Early Years Conversation Project
Research tells us that the early years are hugely important in determining a child’s future. All children deserve access to high-quality education and care.
What happens early, matters for a lifetime.
- Do you want to learn about the brain building power of conversation, and how it improves children’s communication and wellbeing?
- Do you want to learn effective strategies that you can use with every child, every day?
If so… the Early Years Conversation Project (EYCP) is for you!
EYCP is based on a strong body of research evidence that consistently shows that communication and language approaches benefit young children’s learning. Early language ability is one of the strongest predictors of later development through school and in life. Language is essential for thinking, social and emotional wellbeing and learning in all areas of development.
A Brighter Start, East London’s Early Years Stronger Practice Hub is delighted to invite applications from early years’ settings to take part in this study (funded by the Education Endowment Foundation) to evaluate the Early Years Conversation Project.
Programme Details
Delivered by Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre, the programme aims to develop staff’s interactions with children to improve the language skills of two- and three-year-olds. The evaluation will be led by Durham University.
- 29 hours of training over 8 months (blended online and in person)
- 2-4 hours supporting colleagues at Durham University to evaluate the programme
- FREE training received in year 1 or 2 of the project (depending on randomization)
- £400 incentive payment
- 50% of backfill costs
Recruitment criteria:
- Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) nursery or a state funded school-based nursery offering provision for 2-year-olds.
- Settings located in the following London boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Camden, City of London, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Havering, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston and Richmond, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster.
- Settings that have a minimum of 8 children aged 2-years-old at the start of September 2024, who will attend the setting for a minimum of 15 hours a week during the 2024-2025 school year.
- Settings that can commit to releasing one practitioner who works directly with 2-3-year-olds as the ‘EYCP Champion’ to attend all the professional development.
- Setttings that can commit to releasing the setting manager or the Early Years Foundation Stage lead for 3 training sessions, in addition to supporting the ‘EYCP Champion’ throughout the project.
- Settings that have not participated in Manor Park Talks, Newham Communication Project, or Camden Kids Talk.
- Settings that are not taking part in any other Early Years trials funded by the EEF or similar funder in the same academic year as EYCP.
- As part of the Department for Education’s Early Years Recovery Programme, Stronger Practice Hubs across England and the Education Endowment Foundation are working together to fund Early Years settings’ access to evidence-informed programmes and study the programme’s influence on practice and children’s outcomes.
- This initiative aims to support education recovery following the pandemic, whilst also developing our understanding of effective professional development in the early years.
- The EEF is working with A Brighter Start – East London’s Early Years Stronger Practice Hub to fund settings’ access to Early Years Conversation Project and evaluate the programme through an efficacy trial.
- State-maintained and private, voluntary and independent nurseries in the following local authorities are being invited to take part in this research project.
Further Information
For further information please email: rizwana.rahman@sheringham-nur.newham.sch.uk
Or to sign up please fill in this short form here
For further details please read the setting information leaflet – download below
