Early Years

The content for these Early Years Pages is provided by the Early Years Quality and Access Team, Early Years Education and Skills, Sheffield City Council. You can access key information about the Early Years Teams, links and information about key documents and links relating to Early Years including EYFS Statutory Frameworks and statutory assessment guidance, Ofsted information, training and CPD opportunities using the buttons. The Sheffield City Council Early Years Professional Development Training offer 2024-2025 is available to view.

The Sheffield City Council Early Years Professional Development Training offer 2024-2025 is available to view.

 

Early Years Quality, Access and Moderation Manager

Vicky Carr (Vicky.Carr@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07971 376 801

 

Early Years Quality and Access Team

• The Early Years Quality and Access Team work with Foundation Stage practitioners to plan and develop high quality, inclusive provision in the early years across the sector. They work alongside teachers and practitioners to ensure the effective delivery of the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and incorporate initiatives relevant to the Foundation Stage and Foundation Stage Profile.
• The team take part in researching, developing, and implementing appropriate projects and initiatives that contribute towards raising standards in the Foundation Stage, as well as collaborating effectively with all Foundation Stage Practitioners in their development to improve provision in all areas of learning to promote high standards of attainment.
• The Early Years Quality and Access Team work alongside early years practitioners to audit, develop, implement, and evaluate practice in the Foundation Stage, including support with producing action plans for improvement for the Foundation Stage. They provide consultancy and training on all aspects of Foundation Stage provision and practice to schools, non-maintained settings, LA officers and other clients and agencies as appropriate.
• The team collaborate with other LA officers, services and other agencies concerned with effective Foundation Stage provision across the city (e.g. Primary Consultants, Early Years Quality Improvement Officers, Community Early Years Practitioners, 0-5 SEND Service and members of the Early Years, Education and Skills Service) to ensure that schools/settings and learners receive effective, coherent and co-ordinated support.

Early Years Quality and Access Officers
Jayne Atkinson (Jayne.Atkinson@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07787 222 107
Lushane Davies-Maw (Lushane.Davies-maw@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07768 722 441

 

Early Years Quality Improvement Team - Community Early Years Practitioners

• The Community Early Years Practitioners support Early Years settings in achieving the Healthy Early Years award (HEY), identifying further training needs through the process of delivering training, moderating HEY toolkits and assessing Early Years settings.
• The “Speak Up for Sheffield” universal level, is a short course, developed as part of the South Yorkshire Futures project and is delivered by the Community Early Years Practitioners, with one of the key aims being to improve children’s outcomes across the whole of the South Yorkshire region. The universal training provides the underpinning knowledge needed to understand and support speech, language and communication development of all young children. The course, developed with Sheffield speech and language therapists, explores brain development, the role of the adult and the general speech and language strategies which can be used in everyday practice.
• In collaboration with Public Health, the Community Early Years Practitioners deliver the Start Well programme, as well as offer support to early years education and care providers. Community Early Years Practitioners support positive relationships in families and share public health messages, for example obesity prevention, oral health, attachment and attunement.
• The Community Early Years Practitioners promote the emotional, behavioural and language development of children and support the parent / provider to make referrals where necessary, working in partnership with SALT. The team work with the local community, Family Hubs, Family Intervention Service (FIS) and other agencies/partners in order to assess, identify and meet the wider health needs of the children and families within the community.

Please see the Community Early Years Practitioners Core Offer below and do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of the team if you feel we could support you in any way.

Community Early Years Practitioners
Claire Murgatroyd (Manager) (Claire.Murgatroyd@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07711 498 096
Lynsey Shaw (Lynsey.Shaw@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07557 564 355
Gavin Sweet (Gavin.Sweet@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07800 812 017
Karen Hobson (Karen.Hobson@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07770 883 535
Vanessa Hair (Vanessa.Hair@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07557 564 248
Jenny Sinclair (Jenny.Sinclair@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07557 564 329
Nicola Waller (Nicola.Waller@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07775 015 728

 

Community Early Years Practitioners Core offer

Start Well for professionals – As part of Start Well Sheffield we offer this workshop to professionals who engage and support families with young children. We explore the latest Public Health priorities for the city and the impact of these for children and families. We explore the latest initiatives both on a national and regional level which offer support to assist families in making healthier choices. There is also the opportunity to reflect on and discuss the latest government guidance which addresses these issues and the impact on our practice. This will also give you an insight into the content of the family programme and therefore support professionals in having informed discussions with parents / carers who may find the Start Well Family Programme interesting and beneficial, therefore supporting you to make appropriate referrals.

You will have an opportunity to network, share skills, knowledge and good practice whilst talking to professionals working with early years children and families, including health colleagues, family support services and workers from the voluntary sector.

For more information, please see Sheffield City Council Early Years Professional Development Training brochure. To book a place on the training please complete a booking form and email it to EarlyYearsBusinessSupport@sheffield.gov.uk.

 

HEY; Healthy Early Years Award is a quality assurance award, accredited by the Director of Public Health. The training and award recognises and celebrates a whole setting holistic approach to healthy early years. The award covers seven key strands and promotes and supports key Public Health messages, demonstrating your commitment to supporting children, families, staff and the wider community in making informed choices supporting both physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing. To undertake the award, you are required to:

• Attend all training sessions
• Work together as a whole team to complete a reflective toolkit
• Complete and submit the toolkit, an action plan and a Healthy Early Years communication plan.

For more information, please see Sheffield City Council Early Years Professional Development Training brochure. To book a place on the training please complete a booking form and email it to EarlyYearsBusinessSupport@sheffield.gov.uk.

 

Speak Up for Sheffield is a universal level training session, focused on developing the knowledge and skills of people who work with young children and families to understand the development of children’s speech, language and communication. The session explores brain development, the role of the adult and the general strategies identified by speech and language therapists to support speech, language and communication development. The training is part of a South Yorkshire wide project with the aim of improving children’s outcomes across the whole region. Within the South Yorkshire Futures strategy, we identified five levels of expertise in understanding children’s speech, language and communication development according to the kinds of roles they have. This course is aimed at people working at the ‘Universal Level’; everyone who works with young children.

For more information, please see Sheffield City Council Early Years Professional Development Training brochure. To book a place on the training please complete a booking form and email it to EarlyYearsBusinessSupport@sheffield.gov.uk.

 

Play & Say - This programme was devised by Speech and Language Therapists within Sheffield to promote speech and language development, predominantly with children under five years but with a particular focus on 2-year-olds. The aims of the Play and Say programme and the impact on practice include:

• Supporting language development and the early identification of speech, language and communication needs.
• Promoting language development strategies in everyday practice.
• Supporting the 2-year progress check and integrated reviews.
• Helping to build on parent partnership and supporting parents to use strategies in the home with their child.
• Providing fun and enjoyable activities for children, parents and practitioners.

The Community Early Years Practitioners will provide training and support in upskilling setting practitioners. We will come into your settings once a week for five weeks and model the programme alongside practitioners, offering guidance and support to enable practitioners to feel confident using this SLC strategy whilst embedding play and say in your everyday practice with children and families. A full staff team training session is also available.

Following the completion of the bespoke Play and Say support we will visit your setting to evaluate the impact of the training on practice and support with moderation of assessments and referrals if necessary, we can also signpost to other agencies who may be able to offer support.

This opportunity will be delivered bespoke to your setting. Please register your interest via EarlyYearsBusinessSupport@sheffield.gov.uk and a member of the team will contact you.

 

Working together – Our CEYP team are always looking to work alongside professionals to gain the best outcomes for children and families in Sheffield. This can include delivering one of our workshops within your setting or, if you have a group of parents and a suitable space, we can deliver our 5 week Start Well family programme. Please register your interest via EarlyYearsBusinessSupport@sheffield.gov.uk and a member of the team will contact you if you would like more information on hosting a Start Well programme or workshop.

Professional advice – Start Well Sheffield advice line is also a free service for professionals who may want to seek general support and advice for children 5 years and under. Possible topics include:

• Toilet / potty training
• Sleep
• peech and language development
• Oral health / dump the dummy
• Signposting to other agencies

Call for an informal chat with one of our experienced Early Years Practitioners who can offer support for sheffield families and professionals. Our advice line is operated every Friday morning 9-11am (term time only) 0114 205 7241.

 

Early Years Quality Improvement Team - Early Years Quality Improvement Officers

• The Early Years Quality Improvement Officers support and work with early years education and childcare providers across the sector, undertaking reviews, evaluation and assessment visits of early years provision to continuously monitor the quality of provision for 2- 3- and 4-year-olds across the city. The members of the team take on a lead role and initiative in encouraging and supporting settings with self-evaluation, increasing their knowledge and understanding of how approaches highlighted support continuous quality improvement.
• Quality Improvement Officers plan, co-ordinate and evaluate effective service delivery to the early years education and care providers in the private and voluntary sectors. They plan and deliver training for the sector in accordance to identified needs as well as statutory training and moderation.
• The team collaborate with other LA officers, services and other agencies concerned with effective Foundation Stage provision across the city (e.g. Early Years Quality and Access Officers, Community Early Years Practitioners, 0-5 SEND Service and members of the Early Years, Education and Skills Service) to ensure that schools/settings and learners receive effective, coherent and co-ordinated support.

Early Years Quality Improvement Officers
Denise Tunnicliffe (Manager) (Denise.Tunnicliffe@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07770 702 500
Karen Rees (Karen.Rees@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07876 034 118
Michelle Fox (Michelle.Fox@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07917 175 551
Paula Burgin (Paula.Burgin@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07557 564 205
Lisa Bramhall (Lisa.Bramhall@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07969 192 700
Michelle Richford (Michelle.Richford@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07748 055 893
Debbie Hindley (Debbie.Hindley@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07814 285 575
Heather Spray (Heather.Spray@sheffield.gov.uk) - 07715 700 139