“We have found overwhelming evidence that children’s life chances are most heavily predicated on their development in the first five years of life. It is family background, parental education, good parenting and the opportunities for learning and development in those crucial years that together matter more to children than money, in determining whether their potential is realised in adult life”
The Foundation Years: preventing poor children becoming poor adults, the report of the Independent Review on Poverty and Life Chances Frank Field December 2010
Warwickshire Early Years Hub (WEYH) focuses on the foundations of education with a birth to 7 years specialism that supports Early Years and KS1. We firmly believe that by improving the quality of practice and approaches to learning across the EY sector, we improve the life chances for children beyond our school gates.
We have a range of Alliance partners, including Nursery, Infant and Primary Schools. We work in partnership with Warwickshire County Council to facilitate the objectives of the Warwickshire Education Strategy (in particular Priority 1 – fostering children’s love of learning from birth through childhood into year 1 and championing the EYFS).
‘Every child is our child’ – It takes a village to raise a child
We want every child to have access to the best possible provision for learning. We are champions of collaboration and encourage all early years practitioners to share good practice and work together.Our range of activities includes a comprehensive training programme, an Initial Teaching Training course and involvement in research such as the integration of education and mental health projects. We also provide bespoke support and advice for schools and settings. This is based on a peer support model and allows support, challenge and shared practice to be applied effectively in all types of Early Years provision.
The quality of what we deliver matters
Our schools have established headteachers with a track record for championing and developing CPD both internally and externally.
Meet the WEYH Senior Leadership Team
Rachel Gillett: Co-Lead of Warwickshire Early Years Hub
Executive Headteacher of Kenilworth Nursery School and Whitnash Nursery school.
I have been teaching for over 25 years, initially across the Primary age range before specialising in early education in Nursery Schools. I have been a Headteacher for 14 years and Executive Headteacher for 10 years.
I have led a Children’s Centre and Teaching School and been part of multiple DfE projects to support wider learning across the early years sector, completing research and developing training. Most recently completing work for the DfE as an Area Lead for Early Years Recovery.
I support system leadership across the sector and am commissioned by UCL to facilitate the NQPEYL program for the West Midlands area. This year I have become involved in a national project to research creativity and its impact on young children, working collaboratively with 10 other organisations nationally, and I am hugely excited about this opportunity.
I am passionate about the provision of exceptional early educational experiences for each child. Our Schools provide environments without limits, spaces to think and time to extend and follow the children’s interests. This happens when skilled and well qualified adults can work beside young children, co-constructing learning opportunities and experiences with intention.
Nicci Burton: Co-Lead of Warwickshire Early Years Hub
Executive Headteacher of Bedworth Heath Nursery School and Atherstone Maintained Nursery school and NPQEYL facilitator commissioned by UCL.
I began working in nursery schools after gaining an Early Years specialist PGCE with Warwick University and now have over 17 years experience working in Nursery Schools across Warwickshire and Coventry. I am currently Executive Headteacher for the Bedworth Heath and Atherstone Nursery Federation and have been a Headteacher for over 6 years. I have led both schools through outstanding Ofsted inspections.
I support system leadership across the sector, I lead national and local training in the Early Years sector and I am commissioned by UCL to co-facilitate the NQPEYL program for the West Midlands area.
I feel incredibly passionate about Early Years education and feel really privileged to work with all our partners in striving to gain the best possible outcomes for all our children and families.
Michelle Hutton: Early Years Hub Cooordinator
My role is to coordinate all the different activities of the WEYH and to develop our Early Years offer. I have been working in Education for over fourteen years across Warwickshire infant, primary and secondary schools and now the Early Years. I feel really privileged to be able to work alongside and support people who work so hard to ensure children get the very best possible start in life.
If you would like to know more about us and the work we do, please get in touch.