Perfect, lovely! xoxo Here’s a fully detailed UK EYFS Weekend of Early Years Excellence program, mirroring the Australian version but aligned to EYFS statutory framework. Each session includes focus, toolkits, learning outcomes, practical strategies, experiences, resources, conversations, family support, documentation, and critical reflection.
Weekend of Early Childhood Excellence – UK EYFS Edition📅 Saturday: 9:00 – 5:00 (1 hr lunch)
🍷 Evening: 6:30 – 8:00 Wine & Wellness
📅 Sunday: 9:00 – 4:00 (1 hr lunch)
SaturdaySession 1 (9:00 – 10:30) | Children’s Voices & AgencyFocus: EYFS: Personal, Social & Emotional Development (PSED); Communication & Language; Children’s Voice and Choice
Session 2 (10:45 – 12:15) | Environments that Spark CuriosityFocus: EYFS: Understanding the World; Physical Development; Learning Environment Design
Session 3 (1:15 – 2:45) | Attachment, Erikson & Circle of SecurityFocus: EYFS: PSED; Supporting Secure Relationships
Session 4 (3:00 – 4:30) | Play-Based Pedagogy in ActionFocus: EYFS: All Areas; Learning Through Play
Evening 6:30 – 8:00 | Wine & Wellness
SundaySession 5 (9:00 – 10:30) | Active Supervision & Respectful RelationshipsFocus: EYFS: Safeguarding & PSED
Session 6 (10:45 – 12:15) | Intentional TeachingFocus: EYFS: All Areas; Extending Learning Intentionally
Session 7 (1:15 – 2:45) | Nature & Wellbeing for Children and EducatorsFocus: EYFS: PSED; Physical Development; Understanding the World
Session 8 (3:00 – 4:00) | Documentation that MattersFocus: EYFS: All Areas; Observation & Assessment
If you like, I can also create a separate “plug-and-play session pack” for UK educators, where each session has ready-to-use checklists, example floorbook entries, interview questions, learning stories, and 30+ immediately implementable activities, so trainers can deliver straight from the pack.
Do you want me to do that next? xoxo
Weekend of Early Childhood Excellence – UK EYFS Edition📅 Saturday: 9:00 – 5:00 (1 hr lunch)
🍷 Evening: 6:30 – 8:00 Wine & Wellness
📅 Sunday: 9:00 – 4:00 (1 hr lunch)
SaturdaySession 1 (9:00 – 10:30) | Children’s Voices & AgencyFocus: EYFS: Personal, Social & Emotional Development (PSED); Communication & Language; Children’s Voice and Choice
- Educator Toolkit: 30+ immediately implementable strategies to support decision-making, choice boards, scaffolding conversations, role-play prompts
- Director Toolkit: Policies embedding child voice, reflective supervision for staff, leadership strategies to support autonomy
- Learning Outcomes: Children feel valued, confident, and develop independence
- Practical Strategies & Examples: Morning meetings, voting on activities, project-based decisions
- Experiences to Implement: Peer mentoring, child-led storytelling, group problem-solving
- Toys & Resources Needed: Puppets, clipboards, photos, digital recorders
- Conversations with Children: “What would you like to explore today?” “How can we do this together?”
- Conversations with Families: Sharing strategies for home decision-making, empowering children’s voices
- Resources for Families: Child-friendly goal charts, discussion prompts
- Documentation: Floorbooks, learning stories, observational notes
- Critical Reflection: How are children’s voices genuinely embedded versus tokenistic?
Session 2 (10:45 – 12:15) | Environments that Spark CuriosityFocus: EYFS: Understanding the World; Physical Development; Learning Environment Design
- Educator Toolkit: 30+ curiosity-led provocations, loose parts play, integrating nature, rotating resources
- Director Toolkit: Resourcing sustainably, professional development on learning spaces
- Learning Outcomes: Children engage in inquiry, problem-solving, and exploration
- Practical Strategies & Examples: Sensory tables, treasure baskets, science stations
- Experiences to Implement: Art corners, building challenges, observation activities
- Toys & Resources Needed: Natural materials, shells, blocks, magnifying glasses
- Conversations with Children: “What do you notice?” “What could happen if…?”
- Conversations with Families: How to enrich environments at home, importance of play-rich spaces
- Resources for Families: DIY curiosity boxes, loose parts starter list
- Documentation: Annotated photos, inquiry journals
- Critical Reflection: Is our environment intentional in fostering exploration and creativity?
Session 3 (1:15 – 2:45) | Attachment, Erikson & Circle of SecurityFocus: EYFS: PSED; Supporting Secure Relationships
- Educator Toolkit: Attachment-based strategies, responsive caregiving, CoS language, emotional literacy activities
- Director Toolkit: Embedding attachment-informed practices, reflective supervision, staff coaching
- Learning Outcomes: Children feel secure, supported, resilient
- Practical Strategies & Examples: Transition rituals, emotional check-ins, family photos in spaces
- Experiences to Implement: Comfort routines, nurturing play, guided peer support
- Toys & Resources Needed: Comfort toys, visual emotion cards, storybooks
- Conversations with Children: “I’m here if you need me.” “How are you feeling today?”
- Conversations with Families: Explaining CoS, strategies to support secure attachments at home
- Resources for Families: CoS handouts, Erikson development stage guides
- Documentation: Behaviour journals, reflective notes, learning stories
- Critical Reflection: How do my experiences shape my responsiveness and attachment practices?
Session 4 (3:00 – 4:30) | Play-Based Pedagogy in ActionFocus: EYFS: All Areas; Learning Through Play
- Educator Toolkit: 30+ play provocations, scaffolding techniques, linking play to learning outcomes
- Director Toolkit: Embedding play-based pedagogy, mentoring, reflective supervision
- Learning Outcomes: Holistic development, joy in learning, active engagement
- Practical Strategies & Examples: Balancing child-led play with guided learning, integrating literacy/numeracy
- Experiences to Implement: Dramatic play, construction, open-ended art
- Toys & Resources Needed: Dress-ups, blocks, art materials
- Conversations with Children: “Tell me about your story or building project”
- Conversations with Families: Explaining benefits of play for learning and development
- Resources for Families: “Play at Home” activity cards, suggestions for simple activities
- Documentation: Photos, learning stories, observational notes
- Critical Reflection: Do we value play equally to structured learning?
Evening 6:30 – 8:00 | Wine & Wellness
- Focus: Educator self-care, wellbeing, resilience, reflective practice
- Experiences: Mindfulness exercises, gratitude journaling, group reflection, vision boards
- Resources for Families (optional takeaway): Family wellbeing tips, reflective prompts, resilience activities
SundaySession 5 (9:00 – 10:30) | Active Supervision & Respectful RelationshipsFocus: EYFS: Safeguarding & PSED
- Educator Toolkit: Positioning, scanning, engagement strategies, trust-building activities
- Director Toolkit: Supervision frameworks, risk assessments, staff training
- Learning Outcomes: Children feel safe, respected, and supported in autonomy
- Practical Strategies & Examples: Zoning, buddy systems, trust games
- Experiences to Implement: Safe risky play, group games, outdoor challenges
- Resources: Visual cues, outdoor markers, risk assessment tools
- Conversations with Children: “I’m here to keep you safe.”
- Conversations with Families: Reassuring families about supervision and respectful practice
- Resources for Families: Home safety checklists, tips on respectful communication
- Documentation: Supervision plans, incident logs, reflective notes
- Critical Reflection: Are we empowering children while maintaining safety?
Session 6 (10:45 – 12:15) | Intentional TeachingFocus: EYFS: All Areas; Extending Learning Intentionally
- Educator Toolkit: Open-ended questioning, extending curiosity, structured guidance in play
- Director Toolkit: Mentoring staff, embedding intentionality in curriculum planning
- Learning Outcomes: Children’s curiosity extended, learning outcomes targeted
- Practical Strategies & Examples: Science experiments, guided storytelling, inquiry projects
- Experiences to Implement: Predictions, collaborative problem-solving
- Resources: Science kits, inquiry cards, story prompts
- Conversations with Children: “What do you think will happen if…?”
- Conversations with Families: Encouraging curiosity and experimentation at home
- Resources for Families: “Curiosity Cards” for home learning
- Documentation: Planning notes, evidence portfolios, reflective journals
- Critical Reflection: How do we balance intentional teaching with child-led exploration?
Session 7 (1:15 – 2:45) | Nature & Wellbeing for Children and EducatorsFocus: EYFS: PSED; Physical Development; Understanding the World
- Educator Toolkit: Mindfulness activities, outdoor yoga, sensory nature walks, resilience strategies
- Director Toolkit: Staff wellbeing programs, nature-based curriculum policies
- Learning Outcomes: Children and staff develop resilience, calm, mindfulness
- Practical Strategies & Examples: Nature journaling, reflective walks, bush school practices
- Experiences to Implement: Yoga, breathing exercises, scavenger hunts
- Resources: Yoga mats, sensory bottles, nature baskets, natural loose parts
- Conversations with Children: “What do you notice outside?”
- Conversations with Families: Benefits of outdoor play and mindfulness
- Resources for Families: Nature play challenges, reflective walk guides
- Documentation: Wellbeing check-ins, mood charts, journals
- Critical Reflection: How do we model self-care for children effectively?
Session 8 (3:00 – 4:00) | Documentation that MattersFocus: EYFS: All Areas; Observation & Assessment
- Educator Toolkit: Example floorbooks, learning stories, running & anecdotal records, interview questions
- Director Toolkit: Ensuring authentic, balanced documentation; mentoring staff
- Learning Outcomes: Holistic, meaningful, evidence-informed documentation
- Practical Strategies & Examples: Co-created displays, group journals, observation templates
- Experiences to Implement: Child-led photo captions, reflective interviews
- Resources: Scrapbooks, apps, displays, voice recorders
- Conversations with Children: “What did you enjoy learning today?”
- Conversations with Families: Sharing records, co-reflection, two-way communication
- Resources for Families: Milestone templates, “What learning looks like” handouts
- Documentation: Portfolios, annotated floorbooks, reflective notes
- Critical Reflection: Does documentation serve children, families, and staff equally?
If you like, I can also create a separate “plug-and-play session pack” for UK educators, where each session has ready-to-use checklists, example floorbook entries, interview questions, learning stories, and 30+ immediately implementable activities, so trainers can deliver straight from the pack.
Do you want me to do that next? xoxo
