Early Excellence Podcast

What does truly high-quality education for two year olds actually look like in practice?
Re-release: Originally aired on 5 Sep 2025
In this episode, Andy Burt speaks with Gemma Stanton and Kate Kelly from Dulwich College Shanghai about their experiences and insights into two-year-old practice in early years education. They discuss the challenges of establishing a nurturing environment for toddlers, the importance of understanding child development, and the role of parents in the learning process. The conversation also explores the significance of creating a child-centred space and the impact of schematic play.
Episode Links
Explore our Dedicated 2-4yrs Page
Discover Expert-Curated Resources for 2-3yrs

What does creating an inspiring outdoor space actually look like in early years settings?
Re-release: Originally aired on 16 Jan 2026
In this episode, we explore the key features of effective practice outdoors with the inspirational Kathryn Solly. As part of the conversation, we discuss the importance of creating a positive culture towards outdoor learning and explore a broad range of rich outdoor experiences.
Episode Links
Discover our brand new Outdoor Range
Watch the Outdoor Range launch video
Explore the Outdoor Roadshow
Order Kathryn's Book "Leading Learning Outdoors from Birth to Seven"

Dr Gai Lindsay joins us this week on the podcast as we explore the rich learning opportunities provided by visual art experiences. We discuss the wonderful nature of creative experiences for young children and offer practical guidance for teachers and practitioners.
Episode Links
Explore Dr Gai Lindsay’s website
Order a copy of her book on Amazon
Discover Early Excellence resources to facilitate creativity

In this episode, Jonathan Tremewan and Jess Denning from the BBC Bitesize team join us as we explore their recent projects and resources to inspire young learners.
Episode Links
Explore BBC Bitesize
Discover Early Excellences Free Learning Resources

In this, our 200th Episode, we’re joined by Nancy Stewart. We explore Nancy’s career at the forefront of early years education and also the new updated version of Birth to 5 Matters.
Episode Links
Explore the Birth to 5 Matters Guidance
Read the Survey Responses
Invest in the Continuous Provision Guides
Discover the EExREC Baseline Assessment Tool