Excellence in Reception offer
This is a new for 2026, DfE funded specialist, national professional development course for current or aspiring reception teachers who want to strengthen their reception practice to support more children to achieve a good level of development.
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We know that the quality of teaching is the most important in-school factor in supporting pupil outcomes. This funded course will deepen your reception-specific pedagogical knowledge and strengthen your practice through practical, evidence-based approaches to support more children to achieve a good level of development. It will focus on the key areas of:
o Child development
o Classroom practice and teaching o Inclusive practice
o Effective partnerships
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Teachers who currently, or are shortly expecting to, teach the reception year group and who want to build on their existing reception-specific pedagogy but are not looking for CPD at a leadership level.
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Courses are funded by the Department for Education for participants in suitable state funded settings.
o To note: early years educators in private, voluntary or independent EY settings, and childminders, are not eligible for DfE scholarship funding for this course, as the target audience is reception year teaching in schools.
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Approximately two school terms, with two cohorts per academic year in Autumn and Spring.
A minimum of 20 hours across the course with a mixture of flexible self-study and live, facilitated sessions (which may be accessed online).
