Early Years Training and Resources
nasen offers a range of training opportunities and resources specifically for leaders and practitioners, working in the Early Years (EY). nasen is also currently working alongside, The Council for Disabled Children, I CAN, National Children’s Bureau, Contact, School Improvement Liverpool and Dingley's Promise, as part of the DfE-funded EY SEND Partnership.
Early Years SEND Partnership
nasen is proud to be part of the DfE-funded Early Years SEND Partnership Project led by the Council for Disabled Children (CDC). The other partners are:
- Speech and Language UK
- The Communication Trust
- Contact
- National Children’s Bureau (ncb)
- Dingley’s Promise
nasen is currently working with Local Authorities from the nine regions across the country to develop their SEND provision at a strategic level through Regional Action Learning Sets and Specialist Action Learning Sets.
The Golden Key Programme
Help inform, upskill, and empower early years staff within your local authority to make a positive impact for children and young people with SEND.
nasen’s Golden Key programme is an online training programme of eight, live, interactive webinars for practitioners currently in the role of the Key Person in PVI and maintained school settings.
It’s perfect for those seeking to develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence in working with young children with SEND, so that they can feel confident in implementing the graduated approach (assess, plan, do, review) in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice 2015.
Commissioning SEND Reviews for a group of EY settings
Commissioning a programme of supported SEND Reviews for all or some of your settings can help you to drive improvement for SEND. nasen structures a supported SEND Review programme which helps EY settings to:
- Understand the process of review for SEND;
- Co-conduct reviews, including peer reviews, thereby building sustainability through professional development;
- Audit current provision and identify existing strengths;
- Review provision and identify areas for development;
- Action-plan, informed by actual review
The benefits of the programme of SEND Reviews are the opportunities to identify:
- Good practice which can be shared across all settings in the group, and
- Common training needs or other areas for development which could be collectively actioned.
Upcoming CPDL and latest Resources for Early Years
SEND Code of Practice & EYFS Framework – what they say
- General
- 12 Apr 2024
This resource is a quick reference guide which highlights the key messages for SEND in the context of early years. It can be printed out and displayed, used as the focus of a staff meeting or kept in the front of a practitioner’s planning folder.
Resilience Development Pack: Top Tips for Parents
- General
- 23 Nov 2023
In the Resilience Development Pack, you will find that each day of the week has a theme, which supports the development of resilience.
Resilience Development Pack Parent Resource: Daily Activity Sheet
- General
- 23 Nov 2023
This activity sheet suggests a way of noting down the things you choose to do with your child from the Resilience Development Pack.
Resilience Development Pack Parent Resource: Weekly Diary and Weekly Diary Example
- General
- 23 Nov 2023
Use this diary to plan activities or targets for your child to practise each week. This resource includes an example of a completed diary with activities selected, comments added and notes about ‘next steps’ included.
Resilience Development Pack: 7 days, Many Ways - white label
- General
- 23 Nov 2023
This white label version of a previous document does not contain images. This resource includes a set of 14 fun activities for parents to do with their children and 14 related activities for practitioners to carry out in their setting.
Resilience Development Pack: 7 days, Many Ways
- General
- 23 Nov 2023
This resource includes a set of 14 fun activities for parents to do with their children and 14 related activities for practitioners to carry out in their setting.
Seven pieces to build the resilience jigsaw: Confidence
- General
- 05 Nov 2023
This is one of a series of additional resources to nasen’s Resilience Development Pack which can be used to support you as a parent, carer or professional working with young children to boost children’s resilience through everyday activities.
Seven pieces to build the resilience jigsaw: Connection
- General
- 01 Nov 2023
This is one of a series of additional resources to nasen’s Resilience Development Pack which can be used to support you as a parent, carer or professional working with young children to boost children’s resilience through everyday activities.
Seven pieces to build the resilience jigsaw: Character
- General
- 01 Nov 2023
This is one of a series of additional resources to nasen’s Resilience Development Pack which can be used to support you as a parent, carer or professional working with young children to boost children’s resilience through everyday activities.
Seven pieces to build the resilience jigsaw: Control
- General
- 01 Nov 2023
This is one of a series of additional resources to nasen’s Resilience Development Pack which can be used to support you as a parent, carer or professional working with young children to boost children’s resilience through everyday activities.
Seven pieces to build the resilience jigsaw: Coping
- General
- 01 Nov 2023
This is one of a series of additional resources to nasen’s Resilience Development Pack which can be used to support you as a parent, carer or professional working with young children to boost children’s resilience through everyday activities
Seven pieces to build the resilience jigsaw: Contribution
- General
- 01 Nov 2023
This is one of a series of additional resources to nasen’s Resilience Development Pack which can be used to support you as a parent, carer or professional working with young children to boost children’s resilience through everyday activities.
Seven pieces to build the resilience jigsaw: Competence
- General
- 01 Nov 2023
This is one of a series of additional resources to nasen’s Resilience Development Pack which can be used to support you as a parent, carer or professional working with young children to boost children’s resilience through everyday activities.
Supporting SEND - Observing Learners in Northern Ireland
- General
- 24 Oct 2023
Thanks to Lois Totton (Senior Lecturer, Stranmillis University College) and Dr Brenda Montgomery (Chair of the nasen Northern Ireland Advisory Group); this “Observing Learners” resource has been adapted to support educational professionals and practitione
Early Years Case Study: Supporting a Child with Communication and Interaction Needs (Northumberland)
- General
- 23 Oct 2023
In this case study we hear from Kath Dickinson, a Manager at SEND to Learn Nursery in Blyth, Northumberland. Kath describes how she has worked to support a 4-year old child in her setting who has Communication and Interaction Needs
The Golden Key Programme - Autumn 2024
The role of the Key Person in an Early Years setting is vital. This eight-week training programme will upskill EY practitioners within your local authority to identify and provide for the needs of all children in their care.
Early Years miniguides
We have a selection of free miniguides around the topic of early years.
