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Snow across large parts of the country couldn’t keep nearly 3,500 visitors from attending the leading early years event of the year, the Nursery World Show at London’s Business Design Centre on 2-3 February.
They came for two days packed with inspiration, information and interaction, with seminars and masterclasses, a major exhibition and a host of special features.
Professor Paul Howard-Jones, well-known for his appearances in the Secret Life of 4 Year Olds, was the star of Friday’s packed masterclass ‘The Brain, Learning and the Early Years’, with Dr Sara Baker and Dr Jenny Gibson, and he also hosted a popular book signing.
Saturday’s masterclass, ‘Playing and Creating in a Digital World’ with Professor Elizabeth Wood, gave a brilliant insight into the role of digital technologies in children’s play.
Many seminars – led by the top experts – were sold out, with subjects including Ofsted’s new framework, early years music, self-regulation, small world play, autistic spectrum disorders, cultural diversity and much more.
Christie & Co’s Business Briefing featured a lively presentation from Courteney Donaldson and a vigorous debate from the senior early year figures present.
The Live Theatre, sponsored by Christie & Co, drew crowds, with More Than A Score’s passionate anti-Baseline presentations provoking loud applause, nasen’s SEND resources of great interest, and some lively physical activity on display.
The Nutrition Zone, sponsored by Spring by Action for Children, cooked up a storm, TTS’s Early Years Resources and Learning Zone was buzzing, and the Early Years Careers Zone, sponsored by LEYF, included a recreated nursery garden in which to interview job candidates. Jelf and PACEY were the show’s insurance partner.
The wide range of exhibition stands were thronged by visitors, and included Community Playthings, Yellow Door, Cosy, Tapestry, First Steps, Herts for Learning, Yellow Duck, TUI, Riverside Cares, and many others.
Famly's Matt Americh even conducted a series of filmed interviews at the show, including one with Ofsted's Gill Jones about the new Education Inspection Framework that you can see here.
- See you at Nursery World North in Manchester on 10-11 May www.nurseryworldshow.com.
- 'Roll up for Nursery World North'
