Sheffield City Council Early Years CPD Programme

This workshop explores the importance of supporting effective transitions for children with special educational needs and disabilities at key stages of their development.

This session will cover collaborative working with the SENCo, practical considerations for transition visits, and the importance of timely information sharing, including transition reviews and ensuring Extended Support Plans and EHCPs are current and appropriately shared.

The session will also highlight the value of early partnership working with professionals, parents, and carers to support children from entry into a childcare setting through to school transition. In addition, we will consider what ‘school readiness’ means for each individual child and those supporting them.

Audience: Early Years Practitioners from PVI settings, Childminders and SENCos who are supporting children with SEND transition

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Thursday 3rd December 2026 9.30-12.30pm	Burngreave Family Hub, S3 9LB	Book Here
Thursday 3rd December 2026 1.00-4.00pm	Burngreave Family Hub, S3 9LB	Book Here
Tuesday 26th January 2027 9.30-12.30pm	Burngreave Family Hub, S3 9LB	Book Here
Tuesday 26th January 2027 1.00-4.00pm	Burngreave Family Hub, S3 9LB	Book Here

Locations: Burngreave Family Hub 19 Spital Street, Sheffield S3 9LB

Cost: Free to Sheffield schools and settings

Training Team: Early Years Quality Improvement Team

"Making Sense of Autism in the Early Years" is a foundational, awareness-raising training session developed by the Neuroinclusive Education Network and delivered by the Sheffield 0-5 SEND specialist teachers.

The training workshop will support attendees to extend their expertise in recognising a child’s individual strengths and differences and support them to redirect their focus from managing behaviour to understanding the autistic brain and creating neuro-affirming environments.

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore:

• Communication & Interaction: Learning to provide extra processing time (e.g., the 10-second rule) and using clear, direct language.
• Sensory Processing: Understanding how environments (lights, sounds) impact learners and making reasonable adjustments.
• Social Understanding: Fostering positive relationships and promoting an individual's unique strengths rather than focusing on deficits.
• Information Processing: Recognising how autistic pupils process information differently to remove barriers to learning.

Audience: Designed for all practitioners across a range of Early Years settings, including preschools, private, voluntary or independent nurseries, schools, child minders and home-based early years practitioners as well as SENCos.

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Monday 23rd November 2026 9.30-12.30pm	Mansel Primary School	Book Here
Friday 12th February 2027 9.30-12.30pm	TBC	Book Here
Thursday 22nd April 2027 1.00-4.00pm	Manor Community Childcare Centre, S2 1BE	Book Here

Locations: Mansel Primary School, 157 Chaucer Road, Parson Cross, Sheffield, S5 9QN
Manor Community Childcare Centre, 33 Vikinglea Road, Sheffield, S2 1BE

Cost: Free to Sheffield schools and settings

Training Team: 0-5 SEND Specialist Teachers

Are you a new SENCo, interested in becoming a SENCo or need a refresher after returning to the role?

Training includes:

• An overview of the key aspects of the SENCo role and the SEN Code of Practice
• To know what we mean by SEND and how to identify needs
• To understand the graduated approach and be aware of a range of support strategies including ordinarily available provision
• To understand the EHCP process
• To know what the 0-5 SEND Team does and how to refer, and other agencies available to support
• To be aware of a range of available help for Sheffield early years, settings and families

Audience: SENCos new to role.

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Wednesday 7th October 2026 9.15-12.15pm	Moorfoot Learning Centre, S1 4PL	Book Here
Wednesday 17th March 2027 9.15-12.15pm	Moorfoot Learning Centre, S1 4PL	Book Here
Wednesday 30th June 2027 9.15-12.15pm	Moorfoot Learning Centre, S1 4PL	Book Here

Locations: Moorfoot Learning Centre, Moorfoot, Level 1, West Wing 1, South Lane, Sheffield S1 4PL

Cost: Free to Sheffield schools and settings

Training Team: 0-5 SEND Specialist Teachers

Neuroinclusive Education Network

Early Stages Good Autism Practice- Accredited

The Autism Education Trust have re branded and are now called the Neuroinclusive Education Network (NEN).

This course is designed to follow on from Making Sense of Autism (see training dates offered in the SEND section of the Early Years Training offer) or for delegates who have a basic knowledge of Autism/social communication differences.

This new 2026 course includes updated knowledge and understanding of social communication differences and Autism, and provides strategy toolkits to use in your setting.

What will you learn?

• Develop your knowledge and understanding of good autism practice.
• Learn how to use a range of strategies and approaches for pupils with social communication needs or autism.
• Ensure you are providing a neuro-affirmative, positive experience for all neurodivergent pupils.
• Consider how to involve the pupil and their family in scaffolding strengths, interests and aspirations.

Audience: Any practitioners who work with Autistic pupils or those with social communication differences in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Tuesday 19th January 2027 9.30-4.00pm	TBC	Book Here
Tuesday 20th April 2027 9.30-4.00pm	TBC	Book Here
Tuesday 29th June 2027 9.30-4.00pm	TBC	Book Here

Cost: 2 Tokens or £80.00 pay as you go

Training Team: Autism, Social Communication, Education and Training Service (ASCETs)

Aiming to inspire practitioners from across the early years sector, this training offers a balance of theoretical and practical support to enable a practitioner to carry out their role in supporting young children with additional needs. The Sheffield Early Years Quality Improvement team is pleased to offer you the opportunity to attend this training to gain an NCFE CACHE Level 2 accredited award.

The course content includes, understanding:

• Statutory guidance in relation to the care and education of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
• How children learn and develop in the Early Years and how to identify needs early
• The impact of transition
• Best practice for meeting the individual needs of young children and creating inclusive environments
• Planning to meet the individual stages of babies and young children
• Working in partnership with parents and other professionals

Delegates must attend the online introduction session to the training, expectations and online assessment portal as well as attend all three training days, and be aware that all work is to be submitted for assessment at the end of the course, to gain the accreditation. Study time is included in the day, providers are expected to stay for the duration of the day to access assessment support.

Audience: This training is designed to extend the knowledge of any EY practitioner who supports the development of children with SEND. Practitioners from both PVI and school settings would benefit from attending this training.MUST HOLD MINIMUM Level 2 in Child Development.

Cohort 1

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Tuesday 13th October 2026 10:00 – 11:00am Introduction	Online	Book Here
Tuesday 20th October 2026 9.30-4.00pm	Leisure United Thorncliffe, S35 3HY
Tuesday 3rd November 2026 9.30-4.00pm
Tuesday 17th November 2026 9.30-4.00pm

Location: Leisure United Thorncliffe, Pack Horse Lane, Sheffield, S35 3HY

 

Cohort 2

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Thursday 4th February 2027 10:00 – 11:00am Introduction	Online	Book Here
Thursday 11th February 9.30-4.00pm	Moorfoot Learning Centre, S1 4PL
Thursday 25th February 2027 9.30-4.00pm
Thursday 11th March 2027 9.30-4.00pm

Location: Moorfoot Learning Centre, Moorfoot, Level 1, West Wing 1, South Lane, Sheffield S1 4PL

 

Cohort 3

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Monday 7th June 2027 10:00 – 11:00am Introduction	Online	Book Here
Monday 14th June 2027 9.30-4.00pm	TBC
Monday 28th June 2027 9.30-4.00pm
Monday 12th July 2027 9.30-4.00pm

Location: TBC

 

Childminder and home-based early years practitioner priority Saturday cohort

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Thursday 7th January 2027 6.30 – 7.30pm Introduction	Online	Book Here
Saturday 16th January 2027 9.30-3.30pm	Primrose Family Hub, S6 2TN
Saturday 30th January 2027 9.30-3.30pm
Saturday 13th February 2027 9.30-3.30pm

Location: Primrose Family Hub, Creswick Street, Sheffield S6 2TN

Cost: Free – funded by Sheffield City Council

Training Team: Community Early Years Practitioners, Early Years Quality and Access and Quality Improvement Teams

Children’s behaviour and emotions continue to be top of the agenda for many early years settings and schools. The Early Years Foundation Stage says that “Providers are responsible for supporting, understanding, and managing children’s behaviour in an appropriate way.”

Our understanding of why behaviour happens and how best to support children is changing all the time, and this means continued professional development in this area is vital.

This series of workshops explores complex behaviours and comes from the perspective that all behaviour makes sense once we understand the child’s life experiences, brain development and potential for nervous system vulnerability.

We will look at some of the current top areas of focus for Ofsted including:

• The role of routines in supporting children’s behaviour
• Opportunities for explicit teaching when it comes to emotions and strategies for regulation
• Executive function skills
• The importance of secure attachments and sensitive, skilled responses to children
• Helping children to develop inhibitory control
• Adjustments and adaptations to support the creation of a truly incisive environment

The intended outcomes to be covered over a series of 4 workshops-

Week 1- Introduction

• Revisiting behaviour
• Roots of complex behaviours
• Regulation, self-compassion and self-control
• The nervous system and felt safety

Week 2 - The environment

• Creating regulating environments that are emotionally and sensory safe
• Activities and experiences for inhibitory control and executive function
• The social environment

Week 3 - Teaching and caregiving approaches

• Co-regulation
• Routines
• Predictability

Week 4 - The child’s inner world

• Developing self-awareness
• Teaching children about feelings
• Sharing regulation strategies with children

Audience: Early Years SENCos, teachers, practitioners, teaching assistants, early years leaders and managers

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Monday 12th October 2026 9.30-11.30am Session 1 of 4	Online	Book Here
Monday 19th October 2026 9.30-11.30am Session 2 of 4
Monday 9th November 2026 9.30-11.30am Session 3 of 4
Monday 16th November 2026 9.30-11.30am Session 4 of 4

*Please note all sessions must be attended

Location: Online via Teams

Cost: 2 Tokens or Pay as you go price on request from EarlyYearsBusinessSupport@sheffield.gov.uk

Training Team: Sarah Emerson – Childhood Understood

Are you supporting children whose demand avoidance is being misread as defiance, manipulation, or poor parenting? Do standard strategies keep falling flat, whatever the child's diagnosis or background?

This two-part training gives staff a clear understanding of demand avoidance and the practical tools to respond more effectively. Primarily designed for EYFS and Year 1 practitioners, it's relevant to anyone working with young children where demand avoidance may be a factor.

The training is split into two parts. Part 1 – an online module will be sent out dees upon booking / receiving pay as you go payment and can be accessed in their own time prior to the in-person training day.

Part 1: Online Module - A recorded session of up to 90 minutes, split into short sections for staff to complete in their own time. It builds a clear picture of what demand avoidance is, where it sits within our understanding of neurodivergence, and why it so often looks different from other profiles staff will be familiar with. By the time the in-person day comes around, everyone is starting from the same place.

Part 2: Full Training Day - Building on the online module, this face-to-face day gets into the detail of what demand avoidance may look like in early years and KS1 classrooms: the patterns staff see every day, why they can be so easy to misread, and what to do about them. The strategies brought into the room come directly from current classroom practice, with space for staff to bring their own experiences and questions.

Audience: Early Years SENCos, teachers, practitioners, teaching assistants, early years leaders and managers, Year 1 teachers

Cohort 1

Date/s and time, location:

Date/Time	Venue
Friday 20th November 2026 9.30-4.00pm	Online	Book Here
Friday 5th March 2027 9.30-4.00pm	The Quadrant, S9 4WG

Location: Online via Teams
The Quadrant, 99 Parkway Avenue, Sheffield, S9 4WG

Cost: 2 Tokens or Pay as you go price on request from EarlyYearsBusinessSupport@sheffield.gov.uk

Training Team: Delivered by Simon Airey, Neuroaffirming with Simon