Effective Professional Development in EYFS: Empowering Educators for Quality Early Years Education

Professional development (PD) is essential in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), where educators play a critical role in shaping children’s learning, well-being, and future potential. In early years settings, PD is far more than attending occasional workshops—it is a continuous, reflective process that strengthens pedagogical skills, builds confidence, and ensures high-quality learning experiences. By investing in effective PD, early years practitioners are equipped to design meaningful, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate activities, assess progress effectively, and support children’s holistic growth.

For example, a teacher attending training on inclusive storytelling can adapt literacy activities to engage children with English as an additional language, children with different learning needs, and those who are more confident, ensuring no child is left out. This targeted professional development directly enhances classroom practice and child engagement.

The Importance of Professional Development in EYFS

Professional development underpins excellence in early years education for several key reasons:

Enhancing Teaching Practice: PD allows practitioners to explore innovative strategies and refine their teaching. For example, attending a workshop on “Math Through Play” enables teachers to integrate counting, patterns, and shapes into everyday activities—such as building with blocks, sorting toys, or arranging snack plates—making learning both meaningful and playful.

Improving Child Outcomes: Research consistently shows that children achieve better outcomes when teachers are trained in evidence-based, child-centered approaches. For example, a teacher trained in narrative play can foster literacy and language development by guiding children in storytelling, role play, and imaginative scenarios, strengthening vocabulary, listening skills, and creativity.

Boosting Staff Motivation and Retention: Ongoing PD demonstrates investment in staff, enhancing morale, job satisfaction, and retention. An EYFS setting offering monthly peer-observation sessions and collaborative planning meetings encourages a supportive, learning-focused culture where staff feel valued and motivated.

Meeting Standards and Statutory Requirements: EYFS practitioners must meet regulatory and quality standards, including safeguarding, assessment, and curriculum delivery. PD ensures staff remain confident and competent in these areas, reducing risk and improving the overall quality of the provision.

Key Features of Effective Professional Development

Not all PD is equally impactful. Effective PD typically includes the following characteristics:

Child-Centered and Evidence-Based: PD should focus on strategies that enhance children’s learning experiences. Example: A session on sensory play demonstrates how tactile stations—such as rice trays, water beads, and playdough—support fine motor development, early writing skills, and sensory regulation.

Ongoing and Sustained Learning: One-off workshops have limited impact. Continuous, long-term learning helps embed skills.
Example: A year-long coaching program enabled practitioners to gradually implement language-rich teaching strategies, supported by follow-up observations and feedback, leading to measurable improvements in children’s vocabulary and communication.

Collaborative Learning Communities: Educators learn best when sharing ideas, observing peers, and reflecting collectively.
Example: An EYFS team created a “best practice board” with photos and reflections of nature walks, scavenger hunts, and hands-on experiments. Colleagues adapted these ideas in their classrooms, enhancing creativity and engagement.

Practical and Contextual Relevance: PD should provide strategies that teachers can implement immediately. Example: A training session on outdoor learning included a practical demonstration of a mud kitchen using inexpensive, everyday materials—teachers could replicate it the very next day.

Reflective Practice: Encouraging reflection allows teachers to assess their strengths, identify areas for improvement, and adjust practice.
Example: After introducing a new phonics game, practitioners kept reflective journals on children’s engagement and progress, leading to refinements in activity delivery and higher-quality learning experiences.

Models of Professional Development in EYFS

Workshops and Seminars: Structured sessions focus on specific topics or skills. Example: A literacy-focused workshop introduced “story sacks”—bags with books, props, and puppets—to encourage narrative development and foster storytelling confidence among children.

Coaching and Mentoring: Individual support from experienced colleagues helps translate theory into practice. Example: A new teacher paired with a mentor implemented weekly observational assessments to track numeracy development, gradually improving confidence and teaching effectiveness.

Peer Observations and Collaborative Learning: Observing peers and sharing feedback enhances reflective practice and idea exchange.
Example: During peer observations, teachers noticed colleagues incorporating counting into snack routines. This idea was adopted across the setting, integrating learning into daily life.

Online and Blended Learning: E-learning modules provide flexibility and access to expert resources. Example: Practitioners completed an online mindfulness course, then implemented breathing exercises in the classroom, helping children manage emotions and develop self-regulation skills.

Linking Professional Development to EYFS Outcomes

Effective PD should directly support teaching aligned with EYFS learning areas:

Communication and Language: Dialogic reading and storytelling workshops enhance vocabulary, comprehension, and conversational skills.

Personal, Social, and Emotional Development (PSED): Training in conflict resolution enables educators to mediate disputes and model empathy.

Physical Development: Fine motor workshops guide activities like threading, dough play, and tweezing, supporting early writing skills.

Understanding the World and Expressive Arts: STEM-focused PD empowers teachers to run experiments, such as floating and sinking challenges, nurturing curiosity and problem-solving skills.

Example: After staff attended a PD session on inquiry-based STEM activities, weekly challenges encouraged children to build towers and test stability, improving resilience, collaboration, and logical thinking.

Overcoming Challenges in EYFS Professional Development

Limited Time and Resources: Solution: Integrate micro-learning during staff meetings or short, focused sessions within the setting.

Variable Quality of Training: Solution: Select providers with EYFS expertise. Example: Choose a certified early childhood consultant rather than a generic provider to ensure relevance and effectiveness.

Resistance to Change: Solution: Promote a culture of experimentation. Example: Implement a “trial week” for new approaches such as sensory storytelling before full integration.

Measuring the Impact of Professional Development

Observation and Assessment: Monitor classroom practice to identify improvements. Example: Teachers observed increased engagement in guided play after scaffolding learning PD.

Child Progress Data: Connect PD to measurable learning gains. Example: Following phonics training, children demonstrated better recognition of letters and sounds.

Staff Feedback and Reflection: Collect evaluations to refine PD. Example: Positive feedback from an outdoor learning workshop led to additional sessions on risk assessment and resource planning.

Real-Life Example: A Model EYFS Setting

The EYFS setting at my school implemented a structured PD plan over one year:

Quarter 1: Workshops on language-rich environments and story-based learning.

Quarter 2: Mentoring sessions focused on STEM exploration and observational assessment.

Quarter 3: Peer observations and collaborative planning for outdoor learning.

Quarter 4: Reflective sessions to assess impact on children, share successes, and plan next year’s PD.

Result: Children demonstrated significant improvements in literacy, numeracy, social skills, and resilience. Staff reported increased confidence, creativity, and job satisfaction, illustrating the transformative power of well-designed PD.

Effective professional development is not an optional extra—it is fundamental to high-quality EYFS practice. Ongoing, practical, and collaborative PD empowers educators to enhance teaching strategies, support holistic child development, and maintain a culture of excellence. Real-life examples like the one I cited above at my school, demonstrate that when PD is carefully structured, sustained, and aligned with EYFS outcomes, both children and educators thrive. Investing in professional development is ultimately an investment in the future of every child.

By Remediana Dias