Your Environment Webinar Shop our Complete Classroom solutions

We leave the Early Excellence Studio and head to the beautiful setting of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park for this week’s episode. As part of our visit, we meet Emma Spencer and Kathryn Brame, two of the learning managers at the park. In a wide ranging discussion, Emma and Kathryn discuss their roles in working with young children on the site and also the importance of creative and playful experience...

This week, we visit Quinton Church Primary School in Birmingham to hear how their work with Early Excellence has helped the team to put continuous provision at the heart of their practice. Find out more about our Free Room Planning Service Take a Virtual Classroom Tour of our Early Excellence Learning Environments Watch our Free Planning Your Environment Webinar