Resources to support quality practice

Webinar: Learning Environments that don't cost the earth: First steps towards sustainable learning environments 

This 30 minute introductory session is aimed at those who want to explore alternatives to purchasing plastic resources, those who have limited budgets and those who want to gain ideas for challenging play experiences using free, collected and low cost items in their settings and classrooms.

I was inspired to create this session after seeing photos online of new settings who have invested in lots of plastic, commercially produced resources. It reminded me that over 25 years ago I co-authored a book called “A Place to Learn”, with my colleagues at Lewisham Early Years Team. This publication, about creating a stimulating learning environment went on to sell tens of thousands of copies. It featured a significant amount of plastic in the accompanying photographs, alongside more natural resources. 

Since publication my thinking has moved on considerably and whilst I am certainly not against plastic resources per se, my work now focuses heavily on the challenge, joy and most importantly, the sustainability that comes from re-purposing unwanted items and using natural resources as part of a quality play-based learning space.

Free Quality Improvement Tools

Below are free tools that can be used to support whole-team professional development within a single school or setting.

Any of these documents may be shared and copied for use within your own setting, provided my name and contact details remain clearly visible. 

If you would like to use or share any materials more widely beyond your own organisation, please contact me first for permission.

Indoor and outdoor learning environment self-evaluation tools and action plan

• Useful for focusing thinking, supporting consistency and identifying strengths in existing provision as well as next steps to prioritise for development.
• Can be used in a variety of ways:
  • Individually as a reflective self-evaluation tool
  • With staff teams to support shared discussion and consistency
  • By leaders as part of monitoring, coaching or improvement planning
• Particularly helpful for encouraging deeper professional dialogue around how environments support engagement, independence, language, creativity and learning through play.
• The audit tools work well alongside the free webinar on this page 'Learning Environments that don't cost the earth: First steps towards sustainable learning environments' and my more in-depth courses on The Place to Learn, my professional learning platform.
   and walkthroughs of the environment to support more meaningful reflection.
• An accompanying action plan is included to help turn reflection into focused, manageable next steps and support longer-term development planning.

Birth to Five Matters

Birth to 5 Matters provides comprehensive guidance, drawing on previous guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which has been updated in order to reflect recent research, to meet the needs of practitioners, to respond to current issues in society, to meet the needs of children today and to lay a strong foundation for their futures.

Five years after its publication, Birth to 5 Matters – Guidance by the sector, for the sector is currently being reviewed and to ensure it is up to date and continues to meet the needs of the sector. The first draft of this is now ready to read.