CHILD BEHAVIOUR
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
- Managing children's behaviour (0-5): one-day course covering child behaviour, various techniques used to control behaviour and gender differences.
- No bullying here: one-day course that looks at different approaches to dealing with bullying, and creating a bully-free environment.
- Teaching children to resolve conflict without violence: designed to help children recognise and deal with conflict without a violent response.
BRITISH INSTITUTE OF LEARNING DISABILITIES (BILD)
- Understanding challenging behaviour: introductory course exploring how to work with people who exhibit such behaviour.
- Moving on with challenging behaviour: one-day course aimed at practitioners working with children who have a learning disability.
CONCEPT TRAINING
- Child behaviour: an interactive workshop that explores the various ways in which behaviour is learnt, and our role in its promotion.
EARLY EDUCATION TRAINING AND RESOURCES CENTRE
- Getting it right for boys - engaging boys interests through investigative learning: consider the evidence relating to boys achievements and their preferred learning styles and look at practical ways of building boys interests.
- Letters and sounds - phase one: focus on young children's musicality - a valuable element of effective learning in the early years.
- The role of the adult in early learning: interacting or interfering: learn how to create a learning environment that supports shared thinking between adults and children.
- Developing transition resilience from birth to school: examine influential early situations focusing both on children's needs and experiences.
- Developing quality child-initiated learning for three to five-year-olds: explore what is meant by child-initiated learning and why it is important, and learn how to develop contexts which promote high-quality learning.
- Quality relationships and environments in the Early Years Foundation Stage: mainly focusing on the needs of children in their first 48 months.
- Speaking and listening outdoors: consider the special nature of the outdoors and why it is so valuable as a stimulus for speaking and listening.
- Planning for the unique child: examine the EYFS requirements for schedules and routines to flow with the child, and how to put this into practice.
EARLY EXCELLENCE
- Closing the Gender Gap - promoting boys investigative learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage: this course will look at ways to engage boys in their learning by building on their interests and preferred learning styles.
- Exploring the Challenges of Effective Practice - developing quality child-initiated learning: this course will offer participants an opportunity to consider what it means to develop high-quality child-initiated learning, and make plans to develop their own practice.
EARLY YEARS ORGANISATION
- Managing challenging behaviour in children: a course designed to give practitioners the skills to support parents and carers faced with children who exhibit challenging behaviour.
HIGH/SCOPE IRELAND
- Conflict resolution with young children: two-day interactive seminar looking at using conflict situations as opportunities for skill learning.
KIDSCAPE
- Anti-bullying: how to resolve and reduce incidents.
- Promoting positive behaviour: course covering responsibilities, policy and procedures, code of conduct and problem-solving.
PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING ALLIANCE (PLA)
- Promoting positive behaviour: this course is designed to help create an environment in which children can develop self-esteem and self-discipline.
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT (PSD)
- Managing children's behaviour: one-day course covering reasons why children behave in different ways, techniques used to manage different behaviour and bullying
WALES PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUPS ASSOCIATION
- Managing behaviour: eight two-hour courses aim to enable participants to work effectively with children in a playgroup setting and to encourage positive behaviour. Topics include how rules, routines and the environment affect behaviour, the use of reward and punishment, and promoting acceptable behaviour.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
- Introduction to child development: one-day course for new early years practitioners exploring areas of development, influences on development and the adult's role in stimulating child development.
- How children think and behave: half-day course for those new to early years education. An introduction to early development.
MARIA MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
- Using positive language in the classroom: a workshop exploring language patterns and how we can use language to influence behaviour, incorporating knowledge from the field of neuro linguistic programming (NLP).
CHILD PROTECTION
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
- Safeguarding children in childcare settings: one-day course delivered by experienced child protection professionals.
- Child protection and domestic violence: one-day course that covers the impact of domestic violence, the inter-agency response, legal options, and awareness of support, advice and services.
- Child protection and parents who substance misuse: one-day course that covers issues surrounding substance misuse, and awareness of available support, advice and services.
- Children have rights: workshop for overview of children's rights.
- Child protection conferences, core groups and report writing: one-day course. Aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of practitioners involved in formal child protection procedures.
- Working with parents and carers who have substance misuse issues: a one-day course for all professionals working with children or young people where there are concerns about parental substance misuse.
BVS TRAINING
- Child protection: a training toolkit with DVD or VHS, CD-Rom and lesson plans. Includes 'Understanding child protection' and 'Recognising indicators of child abuse'.
COMMON THREADS TRAINING
- An introduction to child protection: four-hour course.
CReCHENDO TRAINING
- Child protection: one-day course covering Children Act 1989. Theoretical perspectives on child abuse.
THE MARIA MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
- Child protection - safeguarding children and young people: one-day course which aims to raise awareness of child abuse and the importance of working together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN (NSPCC)
- Practical approaches to valuing diversity and safeguarding children: aims to equip participants to safeguard all children by the practical application of diversity and principles.
- Safeguarding disabled children: a two-day course which develops confidence and knowledge in connection with safeguarding and promoting the welfare of disabled children and young people.
- Creating safer organisations: a training course for people who have a strategic role for safeguarding children and young people across their organisation.
KIDSCAPE
- Child protection: includes keeping children safe, signs and symptoms.
THE PLAY & EARLY YEARS TRAINING UNIT
- Domestic Abuse Awareness for Early Years Practitioners: The course will look at how domestic abuse can affect children's well-being and development and will cover facts and figures including definitions, incidence and the legislation relating to abuse.
CHILDREN'S PLAY AND LEARNING
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
- Games and more games: one-day course with indoor, outdoor, noisy, quiet, small and large groups.
- Who am I?: this one-day course provides an introduction to playing with drama for fun.
- Parachute games: this half-day workshop introduces a wide range of parachute games.
- Magical mask making: a hands-on workshop for those wanting to learn how to design and make creative masks.
CONCEPT TRAINING
- Understanding the multi-sensory concept: practical skills for covering multi-sensory environments.
CReCHENDO TRAINING
- Observation and assessment workshop: one-day course exploring how observations and assessment help staff in their work and identify how best to manage observation and assessment systems so that they are manageable.
EARLY EDUCATION TRAINING AND RESOURCE CENTRE
- Exploring young children's thinking through their self-chosen activities.
Debate the best conditions to help children develop and share their thinking.
- Patterns of play - recognising and supporting children's schemas: discuss different schemas across age ranges and examine various ways of incorporating schemas into early years practice.
EARLY YEARS ORGANISATION
- Promoting children's learning through adult-child interactions: six-hour workshop. Participants will be able to describe the vital role of adults in supporting play.
- Introducing the NIPPA observation and recording tools: six-hour course aimed at practitioners working with three to five year-olds.
- An introductory course in play and care for young children: ten- or 20-hour courses tailored to suit individual needs. Particularly suitable for parents with children up to the age of seven, who want an understanding of play and its importance in the development of children. Participants will also be given hands-on experience of play materials.
EXPERIENTIAL PLAY
- Gathering games: encouraging children to become acutely aware of their physical self and how they use their motor skills is an important part of the early years.
- Art without drawing on the beach: the aim of this training session is to inspire and build confidence in adults working in pre-five centres to use the outdoors as an extension of their playroom.
MARIA MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
- Embroidery for the Three to Sixes: Embroidery and textile work including fabric crayons, fabric painting and weaving. These techniques are suitable for three to six-year-olds to be used with children in a Montessori environment. For those who are wondering what new art ideas to introduce each term, methods for simplifying or modifying many crafts for this age group.
MUSIC FOR STARTERS
- Action Songs and Rhymes: Adding actions to songs and rhymes can have a beneficial impact on the quality of learning, and skills and concepts across the curriculum. How to build up a repertoire of action songs and rhymes to aid the teaching of basic musical concepts, and use instruments, puppets and props.
NATIONAL DAY NURSERIES ASSOCIATION
- Enriching play and learning for 3 to 5-year-olds: one-day courses aimed at Level 2 practitioners. It focuses on play and learning in the EYFS and on environments that enrich the child's play and learning experience.
WALES PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUPS ASSOCIATION
- What children learn in playgroup: eight half-hour weekly sessions aimed at parents and playgroup workers with little or no training.
- Introduction to children's play: course of 12, two-hour weekly sessions aimed at new playgroup staff and parents. Topics include physical play, communicating with children, books and stories, food and cooking, music and rhymes, child-centred creativity and imaginative play.
CONSULTING WITH CHILDREN
CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND
- Kid's Talk? Communicating effectively with children under 7: one-day workshop exploring how we can communicate effectively with young children - based on theories of child development and linguistics.
- Unravelling participation: one-day workshop which will help participants to gain a deeper understanding of participation and help them make more effective choices as to what tools they use with the client group they are working with.
DAYCARE TRUST
- Listening to the voices of young children: one-day course looking at key themes emerging from existing sources of information on the views of young children.
EARLY YEARS ORGANISATION
- Consulting with young children: nine-part course designed to equip practitioners with the skills to consult effectively with young children.
INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
- Annual Early Years Conference - Communication First, The Importance of Speaking and Listening in the Early Years, 26 June 2009: in the light of the Bercow report, this conference will provide practical guidance on how to work effectively in communicating with young children. Delegates will hear about national initiatives from practitioners' own experience, with a choice of workshops in the morning and afternoon.
EARLY YEARS APPROACHES
HIGH/SCOPE INSTITUTE
- The High/Scope one-day introductory course: overview of the High/Scope approach.
- High/Scope implementation course: 18 two-and-a-half-hour sessions. Training combines practical activities, videos and discussion. As part of the course, the trainer will visit your setting. Areas covered include the learning environment, the daily routine, assessment and adult-child interaction. The course requires participants to write assignments on topics including reading, making observations and implementing and assessing changes, and to keep a course journal. All sessions must be attended. On successful completion of the course, participants will achieve certification by the High/Scope Institute.
- Specialised curriculum implementation courses: for those working with children from birth to three and children with special needs.
- High/Scope training course for childminders: eight two-and-a-half sessions. Recommended by the National Childminding Association and meets the requirements of its Quality Childminding Charter for children's learning and development. Topics include providing a planned programme of learning, creating daily routines with children and developing children's thinking, mathematical and language skills.
- Training-of-trainers course: 35-day course given by a High/Scope consultant trainer for people who wish to train others in the High/Scope approach. On successful completion, participants will receive certification as a High/Scope endorsed trainer qualified to run High/Scope courses in social services, education, independent and voluntary sectors.
- Developing life skills in the early years: one-day awareness-raising workshop on fostering the development of life skills through high-quality early years education.
HIGH/SCOPE IRELAND
- Curriculum implementation course: ten full days' training over ten months. Topics include active learning, creating a supportive climate, interaction strategies and teamwork.
NORTHERN IRELAND CHILDMINDING ASSOCIATION
- High/Scope in the family daycare setting: eight-part course of two-hour sessions offering childminders' ideas for providing a planned programme of learning and developing children's thinking, mathematical and language skills.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
- Equal opportunities: one-day course suitable for all staff to help them recognise and deal with discrimination. It will also help the development of an equal opportunities policy. Topics include forms of discrimination, benefits of an equal opportunities approach and how to apply equal opportunities in the workplace.
- Equal opportunities for childcarers: one-day course for staff working in childcare settings to enable them to recognise types of discrimination and how to deal with them.
- Anti-racist practice: short course designed to examine issues relating to race and prejudice in any childcare settings.
ALL TOGETHER TRAINING AND CONSULTANCY
Workshops include:
- Making inclusion work in settings
- Children's rights and anti-discriminatory practice
- Policy-making for inclusion and equality
- Building an inclusive environment
- Policy-making for SENCO/inclusion
- Working inclusively with parents and families
- Good practice for SENCOS
- Good practice in making a policy on SEN/inclusion
- Working with the special educational needs code of practice
CONCEPT TRAINING
- Inclusive play: workshop recommended for those working at developing an inclusive setting.
- Working non-aversively with children and adults with ASD: introductory workshop on autistic spectrum disorder looking at the use of non-aversive approaches to behavioural change.
- An introduction for those meeting or working with people with special needs: workshop for people new to special needs.
EARLY EDUCATION TRAINING AND RESOURCE CENTRE
- Supporting young bilingual children: understand the importance of recognising and building on early bilingualism and develop strategies for supporting bilingual children's learning.
EARLY YEARS EQUALITY (EYE)
Early Years Equality is a registered charity working to promote race equality in the field of early years provision. It provides equality training and seminars to promote and support anti-racist practice.
EARLY YEARS ORGANISATION
- Working with children who have special needs: 20-hour course enabling practitioners to develop the skills needed to plan structured programmes to help children with SEN.
- Breaking down barriers - creating an awareness of sectarianism: a two-hour course reflecting on anti-sectarianism in early years settings and strategies to challenge sectarian behaviour.
- Breaking down barriers - challenging sectarianism in the early years: six-hour course designed to allow participants to explore the effects of sectarianism. They will explore their own thoughts on sectarianism, the effects of sectarianism within settings and strategies to challenge sectarianism.
- Breaking down barriers - challenging discrimination in the early years: ten-hour course over a series of workshops looking at ways of ensuring equal opportunities. In line with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the course covers gender, disability, culture and sectarianism. Participants will be encouraged to develop plans to ensure the development of equal opportunities within their setting.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (NASEN)
NASEN promotes the education, training, advancement and development of all people with special educational needs. It has produced policies on the early years, professional development, partnership with parents, curriculum access and learning support assistants, among others.
NORTHERN IRELAND CHILDMINDING ASSOCIATION
- Caring for children with additional needs: 20-hour course covering causes of conditions, observing, planning and evaluating learning for special needs children, behaviour management and child protection.
- Equal opportunities: eight-hour course covering legislation, inclusion, respecting diversity, resources that promote equality of opportunity and challenging attitudes.
PERSONA DOLL TRAINING
- Equality in practice: course built around Persona dolls, which are a powerful tool for exploring, uncovering and confronting racism and other inequalities. This course is for early years practitioners, inspectors and lecturers looking for effective ways to challenge bias.
PLAYGROUP NETWORK
Contact regional associations (see page 49) for details of courses on:
- Valuing diversity
- Inclusion
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT (PSD)
- Equal opportunities: two-day course covering understanding equal opportunities, discrimination, an anti-bias approach, dealing with abuse and overt or covert discrimination
WALES PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGrOUPS ASSOCIATION
- Playing together: this six-session, two-hour weekly course aims to promote good practice in the integration and inclusion of children who have special needs in a pre-school setting. It explores the benefits of integrated play for all children, as well as giving advice and support or best practice.
POSITIVE IMAGES (formerly working group against racism in children's resources)
Positive Images has developed a range of one-day and half-day courses that will provide a forum for parents and professionals to discuss appropriate play and learning activities, resources and strategies for challenging racism in childhood care and education:
- Evaluation and selection of children's resources in an anti-racist framework
- Celebrating festivals in an anti-racist framework
- Presenting positive images in posters and displays
- Promoting first languages
NATIONAL STANDARDS AND INSPECTIONS
CHILDCARE CONSULTANCY
All courses link directly to the EYFS and the Every Child Matters outcome. Courses for home-based childcarers include:
- Registration support
- Getting ready for inspection
- Every Child Matters
Courses for daycare and playwork staff include:
- Getting ready for inspection
- Managing change
- Working in a multi-disciplinary team
Training for all courses can be customised for all aspects of the EYFS
EARLY EDUCATION TRAINING AND RESOURCE CENTRE
- Self-evaluation for inspection in the Early Years Foundation Stage: this covers the new framework for inspections.
PLAYGROUP NETWORK
Contact regional associations (see page 46) for details of courses on:
- Preparing for inspections
NUTRITION
KIDS' COOKERY SCHOOL
The Kids' Cookery School (KCS) provides children of various ages with the opportunity to access fun, educational, practical and hands-on cookery workshops.
MARIA MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
- Nutrition and related childhood illness: an afternoon workshop on topics such as the effect of a mother's lifestyle and diet on the infant and child, the nutrition of the child and how it relates to common problems, immunisation and illnesses.
OUTDOORS
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
Using the outdoors: one-day course exploring ways of using the outdoors to stimulate children's development and as a learning tool. Topics include meeting developmental needs, developing and extending outdoor play opportunities, team-building games for children and young people, planning of activities, creating opportunities for imaginative and creative play outdoors in out-of-school settings, and aiding sensory development.
ARCHIMEDES TRAINING
Provides training to enable practitioners to create a safe nurturing experience.
- Level 1, Forest schools skills: three-day course for practitioners with little or no experience working outdoors. Basic woodland skills, including flora and fauna, covered.
- Level 2: five-day course aimed at individuals who want to help a Forest school practitioner (Level 3) in the delivery of Forest school sessions in a woodland environment.
- Level 3: course giving an opportunity to explore a different approach to using the outdoor environment to a higher level. You will investigate how best to design and run a Forest school programme and look at how to approach and apply it safely and effectively.
BRIDGWATER COLLEGE FOREST SCHOOL
The school's training programme aims to train those wishing to set up and run Forest schools. It offers the following courses:
- Forest school visits: held monthly, these involve a brief presentation.
- Adult taster days: an opportunity to spend a day in the woodland finding out what Forest school is like and experiencing the same kind of personal development that the children experience.
- Presentations and conferences: an outreach co-ordinator can come to your setting to deliver a workshop.
- Training courses: part-time and intensive outreach courses are available anywhere in the UK. They range from a Level 1 Skills course, for someone who may be interested in developing their use of the outdoor setting, to the Level 3 Forest School Leaders' Award. Courses include techniques for building self-esteem, experiential learning and behaviour management, delivering the EYFS curriculum, and practical skills, including using tools and building fires.
EARLY EDUCATION TRAINING AND RESOURCE CENTRE
- The why and how of outdoor play for children three to five years: the reasons why planning gives free access to outdoor learning.
- Exploring the potential of outdoors: gain an overview of the potential of an outdoor learning environment and explore opportunities for enhancing children's health and well-being.
INSIDE-OUT NATURE
- Children and Nature - Why and How - Step 1 and Step 2: this course offers practitioners the opportunity to start to develop their understanding and practice of using the outdoors as a whole institution learning environment, and evaluate their progress and development.
- Leadership and management in creative learning in diverse environments: this one-day course is for leaders who are planning or implementing the use of the outdoor environment with children and young people.
- Whole institution development: this one-day course is aimed at those employed in an institution to enable them to investigate and implement ways to develop the use of the outdoor environment in their own particular setting.
- General workshop: one-day workshop combining taking risks outdoors, the role of the adult, theories supporting practice and practical activities.
LEARNING THROUGH LANDSCAPES
Provides a range of training for teachers, governors, parents and school grounds practitioners. Topics include early years provision for the outdoors and taking the formal curriculum outdoors. LTL's Early Years Outdoor Service helps settings plan and manage high-quality creative outdoor play. In addition to running training itself, LTL is developing networks of accredited trainers throughout the UK. The first network consists of school grounds professionals who can provide training events that help schools identify how they can develop their outdoor space by involving the community.
OSIRIS EDUCATIONAL
- Outdoor Learning: Practitioners will be provided with a step-by-step guide to creating an outdoor classroom to support the Early Years Foundation Stage, and making the transition to Year 1 with outdoor learning, health and safety aspects and risk assessments.
PLAYWORK
COMMON THREADS TRAINING
- Playwork - Principles into Practice: this course enables playworkers to develop their playwork practice in line with the Playwork Principles and to meet the requirements for playworkers under the EYFS.
- Playtime!: for anybody in a leadership, management or support role who wants to improve playtimes in schools. The course focuses on the key success factors of the Playtime project and enables participants to explore practical solutions to meet their school's needs.
WORKING WITH PARENTS
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
- Parents and their child's development: one-day course for new parents wanting to gain a better understanding of how they can help their child's development.
DAYCARE TRUST
- Providing information, advice and assistance on childcare: this one-day course includes how to meet the needs of low-income families and parents of children with special needs.
- Involving parents in service development and delivery: one-day course focusing on engaging parents in the development of children's services.
EARLY YEARS ORGANISATION
- Involving parents/carers - creative partnerships in action: this 12.5-hour course helps practitioners to develop the skills required to create an effective partnership with parents.
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S BUREAU
- PEAL TRAINING: PEAL inspires and supports early years practitioners to develop the involvement of parents in their chldren's early learning and development, both at home and in settings, and to make a real difference.
NATIONAL DAY NURSERIES ASSOCIATION (NDNA)
- Working in partnership with parents: one-day course on maintaining good relationships with parents and carers.
PLAYGROUP NETWORK
Contact regional associations (see page 46) for details of courses on:
- Parenting support and working with toddlers
PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING ALLIANCE (PLA)
- Making links with parents and communities: ten-hour course for leaders, managers and experienced staff. This course will look at how to develop action plans to improve partnerships with parents.
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT (PSD)
- Working with parents: this one-day course covers parental participation, learning from parents and valuing parents.
TWIN AND MULTIPLE BIRTHS ASSOCIATION (TAMBA)
TAMBA provides information and support networks for families of twins, triplets and more. The charity has support groups for one-parent families, parents of triplets or more, special needs families, those who have lost one or more of a multiple-birth set, and those who are expecting or have twins, triplets or more as a result of fertility treatment. TAMBA also offers information for professionals.
