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Stronger Practice Hub Webinars
Welcome to the Stronger Practice Hub Webinar Library
Dive into our ever-growing archive of expert-led conversations, practical demonstrations and research insights designed to deepen your understanding and boost your confidence in early years practice. Whether you’re looking to refine your pedagogical approaches, explore inclusive settings, strengthen leadership, or discover fresh strategies for supporting children’s wellbeing and development, you’ll find a wealth of inspiration here.
Simply click on any recording below to watch at your own pace—and don’t forget to check back regularly, as we add new webinars every month.
Webinar Recording - Ramping Up Maths: See the Possibilities in Play
Webinar Recording - What About the Babies? Working Together Towards a Vision of Quality in the Baby Room
Ofsted Network Recording What Does an Ambitious Curriculum Look Like in Practice?
Webinar Recording - Supporting Children's Attention Through Co-Regulation with Professor Sam Wass
Webinar Recording - Supporting Children's Attention Through Co-Regulation with Professor Sam Wass Session 2
Webinar Recording - Supporting Early Writing in the EYFS
Network Recording - Outdoor Learning, Learning from Practice
Webinar Recording - The impact of tablet and smartphone use on the health and development of young children: what do we know so far
Network Recording - Ofsted Updates
Webinar Recording - An Essential Guide for New and Aspirant Leaders
Network Recording: Professional Love with Dr Jools Page
In this Relationships Network session, Dr Jools Page explores the concept of professional love in early years practice. Drawing on attachment theory and research, the session considers how secure, attuned relationships support children’s wellbeing and learning, while also addressing the complexities of safeguarding, professional boundaries and practitioner confidence.
Through reflective discussion and practitioner voice, the session highlights the importance of trust, emotional understanding and supportive leadership in enabling relational, high-quality practice.
Network Recording: Ofsted Updates
This recorded Ofsted Network meeting brings together early years leaders and inspectors to explore how the renewed Early Years Inspection Framework is working in practice. Led by Jude Simpson, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector for the East Midlands, alongside regulatory inspector Kate Scheel, the session offers practical insight into what early years providers can expect before, during and after an Ofsted inspection.
The discussion explains the key changes introduced in November 2025, including the new inspection report card, revised grading scale, and a strengthened focus on inclusion, safeguarding, and disadvantaged children. Inspectors talk through how inspections are now planned and carried out, highlighting the move towards a more collaborative, supportive and empathetic approach, grounded in professional dialogue rather than performative evidence-gathering.
The recording covers:
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What happens before inspection, including notification, planning calls and reasonable adjustments
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How inspections are conducted on the day, including the removal of the learning walk and the use of case sampling
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How inspectors use local context and data (such as Ofsted’s Explore an Area) to understand settings
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What leaders can expect from feedback, grading discussions and report cards
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Specific guidance for childminders, out-of-school provision and larger group settings
Network Recording: Relationships with Suzanne Zeedyk
In this recording, Suzanne Zeedyk invites us to think deeply about how relationships shape emotional development, resilience, and experiences of trauma. Drawing on relational theory and early infancy research, the session focuses on how connection, rupture, and repair underpin human development and everyday practice.
Whether you work with babies, children, families, or adults, this session offers space to reflect on the relational dynamics that sit at the heart of learning, wellbeing, and care.
Network Recording: Relationships with Suzanne Zeedyk Session 2
This session builds on our first Relationships Network meeting with Suzanne Zeedyk, which focused on rupture and repair in early relationships.
Following this, a practitioner shared how the learning had an immediate impact on their practice. Their reflections on observing children resolve conflict in play formed the basis of further discussion in this session.
The recording captures this professional dialogue and explores how relational, reflective practice can support children’s emotional development, resilience and wellbeing.
Webinar Recording: Nutrition Essentials in the Early Years
Good nutrition in the early years is not just about healthy eating—it’s the foundation for learning, development, and wellbeing, as highlighted in the revised EYFS guidance.
In this engaging 2-part webinar series, Catherine Jeans DipION mBANT CNHC mIFM shared practical insights and tools to help early years practitioners confidently support children’s nutrition in line with EYFS expectations.
Network Recording: Ofsted Updates
This session focuses on the renewed Ofsted Early Years Inspection Framework launching in November 2025, led by Jude Simpson, Early Years SHMI for the East Midlands.
The new framework places inclusion, collaboration, and professional dialogue at its heart — ensuring that all children, particularly those who are most disadvantaged or vulnerable, can achieve, belong, and thrive.
The renewed framework aims to reset relationships with the sector, reduce workload, and ensure inspection feels collaborative and constructive — recognising the expertise and dedication of early years professionals across the East Midlands
Webinar Working with Parents: Building Stronger Partnerships for Children’s Learning
This webinar explores how the Parents Involvement in their Children’s Learning (PICL) approach developed at the Pen Green Centre supports parents as co-educators in their child’s early learning journey. Drawing on national policy priorities from Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life (DfE, 2025), the EEF Parental Engagement Guidance Report, and Pen Green’s long-standing research and practice, the session highlights how genuine partnership with parents can transform outcomes for young children, particularly in the early years.
Watch the recording to hear how shared learning, trust, and reflection underpin effective parental engagement — and what this means for policy, practice, and the future of family support in early education.
Network Recording - Ofsted’s renewed inspection framework
This recorded network presentation features Jude Simpson, Early Years Senior HMI for the East Midlands, who outlines Ofsted’s renewed inspection framework. The session explores the key changes coming into effect from November 2025, including the new report card, five-point grading scale, and stronger focus on inclusion. Jude highlights how inspections aim to feel more collaborative, celebrate strengths, reduce unnecessary workload, and keep children—especially those who are disadvantaged or have SEND—at the heart of the framework.
Webinar: Learning to be Strong – Safeguarding and PSED in the Early Years
We’re delighted to share the recording of our recent Learning to be Strong webinar. This session explores how the programme supports young children’s self-awareness, self-regulation, and positive relationships, with practical strategies rooted in evidence-informed practice. Whether you joined us live or are catching up now, we hope you find the insights and discussion valuable.
Webinar: A Celebratory Approach to Working with Children with SEND
In this recorded webinar, early years professionals explored how Pen Green’s Celebratory Approach is transforming support for children with SEND. The session introduced a range of evidence-informed strategies that centre children’s strengths, identities, and voices—moving away from deficit-based thinking towards genuine inclusion.
Network: Ofsted Updates – Inspection and the Curriculum
Recording of the launch of our new network to support early years leaders, school leaders, and childminders with the latest Ofsted developments.
Jude Simpson, Senior HMI for Early Years and Childcare, shared updates on the revised inspection framework (coming November 2025), findings from the national consultation, and key areas of inspection focus including curriculum, pedagogy, and supporting disadvantaged children.
She highlighted recent Ofsted research (Getting it Right from the Start and Best Start in Life), and reassured attendees of Ofsted’s commitment to transparency, fairness, and collaboration.
Webinar: How Local Authorities and Nurseries can Work Together to Improve Quality in the Baby Room
In this webinar for local authority early years advisors and nursery managers, Dr Sara Bonetti and Dr Mona Sakr presented findings and recommendations from their Nuffield-funded project Achieving High Quality Provision in the Baby Room of English Nurseries. They focused on the levers for quality available to local authorities and nurseries when working together.
Drawing on examples from around the country, they demonstrated how nurseries can be supported by local authorities to take the right approach to aspects such as group size in the baby room, staggered settling-in, and baby-specific professional learning.
Webinar: How High-Quality Interactions support aspects of Pedagogy
This insightful webinar explores how evidence-informed research can shape and strengthen early years pedagogy. Focusing on the power of high-quality adult-child interactions, it examines key research findings, practical strategies, and reflective tools that support children’s learning, wellbeing, and development. Rooted in a social constructivist approach, the session invites practitioners to consider how they teach, interact, and reflect—making space for curiosity, co-construction, and professional growth.
Ideal for early years professionals looking to deepen their understanding of pedagogy, improve practice, and engage with research in a meaningful, context-specific way.
Webinar: Leading the Evidence Shift through Practitioner Action Research
This webinar highlights the crucial role of practitioner-led inquiry in supporting young children’s wellbeing and fulfilment amid ongoing crises. It emphasises the value of ethical, practice-based research in understanding daily pedagogic processes that foster children’s flourishing. Recognizing practitioners as key to this work, the session will showcase how their real-world expertise and reflections can contribute meaningfully to the sector’s evidence base.
Webinar: Self Regulation, Fliss Dewsbery
This webinar highlights that self-regulation is crucial for children’s emotional and cognitive development, with attachment, co-regulation, and resilience playing key roles in this process.
Webinar: Supporting the Interaction and Communication Skills of Autistic Children in Early Years Settings
This webinar explores how to make connections with young children who are autistic or have social communication differences. We look at how child led play is the key to developing relationships with neuro-divergent children. The role of echolalia is explained with practical examples of how this can be implemented into Early Years Settings. An introduction to AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) is discussed and the reasons why this is useful for autistic children is explored.
Webinar: Continuous Provision in the EYFS
During this webinar, Alistair shares his insights and practical strategies for creating an impactful learning environment that supports truly child-led, playful exploration and development.
Delving into the key principles of Continuous Provision, the discussion focuses on how to organise your learning space, select appropriate resources, and facilitate meaningful learning experiences. This information will help you to gain a deeper understanding of how to balance adult-led activities with child-initiated play, fostering a holistic approach to early years education.
Throughout the webinar, Alistair provides real-life examples from his work with settings, internationally, that demonstrate the positive impact of Continuous Provision on children’s social, emotional, and cognitive growth.
Webinar: Unlock the Magic of Learning Stories!
Learning Stories are our answer to creating documentation that is not only meaningful and effective but also fun and inclusive.
This webinar is filled with warmth, enthusiasm, and the tools to create Learning Stories that truly make a difference. You’ll leave energised and ready to celebrate the incredible learning happening in your early childhood setting!
Webinar: Curriculum Development in the EYFS
This webinar introduces the concept of an early years curriculum, focusing on its importance, construction, and implementation. Jan Dubiel discusses the understanding and defining an early years curriculum is crucial for creating a structured and effective learning environment for young children.
Webinar: The Changing Landscape of Children’s Speech and Language Development
The webinar “The Changing Landscape of Children’s Speech and Language Development” by Karen Royle, a Speech and Language Therapist, focuses on the evolving challenges and conditions affecting children’s speech and language development, particularly in the context of recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
This webinar delves into the critical nature of early intervention and the need for supportive environments to address the growing challenges in children’s speech and language development.
Webinar: Risky Play in Early Childhood
How might a commitment to engage in curriculum suffused with risk opportunities promote resilience, resourcefulness, thoughtful risk assessment and interdependent social learning to nurture children as confident, capable learners?
Webinar: Schemas and Emotion, Dr Cath Arnold
‘Understanding Schemas and Emotion in Early Childhood’ presents the 6 year groundbreaking PhD study of a small number of children, following a ‘hunch’ that schemas sometimes reflect emotions metaphorically. The whole journey undertaken by families, nursery staff and the researcher (me) is described. I also reflect on my own experiences following the death of my sister, who was aged 17, and my family’s move to Corby when I was 8.
Webinar: Schemas, Dr Cath Arnold
‘Introducing and deepening your knowledge of schemas’ includes examples of the commonly observed schemas; explanations of terms such as assimilation, accommodation and equilibration; a description of the ways schemas are explored as children develop and learn from their explorations; and, demonstrates how schemas co-ordinate to form complex concepts such as ‘counting’ and ’time’.
Webinar: Professor Ferre Laevers: Children’s wellbeing and involvement
Professor Dr Ferre Laevers to shares his acclaimed research on children’s wellbeing and involvement. He explores the processes of learning; the crucial role of wellbeing; developing a powerful learning environment; and the use of the Leuven scales.
This webinar will inspire and empower practitioners to further support young children’s learning. It will explore how we can provide opportunities for children to be resilient, curious, creative and engrossed in play, investigations and learning.
Webinar: The Power of Play - Ben Kingston-Hughes
This transformative webinar speech explores the fundamental importance of play and how it forms the foundations for every aspect of children’s learning, development and well-being.
Webinar: The Child, the Adult and the Play - Alice Sharp
Everything begins with the child, and as adults, we step into their world through play. Curiosity and Creativity are nourishment of child development. Let’s explore techniques to inspire and ignite the spark of learning for each child. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to ignite the spark of learning!
Roundtable Discussion - Funding and Sustainability in the Early Years
In the current financial climate, how do early years providers manage funding and remain sustainable?
Join us with representatives from across the sector and Local Authorities to discuss the current financial situation and concerns for the future. Three providers will present and discuss their current funding and the systems they have developed to make settings financially viable.
Webinar: Play and Neurodiversity - Kerry Murphy
This webinar explores the play patterns of children who are neurodivergent. There has been a long held assumption that play does not come naturally to children with developmental differences and disabilities. However, there is increasing knowledge and evidence that all children have an innate desire to play, but they may exhibit diverse play patterns that hold intrinsic meanings and motivations. Our role as educators is to pay close observational attention to these play patterns and to honour and affirm neurodivergent ways of being.
Webinar: Supporting 2 Year Olds - Recap Session
A round up and recap of Louise’s previous three sessions. Louise’s associated blog and case study can be found here.
Webinar: Supporting 2 Year Olds - Pedagogical Leadership
In the third of a series of three webinars, Louise presents her research on the choice and Autonomy. Louise’s associated blog and case study can be found here.
Webinar: Supporting 2 Year Olds - Choice and Autonomy
In the second of a series of three webinars, Louise presents her research on the choice and Autonomy. Louise’s associated blog and case study can be found here.
Webinar: Supporting 2 Year Olds - Development and the Brain
In the first of a series of three webinars, Louise presents her research on the development of the brain, the uniqueness of two year olds and environmental and social interactions that shape development. This includes basic elements of neuroscience and the effect of trauma on the brain. Louise’s associated blog and case study can be found here.
Webinar: Curriculum Development
Carly Polak, Head of Education at Charnwood Nursery and Pre-School, presents a webinar on Curriculum Development. Carly’s associated blog and case study can be found here.
Webinar: Physical Literacy
Liz Clark, a dance consultant and Artistic Director of Turned On Its Head, presents a webinar on Physical Literacy in the Early Years.
Webinar: Exploring the EEF Evidence Store
Sarah Tillotson from the Education Endowment Foundation explains how the Early Years Evidence Store can support practitioners through evidence informed approaches.
Webinar: Multilingual Childhoods
This webinar focussed on meeting the needs of young children acquiring English as an additional language. Associated blog and case study can be found here.
Free to all early years practitioners, teachers and childminders.
Webinar: Staff Well-being and Supervision
This webinar focussed on exploring how coaching, and supervision can contain, support, and improve the ‘emotional labour’ and the ‘well-being’ of early childhood practitioners. Associated blog and case study can be found here.
Free to all early years practitioners, teachers and childminders.
Webinar: Introduction to Schemas and Maths in the Early Years
This webinar focussed on providing an introduction to Schemas and Maths, having an understanding of Schemas & Maths in early years and the ways in which they present themselves. Featuring current examples from practice, this webinar will help you to support and plan for the children in your early years setting.
Free to all early years practitioners, teachers and childminders.
Webinar: How schema theory might help us support children’s communication development
Following on from our recent blog post, Emma recently hosted a webinar to discuss how schema theory might help us support children’s communication development.
We already know that most communication is non-verbal and we see young children sharing their developing ideas about the world around them and trying to make sense of their experiences through their physical actions daily. This webinar focussed on children’s schematic play as early communication and how we can plan for children in relation to their action schema, and offer relevant language which will support children’s thinking and learning.
Shaping future Webinars
All content featured in the Stronger Practice Hub offer is driven by the information from schools, settings and childminders within our reach area. If there is something specific you would like us to focus on in the next round of blogs, case studies and webinars, please complete our Early Years Needs Assessment form below.