On the road with Alliance Connect

The focus of our first Alliance Connect Roadshow was on how early years providers can make a difference to the children and families in our lives. As well as expert members of the Alliance team, we were thrilled to be joined by campaigner Elly Chapple and children’s author Michael Rosen. For many attendees, this was the first Alliance event they had attended in person, or the first in-person event they had been to, since the start of the pandemic. It was great to see so many faces at a sell-out event.

Alliance CEO Neil Leitch started the day with a very moving speech about the positive and negative impact that one person can have on a child’s life, using some of his own lived experiences. He also shared an overview of the current state of the early years sector.

Next, Alliance director of quality improvement Michael Freeston spoke about the value of the home learning environment. He shared some surprising data about the impact learning experiences can have on children at different stages of their childhood. Rosie Gasson, from the 50 Things to do before you’re Five group in Bradford said: “It was good to see visuals, hear statistics and theories, and have open discussions around this topic.”

Then attendees heard from campaigner Elly Chapple about her first-hand experience of raising a child with SEND. She explained why she believes educators should focus on the things that children can do and the things we all have in common. “Human is a label that we all share – If you step in my shoes and take a walk with me, you will see that we are not that different after all. Because I am human, just like you,” she said. Elly also shared powerful stories about her daughter, who is deafblind, and explained how she learned to make sense of the world around her and the way she learns.

Attendees were then given a choice of break-out sessions to attend, which all covered separate early years themes, delivered by Alliance experts. The day then finished with an inspirational speech from children’s author Michael Rosen. He spoke about the importance of rhymes, rhythm and storytelling and why creative play with words is so vital for children. He had the room in fits of laughter with his poems.

Overall, the day was a roaring success and we can’t wait to take our Alliance Connect sessions on the road again!