Babies and beyond: discover the power of the first 1001 days

In the early years sector, we recognise that what happens during a child’s formative years impacts not only their early development, but their outcomes far into their future. The first 1001 days – from conception to a child’s second birthday – are a period of rapid growth and development. During this time, a child’s brain forms over one million new neural connections every second. From building strong early attachments and having positive interactions from responsive adults, to being curious and confident to discover the world around them, these early experiences lay the foundation for future learning, behaviour, and health.

The role of educators working with children birth to two years can often be overlooked and branded as solely ‘care giving’ and not as ‘educating’. But we know that is not the case.

That is why we are so excited to share with you that our next in-person Alliance Connect Roadshow is dedicated to celebrating our youngest children – from babies and beyond – and the vital role that you play as educators supporting this critical early development. Your dedication, knowledge, and care help build strong foundations for lifelong learning and wellbeing. This event is a celebration of your commitment and a chance to further empower yourself with the latest research and best practice in the field.

Attendees will take part in inspiring and interactive workshops led by our team of Alliance early years experts, which will focus on a key topic relating to caring for, and educating, our youngest children.

The event will also include inspirational keynote speakers, Alliance CEO Neil Leitch, and child psychologist in five series of the multi-award-winning Channel 4 show The Secret Life of 4 and 5-Year-Olds, Professor Sam Wass of Baby Development Lab at University of East London.

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to enrich your professional journey and make a lasting impact on the children you care for.

Together, let’s nurture the potential of every child from the very beginning.

Keynote speaker: Professor Sam Wass, Baby Development Lab, University of East London

A blooming buzzing confusion – understanding recent neuroscience findings into how young brains develop and how young children experience the world differently to adults.

Professor Sam Wass studied at Oxford, London, and Cambridge, and currently runs the Baby Dev Lab at the University of East London. Sam’s research is funded by Research Councils UK, the European Research Council, and Medical Research Council and many others to research how early life stress develops, and how stress influences attention and learning in typical and atypically developing children (including ADHD, ASD, anxiety and others). He is also a cofounder of Nest Kids, which provides education and support services for Early Years, and works with commercial organisations including Melissa & Doug, Disney+ and LEGO. He has fronted press campaigns promoting awareness about early child development for Public Health England and (currently) the Department of Education, and he appears regularly in the media as an expert in child development, including as an on-screen child psychologist in five series of the multi-award-winning Channel 4 show The Secret Life of 4 and 5-Year-Olds.

As part of this exciting day, attendees will have the opportunity to attend both of our practical connect sessions:

1. Storytelling – Sharing stories and rhymes to support early language: where will the adventure take us?

Alison Heseltine

This is a session dedicated to the joy of storytelling and rhymes, and how early years educators can use these to support children’s early communication and language. Together we will take a storytelling journey into makebelieve worlds and discuss how we can develop supportive and practical approaches to engage children to become story tellers building their confidence and mastery of language.

Attendees will be immersed into a world of imagination and have the chance to become a storyteller themselves, where the only limit is that of their own creativity. We will be bringing out our inner child participating in silly rhymes and tongue twisters, whilst exploring the joy of sounds and words.

All of this fun will be tied together with the key message around why it is important to support early communication, our role in that within early years and how we extend this to the home learning environment, so the joy of stories and rhymes is spread far and wide

2. Outdoor learning for under-twos

Ruth Richardson

We often think about the outdoors being a place for children to run around and be physically active, but where does this leave our youngest children that are not yet as mobile? The outdoors has so much to offer children of all ages and we shouldn’t forget about the babies and toddlers.

This session will outline the many benefits of being outdoors for children birth to two years, and consider ways to overcome challenges and barriers that early years providers, and families, face in ensuring that our youngest children are given the same opportunities to explore the outdoors. We will consider how to create an enabling outdoor environment for our youngest children, and how to utilise what nature has to offer us when planning for the prime areas of learning.

TTS will be there with a range of resources that will relate to ‘The Power of Play’ spotlight collection.

9.45am- 10am: Refreshments
10am - 10.10am: Introductions and host for the day – Alison Heseltine
10.10am - 10.50am Opening – Neil Leitch CEO
10.50am - 11.15am: Refreshments and networking
11.15am - 12.45pm: Keynote Speaker: Professor Sam Wass, Baby Development Lab, University of East London
12.45pm - 1.30pm: Lunch and networking
1.30pm - 2.20pm: Workshop
2.25pm - 3.15pm: Workshop
3.15pm - 3.30pm: Refreshment break
3.30pm - 4pm: Closing session: The power of play – Richard Knight

The day will close with a raffle draw where delegates have the chance to win a Metallic Collection Basket, worth £167.99, kindly provided by Roadshow sponsors and Alliance partners TTS.

Book your place today at bit.ly/ConnectRoadshow-24