The Foundation Stage Forum Community
Welcome to the FSF – a community for early years professionals. Engage in conversations, offer and receive advice and support, make connections. Discover our library of education articles and podcast episodes to enhance your reflective practice. Working together to achieve high-quality early childhood education.
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Pre - Reading Ideas
by Stephen Kilgour
In advance of reading first words, there is so much pre-reading learning that needs to take place. For very young children, or those with additional needs, it’s important that you think about how best to interest your child in the concept of ‘book…
Podcast: All about Metacognition
Jules chats with teacher, consultant and author, Anoara Mughal, about Metacognition. Anoara explains the connections between self-regulation, growth mindset and metacognition, the role motivation plays in learning, and why we need to explicitly teac…
Assistant Professor Carlyn Mueller shares her own experience and resea…
Carlyn Mueller recalls the books that played an important role in her own childhood, gathers research about the importance of representation of disability in children’s books, and suggests strategies for increasing representation in school and at hom…
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2026 May & July - Portage Workshop: A small step approach to learning for children with SEND - 2025 - Southampton
Portage Workshop: A small step approach to learning for children with SEND - 2025 This two-and-a-half-day course is the basic qualification certificate in the Portage model of teaching. Monday 11 May 2026, 9.15am-4pm Civic Centre Tuesday 12 May 2026, 9.15am-4pm Civic Centre Monday 6 July 2026, 9.30-11am Online session size=2 width="100%" align=center> Who should attend? Those who work with the 0-5 year’s age range and are interested in delivering inclusive learning and play activities. It will be of particular relevance to those who hold the Early Years Special Educational Needs coordinator role in the r setting or those who wish to move into this position. It would also be highly beneficial for practitioners looking to further develop their SEND practice and as part of their work support individual children or lead small group work including children with additional needs. You will be able to: Understand the Portage Principles and model of support Use the basic skills to deliver Portage under supervision Apply Portage skills in one’s own workplace Understand the history and local development of Portage Understand the range of materials and resources Develop confidence in working together using the Portage Model Demonstrate awareness of the National Portage Association Southampton maintained schools and Southampton PVI Early Years & Childcare providers Price: £120 Academies, free schools and other organisations Price: £150 -
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2026.04.27 - Y6 Teacher Training Cross-School Moderation Southampton
Cross-School Moderation Monday 27 April, 1pm-4pm. Venue to be confirmed. Learning outcomes Collaborative moderation across schools Shared professional dialogue and evidence review Fees for training Southampton City Council maintained schools: £20 Academies, free schools, and other organisations: £25 -
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2026.03.02 - Y6 Teacher Training Moderation Information Southampton
Year 6 Teacher Training 2026 We are excited to offer a series of high-impact training sessions designed specifically for Year 6 teachers in Southampton. Whether you are new to the year group, or looking to sharpen your SATs and moderation strategies, these sessions will provide practical tools, expert insights, and collaborative opportunities. Moderation Information Monday 2 March 2026 - 1pm-4pm. Venue to be confirmed. Learning outcomes Key training documents and guidance (ARA, TAG, etc) Focus on common areas of focus such as dialogue, particular weakness etc. Standardisation of work for Year 6 Fees for training Southampton City Council maintained schools: £20 Academies, free schools, and other organisations: £25 -
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Early years training at Dorking Nursery School - Spring & Summer 2026
Fri 20 March - New to Early Years for Support Staff (half day) - Donna Harwood-Duffy This morning course will give delegates: An overview and understanding of the EYFS and areas of learning An understanding of their role in supporting teaching and learning both inside and outside Support for writing observations An understanding of what good practice looks like Thurs 30 April - Blossoming with Language - a Nurturing Journey - Marlis Juerging-Coles A day to explore the importance of language skills in the early years, especially post-pandemic. It helps educators to consider the implications and understand how to promote language development in practical and joyous ways. Marlis Juerging-Coles is a director of Linden Learning, with a passion for the social gift of language. Tues 19 May - Supporting Young Children's Emotional, Personal & Social Development: Foundations of Being - Julia Manning-Morton This course is an opportunity to spend time revising and extending understanding of the personal, social and emotional development of young children, including emotions, behaviour and brain development, and the importance of social belonging and self-other awareness. For further information and to book, visit the Early Years Training page on our website - www.dorkingnurseryschool.co.uk, email centre@dorking.surrey.sch.uk -
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Inductions
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New Tapestry App for Amazon Fire Devices
The new Tapestry app is now available to download from the Amazon Appstore. The new app is called Tapestry – Childhood Education Platform. Download the app for Amazon Fire devices This new app fully replaces the previous version of Tapestry. We've created user guides to help you get familiar with the new app. For information about minimum operating system requirements and the status of the old app, please visit our FAQs section. -
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'Oral Health in Early Years' free online training
Would you like some ideas for supporting dental health in your setting? 😁 We run free online training sessions (including some evening sessions) for anyone working in early years. We cover topics like tooth-friendly snacks and drinks, toothbrushing tips, bottle and dummy use, as well as activity ideas. After attending the training we email you lots of resources to use in your setting. Please see our flyer for session dates and booking information. Who are we? We are your local Oral Health Improvement Team. We are employed by the NHS but our service is commissioned by Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire Councils. If you have any questions or if you would like to book onto a session please email us on ccs.oralhealthbeds@nhs.net We look forward to hearing from you! oral health sessions EY Feb - July 26.pdf -
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New Tapestry App for Apple and Android
The new Tapestry app is now available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. An Amazon Fire version is arriving very soon, so stay tuned. The new app is called Tapestry – Education Platform. Download the app for Apple devices Download the app for Android devices This new app fully replaces the previous version of Tapestry. We've created user guides to help you get familiar with the new app. For information about minimum operating system requirements and the status of the old app, please visit our FAQs section. -
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Winter outdoor water tray ideas
Hi all, We have a large water tray area outside in our provision used by both nursery and reception. We’re struggling to think of ideas for the winter apart from balls, cars and ramps. We are a large setting with up to 140 children and the area is used during lunch time so it would have to be easy to set up and clean up. Thank you in advance for your ideas! -
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ACEs in Early Childhood
Hello, Dear Early Years Professional, As part of my dissertation for my degree in Early Years, we are required to conduct a research project. I have chosen to do mine on the impact of Aces on the emotional development of children aged 3 to 5 years. Would you be willing to fill in the form I need for my research? All answers are completely anonymous. Please copy and paste the link to your browser to answer the questions. https://forms.office.com/e/8az744QHGN Many thanks for your time
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