Professional development training programme

The Coventry Early Years and Childcare Professional Development Training Programme, outlines training and briefing opportunities for Coventry Ofsted registered Childminders, Private, Voluntary and Independent Nurseries, playgroups, Out of School Clubs and School Nurseries/Reception classes.

Courses offered include a wide range of training from Paediatric First Aid, Designated Safeguarding Lead and Refresher training and a wide range of continuous professional development opportunities.

We are excited to inform you about changes to our Early Years Training Programme booking system.  We have taken the decision to move to the Eventbrite platform with immediate effect.  The new system will enable delegates to book, pay and receive instant course confirmation via one easy to use system. 

The Eventbrite booking system can be accessed via an app or web browser.

Read how to set up an Eventbrite account and a quick user guide [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/44667/eventbrite-user-guide].

Find and book any of our early years and childcare courses/events and briefings [https://CoventryCityCouncilEarlyYears.eventbrite.com].

Remember to click ‘FOLLOW’ the Early Years Service Coventry City Council so you can easily find our courses and receive notifications as new courses and events are added.

Coventry Early Years Team - workforce development

Address: Coventry City Council
PO Box 7097
Coventry
CV6 9SL

Telephone: 024 7697 5451 [tel:02476975451]

Coventry Early Years training schedule

Summer Term 2025 training schedule

Course/Briefing

Date

Time

Cost

Direct Booking Link

Wraparound Briefing Funding available Monday 12 May 1pm - 2pm

 Free session  (non-attendance fee of £10.00)

 

 Book you place Wraparound Funding session [https://Coventrywraparoundfundingsession.eventbrite.co.uk]

Paediatric First Aid 18

Tuesday 13 May

9.30am - 4pm

£85.00 to Coventry Early Years Setting and Schools other organisations £100.00

 Book your place on Paediatric First Aid - 18 [https://PFA18.eventbrite.co.uk]

 

Early Years DSL Network Meeting

Wednesday 14 May

5pm - 6.30pm

Free session  (non-attendance fee of £10.00)

 Book your place on Early Years DSL Network Meeting [https://DSLnetworkpviandchildmindersmay.eventbrite.co.uk]

Little Communicators

Tier 1

Saturday 17 May

9.30am - 12.30pm

Free session  (non-attendance fee of £10.00)

 Book your place on Little Communicators Tier 1 [https://littlecommstier1may.eventbrite.co.uk]

Little Communicators

Tier 3

Wednesday 21 May

1pm- 4pm

Free session  (non-attendance fee of £10.00)

Book your place on Little Communicators Tier 3 [https://littlecommstier3may.eventbrite.co.uk]

 

Wraparound Network Briefing

 

Wednesday 21 May 6.30pm - 7.30pm Free session  (non-attendance fee of £10.00) Book you place on Wraparound Network Briefing [https://wraparoundnetworkmeetingmay.eventbrite.co.uk]

Paediatric First Aid 19

Monday 2 June

9.30am - 4pm

£85.00 to Coventry Early Years Setting and Schools other organisations £100.00

 Book your place on Paediatric First Aid 19 [https://PFA19.eventbrite.co.uk]

Initial Designated Safeguarding Lead Training Session (two-part course) for PVI Settings and Childminders

 

Tuesday 3 and 10 June (two-part course)

7pm -9pm

£50.00

 Book your place on Initial Designated Safeguarding Lead Training Session (two-part course) [https://DSLforpviandchildminders.eventbrite.co.uk]

Promoting and supporting positive behaviour with school children. 

Wednesday 4 June

6.30pm - 8pm

Free session  (non-attendance fee of £10.00)

 Book your place on Promoting and supporting positive behaviour with school children [https://promotingpositivebehaviourschoolagedchildren.eventbrite.co.uk]

Early Years School Leads Summer Term Briefing

Thursday 5 June

1pm-4pm

Free session  (non-attendance fee of £10.00)

 Book your place on Early Years School Leads Summer Term Briefing [https://coventryeyschoolleadsbriefing.eventbrite.co.uk]

Little Communicators

Tier 2

Saturday 7 June

9.30am - 4pm

Free session (non-attendance fee of £10.00)

 Book your place on Little Communicators Tier 2 [https://littlecommstier2june.eventbrite.co.uk]

Paediatric First Aid 20 (evening course over two sessions)

Monday 9 and 16 June

6pm - 9pm  x 2 evenings

£85.00 to Coventry Early Years Setting and Schools other organisations £100.00

 Book your place on Paediatric First Aid 20 evening course over two sessions [https://PFA20evening.eventbrite.co.uk]

Wraparound Briefing Funding available

Wednesday 11 June 

 

6.30pm - 7.30pm  Free session  (non-attendance fee of £10.00) Book you place here for Wraparound Funding Briefing [https://coventrywraparoundbriefingonfundingjune.eventbrite.co.uk]
Recruitment and Retention Briefing  Thursday 12 June 6.30pm - 8.30pm Free session (non-attendance fee of £10.00) Book your place on the Recruitment and Retention Briefing [https://Recruitmentandretentionbriefing.eventbrite.co.uk]

SEND - A Common Sense  Approach

Tuesday 17 June

6.30pm - 8.30pm

Free session (non-attendance fee of £10.00)

 Book your place on SEND course  [https://sendacommonapproach.eventbrite.co.uk]

Early Years DSL Network Meeting

Wednesday 18 June

5pm - 6.30pm

Free session (non-attendance fee of £10.00)

Book your place on Early Years DSL Network Meeting [https://dslnetworkforcoventrypviandchildmindersjune.eventbrite.co.uk]

 

Paediatric First Aid 21

Saturday 21 June

9.30am - 4pm

£85.00 to Coventry Early Years Setting and Schools other organisations £100.00

 Book your place on Paediatric First Aid 21 [https://PFA21.eventbrite.co.uk]

 

Session on Monitoring Spend on Wraparound Funding

 

Monday 23 June 

1.30pm - 2.15pm Free session (non-attendance fee of £10.00) Book you place on Wraparound Monitoring of Funding [https://coventrywraparoundmonitorofspendsessionjune.eventbrite.co.uk]

Making Connections – Exploring the wonderful world of Schemas

Tuesday 24 June

6pm - 8pm

£40.00

 Book your place on Making Connections – Exploring the wonderful world of schemas [https://wonderfulworldofschemas.eventbrite.co.uk]

Paediatric First Aid 22

Thursday 26  June

9.30am - 4pm

£85.00 to Coventry Early Years Setting and Schools other organisations £100.00

 Book your place on Paediatric First Aid 22 [https://PFA22.eventbrite.co.uk]

Full day venue based  training session covering:

Morning session: Imaginative Play

Afternoon session: Inclusion,Behaviour and working with Vulnerable Children 

Saturday 28 June 9.30am - 3.30pm Free session (non-attendance fee of £20.00) Book your place on Imaginative Play and Inclusion [https://imaginativeplayandbehaviour.eventbrite.co.uk]
Designated Safeguarding Lead Refresher Training Session (two-part course) Tuesday 1 and 8 July 7pm - 9pm £50.00 Book your place on DSL Refresher Training [https://DSLrefresherforpviandchildminders.eventbrite.co.uk]
Early Maths Adventures Thursday 3 July 1pm - 4pm £40.00  Book your place on Early Maths Adventures [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1277835683929?aff=oddtdtcreator]
Paediatric First Aid 23 Monday 7 July 9.30am - 4pm £85.00 to Coventry Early Years Setting and Schools other organisations £100.00 Book your place on Paediatric First Aid 23 [https://PFA23.eventbrite.co.uk]
Wraparound Network Briefing Wednesday 9 July  6.30pm - 7.30pm Free session (non-attendance fee of £10.00) Book your place on Wraparound Network Briefing [https://coventrywraparoundnetworkmeetingjuly.eventbrite.co.uk]

Training offered by partner organisations

Coventry Speech and Language Service

Coventry Speech and Language Training offer a range of training to support children's speech, language and communication in the early years.

View the training brochure [https://www.coventrychildrensslt.co.uk/professionals/training/]

Oral Health Promotion in the Early Years

The oral health e-learning course (which has been created in collaboration with Warwickshire County Council) is aimed at all early years practitioners including those who support families with children in the 0-5 age group. The course takes about 35 minutes to complete and on completion, participants will gain access to an Oral Health Early Years Resource Pack. The pack will provide creative teaching and promotional materials to help Early Years workers organise and deliver, short oral health sessions/campaigns within their individual settings. Please contact Oral.HealthTeam@geh.nhs.uk [mailto:Oral.HealthTeam@geh.nhs.uk] for further information.

Coventry and Warwickshire Central Teaching School

Coventry and Warwickshire Teaching Hub [https://www.tshub.co.uk/] is a Department of Education appointed organisation. Their remit is to provide high quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their career.

Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) Training

CSCP offer a wide range of multi-agency safeguarding training courses.

Further information and how to book. [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/cscptraining]

Qualifications in early years and childcare

All early years providers working with children from birth to 5 years old must meet the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2] Providers must ensure staff in their setting have the appropriate qualifications, including the need to have staff trained in paediatric first aid.

The Department of Education defines the qualifications that staff must hold to count in the EYFS staff-to-child ratios.

It is the early years provider's responsibility when recruiting early years practitioners that they check the Department of Education “qualification list [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-qualifications-finder]” to ensure that person's qualification meets the full and relevant criteria.

Guidance [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualifications-achieved-outside-england] is available for those who have achieved early years qualifications outside the United Kingdom.

Read more information on recruiting and managing early years staff. [http://www.gov.uk/childcare-parenting/recruiting-and-managing-early-years-staff]

Review of the Early Years Educator Level 3 Qualification 

The Government have reviewed the criteria for the Early Years Educator Level 3 - the new criteria for this qualification [http://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1149475/Annex_A_230314_L3review_ConResponse.pdf] will take effect from 1 September 2024.

The Department for Education has launched a free online Early years child development training course aimed at childminders, nursery practitioners and nursery managers.

The flexible online training has been developed in consultation with early years experts and provides a greater understanding of child development.

The training:

  • gives practical advice for supporting children in early years settings
  • includes opportunities to reflect on your practice
  • reinforces your understanding through learning check questions and tests
  • allows you to pause and restart the training at any time
  • offers the chance to download certificates of achievement for each module

The first six modules of the training are available. Further modules will be added in the coming months. Find out more about this training and to enrol  [https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/]

Coventry Early Years Team - workforce development

Address: Coventry City Council
PO Box 7097
Coventry
CV6 9SL

Telephone: 024 7697 5451 [tel:02476975451]

Advertising your job vacancies for early years providers

Early Years and childcare providers – do you need to recruit staff?

Why not advertise your job opportunities for free on our Coventry Family Information Directory. [https://cid.coventry.gov.uk/kb5/coventry/directory/family.page?familychannel=0]

Coventry Ofsted registered Early years and childcare providers can submit their job vacancies by completing our online form [https://forms.office.com/e/egJHWhH6RQ]. This service is for Coventry providers only. 

We also share current job vacancies with the Coventry Job Shop, this enables all job vacancies to reach a wider audience.

Advertising your job vacancies

Information required when completing the online job vacancy form:

  • Job title
  • Qualifications required
  • Working hours
  • Salary - including salary details or hourly rate will ensure that you receive a greater response to your advertisement 
  • How to apply
  • Contact details
  • Closing date

Make your vacancy sound appealing and explain why job seekers would want to work for your setting.

National Minimum Wage

By law employers must pay a minimum amount on average for the hours you work. This is called the:

  • National Living Wage (NLW) if you're aged 21 or over
  • National Minimum Wage (NMW) if you're aged under 21 or an apprentice
Current rates

Date

 21 and over

 18 to 20 years

Under 18years

Apprentice  

April 2025

£12.21 

£10.00 

£7.55 

£7.55

Further information on National Minimum Wage [https://www.acas.org.uk/national-minimum-wage-entitlement]

Dealing with enquiries and applications to your job adverts 

Consider how you will deal with enquiries regarding your job adverts – ensure all staff that are involved in the recruitment process are briefed and confident in responding to potential job seekers, this also includes any staff that will be responding to telephone calls or emails.

Advertising internally - the benefits  

By also advertising your job vacancy internally your recruitment practice will be seen as transparent and fair and you will also be showing recognition of staff and giving them the chance to develop.

Use of social media as a recruitment tool 

Why not utilise social media to advertise job vacancies?  LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook will allow you to reach a large number of people for little or no cost. 

Disclosure and Barring Checks

When a job vacancy is advertised, reference should be made for the need of the applicant to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check [https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/overview].

Coventry Early Years Team - workforce development

Address: Coventry City Council
PO Box 7097
Coventry
CV6 9SL

Telephone: 024 7697 5451 [tel:02476975451]

Safer recruitment

Coventry Early Years Team - workforce development

Address: Coventry City Council
PO Box 7097
Coventry
CV6 9SL

Telephone: 024 7697 5451 [tel:02476975451]

Looking for job vacancies in early years or childcare?

Then why not search our jobs for current job vacancies [https://cid.coventry.gov.uk/kb5/coventry/directory/family.page?familychannel=0].  Our jobs site enables job seekers to view current job vacancies and share to various social media platforms and also share via email, text and WhatsApp. 

Are you a job seeker looking for practical support? 

Then why not contact The Job Shop [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/jobshop] which is based in West Orchards Shopping Centre, Coventry City Centre, can help support job seekers with a wide range of services, including 1-1 support to help with preparing a CV and interview skills, interview preparation and signposting to job events that will put you in touch with employers regarding their job opportunities. This is a free service. 

For further information please email  jobshop@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:jobshop@coventry.gov.uk] or telephone 024 7678 5740.

Working in Early Years and Childcare  

To meet the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirements, early years providers need to recruit people who comply with the Department for Education qualification list [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-qualifications-finder]of relevant qualifications. 

Have you achieved your Early Years Qualification outside the UK? 

If you did not achieve your early years qualification in the United Kingdom, you will be required to make an application to work in early years education in the United Kingdom.  Guidance of this and how to apply [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualifications-achieved-outside-england] 

Statement of Comparability  

The Statement of Comparability compares overseas qualifications to the UK education system, comparing them to UK qualifications and framework levels. This service does not provide a comment on grades, grade comparisons, or the subjects studied.  Information and how to apply [https://www.enic.org.uk/Qualifications/SOC/Default.aspx]

Disclosure and Barring Service 

To work with children and young people as an employee or as a volunteer you will need to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check for more information [https://www.gov.uk/dbs-check-applicant-criminal-record/get-a-basic-dbs-check-for-an-employee]

National Minimum Wage entitlement 

Employers have a responsibility by law to ensure they pay: 

  • National Living Wage (NLW) if you're aged 21 or over 
  • National Minimum Wage (NMW) if you're aged under 21 or an apprentice 

Current rates from 1 April 2024. 

Age Amount

Age 21 or over (National Living Wage) 

£11.44 

Age 18 to 20 

£8.60 

Under 18 

£6.40 

Apprentice 

£6.40 

If an employee feels they are not being paid the correct amount they can find advice and support on the ACAS website [https://www.acas.org.uk/national-minimum-wage-entitlement].

Coventry Business, Sufficiency and Funding Team

Address: Coventry City Council
PO Box 7097
Coventry
CV6 9SL

Telephone: 024 7697 5451 [tel:02476975451]