Children's centre teacher Liz Bousfield came away from the Primed for Life physical development training day re-energised about the importance of movement under the revised EYFS and ready to refresh practice.
The training was delivered by early years experts Anna Daly and Anne O'Connor, who are involved in the association Early Education and who run consultancy Primed for Life.
'I am a member of Early Education and was very interested to experience Anne and Anna's training,' Ms Bousfield says. 'Although I have been teaching for over 20 years, including at primary level, I felt it was important to re-visit physical development in the context of the EYFS changes.'
Working across Poulton and Heysham children's centres in Morecambe, Lancashire, Ms Bousfield has a wide responsibility to ensure that the EYFS is being delivered effectively in her area. Private providers and nurseries operating in local schools also fall within her remit.
With the aim of being encouraged to think deeply around physical development as a prime area of the EYFS, Ms Bousfield reports that the course did not disappoint. 'It really made me scrutinise my own physical development practice, particularly in the use of resources and the environment. It brought me down to the level of the child and opened up the time for me to explore ideas and examine my practice.'
Ms Bousfield says that her awareness of movement has increased. 'It is more about why you do things, and how movement relates to neurological development. It supports what I already do, but has enabled me to think about it in a different way.'
It is planned that information from the course will be cascaded down to other practitioners, midwives and parents in the children's centres through a variety of ways. This will potentially include demonstrations, handouts, word of mouth and information evenings for parents.
