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Gill Jones MBE

Chair of the Early years professional community and Group Chief Quality Officer and Safeguarding Lead, Busy Bees Nurseries
Gill works for Busy Bees Nurseries as their international lead for quality and safeguarding. She also leads the CST Professional Community for Early Years. Until recently, Gill was the deputy director for schools and early education at Ofsted, where she was responsible for school inspection policy, the curriculum unit, SEND, early years regulation and inspection, ITE, literacy and inspector training. She also led on the inspection of reading and worked closely with the DfE English hubs. As a HMI, she inspected schools, children's centres, SEND, local authorities and early years settings. Before joining Ofsted, she was a headteacher of several primary schools. Her specialist subjects are English, particularly the teaching of reading, and music.
09:15

1 Main programme

Opening and welcome remarks

11:00

1 Main programme

Panel: The meaning of ‘reception readiness’ – The latest insights to support effective practice

In this session, Felicity Gillespie of Kindred Squared will share key insights from the research behind the newly published 'Starting Reception' definition and guidance, along with findings from this year's School Readiness Survey. In the discussion, Sian Wicks of ERIC will highlight the support available to schools for young children who are not yet physically ready, while Jenny Shaw of Busy Bees will share the practices implemented across their settings to prepare young children for school. Attendees will benefit from the latest insights on this critical issue in terms of both research and practice to support their work.

14:55

1 Main programme

Panel: 'Shaping us' - How should we prepare all children emotionally and educationally for their future?

In this session, Jennifer Holly of The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood will set the scene by sharing the Shaping Us Framework. This framework sets out the social and emotional skills that are critical for learning from early childhood and throughout life, the role school leaders can play in the community to support these foundations. Rachel Vlachonikolis of River Learning Trust’s New Marston Primary School will share the inclusive model the trust has developed to widen the school's 'circle of provision'. The model includes a tailored bespoke curriculum for children (who are eligible for specialist school but unable to access places) in reception through to year two. Jenny Shaw will share Busy Bees’ approach to inclusive practice, placing the child and the key person at the heart of their bespoke curriculum and ensuring educators have a strong understanding of child development to support early intervention.

16:10

1 Main programme

Closing remarks