Early Years Experts and Mentors programme

The Department for Education (DfE) announced in 2021 they would be investing £153 million to strengthen teaching in the early years and address the impact of the pandemic on the youngest children.

One of the ways the DfE supports early years practitioners is through the Early Year’s Experts and Mentors programme.

This programme offers early years support, delivered either face to face or virtually, by trained experts and mentors to early years practitioners, leaders or a whole setting approach.

A setting will be provided up to 3 days of support from an expert. In addition, practitioners will receive up to 6 hours of support from their mentor. The time can be broken down into hours as necessary to suit the needs of the provider. There is no cost to the provider.

To be eligible for the programme settings must fit at least one of the following criteria:

• Been judged as requirements improvement or inadequate by Ofsted in the last 3 years
• High numbers of children in receipt of EY Pupil Premium
• High numbers of children with SEND needs
• High numbers of children taking up the disadvantaged 2-year-old offer

Apply for support from the Department for Education’s Early Years Experts and Mentors programme.