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11 Mar 2027 09:15 - 16:30

Rothamsted Conference Centre, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ

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Join us for an inspiring day where we’ll explore how you can challenge limiting beliefs, raise expectations and help every child thrive. 
 
You’ll hear fresh perspectives from expert speakers, take part in thought-provoking sessions and discover evidence-informed ideas you can use in your setting. There will also be plenty of time to connect with other early years professionals, share experiences and learn together. 

 

Is this conference for you? 

If you support young children’s learning, development or wellbeing, this conference is for you. 

You may work directly with children, lead a team or help shape provision across a setting or organisation. Whether you’re an early years practitioner, nursery manager, setting owner, teacher, teaching assistant, childminder or adviser, you’ll leave with practical ideas to strengthen your practice and help every child flourish. 

 

What can you expect?

Throughout the day, we’ll explore inclusion, equity, child development and what high expectations look like in early years education. 

National Early Years conference 2027 programme
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Keynote speakers

Matt Bawler

Head of Early Years and Wellbeing | Author of The Courage Club series
Matt is Head of Early Years and Wellbeing at a school in South London and has more than 20 years’ teaching experience. He is passionate about helping children in the early years and beyond build strong foundations for wellbeing and positive mental health.

In his keynote, I AM, I CAN & I WILL: How the Stories We Feed Shape the Life That We Lead, Matt will explore how early experiences shape the stories children tell themselves about who they are, what they can do and how they respond when life gets hard. Through the foundations of I AM, I CAN and I WILL, he’ll invite us to reflect on the messages we reinforce and the possibilities children learn to see in themselves.

Shonette Bason-Wood

Early Years Innovator and Motivational Speaker - Move to Improve: Ways to Impact and Balance Digital Childhood
Shonette Bason is a Guinness World Record holder, award winning author, international speaker and mother of four. Creator of Dough Disco, she supports educators across 53 countries to prioritise happiness, humour and positivity, accelerating children’s learning. Her distinctive, high-energy presentations inspire audiences to embrace change and create lasting educational impact worldwide.

Dr Gemma Goldenberg

Deputy Director, Institute for the Science of Early Years, University of East London
Gemma is an award-winning author and researcher with 20 years’ teaching and leadership experience in schools and nurseries. Her work focuses on turning research evidence into practical approaches for educators.
In Growing Up in a Busy World: What Young Children Need From Us, she’ll explore how modern childhood can shape developing brains, attention, behaviour and learning, and share practical ideas to help children thrive.

Seminar speakers 

Sukhbinder Kaur, author, educator, puppeteer and founder of SK Author Workshops, will share practical ways to use storytelling and puppetry to explore diversity, inclusion, belonging and cultural awareness in Hats off to Inclusion. 

Jennifer Ferguson, District Early Years Adviser at HFL Education, will explore how high expectations can be achieved without making early years provision more formal. 

Tracey Dawson, Early Years Consultant at HFL Education, will consider the factors that influence boys’ engagement and share ways to create physical and emotional environments that help every child thrive. 

Angela Atkinson-Thurtle, Early Years Adviser at HFL Education, will explore how beliefs, expectations and practice influence children’s experiences of belonging, equity and opportunity from the earliest years. 

 

Book your place! 

Book from 15th September to 30th November 2026 to secure our early bird price of £199 + VAT per delegate.  

Schools or Settings purchasing more than 1 ticket will receive a further discount with tickets in the same order being priced at £175 + VAT per delegate.  

From 1st December 2026, the full price is £241.00 per delegate. 

Book your place today!

Further information

Please contact the HFL Events team at conferences@hfleducation.org or call 01438 544477.