NEW Early Years Training and Development Programme for 2025-26

1 May 2025

Welcome to the new Portsmouth Early Years Training and Development Programme for 2025-26 including a range of new and exciting 2 hour early years workshops - just £70 each.

New face-to-face workshops:

Science isn't just gloop
Cooking isn’t just fruit kebabs
Maths isn’t just counting and compare bears
Physical play isn’t just bikes
Storytelling isn’t just about books

New virtual workshop:

Creating your climate action plan

These new workshops are in addition to our existing range of wonderful workshops. You can pay as you go - all 2 hour workshops cost £70 and 3 hour workshops are just £80.

You can browse and purchase the new programme now and start accessing from September 2025-August 2026.

We are also offering opportunities for you to access more bespoke training that meets the direct needs of your setting.

You can purchase a 2 hour onsite training workshop for your whole staff team for £265. You can select a theme for your workshop. Below, you'll find some examples of what you could choose...

A great place for communication, fantastic phonics, loose parts play, marvellous maths, outdoor play, supporting our EAL learners, a day in the life of year R, forest school experiences, neurodiversity in the early years setting, celebrating differences/diversity, parents as partners and the home learning environment, writers in reception, readers in reception, the role of the adult in play and developing quality interactions, magnificent mark making, gross and fine motor skill development (including fiddly fingers and dexterous hands), supporting schemas, behaviour management, what to expect in your inspection, wellbeing in the workplace, extending children's learning, young minds matter, books as hooks, risky play.

Or you could opt for whole staff training to be delivered to your team virtually. The cost will be £160 and you can select from the above workshop examples.

You can purchase an onsite visit such as a learning walk, developing or monitoring policies, environment audit or quality audit for £265.

You can also purchase a 3 hour onsite PSCP basic awareness safeguarding children workshop for your whole staff team for £229.

To book your place at any of these workshops, please head to the Portsmouth Traded Services website or to book onsite training or visits, please email eyworkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

And we have our continued universal offer with free places on the following:

Termly provider briefings
Termly SENCo network clusters
Termly getting to good learning sets
I spy Ofsted webinar
Termly PSCP basic safeguarding training workshops
Termly new or returning to year R clusters
Termly EYFS managers in schools clusters
EYFS profile training
Annual citywide transition meeting

Places for any of these that are relevant to your school or setting can be booked on the Portsmouth Traded Services website or by emailing eyworkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. The Universal Offer will be gifted to you on the Traded Services website this week so you can start booking your places on our free workshops and events.

DfE has announced that all early years group based settings must have a climate action plan in place by the end of 2025. In response we have created a virtual 2 hour session called creating your climate action plan. This costs £70. This course aims to give you the basics on why it is important to encourage positive environmental behaviour in the Early Years and how you can create your own bespoke action plan aimed at reducing environmental impact, increasing awareness, and promoting action towards a more sustainable world. Or we can support you in producing an action plan specific to your setting during a 2 hour onsite visit for £265.

Level 2 SEND Accreditation - £215

Throughout this training course, practitioners will explore aspects of child development and developmental needs, personalised planning, SEN support plans and statutory guidance relating to SEND including the SEND code of practice, partnership working and effective communication. You will be supported to complete short tasks and develop a portfolio of work. Time to complete these tasks is included in the sessions.

For group based settings

Day 1 - 20 October 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 2 - 10 November 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 3 - 24 November 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Sign up by 13 October 2025

Book here

For childminders

Day 1 - 12 January 2026, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, Microsoft Teams

Day 2 - 26 January 2026, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, Microsoft Teams

Day 3 - 9 February 2026, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, Microsoft Teams

Day 4 - 23 February 2026, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, Microsoft Teams

Day 5 - 9 March 2026, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, Microsoft Teams

Day 6 - 23 March 2026, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, Microsoft Teams

Sign up by 8 January 2026

Book here

Level 3 SENCo Accreditation - £1015

The course includes 12 full days face-to-face teaching and study time, visits to settings and specialist provisions in Portsmouth, external speakers and input from professionals across the sector, opportunities for networking and peer support and is assessed by an independent professional training organisation.

Day 1 - 11 September 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 2 - 25 September 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 3 - 9 October 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Visits to each other's settings

Day 4 - 23 October 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 5 - 13 November 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 6 - 27 November 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 7 - 11 December 2025, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 8 - 15 January 2026, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 9 - 29 January 2026, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 10 - 12 February 2026, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices

Day 11 - 12 March 2026, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Visits to specialist provisions

Day 12 - 26 March 2026, 9:30am - 4:00pm, Civic Offices