Early Years Training & Resources

The Early Years team can offer practical, hands-on staff meeting sessions tailored to suit the needs of your early years setting. Contact your link officer to book a staff meeting and discuss your training needs. Our current staff meeting offer is below:

Brilliant Babies
How to create a nurturing environment where babies can flourish as well as considering how providers meet EYFS requirements within under-two provision. 

British Values in Early Years Practice
How to integrate British values into early childhood education, fostering a well-rounded and inclusive learning environment for young children.

EAL in the Early Years
Practical strategies for supporting children with EAL in your setting, alongside an overview of the theory and research to place the strategies in context.  

Early Talk Boost Training
Either introductory or refresher session for settings who have the ETB resources and need further training to successfully implement or continue the programme.

Outdoor Environments
Are you making the most of your outdoor area? A practical session to review your provision and bring new ideas, creativity and inspiration!

Quality Interactions
Covers the approaches that are at the heart of high-quality interactions, promoting children’s learning and enhancing achievement and enjoyment.

Schemas
Examining the nine most useful schemas to provide effective strategies for supporting children’s learning using this knowledge. Helping practitioners to determine how children are thinking, so they can stretch and challenge them.

Staff Wellbeing
A session for staff to consider what they can do to understand and look after their own mental health and wellbeing needs in the workplace.

Understanding and Supporting Behaviour
A session promoting an understanding of the importance of positive relationships and offering strategies and techniques to help support behaviour.

What is it like to be a child in your setting?
A short, practical session to encourage practitioners to consider the setting through the eyes of the child and use this to re-evaluate their learning spaces.

The Early Years team offers the following group training sessions either online or in person at different points in the year. Details of time and location are in the Early Years newsletter and on this page.

SEND for New and Aspiring SENCOs
This session will support new and aspiring SENCOs to understand the statutory responsibilities in working with pupils with SEND, examining inclusive early years practice to support children with additional needs. 

Starting out in the EYFS
This session is designed for any practitioner new to or returning to early years. It will provide an overview of the statutory framework, as well as practical advice for working within the EYFS. 

Completing the EY Profile
An annual training session for teachers new or returning to reception on how to complete the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile. 

Terrific Toddlers
Two-year-olds are at a critical point in their development—experiencing rapid changes, big emotions, and growing independence. This course introduces the key developmental needs of two-year-olds and outlines how these needs link to behaviour, learning, and wellbeing. This practical, in-person course is aimed specifically at practitioners working with 2-year-olds.

Safeguarding Awareness
This level one refresher session will support practitioners to develop their confidence in identifying indicators of concerns, recording observations of concerns and deciding the next steps to take. There will also be opportunities to discuss a range of safeguarding scenarios that practitioners may face in day-to-day practice.

Social Communication and Behavioural Characteristics in the Early Years
This training aims to examine behaviour in this age range that could be indicative of further issues in development. It covers the features of ASD and FASD, and explores how environmental factors could impact and influence the development of age-appropriate behaviours. The focus will be on understanding individual behaviours and supporting children to develop the skills they need to learn and thrive regardless of whether a diagnostic process is being followed or not

To book any of the below sessions, please e-mail earlyyearsteam@darlington.gov.uk 

Brilliant Babies for Childminders
Tuesday 2nd June from 6–8pm at Hullabaloo Theatre

Level One Safeguarding Training for Childminders
Thursday 2nd July from 6-8pm at Hullabaloo Theatre

Starting out in the EYFS
Tuesday 8th September from 9.30-11.30am via Microsoft Teams

Level One Safeguarding Training for PV Settings
Wednesday 23rd September from 6–8pm via Microsoft Teams

The Graduated Response & EHCPs in the Early Years
Wednesday 11th November from 1-2.30pm via Microsoft Teams 

Level One Safeguarding Training for Childminders
Wednesday 25th November from 6-8pm via Microsoft Teams