Early Years Up North
About this Event
Introducing Early Years Up North, brought to you by YPO.
This new and exciting early years event will showcase the very best of early years – including brands you know and love, innovative products, best practice, and success stories from the sector.
This FREE one-day event at WX Wakefield Exchange will feature a mix of thought leadership sessions, engaging panel discussions and an interactive supplier showcase, all aimed at giving you actionable insights and ideas you can put into practice in your own settings and across your early years provision.
Don’t miss your chance to:
- Get hands-on with the latest products on the market
- Win prizes and enjoy freebies
- Hear from trusted early years experts
- Discuss with peers from across the UK
- Meet partners like the NSPCC who’re supporting the sector
- And much more!
As one of the UKs leading educational suppliers, YPO are proud to be hosting the largest early years event in the North of England happening this year.
We’re welcoming all early years professionals from around the country to meet us up in Yorkshire and see how we can support your nursery or early years setting. Whether you’re a school looking to introduce or expand your early years provision, you’re a nursery group looking to grow, or you’re a single setting looking to gain powerful insight to help your everyday offering – this event is for you!
Our Exhibitors
- Apollo
- Bic
- Cosy
- Community Playthings
- EdUK8 Worldwide Ltd
- Edx Education
- Early Years Alliance
- Henkel
- Learning Resources
- Millhouse
- NSPCC
- Polydron
- TTS
- Twinkl
- White Rose Education
- Yellow door
Stage Agenda
🕑: 09:30 AM - 09:40 AM
Early Education Comes of Age
Host: Playworker Amber
🕑: 09:40 AM - 10:00 AM
Advocating for the early years
Host: Neil Leitch - Early Years Alliance
Info: Why educators need to be central to early years reform
Early Years Alliance CEO Neil Leitch's session will focus on the importance of valuing the early years when it comes to policy, funding and the sector's wider workforce. Referencing recent and long-term policy and sector changes, Neil will explore the impact these have had on the sector. He will then look ahead to key focuses government and policymakers should take in the long-term to ensure nurseries, pre-schools and childminders are adequately supported and valued to deliver high-quality and affordable early years care and education.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Impact on workload and staffing ratios of EYFS 2026 Framework Changes
Host: Playworker Amber
Info: Discussion on key issues currently impacting early education, with questions from the audience.
🕑: 10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Fresh, Joyful Insight into Play as a Superpower
Host: Playworker Amber
Info: A vibrant, high energy workshop inviting practitioners to tap into their own inner child as a way to reconnect with the true magic of play. Through imagination, and real‑world practice, Amber explores how play becomes a child’s first storytelling studio, a launchpad for language, and a powerful engine for confidence and communication. Practitioners leave with joyful insight, creative child led strategies, and practical play tools to build inclusive, rights‑based environments where children and adults rediscover the freedom to shine. You’ll be invited to revisit moments from your own childhood, uncovering how those memories continue to shape your instincts, your values and your practice today.
This session is joyful, reflective and rooted in adventure playground, community and early years. It shines a light on the artistry, intuition and everyday heroism of practitioners, the people who transform ordinary moments into extraordinary beginnings simply by leading with play.
🕑: 11:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Laying the foundations for technological thinkers
Host: Adam Marycz - Early Childhood Educationalist, TTS
Info: Children need to build critical skills which will enable them to be critical thinkers, problem solvers and adaptable learners in order to thrive in the age of the digital revolution. During my session we will consider both these skills themselves and explore practical ideas on how to enhance them using a wide range of technological resources in our always available provision which are suitable from babies aged 10 months onwards.
🕑: 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Talk PANTS- Simple conversations to keep children safe from Sexual Abuse
Host: Ellie Kirk - NSPCC
Info: An overview of the NSPCC Talk PANTS resources and how these can support professionals’ parents and carers to have conversations with children aged 3-11 yrs.
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Giving children the best start in life and being prepared for Ofsted
Host: Gill Jones MDE - Busy Bees Nurseries Ltd
Info: The updates to Ofsted’s inspection toolkit and Sir Martyn Oliver’s announcement that there will be an increase in regulatory activity means schools and settings must be ready to answer the difficult questions. As an ex-HMI and Senior Leader of Early Years in Ofsted, covering both schools and registered provision, this session will provide insights into why regulation matters and how building the right culture of safeguarding in early years is at the heart of giving children the best start in life.
🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:00 PM
Welcome to the Inclusive Early Years classroom!
Host: Carol Allen - Education Advisor
Info: This lively session will consider the practicalities of creating inclusive learning environments for Early Years. Full of simple, practical ideas, we will consider the Universal Design for Learning framework and how easy it is to replicate in your setting. From mud play to technology, the session will share tried and tested ideas. Come along, join in and enjoy!
🕑: 01:15 PM - 01:45 PM
Rethinking screen time for the under 5s
Host: Ruth Richardson - Early Years Alliance
Info: Screen time is now become a routine part of many young children’s lives yet there are questions about it’s impact on health development, learning and wellbeing. This workshop session will explore new guidance on screen time for under 5s. There will be an opportunity to consider the risk and benefits alongside practical, evidence-informed solutions to current challenges facing early years settings and families to help make informed decisions abut screen time.
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:00 PM
Turning Curiosity into Connection: A Nursery’s Nature Story
Host: Amanda Hubball - Alfreton Day Nursery
Info: Inspiration for how you take the fun of our outdoor nature-based provision, fuse it into an innovative early years curriculum, and embed a ruby red thread of passion for our beautiful world.
🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:15 PM
Making Every Transition Count:
Host: Laura Shepard - EYFS Lead/EYFSwithmrs_s
Info: Practical Strategies for Successful Nursery to Reception Transitions
Starting school is one of the most significant milestones in a young child's life. This practical session explores how early years practitioners can work together to create smooth, meaningful transitions that support children's emotional wellbeing, confidence and readiness to learn.
Drawing on current practice and classroom experience, Laura will share simple, evidence-informed strategies that strengthen partnerships between nurseries, schools and families. The session will focus on approaches that are realistic to implement and designed to help children feel safe, secure and ready to thrive from day one.
Delegates will leave with practical ideas that can be adapted to a range of settings and used immediately within their own transition planning.
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:00 PM
Creating environments to support communication and language
Host: Natalie Bishop - Little Years Nurseries
Info: This practical session explores how thoughtfully designed environments, responsive interactions, and everyday routines can promote children's communication and language development. Delegates will gain evidence-informed strategies to create language-rich spaces, identify and reduce barriers to communication, and support all children, including those with emerging speech, language and communication needs, within inclusive early years settings.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Recruitment, retention, staff wellbeing and the importance of regular CPD
Host: Playworker Amber
Info: Discussion on key issues currently impacting early education, with questions from the audience.
🕑: 03:30 PM - 03:45 PM
Discussion Summary
Host: Playworker Amber
Info: A chance to recap on the day
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
