Looking at the feedback from the Early Year event we organised for all our EYFS staff, it is heartening to see that months of planning paid off. They came together from across our trust (which spans from west Yorkshire to Spurn Point) so we could try our best to show them how much their ordinary day to day work is cherished. And not just by their colleagues in the Trust, can you imagine having a job that directly impacts the next generation in the most fundamental way, and every single family in this country? Quite a responsibility.
What do you get when you put 180+ colleagues (including ALL staff who work with 2,3,4,5 yr olds, plus headteachers) together talking about EYFS? … passion, dedication, care, laughter, aspiration, excellence….. the list goes on. How proud also to have had so many of our own colleagues sharing best practice and inspiring each other.
We had talks from Felicity Gillespie of Kindred Squared, our own Director of Education David Barber and our Early Years Lead (and Head Teacher of Brotherton & Byram Community Primary Academy) Ben Greene.
Gail Brown could not have picked a guest speaker who captured the attention and thrilled hearts quite as much as Felicity did with her refreshingly simple, common sense theories. From the excited comments of the numerous people on the day there was shared enthusiasm for what she had to say. To quote a rather overused saying, this time it really did feel like ‘the adults were back in the room’.
Experienced early years teachers, who felt that their hands had been tied by decades of well-intentioned sensitivity training, finally had the permission that they had 40 years ago routinely, to tell parents, that the responsibility to teach their children life skills such as dressing themselves, cleaning their teeth and using a toilet… well… was theirs!
There were calls for Felicity to be ‘prime minister’ or ‘just put her in charge of everything!’ so powerfully were her words received. Until this happens, maybe just get her in to talk to your teachers and see the Felicity affect for yourself.
Thank you Hutchison Catering Ltd who went above and beyond in the feeding of over 180 people a delicious lunch in a very short space of time.
Also, YPO who provided prizes and sponsorship and were on hand with some fantastic new ideas for EYFS learning – great to see a mixture of technologically advanced smart boards and good old wooden spoons, beautifully illustrated for storytelling.
To all the staff that were on carpark duty on a rainy cold morning, and those who drove in from the East Coast and back in the dark, and the numerous people who worked to make this happen, not least Donna Bedford, Head of Robert Wilkinson Primary, who offered her school premises and lovely staff for the venue.
What a team! – too numerous to mention.
And, in the words of one of our staff attending,
“Just a brilliant day thank you so much for everything.”
