Do you need a fresh pair of eyes to work with members of your senior leadership team, helping evaluate and further develop your provision for EYFS?
Sue Richardson, Headteacher, Preston Primary, Stockton on Tees
"As a school we began working with Kym in 2017. Her perfect mix of hard work, an eagle eye and amazing sense of humour was just what we needed. Two teaching and environment audits and two training courses later, and a lot of hard work by staff- the EYs is a different place. Thank you Kym for all of the help and support in transforming the very beginnings of the education journey for our children’".
Julie Scoones, Assistant Headteacher, The Hythe Primary School, Staines
"We first met Kym when she spoke at an EY conference. She was inspirational. We decided there and then that her vision for EY practice was exactly what we were looking for to raise standards in our school. Kym has now visited our school on several occasions and has successfully inspired and motivated teachers and LSAs. The shift in practice and improvement in outcomes for our children was almost immediate. Her approach is utterly supportive and she gets results by creating a challenging but safe climate for improving practice.
Kym is a generous mentor with a wealth of experience and understands just how young children learn."
Single Day Consultancy
I offer a range of options for consultancy, which I am happy to discuss with you. Most popular are:
- General support with evaluating and improving quality.
- Leadership support – customised mentoring/coaching sessions sessions to support any aspect of early years leadership
- Support to carry out a review of practice in a particular area, to establish strengths and next steps for improvement
- In-class coaching and discussions with staff members
- Support with planning and assessment processes
- Whole staff team training – in person, pre-recorded, or live webinar
- Cluster event – hosted by you, with other local practitioners invited to share the cost
- External adviser support for Headteacher appraisal - Nursery Schools only.
Online Consultation Services
In light of the recent happenings in the world, I now offer online consultation. These sessions are offered on Zoom or software to suit you, and are as power packed and effective as an in-person visit.
Need some more intensive work carried out?
The Plan, Do, Review Package is for you
The Plan, Do, Review Consultancy Package
(3 - 5 days/sessions, depending on requirements)
This 3-5 day consultancy package offers a discounted rate on my daily fee and has proven to be my most successful way of impacting on quality and outcomes for children.
It can be provided in person or online, and is completely bespoke and flexible, designed in collaboration with the school or setting to ensure that specific needs are met.
It will usually consist of time spent evaluating current practice, establishing priorities and highlighting areas for action. Support is then given to achieve these actions - this may be in the form of coaching, training, and/or mentoring. Support will also be given with the monitoring process, to help leaders to ensure that actions are achieved and sustained.
The impact of my work is most sustainable when senior leaders get involved. Headteachers I work alongside frequently report an increase in their own knowledge and confidence in leading this unique stage of education.
An example of a 3 day Plan, Do, Review schedule
Day 1
Time spent in school informally observing practice and provision, in order to ascertain the precise next steps for improvement and how best to support these. This is usually done in partnership with a senior leader such as the Head or EYFS leader, and a plan of action drawn up, as well as on the spot advice given and individual conversations had with staff if required.
Day 2
This visit usually takes place within a few weeks of the initial visit and will often involve some kind of input for members of the the team, such as a training session, as well as working alongside the Early Years Lead to support the next stage of development.
Day 3
Usually involves a review of the impact so far and an opportunity to agree next steps and best ways for achieving these. It generally works well if this takes place 8 - 12 weeks on from the initial visit, as this provides a good deadline for staff to work to.
In addition:
Where a 5 day package is booked, the additional days will usually be used to continue reviewing developments and agreeing next steps and may also focus on one or more of the following aspects:
- staff training
- in-class coaching
- mentoring the EYs Lead
- reviewing assessment systems
- curriculum development
- establishing monitoring and evaluation systems
About Me
I have spent much of my career teaching and advising in Lewisham, an inner London local authority, with high levels of deprivation. During my time as a leader of the early years team there, outcomes for children at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage rose steadily to become the highest in the country. These high outcomes have been sustained over many years, and children at risk of educational disadvantage continue to achieve particularly well in Lewisham.
I have retained a personal interest in working with schools and nurseries in challenging circumstances, and in helping them to ensure that all children make the progress of which they are capable, regardless of background.
Ludovic Bernard, Head of Primary, International School Of Bearn, France
"We learnt so much from your visit - it was both inspiring and motivating. It has helped us to pinpoint key areas of development within the structure of the school and to focus on the essentials; how we can best create an environment for younger children which enables them to flourish and learn to their full potential. I also thank you on a personal note for giving me excellent guidance at a management level."
Maeve Birdsall, EYs Leader, Oakwood EYs Unit, Co-op Academy Oakwwod
"Kym's Place to Learn sessions have been invaluable both for my own practice and for the support they have given me in my role as early years leader. The training has provoked many discussions and opportunities for us to reflect as a team, enabling us to question what we do, how we do it and why we do what we do. Kym's absolute passion for and knowledge about young children and how they learn, shines through at every level. The video clips are carefully chosen and are a wonderful and engaging way of bringing the training to life. I am eagerly awaiting the next module!"
Abi Slade, Headteacher, West Hill School, Surrey
"We have been working with Kym here for four years as we developed our new primary provision. Kym enabled us to feel confident as we embarked on developing our new school, enabling strategic planning to happen whilst offering in the moment practical hands on advice and guidance. She literally nurtures staff and enables them to flourish. Kym's work with our staff, either individually, or in small teams or as a whole group is always engaging, full of energy and we always leave knowing something more or asking ourselves questions. I know that our EY department continues to be seen as a strength of our school, in external reviews and moderation visits, with a child centred playful approach to learning. Kym's supportive challenge helps us drive forward for continual improvement and we are always inspired each and every time we work with her."