Programme
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Arrival, refreshments and exhibitor viewing
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Welcome and Introduction
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Leading a culture of change – ‘our duty to act’
Why should sustainability be high on the early years agenda and what is its relevance to practice and provision? The session will empower you to:
- Understand what sustainability in its wider context means for your setting
- Plan the best place to start sustainability conversations
- Build an informed team to share the journey to sustainability together
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What do the Sustainable Development Goals mean for my provision?
- Discover what these Goals mean for practice and explore ‘Education for Sustainable Development: a Roadmap’, which sets out the urgent challenges and responses to them through education
- Overcome the obstacles to action, from developing staff awareness of the relevance of sustainability in early childhood, to empowering children’s agency
- Build a hand-on approach in your practice by linking the Sustainable Development Goals to the Early Years Foundation Stage
Speakers
Independent early years consultant and Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network (ESCDN) Sustainability Strategy Group member
Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies and Education at the University of Hull and ECSDN Sustainability Strategy Group co-chair
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Using stories to create a better world
Best selling author Laura Henry-Allain talks about her new picture book ‘Maya and Marley and the Great Big Tidy Up’ and how it introduces young children to the importance of looking after the planet. Laura will provide a wider perspective on the power of story telling to educate and inspire the next generation
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Refreshments and exhibitor viewing
Your chance to network and view our exhibition of leading early years suppliers
WORKSHOP CAROUSEL: Making economic, environmental and social action happen!
Three complementary workshops will provide practical approaches and inspiration when it comes to embedding these three pillars of sustainability into your practice and management. Each workshop will focus on one of the three individual pillars and will provide an opportunity to share ideas.
The workshop carousel will enable all delegates to attend each of the three sessions.
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SOCIAL WORKSHOP: Growing Places – ‘bringing communities together’
- Gain insights and practical approaches to making your setting a focus for building community in a way that benefits children, staff, families and wider individuals
- Be inspired by Growing Places’ range of initiatives including its Intergenerational Project, Food Pantries and Life Skills Programme
- Discover how all of these enable the child’s voice to be heard and early learning to become more visible
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ENVIRONMENTAL WORKSHOP: London Early Years Foundation – ‘inspiring a new generation to look after the planet’
- Find out what an effective strategy to support children’s environmental learning looks like and understand the benefits of embedding this across pedagogy, operations and governance
- Hear how LEYF has designed its approach around the ‘8 Rs’ and how this works in all its settings
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Talk to its Eco-Champions and get hands-on with some of the resources children use to explore bio-diversity
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ECONOMIC WORKSHOP: Acorn Early Years – ‘taking the long view’
- Equip your setting to deal with whatever economic conditions, government policies, or a future pandemic may throw at you!
- Hear about developing the expertise to plan ahead and secure financial resilience.
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Learn first-hand from Acorn about its long-term strategy, which involves continually re-investing in its buildings and facilities, investing in its workforce, and taking environmental concerns into account in all purchasing decisions.
Speakers
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Lunch and exhibitor viewing
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WORKSHOP CAROUSEL: Making economic, environmental and social action happen!
See details of the workshops above (11:35 - 12.25). Delegates will attend all three workshops on the day with timings for each one designated to you at the conference.
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WORKSHOP CAROUSEL: Making economic, environmental and social action happen!
See details of the workshops above (11:35 - 12.25). Delegates will attend all three workshops on the day with timings for each one designated to you at the conference.
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Refreshments and exhibitor viewing
Your chance to network and view our exhibition of leading early years suppliers
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Sustainability is ‘do-able’ – tips from practice and research
Cheryl Hadland, founder of the Tops Day Nurseries group and sustainability charity GECCO provides some key take-aways from the group’s sustainability journey and provides a call to action for sustainability to be embedded in the new inspection framework.
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PANEL DISCUSSION: Thinking big, starting small
Whether it is recycling waste or materials, investing in sustainable resources or opting to jump on a bike, all these actions have a positive knock-on effect for the planet and our provision.
Our wide-ranging expert panel will discuss how their practical initiatives are having a positive impact for early years practice and how they can come together to create a greener future.
With input from delegates, there will be discussion around problem solving and embedding green practices that can make a real difference on the ground.
Speakers
senior lecturer in early childhood at Middlesex University and Co-chair of the ECSDN Sustainability Group
(chair)
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Sum-up and close of conference