Hi, I’m Rachel!

I have recently joined the L&G Learning team after working for nearly 10 years across many different nurseries as an Early Years Teacher. After school, I went to college and completed an HNC in Early Education and Childcare before studying Primary Education for 4 years at University of Strathclyde. Following this, I realised Early Years was what I was most passionate about and I have worked as an Early Years Teacher ever since.

Throughout my time studying and in my Early Years Teaching role, I have gained a lot of experience and knowledge about children’s learning and development. I have supported many Early Years Settings in a range of ways including providing training, modelling good practice, supporting staff through change, and developing quality learning environments which support children’s developmental needs.

At L&G, we want to give back to the nurseries who work with our Modern Apprentices and to our Modern Apprentices themselves to encourage sharing good practice. Each month, I will share something with you- this could be a resource, a website, ideas for activities based around themes and much more, so keep a look out!

This month I wanted to highlight that the start of the academic year can sometimes bring a lot of worry and anxiety but it is also an opportunity to build on existing skills and knowledge.

Working with and raising young children is a privilege and it is important our expectations are appropriate to meet children’s developmental needs.

I’ve found that this great NHS resource really helps with this:

Interactive Child Development Timeline

The timeline is very easy to follow and gives an insight into the expected milestones for different ages and stages of development. It can be used to inform planning, to help with suggestions for support and challenge for children, to ensure a holistic view which focuses on all areas of development and also for making stronger links with home learning.