Pen Green Centre for children and their families

Pen Green Early Years Stronger Practice Hub offers fully funded, evidence-informed professional development designed to strengthen knowledge, confidence and practice across key areas of early learning.

Delivered by our trained Early Years Learning Leads, our professional development programmes give practitioners the opportunity to deepen their subject knowledge, reflect on their practice with others and explore practical approaches that can be embedded into everyday experiences, interactions and routines.

Our current programmes focus on three areas:

Early Language
Develop your understanding of how young children’s communication and language develops and explore practical ways to create communication-supportive environments, strengthen interactions and identify and respond to children’s needs.

Early Maths
Build confidence in supporting children’s early mathematical development through everyday play and interactions, exploring counting, cardinality, measurement, pattern, shape and space. The programme is designed to provide practical strategies that can be embedded naturally into everyday practice.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)
Deepen your understanding of children’s personal, social and emotional development and explore evidence-informed approaches to supporting emotional wellbeing, self-regulation, resilience and relationships.

Our current professional development programmes are designed for:

• Early years practitioners working in PVIs, childminding settings and schools with nursery classes
• Practitioners working with children aged 2–4
• Practitioners qualified at Level 3 or above
• Settings located within the Pen Green Early Years Stronger Practice Hub area: North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire, Rutland, North Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes

Places are fully funded, with approximately 15 practitioners taking part in each cohort. Depending on demand, up to two practitioners from the same setting may be able to attend.

Strengthen communication and language practice for children aged 2–4.

Develop confidence and practical approaches to supporting early mathematical thinking.

Explore evidence-informed approaches to supporting children’s emotional wellbeing, relationships and self-regulation.