Why Traditional Early Years CPD Fails (And What Actually Works)

I've lost count of the number of practitioners who've told me they feel stuck in a cycle of disappointing professional development. You know the pattern: attend training, feel inspired, return to your setting with good intentions, only to find that nothing really changes. The children are still struggling with the same challenges, your team is still uncertain about approaches, and you're left wondering if you're somehow failing them.

But here's what I've learned after years of supporting nurseries and schools: the problem isn't with your dedication or ability. It's with a system of professional development that was never designed to create lasting change. Traditional CPD treats all settings as identical, delivers information without context, and expects transformation without providing the tools to make it happen.

What if I told you there's a completely different approach—one that starts with your actual practice, builds on your existing strengths, and creates measurable improvements for the children in your care? An approach that the Department for Education recognizes as the gold standard, but which has been largely missing from early years professional development?

Why Traditional Early Years CPD Fails (And What Actually Works)

After many years of working in early years settings, managing nurseries, and supporting countless educators, I've witnessed a troubling pattern. We invest in professional development, attend training sessions, and leave feeling inspired—only to find that little actually changes in our day-to-day practice.

Sound familiar?

The problem isn't with your dedication or intentions. It's with how professional development has traditionally been delivered in the early years sector.

The Glossy Catalogue Problem

We've all been there—flicking through those glossy training and equipment catalogues, dreaming of bigger budgets and more resources. But here's what I've learned: children don't need expensive equipment to thrive. They need practitioners who truly understand what effective practice looks like.

A bag of pinecones can create more meaningful learning than the latest expensive resource—if you know how to use it effectively.

Why One-Size-Fits-All CPD Doesn't Work

Traditional training often treats all settings the same. You sit in a room, absorb information, and return to your setting expected to implement changes. But every setting is different. Every group of children has unique needs. Every team has different strengths and challenges.

Generic training simply cannot address your specific context.

The Missing Link: Action-Research CPD

Real change happens when professional development is:

• Tailored to your setting's specific needs
• Rooted in your daily practice
• Focused on measurable outcomes for children
• Sustained over time with ongoing reflection

This is why I developed the Nurturing Childhoods Early Years Practitioner Award around an action-research model. Instead of sitting in a training room, you reflect on your practice in the place where change needs to happen—your setting.

The Department for Education Agrees

The DfE's Professional Development Standards make it clear: effective CPD must focus on improving children's outcomes, be underpinned by robust evidence, include collaboration and challenge, and be sustained over time.

Children in early years settings deserve nothing less than this gold standard.

What Makes Our Approach Different

The NCEYP Award offers something unique in early years professional development:

Pre-Session Reflections help you identify your current strengths and development needs before diving into new content.

Interactive Modules allow you to pause, reflect, and consider how concepts apply to your specific context.

Action Plans ensure you translate learning into concrete improvements that benefit the children in your care.

Portfolio Building creates lasting evidence of your professional growth and impact.

The Result? Real Change That Lasts

When CPD is rooted in your actual practice, amazing things happen:

• Children's experiences improve measurably
• Team confidence grows
• Parents notice the difference
• Your professional satisfaction increases

And it is really not that difficult: "The most valuable gift you can give a child is to know the experiences they need. And to understand how you can offer them."

Ready to move beyond traditional CPD and create lasting change in your setting? The Nurturing Childhoods Early Years Practitioner Award offers 12 months of practice-based professional development that transforms not just your understanding, but your children's daily experiences.

[Start Your Journey Today →]