The breadth of the Foundation Stage curriculum makes ongoing training a must if settings are to deliver a holistic programme that meets the needs of all children
Acorn Early Years Training
* An introduction to the early learning goals: one-day course for those new to early years education. Provides an overview of the Foundation Stage curriculum guidance and how the early learning goals can be achieved through an effective curriculum.
* The early learning goals: two-day course for those new to early years education providing in-depth information on the aims of early years education, the early learning goals and how this can be achieved through an effective curriculum.
* Making the early learning goals work: six half-days training looking at all the goals within the six areas of learning in the Foundation Stage curriculum.
* Achieving the early learning goals through play: one-day course covering topics such as the balance between child- and adult-initiated play, the learning environment, linking key experiences to the early learning goals and the role of observation.
* Active learning in the Foundation Stage: one-day course exploring active learning, its part in helping children to become independent and the role of the adult in supporting active learning.
BEAM Education
BEAM's team of 40 experienced mathematics consultants provide courses and plan and deliver flexible in-service training. Courses include:
* Mathematics in the Foundation Stage: explores how the stepping stones can make the Foundation Stage accessible to all children.
* Mathematics in reception: explores how young children learn, including ideas on mathematical progression, use of apparatus and structuring the environment.
* Creative mathematics across the curriculum: provides strategies and practical approaches for implementing the early learning goals for mathematics in the most appealing ways for young children.
* Mathematics through stories and mathematics outdoors: two-part course (half-day each). Part one explores stories as a starting point for mathematics and links with other areas in the Foundation Stage curriculum.
Part two looks at how mathematics can be developed outside, using and extending the same learning objectives as indoors.
* Helping your Year 1 children in their transition from reception: shows how to ease young children's transition from a less structured environment and curriculum to one that places far greater demands on them.
Crechendo Training
* Curriculum planning workshop: a one-day course demonstrating a holistic approach to planning a developmentally-appropriate curriculum.
* Early Learning Goals workshop: one-day course examining the goals across the six areas of learning.
* Early maths workshop: one-day course giving practical ideas on how to make maths fun for children including designing a maths game.
* Knowledge and understanding of the world: one-day course on how to offer stimulating learning opportunities.
* Language and literacy workshop: one-day course exploring how children develop language and literacy skills.
early education training and resources centre
* Science in the Foundation Stage - promoting autonomy and independent learning in the early years: one-day course on 27 January focusing on maximising the environment for scientific learning.
* Planning creatively for the Foundation Stage: one-day course on 9 January for practitioners new to the Foundation Stage curriculum.
* Good practice in the early years: one-day course on 13 June for heads, governors and advisors in schools. It will look at the key principles of the Foundation Stage, including using observation to aid planning and how to prevent inappropriate practice.
* Trusting children to learn mathematics: evening seminar on 23 February looking at ways to develop maths in conjunction with other activities.
* ICT - an integrated approach: evening course on 26 May on how to use ICTas a learning tool.
* Guidelines for effective Foundation Stage practice: evening seminar on 14 June - an introduction for staff new to the Foundation Stage.
experiential play
* Zoolab: half-day course focusing on how to include living things in children's development and learning.
* ICTfor early years: one-day course demonstrating the use of ICT resources.
* The way forwards with citizenship: one-day conference focusing on the role of citizenship in pre-five education and care, including practical workshops demonstrating ideas for using citizenship in play.
* Giants and Gruffalos: one-day workshop on dramatic and partcipative storytelling. Juila Donaldson, award-winning author of The Gruffalo will demonstrate how she dramatises her stories.
* Creativity, children and language - literacy and the early years: one-day course exploring strategies to encourage creative writing in the early years.
Institute of education
* The teaching and learning of literacy in Foundation and KS1: eight-session course aiming to improve literacy learning in the Foundation Stage and KS1 by enhancing teachers' understanding of the process of literacy learning and how to monitor and develop it.
* Teaching in the Foundation Stage: four-day course designed for teachers who are working in the Foundation Stage but are either not trained for this age group or need to refresh their practice.
* Developing an observation- based approach to assessment and curriculum planning in the Foundation Stage: one-day course on 3 February aiming to increase participants' confidence and skills in making effective observations and in using these to inform assessment and curriculum planning.
* Teaching French to young learners: one-day course on 11 February aimed at Foundation Stage staff with little or no knowledge of French who wish to introduce it into their early years curriculum.
* Using poetry in the Foundation Stage: one-day course on 18 January.
* Storyboxes - through small-world play to authorship (Foundation Stage and KS1): one-day course on 3 February looking at ways of helping the youngest children see themselves as authors.
* The roles and responsibilities of a Foundation Stage co-ordinator: one-day course on 10 March. Participants will be expected to bring their copy of Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (QCA 2000). Topics include: current issues in early years education, the roles and responsibilities of the Foundation Stage co-ordinator, managing change and monitoring and evaluating strategies.
Montessori Centre International
* The Foundation Stage curriculum in Montessori classrooms: separate seminars covering all aspects of the curriculum: 8 January - mathematics; 19 March - communication, language and literacy; 14 May - creative and physical development; and 4 June - knowledge and understanding of the world.
* Drama in the classroom: explores appropriate drama activities for nursery age children.
* Geography in Montessori classrooms: looks at sharing geography with young children, both physical geography and geography as a tool to multicultural understanding.
* Storytelling: provides opportunity to work with a storyteller on themes and ideas for stories appropriate for nursery children.
* Grammar in the nursery: looks at introducing grammar to children in the early stages of primary education.
national children's bureau
* Developing a quality curriculum for the Foundation Stage: one-day course focusing on developing a high-quality curriculum, planning the development of particular areas of learning and preparing for inspection.
* Language development and communication skills: one-day course offering practical suggestions for fostering young children's language acquisition in line with the requirements of the early learning goals for language and literacy.
* The art of storytelling - developing communication and creative skills in young children: one-day course showing how storytelling can introduce children to the rich diversity of peoples and cultures across the world.
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA)
* Planning a developmental play-based curriculum for three- to five-year-olds: one-day course using the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage as a starting point reviews the principles for early years education and the staffing and planning of activities and experiences to ensure an effective and nurturing learning environment.
* Creating a learning environment for three- to five-year-olds: one-day course on how to create a stimulating environment that motivates children to use carefully selected resources to facilitate learning.
NIPPA: The Early Years Organisation
* Curriculum planning and evaluation: 16-hour course covering the development of short-, medium- and long-term plans, the use of observation to inform planning, and how resources can be collected and used to support children's learning.
* Developing children's creativity - art and design: 15-hour course aims to encourage in practitioners the ability to see the creative potential in each child and to explore ways of realising it through creative expression.
Playgroup Network
For information on Foundation Stage training, contact your local association office (see the Directory on page 31).
Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA)
* Building strong Foundations: 12 six-hour workshops designed as flexible training solutions for practitioners from all types of settings and with different levels of success in delivering the Foundation Stage. The workshops can be taken individually or in any combination. Practical advice shows how to use the early learning goals to promote children's development and education.
SRLTraining
* Communication, language and literacy: one-day course helping practitioners to provide and support children's language, communication and early literacy skills.
* Mathematics in the early years: one-day course looking into how children's mathematical learning develops and how to support it.
* Meeting the early learning goals: one-day course exploring the purpose and aims of planning for learning and including discussion of relevant issues for planning an effective curriculum as well as practical planning activities.
* Observation andrecord keeping: one-day course considering the purpose and aims of observations and exploring quality assessment to meet the requirements of the Foundation Stage Profile.
* Quality curriculum for the Foundation Stage: one-day course exploring how to increase effective practice.
* Science in the early years setting: one-day course focusing on opportunities to introduce science to under-threes.
Visual Learning Foundation Visual Learning Foundation offers art and design INSET courses and days for early years settings and primary schools. Courses include:
* Art in the Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1: two-day course looking at the developmental stages of children's art-making, art materials, how to develop language, creativity and learning through art.
