 Lucy West, Early Years Advisory Teacher - EMAS Linked
Hello everyone, I'm Lucy and I'm really excited to join the Early Years Team at Portsmouth City Council. I have been teaching in the city for over twenty-five years now with the majority of my experience in Early Years. My new role as an advisory Early Years Teacher involves working closely with the EMAS team sharing my experience of Early Years practice. As part of this role, I will be developing resources, age-appropriate assessment tools and guidance to support pre-school pupils with EAL. I am also looking forward to visiting pre school settings to support practitioners in their work with children learning English as an additional language with a focus on differentiating the needs of EAL and SEND.
Kate Wharton, Early Years Advisory Teacher - SEN Transition
I’m Kate and I’m delighted to join the team as an Advisory Teacher for SEN Transition within the EY Inclusion team. I have loved working in the city for over 20 years, having previously worked for the service 15 years ago, and most recently as Early Years Phase Leader and Reception Teacher at Cottage Grove Primary School and Nursery. I’ll be working part-time until the end of August, supporting Early Years settings and Year R provisions to strengthen inclusive practice and ensure smooth, positive transitions for children with SEND. I’m passionate about creating environments where every child can thrive, and I’m excited to reconnect with familiar colleagues and meet new ones as we work together to share ideas and best practice across the city.
This term my focus will be on Year R, so if schools would like support please do get in touch. In the summer term my role will shift to supporting EY settings (PVI and school-based nurseries) with transition planning for the 2026 school cohort. If schools or settings have any specific questions regarding transition, please email eyinclusion@portsmouthcc.gov.uk, and the EY Inclusion team will agree the most appropriate support.
 Huge congratulations to Apple Tree on their 20th year!
"Apple Tree turns 20 on the 31st of January and we are so proud of the work we have done so far within Portsmouth and its early years sector.
In early 2005, our founder was looking to grow from childminding into something bigger. After a casual viewing of the film Daddy Day Care, the idea for Apple Tree was born.
Our building was once the home of the school’s caretakers and underwent a full refurbishment in 2005 to become the beautiful nursery you see today.
Fun fact: Apple Tree was partly named so we’d appear at the front of the Yellow Pages!
Family played a huge part in those early days, including clearing out an overgrown garden to make space for little ones to play.
20 years on and we are still going strong. We took on our second setting, Cherry Tree Day Nursery last summer and we are very excited to announce our third setting, Lemon Tree Day Nursery, coming this year.
We want to thank all our children, parents and staff members over the years - here is to another 20 years".
Lloyd Bagley, Owner/Manager
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 We understand how challenging it can be to release staff for training during the day. That’s why we offer flexible options, including evenings and Saturdays so your team can learn without disrupting your schedule.
Many staff feel more comfortable training alongside colleagues rather than in unfamiliar groups. By booking bespoke training for your whole team, you create a safe, familiar environment that encourages engagement and confidence.
Training as a team means you can drive practice improvements together, ensuring consistency across your setting. Plus, we’ll design a tailored course to meet your specific needs and priorities.
Choose the option that works best for you:
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2-hour onsite whole staff training - £265
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2-hour all staff virtual training - £160
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3-hour onsite whole staff PSCP Basic Safeguarding Children Awareness - £229
Invest in your team. Build confidence. Improve practice – together.
Share your ideas for professional development for your team and book your bespoke team training today by emailing eyworkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Here's what other providers have to say about our whole team training…
"Having the virtual training delivered by Layla has been so beneficial to us, CPD has been a focus of mine to develop and work on when thinking of our self-evaluation. Having these opportunities to do the training on line in the evening supports staff’s wellbeing as I have staff that feel very overwhelmed by attending face to face training and having to go on their own. I appreciate the importance of interactions with other practitioners and professionals but being able to start with training together as a team and being in the comfort of their own home helps the commitment of staff wanting to progress their own development and good practices. I also feel that staff are more willing to say yes to the training because they don’t have to travel or experience anxieties by attending on their own".
Louise Singleton, Nursery Manager, Little Peoples Nursery
 We’re excited to share that, thanks to popular demand, we’ve added in an extra PSCP Basic Awareness Safeguarding Children workshop this term, and spaces are still available! This training is FREE of charge.
Wednesday 21 January 2026, 6.00pm - 9.00pm, Northern Parade Family Hub, Doyle Avenue
This is a fantastic opportunity to refresh your safeguarding knowledge at no cost. As you’ll know, the revised EYFS framework requires all practitioners to renew their basic safeguarding training every two years—so why not take advantage of this free session to stay up to date?
 The departments Counter Extremism team have launched a new training package, available to book, for Early Years practitioners.
The objectives of this training are:
- to understand your role as an Early Years practitioner in relation to Prevent
- to understand the importance of referring to Prevent and the legal duty
- to recognise the tools available to help you
- to understand what Ofsted might expect to see in relation to Prevent
- to recognise how to build resilience to radicalisation by promoting Fundamental British Values
 Three-session online professional development programme from Thames Valley and South Central Early Years Stronger Practice Hub, Getting it Right for Twos, designed for early years educators working with two-year-olds.
The programme focuses on evidence-based approaches and reflective practice, supporting practitioners to view provision through the eyes of the two-year-old.
What to expect
Session one: Understanding two-year-olds – brain development, disadvantage, children’s voice, independence, agency, children’s rights, co-regulation, and sense of belonging.
Session two: Supporting emotional wellbeing – pedagogy of care, sleep, mealtimes, routines, slow pedagogy, working with families, home learning, and inter-agency collaboration.
Session three: Enhancing play and learning – the adult’s role, assessment, characteristics of effective learning, and balancing risk and challenge.
This programme is perfect for educators seeking to enhance their practice, reflect on their settings, and connect with a network of peers dedicated to high-quality interactions and the holistic development of two-year-olds.
Programme details:
Online – 3 sessions (attendance at all sessions required)
Thursday 23 April 2026, 4.00 – 6.00pm
Thursday 30 April 2026, 4.00 – 6.00pm
Thursday 14 May 2026, 4.00 – 6.00pm
The Portsmouth Educational Psychology Team will be hosting an ELSA training course commencing in February and would like to extend an invitation to you to join them. The course is primarily for those who support children and young people in all aspects of emotional literacy.
Topics covered will be: building relationships, social and friendship skills, self-esteem, emotional regulation, anxiety, neurodiversity, loss and bereavement and emotional wellbeing. Trainee ELSAs will also learn specific techniques such as active listening, writing social stories and working therapeutically in a creative way.
The training will be held at the Training and Learning Centre, The Portsmouth Academy, St Marys Road, Portsmouth over the following six days: 24 February, 3 March, 24 March, 21 April, 12 May, and 9 June.
The cost will be £625 per delegate. Please note there is also an ongoing commitment to attend supervision sessions following training to maintain the ELSA status. Please see leaflet at the button below for details about the ELSA role, the upcoming training and ongoing supervision.
The course can be booked through the Portsmouth Traded Services website (course code PLG2-0226-T003) or by emailing Philippa Wilson (Philippa.Wilson@portsmouthcc.gov.uk).
Spaces are limited for this course so please book early. If you have any queries please email Philippa.
 Take a look at the Early Years courses available from NASEN...
Specialist Spotlight: Understanding Executive Function
26 January 2026 - 15:30 - 16:30
Meeting the Needs of Every Child
27 January 2026 - 10:00 - 12:00
Meeting the Needs of Every Child
4 February 2026 - 12:30 - 14:30
 If you would like to nominate members of your team to attend PEEP training to be trained as a PEEP Practitioner, please complete the booking form and send to the Business Support Manager at Home-Start Portsmouth: hannahc@hsportsmouth.org.uk.
Training will take place on 24 and 25 February 2026 at Home-Start Portsmouth HQ, PO1 4HA. Training is typically 9.30am - 4.30pm and delegates will be required to attend both days. More information, including confirmation of times will be given to delegates nearer to the training date. The deadline to submit the booking form is Friday 6 February.
The PEEP Learning Together programme is about practitioners running sessions for parents to learn how to play and support their child in a range of areas supporting the EYFS. We have a number of trained PEEP practitioners in Portsmouth who will be running PEEP or PEEP informed groups in Family Hubs and through 1:1 work in family homes, e.g. Home-Start Portsmouth.
As an Early Years setting, why not join our Portsmouth PEEP community and access free 2 day training and then have the license to run your own family sessions within your setting?
Once trained as a PEEP Practitioner, you will be able to access ongoing support through a Portsmouth PEEP forum and members of the Early Years team who have also been trained will be able to answer questions about how you can deliver PEEP to your families. So if one of your setting priorities is to support families to understand how to play and learn together with their children, this is the training and opportunity for you!
 Ofsted have published a training video explaining the new role of nominee for early years inspections under their renewed education inspection framework. The role of the nominee is to support with communication, coordination and collaboration throughout the inspection. This is set out in their early years inspection information.
The nominee role is not compulsory. They won't expect childminder settings to have one and settings will not be disadvantaged if they choose not to have a nominee.
 The National Year of Reading is a bold, year-long Department for Education initiative delivered in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust.
The Early Years offer will be a termly cycle of professional development and resources for educators, and memorable events for children.
To get involved, all you need to do is choose your preferred sign-up option:
- Option 1: Go all in (whole setting approach) – nominate a representative from your setting to register for the Learning Management System for a guided journey through termly activities – plus, take part in a participatory award with prizes.
- Option 2: Dip in (individual approach) – sign up to individual events and download resources as they go live.
Get ready for January:
- Decide your level of involvement and sign up: Go All In or Dip In
- Download starter toolkit which includes a calendar and an all staff briefing presentation on the National Year of Reading
Let’s make 2026 the year we put storytelling at the heart of early years learning and give every child the best start in life.
 To mark a century of city status, Portsmouth City Council has launched Portsmouth100 community grants, giving residents, groups, and charities the chance to bring their ideas to life and celebrate this incredible milestone.
This is your opportunity to create something special for your community. Whether it’s a street party, a creative arts project, a planting scheme, or a community lunch, Portsmouth City Council want to help make it happen.
Applications are open until 12pm on Friday 30 January 2026.
 As the weather gets colder, there are extra hazards to watch out for. Child Accident Prevention Trust has created a new winter safety guide with top tips for keeping children safe from serious accidents this season.
Baby sleep pillow warning: Not for under 1s
Parents and carers are being warned not to use baby sleep pillows for babies under one. These soft pillows and cushions are often marketed for baby sleep or as somewhere for a baby to be left unsupervised. But this can cause suffocation or overheating, and the baby might even die. Despite what some online product listings suggest, pillows are not recommended for babies until they are at least 12 months old. The safest place for your baby to sleep is on a clear, firm, flat surface.
Open online child safety courses
Build your knowledge, skills and confidence with Child Accident Prevention Trust's online course so you can support the families you work with to avoid accidents at home.
3 simple New Year’s resolutions that could save a child’s life
New Year’s resolutions can be a bit too ambitious, especially when you’re a busy parent. But, these super-simple New Year's resolutions are easy to adopt and could save a child’s life.
Are you using your hot water bottle wrong?
Did you know that using boiling water, overfilling it and even storing it incorrectly can damage your hot water bottle and increase the risk of burns? Please follow the instructions on your hot water bottle and remember to regularly check it for signs of wear and tear.
Free resources
Plus, don’t forget to visit Child Accident Prevention Trust's resource centre for resources you can download, print and share to support your work with families all year round.
 Teach Portsmouth are encouraging nurseries and preschools across the city to take part in this year’s Bright Sparks Book.
Thank you to those who have submitted already, but they'd love to showcase even more of the incredible work taking place in our community.
The Bright Sparks Book celebrates the innovative approaches, nurturing environments and creative early learning opportunities that help our youngest children thrive.
Teach Portsmouth are looking for entries that highlight how your schemes, initiatives or projects have supported children’s development, from communication and language to wellbeing.
All entries will be included in a high‑quality publication shared directly with senior leaders across the city. Each submission will also include the contact details of the Bright Spark who led the work, helping leaders learn from your expertise and explore how similar ideas could be adopted in their own settings.
Early years settings have until Wednesday 21 January 2026 to submit their entries using the online form. (You can submit up to three entries.)
Please remember to upload an accompanying image with each submission, entries cannot be completed without one.
For more information and to upload your entry, please visit the Teach Portsmouth website.
 This free session will show how 50 Things can be used to share low-cost and no-cost activities with families-helping them support learning at home and feel more connected to your practice.
Explore:
- What 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five is
- Why it’s a powerful tool for early years settings
- Practical ways to embed it into everyday practice
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