Warwickshire County Council Early Years

27/08/2026

Allergy Safety in Early Years Settings

From September 2026, new statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools, often referred to as "Benedict's Law", will strengthen support and protections for children with allergies. While the guidance is aimed at schools, it also provides valuable considerations for early years providers reviewing and strengthening their own allergy management arrangements.

✅ Clear Allergy Procedures
Ensure robust systems are in place to identify, manage and respond to children's allergies, helping to create a safe environment for everyone.

✅ Staff Training
All staff should be confident in recognising the signs of an allergic reaction and know how to respond in an emergency, including cases of anaphylaxis.

✅ Individual Healthcare Plans
Children with diagnosed allergies should have up-to-date healthcare plans that are understood by practitioners and regularly reviewed in partnership with families and relevant professionals.

✅ Learning from Incidents and Near Misses
Recording, reviewing and reflecting on incidents can help strengthen practice and reduce future risks.

✅ Working in Partnership with Families
Regular communication with parents and carers helps ensure allergy information, medication and care plans remain accurate and effective.

Creating an allergy-aware culture is everyone's responsibility. By working together, we can help children feel safe, included and supported to thrive.

🔗 Find out more:

https://benedictblythe.com/benedicts-law/

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework

Benedict’s Law is a set of national protections designed to improve allergy safety in schools. Currently these protections are agreed to come into force in England, but campaigning continues to extend to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These measures ensure that schools have the policies, tr...

27/08/2026

🏗️ “The scaffolding must be removed once the house is built.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

In Early Years, we often talk about scaffolding — a concept introduced by psychologist Lev Vygotsky. Just like in construction, scaffolding in education is a temporary support structure. It helps children reach new heights by building on what they already know, until they’re ready to stand independently.

🧠 Learning something new can be overwhelming for young children. It can knock their confidence and make them hesitant to try. But with the right support — the right scaffold — we can help them feel secure, capable, and ready to take on new challenges.

Scaffolding means:

🔹 Meeting children where they are
🔹 Gently guiding them forward
🔹 Knowing when to step back and let them shine

As practitioners, we play a vital role in this process.

So ask yourself:

✨ How do we scaffold learning in our setting?
✨ Are we giving children the tools and confidence to build independence?
✨ And just as importantly — do we know when it’s time to remove the scaffold?

26/08/2026

Atherstone Children and Family Centre Timetable.

26/08/2026

Get ahead and start planning CPD for the new academic year! Packed with opportunities to grow, share and collaborate, this calendar maps out everything you need to stay energised and informed with key dates, themes, and booking links for early years professionals across our hub areas.

Download the calendar here:

https://www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/wm/heart-midlands-eysphs/resources/heart-hub-activities-calendar-updated-july-2026

26/08/2026

There is still a chance to squeeze in some summer CPD from the EYSPH Joint Offer!

Let’s Chat at Snack with 0–2s

📅 Thursday 27 August

🕐 1pm–2.30pm

Discover how everyday snack times can become valuable opportunities to support communication, language development and connection with babies and toddlers.

Book Here:

-How to make the most of conversation at snack and meal times -Why this helps young children with their development and also their eating -Ideas...

26/08/2026

You don’t have to be an NDNA member to access myNDNA - it is free to the early years sector. It offers practical activities, weekly tips, free quizzes, resources and a monthly factsheet, with topics ranging from outdoor play and literacy to SEND and working with parents.

Welcome to myNDNA. Explore Early years activities, community support, practitioner inspiration in you FREE myNDNA membership space.

26/08/2026

National Literacy Trust - Early Years

The National Literacy Trust has a dedicated early years resource collection supporting children’s development from birth to five. You’ll find resources around early language, reading and storytelling, working with families and the home learning environment - including free resources specifically for babies and toddlers.

Early years resources and tools for early language development and parental engagement.

26/08/2026

Starcatchers

Looking for some fresh creative inspiration? Starcatchers offers a collection of free downloadable early years resources developed with early years artists and practitioners, including practical ideas, visual guides, and case studies.

Starcatchers’ Early Years Development work is designed to inspire and empower Scotland’s early years workforce, work with them to enhance their creative capacity, understand their needs and the needs of their settings, and embed expressive arts at the heart of their practice.

26/08/2026

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn how to make the most of the EEF’s Early Years Evidence Store, as part of the EYSPH Joint Summer CPD Offer.

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