GovWire

Overview

Early years stronger practice hubs will provide advice, share good practice, and offer evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners.

The hubs are part of the early years education recovery support package which also includes the early years experts and mentors programme.

Early years stronger practice hubs are distributed across England. We have an ambition of 2 hubs in each of the 9 government office regions (18 in total).

Our final selection round is underway. We are looking for 6 new hubs one in each of the following regions:

• East Midlands
• East of England
• London
• North East
• North West
• Yorkshire and the Humber

The early years stronger practice hubs programme is supported by the Education Endowment Foundation and the National Childrens Bureau.

Whats involved

Early years stronger practice hubs will be funded for 2 years, until late 2024.

They will support other nurseries and childminders in their area to adopt evidence-based practice improvements, by:

• establishing local networks of early years educators to share knowledge and effective practice
• proactively sharing information and advice on evidence-based approaches - for example, through newsletters, blogs and social media
• acting as a point of contact for bespoke advice, and signposting to other funded support
• working with the Education Endowment Foundation to select evidence-based programmes to fund and make available to nurseries and childminders

More information about stronger practice hubs is available on the National Childrens Bureaus website.

Our privacy notice is also available, under Resources for download.

The hubs

The first round of applications for hubs closed on 23 September 2022. Hubs are made up of a lead group-based setting and up to 4 additional partners. Some hubs may add additional partners to their partnership.

Further details will be made available about how early years educators can access support from the hubs.

East Midlands

East Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Pen Green Centre

Partners:

• Kingswood Community Nursery
• Pen Green Centre (0-to-3 provision)
• Leona Smith (childminder)
• Charnwood Nursery and Pre-school

East of England

East of England Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Highfield Nursery School

Partners:

• Early Years @ Highfield
• Early Years @ Highfield, Whitehouse
• Wigwams Nursery
• The Oaks Primary School

London

Brighter Start: East Londons Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Sheringham Nursery School and Childrens Centre

Partners:

• St Barnabas Pre-school
• Honeys Childcare

North East

Northern Lights Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Benedict Biscop CE Academy (Northern Lights Learning Trust)

Partner:

• Sunningdale Special School

North West

Bright Futures North West Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Lime Tree Primary Academy (Bright Futures Educational Trust)

Partners:

• Wellfield Infant and Nursery School
• Stanley Grove Primary Academy (Bright Futures Educational Trust)
• Essa Primary Academy
• Kidstart Nursery, Manchester

South East

Thames Valley Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Blagdon Nursery School

Partners:

• Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children and Families
• Victoria Park Nursery School and Family Hub
• Maidenhead Nursery School
• Dingleys Promise

Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Discovery Day Nursery

Partners:

• Northfleet Nursery School
• Smarties Nursery
• Oaks Day Nursery
• Gemma Maclachlan (childminder)

South West

Bristol and Partners Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• St Pauls Nursery School and Childrens Centre

Partners:

• Redcliffe Nursery School
• Archfield House Nursery and Pre-school
• Millies Garden
• Springboard Opportunity Group, Clevedon

EYE South West, Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Plym Bridge Nursery and Day Care

Partners:

• Ham Drive Nursery School and Day Care
• The Cabin
• Beckys Tiny Teddies

West Midlands

HEART - Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Bloomsbury Nursery School

Partner:

• Castle Vale Nursery School
• Weoley Castle Nursery School
• Adderley Nursery School
• Norton Hall Children and Family Centre

Thrive Together Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• Ryders Hayes School (Ryders Hayes Academy Trust)

Partners:

• Fullbrook Maintained Nursery School
• Abu Bakr Day Nursery
• Kiddies Playhouse

Yorkshire and the Humber

St Edmunds Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Lead:

• St Edmunds Nursery School

Partners:

• Childrens Place Day Nursery, Dewsbury
• Dixons Allerton Academy
• Belinda OHare (Childminder)
• Co-op Academy Delius

Contact

Email any questions you have about the programme to the National Childrens Bureaus stronger practice hubs team at sph@ncb.org.uk.