Online training

New Curriculum for Wales Training

Whilst not funded to deliver the Foundation Phase, Welsh Government Ministers have recognised that all non-maintained childcare settings are required to deliver care in line with the pedagogy of the Foundation Phase/new curriculum and should receive support to address the learning and development needs of children in their care. This is a significant step in ensuring high quality provision and equity for all children.

A free suite of modules have been designed to assist Foundation Phase practitioners to reflect on practice and provision in the following areas: Outdoor learning; Child development; Transitions; Observation; Play and play-based learning; Authentic and purposeful learning. The suite also contains an Introduction manual, which will need to be understood before undertaking the learning in the modules, as well as a frequently asked questions guide.

All Childcare workers are advised to undertake this training.

Foundation Phase professional learning modules

Early Years Wales – Workforce Development

Early Years Wales aims to support the workforce to gain the skills that are needed to progress in a childcare career and access employment opportunities through quality professional development opportunities. Visit their website for further details and their latest training planner.

An introduction to speech, language and communication

This short course has been recommended in the Welsh Government Talk with me delivery plan. It is free and a great place to start learning about children and young people’s speech, language and communication development. It looks at how you can support the development of these skills on a day-to-day basis in the setting, and how to spot children and young people who might be struggling to develop these important skills. All childcare staff are advised to complete this foundation level training:

Register for the CPD Online Short Course here

Food Safety Training

The National Minimum Standards stipulate in section 10.11, “those responsible for the preparation and handling of food are fully aware of and comply with regulations relating to food safety and hygiene.” A Food Safety level 2 course will give practitioners the knowledge to prepare and serve food in their setting, safely and with confidence.

There are various online providers who can offer this training including umbrella organisations.

You searched for food safety – NDNA

Food safety and hygiene for early years settings | PACEY

Food Standards Agency food allergy and intolerance online training

Eating safely when living with a food allergy is a challenge. The only way to manage the condition is avoidance of the food that causes a reaction. It is important that Food Business Operators (FBOs) provide safe food, and it is the responsibility of local authorities to enforce the rules in relation to allergens.

There are six modules which include a knowledge check at the end of each one. You will need to register, answer a short survey and then study the modules. Once you have completed each module, you will be able to complete the assessed test for each module. You will need to pass all 6 module tests to gain your certificate.

Food Standards Agency food allergy online training

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

As childcare workers, undertaking training and continuing your professional development will increase your skills and knowledge which will lead you to becoming a better practitioner.

A selection of free Open University courses have been selected that you may be interested in.

• Attachment in the Early Years: This free course, Attachment in the early years, covers theory and research in the area of attachment in early childhood. In the 1950s, John Bowlby was the first person to develop a theory about the significance of early attachments between caregivers and very young children. His work has stimulated a massive and very productive field of research with important implications for childcare. This OpenLearn course describes Bowlby’s theory and the work that has built on it, illustrated with video recordings of the assessment of attachment in a laboratory setting and a talk by an eminent attachment researcher.
• Children’s perspective of play: In this free course, Children’s perspectives on play, you are asked to put yourself in the place of young children and to think about their view of play and their reasons for playing. When children have personal freedom to choose and make decisions about what and who they want to play with, as well as where they want to play, they are highly self-motivated and active in their engagements with everything around them. In this course you will think about how you listen to children’s perspectives, why it is important and consider the choices children make about where they play and why.
• Early Years Teamwork and Leadership: This free course, Early years teamwork and leadership, explores aspects of teamwork and leadership for early years practitioners