We’re excited to tell you all about our INSET days! These special days are not just a break for the children, but a fantastic opportunity for our dedicated staff to come together for some serious learning and planning magic. During INSET days, our team dives into training sessions, brainstorms fresh ideas, and fine-tunes our teaching strategies. This ensures we continue to provide the very best education and care for your little ones. So while the kids are off enjoying a bit of extra playtime, rest assured we’re gearing up to make their learning journey even more amazing! Thank you for your understanding and support!
INSET Day- Wednesday 24th September 2025- Preparing for Phonics
Outline
In this hands-on session, we’ll take a gentle look at the very first steps children need before they are ready for phonics. We’ll focus on the building blocks that come before learning letters and sounds, exploring the skills that pre-schoolers develop in the early years to prepare them for Reception and beyond.
Description
Before children can begin formal phonics, they need a strong foundation of pre-phonic skills. These early skills are the roots of literacy, helping children to listen, notice sounds, communicate, and build confidence in language. Together, we’ll explore how to nurture these foundations through playful, meaningful experiences that make learning joyful and natural.
Objectives
- To deepen our understanding of the role communication and language play in developing phonological awareness.
- To explore the key early foundations that underpin phonics, and how these connect with the Statutory Framework and Development Matters.
- To discover a variety of fun and practical activities that build children’s awareness of sounds.
- To recognise and support each child’s stage of phonological development, planning their next steps with care.
- To reflect on our own practice and consider ways to further strengthen our provision for early literacy.
INSET Day- Friday 27th February 2026- How to support children’s learning through schemas
Description
In this session, we’ll take time together to reflect on how we support our wonderful two-year-olds. Through videos, hands-on activities, and open discussion, we’ll explore the world of schema play and the important part it plays in early learning. This is a chance to step back, notice, and think deeply about how young children learn through their repeated patterns of play, and how we as adults can best nurture that curiosity.
Why this matters
At Little Hearts, we believe play is the heart of learning. When we understand the patterns of play that children are drawn to, we can meet them right where they are, supporting their natural curiosity and giving them the tools to explore their world with confidence. By tuning into these moments, we’re not just observing play — we’re opening the door to lifelong learning.
Outcomes
By the end of the session, we will:
- Build a deeper understanding of schema play and why it matters for children’s development as they begin to make sense of their world.
- Learn to recognise the different types of schemas we may see in our two-year-olds, and what children are discovering through these explorations.
- Reflect on our role as adults — how observing closely, planning with care, and providing a rich, enabling environment helps us truly support and extend children’s play.
INSET Day- Thursday 23rd April 2026- Morning at Freemantles School & Seamless Inclusion
Description
We will draw inspiration from the specialised practice at Freemantles School — a school renowned for working with children and young people with complex social communication needs and autism. This is a chance to pause, observe, and think carefully about the small adjustments that make a big difference — and how inclusive practice benefits all children, not only those with additional needs.
Why this matters
Freemantles is widely recognised for its autism-specific approach, which emphasises:
- Clear structure and routines to support children who rely on predictability and consistency.
- Strong communication systems, including visuals, modelling, and alternative communication methods.
- Understanding sensory needs and creating environments that help children regulate and participate.
- Positive relationships, built on noticing, attuning, and responding to each individual child.
By learning from these principles, we strengthen our own commitment to being an inclusive setting — one where every child’s way of communicating, processing, and relating is respected and understood.
Inclusion is not about doing more; it’s about doing differently. When we adapt our practice thoughtfully, we’re creating a setting where every child feels they belong.
By the end of the session, we will:
- Build a clearer understanding of what inclusion means in early years and what we can learn from the Freemantles approach.
- Reflect on how structure, routine, communication supports, and sensory-aware environments help children feel safe, regulated, and ready to learn.
- Develop confidence in identifying early signs that a child may need additional support, and explore practical strategies we can implement immediately.
- Consider our role as adults — how being curious, responsive, and reflective helps us meet every child where they are.
- Strengthen our ability to create a warm, predictable, and enabling environment that supports all learners, regardless of need.
Nursery Closed for Staff Wellbeing Day-Friday 10th July 2026