2026 Programme

Movement is fundamental to how children learn, think, and connect with the world around them. When we move with others whether through rhythm, imitation, or playful interaction, we’re not only support ...

2026 is designated as the National Year of Reading. In this keynote, award-winning author and Early Years expert Laura Henry-Allain MBE will speak about the importance of books and how they lay the fo ...

Utilising her doctoral research and 35 years of leadership in the early years sector, Cheryl Hadland shares insights into why and how some nurseries are able to embed sustainability for business success, despite the enormous challenges of providing childcare and education in todays political and financial environment.  She includes valuable practical tips on what has worked and what hasn’t worked through her experience of being CEO and currently Chair of Tops Day Nurseries and Shoots Training in order to support others in their journeys.

Play is the single most important developmental process in any child’s life and we restrict it at our peril. It is fundamental to the cognitive, emotional and neurological development of children as well as underpinning all other aspects of learning. This thought-provoking keynote highlights the importance of play from a developmental perspective and also as a therapeutic process that can profoundly impact children’s self-esteem, confidence and mental health.  Interactive, humorous and with up-to-date information about the neuroscience and biochemistry of play this keynote will help delegates rediscover their passion for play and help them to stand up for children’s rights to play in a society that does not seem to value this essential process.

In this interactive talk, we'll explore the features of a great baby room, according to the perspectives of babies, parents/carers and educators. Informed by research with more than 300 baby room educ ...

This session explores how young children’s behaviour can be understood as a form of communication rather than “naughtiness.” Delivered by a Behaviour Analyst from BeyondAutism, the talk will help early years professionals reframe behaviours that challenge by looking at the underlying needs, emotions, and environmental factors driving them. Through practical examples and evidence-informed approaches, the session will support practitioners to respond with empathy, reduce reliance on labels, and create more inclusive, supportive environments where all children can thrive.

The first 1,000 days of life, the time from conception to age two, are the most powerful window for brain development. What babies experience in these earliest days shapes their learning, relationship ...

Safeguarding is more than just policies or one-off training — it’s about weaving protection, awareness, and risk mitigation into daily routines, organisational culture, and practice. The safeguarding reforms in Early Years was activated 1september 2025 and should be embedded into your daily practice.

The workshop’s aim is to move from compliance (knowing what’s required) to embedding safeguarding as part of "how we do things around here", so that everyone works with an attitude of vigilance, empathy, professionalism.

For the first time in history, five generations are sharing the workplace and nowhere is this more evident than in Early Years settings. From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, each generation brings its own attitudes, expectations, communication styles, and motivations. But when these differences are not understood or valued, they can lead to friction, misunderstandings, and disengagement. In this lively and practical session, we’ll explore what makes each generation tick, what unites them, and how Nursery Leaders can create a culture that harnesses the strengths of all.

The Child in the NOW model, a relational approach that places children’s present experiences at the heart of early education. Dr Aaron Bradbury will unpack how this model challenges traditional notion ...

Inclusion is the current focus of the government - enabling as many children as possible to get the right support in the mainstream. However, in many cases the focus of supporting children with SEND is on accessing specialist support and navigating systems and processes that lead to that support. This session will look at what every educator can do to build high quality inclusive practice – which is the true foundation of inclusion before any specialist support is accessed.

The UK throws away 10 million single-use nappies every day - a plastic waste crisis that costs the early years sector millions in disposal fees and leaves a lasting environmental legacy. But what if nurseries could be the catalyst for systemic change? Join this expert panel as we explore practical, real-world solutions to the nappy waste problem and discover how your setting can become a pioneer in the circular economy.

To centre a child in their own learning may seem an obvious idea, but historically this has rarely been the norm – particularly for children with learning differences or disabilities, or for children whose families are from marginalised communities or cultures. Stephen Kilgour, a SEND education adviser and former deputy head of Cherry Garden, a school for children with complex learning differences, has been developing more progressive, child-centred approaches to assessment for some time.

In this session, Stephen Kilgour and Emma Pinnock, SEND consultant and Former head of an autism resource base, will make the case for why child-centred assessment is an essential need, and not just a ‘nice to have’. Together, they will explore how child-centred learning begins with understanding each child’s unique mode of learning, so that educators can meaningfully expand and enrich the child’s experiences, development and potential.

Stephen will discuss how Cherry Garden created its own child-centred assessment system, sharing insights from the school’s journey and practical steps for implementation. Emma Pinnock will highlight how child-led learning is supported through careful observation and by thinking beyond the linear boxes of traditional learning, encouraging practitioners to recognise and nurture the diverse ways children show understanding, curiosity and growth.

Good quality CPD is more than a one-off training day — it is sustained, evidence-informed learning that changes practice and strengthens children’s experiences. This talk explores what research suggests professional development should include. We will consider how to structure CPD so it is purposeful and manageable, including ways to build it into everyday routines and improvement planning. The session will also offer practical tips for choosing the right CPD trainer, coach, or mentor, with a focus on credibility, cultural competence, and impact.

This presentation offers an inclusive framework for embedding anti-racist principles across educational settings from early years to higher education. Delivered through three progressive zones of engagement, the session meets participants where they are in their journey:

• The Basic Zone introduces foundational concepts for those beginning to explore racism in education, fostering greater awareness and reflection.
• The Learning Zone supports active allies who are already practicing non-racist behaviours and are ready to deepen their commitment to anti-racist practice.
• The Growth Zone empowers senior leaders and stakeholders to drive systemic change and influence anti-racist conduct at an organisational level.

The presentation is designed to challenge, inspire and equip all practitioners with the tools to create inclusive and equitable learning environments.

Research into the sense of touch has focussed mainly on the fingertips where information is conveyed to somatosensory areas of the brain by fast-conducting myelinated nerve fibres (A-β) enabling this ...

Supporting SEND Every Day explores practical, inclusive strategies to help early years practitioners meet the needs of children with SEND through everyday practice and provision. Drawing on real classroom experience, this session focuses on planning for individual next steps, making the most of provision and interactions, and creating language-rich environments through modelling, Makaton and communication-focused strategies. Attendees will leave with realistic, developmentally appropriate approaches to supporting all children to thrive.

Adding carefully thought-out enhancements to the continuous provision can enable children to deepen their interests and fascinations, or they can add inspiration to take their play in new directions. Enhancements can also push children forwards in their learning and development by creating opportunities to apply taught skills independently. Amy Jackson will summarise key aspects from her Nursery World series, ‘An A-Z of Enhancements,’ including ideas for using recycled materials, and adding enhancements that facilitate communication skills. There will be examples from her EYFS provision at Ormiston Herman Academy, the 2025 winner of ‘Early Years in Schools’ Nursery World Award.

The number of children described as having 'Special Educational Needs' in the early years is rising fast. Research by Dingley's Promise, the national organisation that supports children in the early years with special educational needs and disabilities, found that

• Around 8 in 10 settings report a significant rise
• More than half state they have 'no more places' for children with SEND

In this session, Julian will outline the findings of research in this area and suggest that we need new thinking to meet this challenge. The session will include practical suggestions for developing a more inclusive approach to early education and childcare.

 

The structure of the presentation will be in two parts -'The why', making an impassioned plea of the science and theory that highlights the benefit of the outdoors for young children. The presentation will then pivot to 'the how' by sharing Cameron's story of how he guided the development of a two-acre grass field into a dynamic utopia now affectionately known as the 'Field of Dreams'. He will share the story of how the space was co-designed with children and supported by a shared vision of parents, staff, and the wider community who have literally planted, built, and re-built the space over a decade to create the amazing play space that is there now.

While many discussions about men in early years focus on recruitment, few address the real dangers and challenges they face once they’re in the sector. From malicious accusations to online abuse, and from public suspicion to professional prejudice, male early years teachers often find themselves vulnerable in ways that are rarely acknowledged. Why is it that professionals and parents feel so comfortable discriminating against men in early years, often openly, and without a second thought

This panel opens an honest conversation about what it really means to support men in early years, not just to invite them in, but to protect them once they’re here. We’ll explore how language, culture, and policy can either create risk or create safety, and ask: How do we make early years a safe place for everyone, including men?

In this talk, Zoë will be sharing insights she has gained as a neurodivergent educator in order to better support the autistic children with whom she works on a daily basis. Beginning with an insight into autistic neurology and why the autistic experience is often a very heightened one (with the world “turned up to 11”), she will then be speaking about supporting sensory challenges and delights (including how to carry out a sensory audit of your setting), comprehending autistic play and speaking/non-speaking communication, and understanding and supporting autistic children’s need to stim (self-stimulate through repeated actions or sensory experiences).

Food refusal is common in the early years, but for practitioners and families it can feel particularly challenging and often worrying. In this 30-minute session, Early Years Nutritionist Catherine Lippe, RNutr, unpacks the key causes of food refusal, clarifies when picky eating becomes a ‘problem’ and outlines practical ways to manage food refusal within your setting. You’ll leave with clear, evidence-based strategies to build children’s confidence with food and create a calm, positive mealtime experience for everyone.

This presentation outlines how our ‘racing to read’ and ‘catch-up’ culture within schools and some early years settings in England detrimentally influences educators’ pedagogy with under-twos. This de ...

A loving and nurturing pedagogy underpins our day-to-day interactions with children and forms part of a relational approach. It includes putting the needs of our children first, holding our children in mind, using positive touch and nurturing their development.  In this talk Tamsin will share why this pedagogical approach is vital whilst also exploring the practical ways that a loving pedagogy is embedded within practice, including speaking love languages with children. 

The future our children face will demand more than rote knowledge — it will require creativity, critical thinking, resilience, and collaboration. Yet too often, early years provision narrows to school-readiness checklists, missing the opportunity to develop the dispositions that matter most.

This talk introduces Playoneering — an approach that combines the Learning Power Approach (developing learning dispositions like resilience, collaboration, and curiosity) with the Reggio Emilia principles of child-led enquiry, environment as third teacher, and making thinking visible. The result is a pedagogy of playful rigour, where cognitive challenge and joy coexist.

Through research, real-world examples, and case studies from my own settings, I will explore how to:

• Move from “preparing children for school” to preparing them for life
• Embed enquiry-led learning and thinking routines into everyday play
• Create environments that provoke collaboration, perspective-taking, and problem-solving
• Grow children’s capacity to think deeply, explore bravely, and learn how to learn

True inclusion isn’t something we do, it’s who we are. Yet in many early years settings, inclusion still sits on the margins: a policy, a plan, or a person responsible for “SEND.” This session challenges that mindset and invites early years leaders and practitioners to move from add-on to all-in, embedding inclusion as the heartbeat of their practice.

Grounded in a neurodiversity-affirming approach, this seminar explores what it really means to create a culture of belonging, where every child and every educator feels seen, valued, and safe to be themselves. Participants will reflect on how everyday language, expectations, and routines can either reinforce difference or celebrate it and will leave with practical, sustainable strategies to build authentic, affirming inclusion from the inside out.

This session supports confident, informed investment in outdoor environments. Award winning landscape architects Adam White and Andree Davies join Clare Devlin education consultant and Community Playthings in a panel discussion on strategic design of outdoor learning spaces. This conversation will focus on how to move from vision to delivery of biodiverse learning environments that nurture wellbeing and development in early years and beyond. 

Exploring and understanding how and why Physical Education should belong in the Early Years and how you can implement it in your setting.

1 in 4 children are starting school in nappies. The impact on children, families and schools is huge. The early years workforce need to collaborate and identify ways to reverse this trend. Aswell as i ...

This session shares original findings from a PhD study exploring early years leadership in the PVI sector through narrative inquiry. Drawing on the lived experiences of leaders working across a variety of settings, the research challenges traditional, hierarchical models of leadership by centring the voices of those so often excluded from policy, research, and professional discourse.

The stories of leaders will be disseminated, revealing how they navigate structural inequalities, professional silencing, challenging roles with little external support and ethical tensions, particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19. It invites attendees to reflect on whose voices are valued in our sector, how leadership is defined, and what it means to lead with care and relational integrity.

Designed for practitioners, managers, and policy influencers, this session offers both critical insight and reflection, encouraging a reimagining of leadership that is inclusive, ethical, and grounded in the realities of early years practice.

 

Families need better and more affordable care at both ends of the age spectrum. Bringing older and young people together through intergenerational care makes social and economic sense. The benefits ar ...

The importance of early education has gained recognition in many African countries. But delivering provision is difficult for numerous reasons, with climate change posing new challenges for the education profession, children and parents. This session will focus on the situation in Zimbabwe – a country once reputed as having the best education system in Africa – as well as comparing other African nations.

This presentation explores how supporting neurodivergent practitioners transforms early years settings. Through lived autistic experience, I’ll share real challenges and practical strategies for adapt ...

The DfE's 'Best Start in Life' strategy is committed to ensuring that effective and impactful EYFS provision drives the agenda to 'close the attainment gap' between children, and in particular mitigate the effects of disadvantage. This ambitious - yet achievable - aspiration will require all educators to reflect on how their practice enables equity and ensures that it supports and empowers the children who need it most. 

The Coram Hempsall's 'Moving the Box Project' is currently working with a number of LAs across the country to identify and address obstacles to children's success. This session will review the interim impact and findings from this project and explore how this has changed trajectories for individual children.

 

At a time where we seek to inspire, encourage and recruit new graduates to the wider education sector, we must find ways to support and guide individual growth and both personal and professional development. Too often this translates to solely statutory training and compulsory skills evaluation in isolation - but what if a community of supportive and experienced voices were on offer instead? Many newly qualified professionals moving into the Early Years sector could benefit from a refreshing discussion about the value of a pedagogy, or a philosophy, or a set of values and ethos, that they can remain true to, as a backbone of support for their professional practice. We remain acutely aware that many people entering the industry with a generic training qualification have very limited opportunity to really, truly engage in understanding the value of a committed pedagogy. This has a wider, lesser acknowledged implication, which often seems to manifest as a barrier to career longevity, and the on-going retention issues discussed across the sector. In addition, focus on a deep commitment to pedagogy, begins to address the presence of workforce well-being, feelings of community and supportive practice, and ultimately advance the holistic approach to educational provision.

Unpredictable environments can disrupt healthy development, while predictable environments support positive outcomes, particularly in the first five years of life. This reflects how the brain functions as a prediction system, constantly forming expectations about the world. When experiences align with those expectations, stress and cognitive load decrease, allowing children to focus, engage, and learn more effectively. This helps explain why young children are naturally drawn to predictable patterns in their environment.

Building on this understanding, this session explores how predictable teaching strategies can reduce stress, improve attention, and support learning in early childhood classrooms. The focus is on mathematics, where early disadvantage often leads to long-term attainment gaps. Because early maths performance strongly predicts later academic success and life outcomes, creating predictable, supportive learning environments in the early years is crucial for narrowing these gaps and giving children the best possible start.

The government’s Best Start in Life (BSiL) strategy is a key part of its early years agenda, closely tied to achieving the Good Level of Development milestone. While the initiative has sparked mixed o ...