New service created by National Strategies directors

The new service for early years providers, schools and local authorities has been set up by Capita to fill the gap left by the end of National Strategies' contract with the Department for Education, which finishes at the end of the month.

The end of National Strategies means that there will no longer be free nationwide support and resources for early years settings.

Helen Moylett and Sue Robb (pictured top right), both senior directors at National Strategies, will be leading the early years service at edsight and they expect to expand the team and work in partnership with early years consultants and providers.

Ms Moylett (pictured below right), told Nursery World that the focus will be on support for effective early learning and leadership and management.

Training and support will be offered subject to demand from providers so that, for example, a nursery could buy-in a specific half-day of training tailored for itself. Early years settings, schools and local authorities will be able to sign up for different levels of support.

Ms Moylett said that early years settings would be able to join together as 'clusters'.

'We will be flexible about what people can afford and it's much more likely that settings will be able to buy-in to a cluster. We're very flexible in terms of our model of CPD and we encourage people to work together in clusters,' she said.

Training on offer from edsight's early years service will include Every Child A Talker, early language and literacy, phonics, leadership, quality improvement and personal, social and emotional development.

A one-year membership for a group of small schools or settings advertised on edsight's website includes places at a national one-day early years conference, CPD workshops, on-site consultancy and access to a named early years adviser, plus full access to the edsight website and its resources.

Discounted rates are available until the end of March on all memberships.

Ms Moylett said, 'I am confident that, working in partnership with others, edsight and other early years experts can continue the work of the National Strategies in keeping colleagues aware of the national picture, as well as focusing on the revised EYFS and the central importance of child development, social and emotional development, early communication and language, and working with parents in improving children's life chances.'

She added, 'We will be doing work around the themes and principles of the revised EYFS and looking to support all providers and local authorities.'

• The National Strategies website will be available for a short time after the end of March and practitioners will be able to continue to download resources free.

Further information:

www.edsight.co.uk