The Early Years Advisory Team

The Early Years Advisory Team provides support and training for all Early Years practitioners including childminders and teachers, working in Westminster. 

What do we do?

The team includes Early Years Advisory Teachers, Childcare Development Officers and inclusion specialists.  We work as an integrated team, viewing learning and care as inseparable, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). All members of the Early Years team can provide support, advice, and training on children from birth until five years old. 

Examples of the type of support we provide include;

• Learning within the Early Years

• Ensuring inclusive practice

• Providing specialist advice for children with more complex additional needs

• Supporting and moderating assessment using the EYFS Profile for children at the end of their Reception year

• Ensuring effective transitions between and within settings and schools

• Working with childminders, as well as with settings:

• Ensuring the welfare requirements are met

• Working closely with families of children with additional needs

Contact us:

If you need support or advice from the Early Years Advisory Team, please contact the Family Information Service on 020 7641 7929 and ask to speak to someone in our team or email.

Early Years Training Programme

As part of our support to settings we provide a comprehensive training programme.  This includes training addressing specific statutory requirements, for example food hygiene; forums for particular groups of practitioners, e.g. Managers and EYFS Coordinators; and training to raise quality across the six areas of learning in the EYFS.  Our training programme is open to all practitioners working with children under 5, including those working in:

• Private and voluntary settings
• Independent and maintained schools and nurseries
• Children’s Centres
• Childminders

All training is now the responsibility of Westminster’s Workforce Development Commissioning Team.  All information and bookings can be made directly . Apply for courses here.

For further information; to be sent a hard copy of the training programme; to give feedback; or to request specific courses please contact Rosalind Millam, Workforce Development Commissioner for the Early Years.

Publications & Links

To find out general advice and the latest guidance for Early Years practitioners see:

Department for Education  www.dfe.gov.uk  The latest news and general information can be found under ‘Early Learning and Childcare’.

Ofsted www.ofsted.gov.uk  For further information regarding inspection and requirements for Early Years provision.

The following publications have been specifically requested by practitioners and are available to download here for your convenience.

If you would like any other publications to be available here please contact the Family Information Service on 020 7641 7929 or email.