What support will look like:

If your setting is selected for the programme, you will be matched with an experienced Early Years Stronger Practice Adviser who will work alongside you to:

• identify areas for development

• provide practical coaching and guidance

• help address challenges quickly and effectively

• support sustainable improvements across your setting

• improve outcomes for children

• Group based settings will receive a minimum of 3 days support over 1 term in person

• Childminders will receive support as part of a small cluster, with up to 4 days support over one term, this may be delivered in person or online

  
  

Who can receive support?

Support is available to settings and childminders:

• Who have received an Ofsted grade of 'Needs Attention ' or 'Urgent Improvement'

• With children eligible in receipt of Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

• Supporting children accessing the Early Learning for 2-year-olds funding offer

• Supporting children with SEND

A supportive, collaborative approach

Delivered through the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs, the programme is designed to be supportive, practical and responsive to the individual needs of your setting.

Working alongside you to build confidence, strengthen practice and give every child the best possible start.

currently the manager of a school-based nursery on the east coast of Norfolk. Throughout

my career I have gained experience from working in both private nurseries and school-based

settings, supporting children aged 0-5 years and their families. I have also had the pleasure

of being a nanny for a family with twins. I am delighted to be joining the team at Elevate as

an Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Advisor. I am excited to have the opportunity to be out

and about across Norfolk and Suffolk, supporting leaders and practitioners within their

settings to further develop their practice.

I truly believe that working in Early Years is a privilege, and that as practitioners we have a

responsibility to give our children the best start in life. I am particularly interested in child

development; wellbeing and creating environments where children thrive. I am passionate

about the importance of relationships within Early Years. I believe wholeheartedly in play-

based learning and the importance of high-quality interactions between children and adults.

I really enjoy the coaching and mentoring aspect of my role as a nursery manager and hope

that as an EYSPHA for Elevate I can connect with professionals and support them to feel

empowered and inspired to build on their ideas and visions, using evidence-based research

to achieve their goals.

I am definitely an outside the box thinker, approaching challenges creatively but with a critical and evidence informed eye. My favourite question is always “well why not?”. I love a challenge and finding new ways to do things.

My particular passions are in staff development and supporting educators to be the best teachers they can be. This could be looking at interactional quality, supporting deep teaching and play or looking at how we can remove barriers to allow educators to get back to teaching.

I thrive working with new people and I’m really looking forward in this role to develop that professional dialogue with other settings. I like being able to support people on their improvement journey even if just to facilitate discussion about new ideas and ways of thinking, all to bring about better outcomes for children.

It is my role to coordinate the programme, liaising with the DFE, SCC and NCC and supporting the EYSPA's in their role.

If you have any questions about the programme please contact me on diane.armstrong@highfieldchildrenscentre.org