Early years stronger practice hubs: an overview

With early years stronger practice hubs being set up across the UK, what professional development are they offering early years practitioners?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on gov.uk

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.

With the first 13 hubs identified across England in November 2022, the government aims to have two hubs in each region – 18 hubs in total. Early years stronger practice hubs will be funded for two years until late 2024 and will support other nurseries and childminders in their areas 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.

Hubs are made up of a lead group-based setting and up to four additional partners. Some hubs may add additional partners to their partnership. The first round of applications for hubs closed on 23 September 2022, and further details will be made available about how early years educators can access support from the hubs.