A chance to reconnect: Sheffield Girls’ hosts the British Association for Early Childhood Education, as they welcome Early Years professionals from across the city to their conference
Staff from Sheffield Girls’ Infant and Junior school were delighted to work with the BAECE and Sheffield Hallam University, to support the delivery of an Early Years Education conference this Saturday, which focussed on sharing best practice and new ideas, as well as providing a long-overdue opportunity for networking as we emerge from the challenges of the pandemic.
Hosted at Sheffield Girls’ Infant and Junior School, and organised by the Sheffield Institute of Education at SHU, the event included a full morning of workshops, presentations and networking activity, providing attendees with new approaches and resources to take back to their early years settings.
Sessions covered a range of topics, including: science in a bag, outdoor maths, storytelling, yoga and mindfulness, and much more, and were aimed at both career starters and those with much longer term experience in Early Years provision.
Dr Sally Pearse, Director of the Early Years Community Research Centre at SHU said: ‘We know that high quality early years care and education provides a firm foundation for future development and learning. This event enabled practitioners from across the region to come together and experience elements of practice that they can take directly back into their schools and settings and provide rich learning opportunities for the children in their care. It was fantastic to have a venue like Sheffield Girls’ where we could all meet and feel nurtured and valued.’
At Sheffield Girls’ we pride ourselves on our supportive, nurturing and tailored educational offer for girls in Reception and beyond and are always keen to explore partnerships across the Early Years community. Christopher Hald, Head of the Infant and Junior School said: ‘We were really thrilled to be able to support the Sheffield Institute of Education in hosting this conference. As an early years provider ourselves, we know how incredibly important excellent teaching and learning experiences are for our youngest pupils. In linking with local practitioners we are looking to create a vibrant early years learning environment; sharing good practice, exploring exciting activities and resources, and hearing about current research and pedagogy.’
For more information about The British Association for Early Childhood Education visit: https://early-education.org.uk/
To watch our Infants and Juniors in action visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeHuRPBCjdQ&t=26s
Dr Sally Pearse is Director of the Early Years Community Research Centre (EYCRC) at Sheffield Hallam University
