Pen Green Research Base

It’s Apprentice Wednesday — and today we’re celebrating our apprentices.

Our Level 3 students show real commitment as they balance study, reflective learning and professional practice, all while supporting children and families in their settings. They work incredibly hard, and we’re proud of the focus, resilience and professionalism they bring to both their learning and their everyday practice.

👏 We’re glad to be part of your journey.

📣 📣 📣 Calling all alumni!
Have you booked your place yet?
Join us for a special event with Stella Louis, who will lead a reflective and thought-provoking session exploring anti-discriminatory, meaningfully diverse, and inclusive early years practice — an essential conversation in today’s complex sociopolitical climate.

✨ Free to attend
🔗 Book your place now
https://www.pengreen.org/event/2026-alumni-event/

National Apprenticeship Week is here 🎉

At Pen Green Research, we are proud to teach and support over 100 apprentices studying at Level 3 and Level 5, developing the skills, knowledge and confidence needed for professional practice in the early years.

This week we’ll be celebrating our apprentices and the role apprenticeship learning plays in strengthening the early years workforce.

✨ Apprenticeships really are Skills for Life.

In her recent Nursery World article, Dr Stella Louis reflects on her early years experiences and their lasting influence on her personal and professional journey. Stella invites us to think deeply about the power of early experiences, memory and identity — and how these continue to shape our work in the early years. Read more here https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/features/dr-stellla-louis-memories-of-my-early-years

If you’d like to hear more about Stella’s journey — including her experiences since completing her MA at Pen Green — we’d love you to join us at our Alumni and Friends of Pen Green Event.
👉 https://www.pengreen.org/event/2026-alumni-event/
Come and be part of rich conversations around equality, diversity and inclusion in the early years, with friends, alumni and colleagues.

www.nurseryworld.co.uk

We had a fantastic day on Saturday delivering staff training to the wonderful team at RAFA Kidz in Lincolnshire 🌿✨

We explored the meaning of Hygge in early years practice, reflecting on how warm, relationally rich environments support children’s wellbeing, learning and development.

A big thank you to everyone who took part with such enthusiasm and thoughtful discussion — it was a truly inspiring day! 💛

There has been a lot in the news recently about school readiness — with a focus on whether children are toilet trained or able to eat neatly with a knife and fork.

A recent Nursery World article reports that reception teachers are spending an increased amount of time teaching children “basic life skills,” raising concerns about how school readiness is being understood and addressed:
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/news/reception-teachers-spend-an-increased-amount-of-time-teaching-children-who-arent-school-ready-basic-life-skills

At Pen Green, we believe readiness is about much more than a checklist of practical skills.

Children are not simply preparing for school — they are living, learning and developing right now, through relationships, play, curiosity, communication, and emotional wellbeing.

A truly holistic approach asks:

✨ How secure does the child feel?
✨ Are they confident in themselves and their connections with others?
✨ Do they have opportunities to explore, create and express?
✨ Are we valuing the whole child, not just the next stage?

When the child is placed at the centre, learning becomes richer, more inclusive, and more meaningful — and transitions into school are supported naturally through strong foundations of care, trust and companionship.

If you’d like to explore these ideas further, our professional development courses offer research-informed learning on holistic early childhood practice, relational pedagogy and supporting children and families.

🔗 Find out more about our courses here: https://www.pengreen.org/training-research-education/

www.nurseryworld.co.uk

⏰ It’s not too late! ⏰

Interested in an early years degree or your next step in early childhood education?

You don’t need to book — just drop in!

🌟 Early Years Open Day at Pen Green 🌟
📅 Thursday 29th January
🕖 7am – 7pm
📍 Pen Green Research, Training & Development Base

Come anytime throughout the day to:

✨ Explore our learning spaces
✨ Meet tutors and current students
✨ Find out about apprenticeships, Level 3, degree, Masters and teacher training routes
✨ Talk through your options in a supportive, nurturing environment

💬 No booking needed — just drop in anytime between 7am and 7pm!

🍪 If you’d like to let us know you’re coming (so we make sure we have enough biscuits!), you can book your place here: https://www.pengreen.org/event/early-years-degree-open-day/

We’d love to welcome you.

🎉 Congratulations to all of our NPQEYL students — you have all passed! 🎉

We are so proud of every one of you for your dedication, commitment, and hard work throughout the programme.

Through the NPQEYL, you have developed a deeper understanding of how children learn and grow, heard from colleagues with proven expertise in working with babies and young children, and visited exemplary settings to see outstanding leadership in action.

You now leave with practical, actionable takeaways you can use immediately in your own setting — and a strong foundation for your future career development.

✨ Well done once again — we can’t wait to see the difference you continue to make for children and families.

FD21 are in this week thinking about the importance of engaging in partnership with parents to support children’s learning and development. In all our study weeks we start with what our students already know - here we are tuning in to individual practitioners values and beliefs about working with families via a Pen Green favourite ‘the negotiation exercise’…

Are you working with the youngest children? Join us online as we delve into the world of schemas!
📅 Monday 24th February
🕕 6:00–7:00pm (Online)
📍 Hosted by the East Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

👶 Free to attend | Open to all baby room professionals
🔗 https://www.pengreen.org/event/baby-room-network-meeting-feb/

Baby Room Network
A network specifically for practitioners working with the youngest children.

Join us as we explore schematic play in the baby room — recognising and understanding the patterns of play that help babies and toddlers make sense of the world.

This session offers a space to reflect, share ideas, and build confidence in observing and supporting schematic learning in your setting.

📅 Monday 24th February
🕕 6:00–7:00pm (Online)
📍 Hosted by the East Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

👶 Free to attend | Open to all baby room professionals
🔗 https://www.pengreen.org/event/baby-room-network-meeting-feb/

✨ This week our BA students (in Bradford, Norfolk and Corby) had the privilege of learning from two fabulous speakers.

We were delighted to welcome Dr Christine Parker, who delivered an inspiring session titled “A Story About Change”, exploring leadership and what it means to manage both expected and unexpected situations in practice. Her talk encouraged students to think deeply about resilience, adaptability, and leading through change.

We also heard from our very own Fliss Dewsbery, who spoke about Supervision, highlighting the importance of reflective practice, support, and professional growth.

A huge thank you to both speakers for sharing their expertise and giving our students such valuable insights. 🌱📚