Showcase Magazine Autumn 2025 - Flipbook - Page 10
CPD/ EXTRA
CURRICULAR
Continuing
Professional
Development
READ: Looking for a
new book to read? How
about Early Childhood
Theories Today by
Aaron Bradbury?
Find it on Amazon:
https://amzn.eu/d/8Fe
fRsg
Work swaps, shadowing, or days in industry are a fantastic
source of CPD!
Doing a work swap or spending a day in another setting is a great way for an early
years practitioner or educator to gain fresh ideas and build new skills. It’s an
opportunity to see how other nurseries, pre-schools or childminders work and to
pick up inspiration for activities, routines and outdoor learning. A swap or shadow
day could last just a few hours or perhaps a week.
Spending time somewhere new can help you see different approaches like
Montessori or Forest School in action, work with different age groups or children
with additional needs, and get ideas to share with your own team. It also shows
you’re committed to developing your skills and can help you build useful
contacts.
Good places to visit include other nurseries, Forest Schools, childminders,
Reception classes, or even Showcase Training to see what we do! To arrange this,
you could ask your manager, contact local settings, or check with your tutor for
opportunities and ideas.
Make sure you keep a short record of what you learn as it’s useful evidence for
your OTJ or CPD log and helps you bring back ideas to improve your own
practice. A simple work swap or shadow day can be a big boost for your
confidence and career in early years.
Developing 8green9 skills in early years is a smart
way to align your practice with sustainability goals
and future-proof your career.
Green skills focus on living and working sustainably, from
understanding climate change and nature to using eco-friendly
practices every day. In early years, this means giving children
chances to connect with nature, learn about recycling and
waste, and discover simple ways to care for their world.
Sustainability is becoming more important in education, and
early years is the perfect stage to build good habits that last.
Many nurseries and schools now value staff who lead ecofriendly projects or follow Forest School or Eco-School
approaches. By building your green skills, you can boost your
employability and make your setting stand out.
There are lots of practical ways to build these skills. You might
start by learning more about environmental issues and outdoor
learning through free online courses on sites like FutureLearn
or OpenLearn. Bringing sustainability into your daily practice
could mean setting up recycling or composting, organising
nature walks and gardening activities, or using more natural
and recycled materials for crafts and play. Small projects like
planting herbs, hunting for insects, or creating displays about
the planet help children learn about nature in a hands-on way.
Sharing this work with families is also key: you can encourage
them to adopt sustainable habits at home and involve them in
simple eco-projects. If you want to go further, you could
explore Forest School training or extra courses on sustainability
and outdoor learning. Useful places to start include EcoSchools, the Forest School Association, or free guides online.
WATCH: What We9re Watching!
BBC Panorama Investigates: 8How Safe Are Our Nurseries?9 BBC iPlayer
24 Hours in Police Custody: 8Lost Boys9 (County Lines),
8Nightclub Predator9 (personal safety) - Channel 4
Attack on London: all about the 7/7 bombings and terrorism
- Netflix
Eastenders: currently running a story line about Joel and
misogynist views (INCEL), and cuckooing of vulnerable
adults (Kojo) - BBC iPlayer
Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser (mental health
impact of reality TV) - Netflix
READ:
