EVENT

Thursday 30 March, 9.15am-4pm, Park Plaza Hotel, Leeds (directly opposite Leeds Station)

Join us for a day devoted to improving outcomes for the children and families attending your early years provision.

Join us for a whole day devoted to improving outcomes for the children and families attending your early years provision. Our intent is to inspire best practice, we hope to support you to implement the days learning and enable you to make an impact to the children you educate and care for.

The Connect Roadshow is being delivered by our team of Alliance early years experts, alongside inspirational TEDx speaker and SEND campaigner Elly Chapple. We’re also delighted to be joined by one of Britain’s best loved children’s authors and poets, Michael Rosen. We will be providing each attendee with a free signed copy of one of his books during the event.

Agenda

9.15am Refreshments and networking

10am Neil Leitch, Alliance CEO

10.20am Michael Freeston, Alliance director of quality improvement – Michael will explore the vital role of the value of the Home Learning Environment, outlining the evidence on how vital the support provided to children in their home is to their early learning and development and why this should be a key element of education and family policy.

11am Elly Chapple, parent and SEND campaigner – the TEDx speaker will discuss her #flipthenarrative campaign, founded to help change attitudes about disability after her eldest daughter Ella eldest daughter lost her eyesight at age seven, and emphasise the importance of focusing on what children with SEND can do and not what they can’t.

12 noon Lunch and networking

1.15pm Breakout rooms – delegates can choose from one of the four following practical seminars:

• Connect one: Supporting families who speak English as an additional language – Sharon Bond, lead early help advisor and Louise Campbell White, early help advisor This session will delve into the challenges and opportunities that children who speak English as an additional language face, outlining effective support and drawing on recent research to help ensure children who speak EAL thrive in early years settings.
  
  
• Connect two: Building children’s resilience – Tracey Hobbs, early years development manager Join us for this interactive session where we will look at the the importance of building resilience and identify ways to provide positive opportunities for our children to learn to cope with, and adapt to, any difficulties that they may face in their lives.
  
  
• Connect three: Hearing the voice of the child – Julie Pearson, early years development manager During this session, we will reflect upon the numerous ways in which children express themselves and the role of the key person in hearing each unique child’s voice to build self-esteem and confidence. We will explore some of the barriers to hearing the voice of the child and consider how they can be overcome. Finally, we will discuss the important role of hearing the child’s voice within safeguarding and what can be done to ensure this is at the forefront of all early years practice.
  
  
• Connect four: Empowering families to support children’s learning – Richard Knight, early years development manager Parents are the first and most important educators in their child’s life. As professionals we know this, but how do we help families to understand and believe the influence they have? Join us for this interactive workshop where we will:
  – explore ways that parents and carers can have a significant positive impact on a child’s learning and development
  – look at ways to work alongside the family to support the pace and quality of children’s developmental progress
  – identify how whole family learning gives parents and carers the skills to continue learning in the home
  – celebrate the home learning environment