Expression of Interest:
Early Years Stronger Practice Adviser for Group-Based Provision
Deadline for applications: 28th July 2026
Context
Every child deserves the best start in life. The earliest years shape future learning, wellbeing, and success. Through the Best Start in Life Strategy, the Department for Education (DfE) is driving higher standards and quality in early education so that every child can thrive.
The Early Years Stronger Practice Adviser (EYSPA) Programme is a new iteration of the previous Experts and Mentors programme, which focused on developing the skills of early years professionals to reduce the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on children’s development. An independent evaluation found:
- A positive, statistically significant impact on practitioners’ confidence in supporting children’s personal, social, and emotional development.
- Strong evidence that the programme had a positive impact on practitioners’ confidence in supporting children’s communication and language development.
The EYSPA programme will build on these foundations by delivering targeted support to eligible settings to boost children’s development, improve outcomes and narrow the disadvantage gap, delivered via the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs (EYSPH).
When a setting is identified by Ofsted as needing to improve, an EY Stronger Practice Adviser will be able to offer coaching and guidance using their expertise and experience, to address issues quickly and effectively. Settings with high numbers of children on roll eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), the Early Learning for 2 year olds offer and with SEND will also qualify for support.
The programme is being delivered in two phases; phase 1 included six EYSPHs, with activity starting in April and support to settings being offered from September 2026. This phase is key to providing feedback on the processes and delivery of the programme, ahead of the remaining hubs beginning their activity from June 2026 in phase two.
Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs will each be running their own adviser recruitment drive with the process overseen by DfE. This allows each hub to consider their local need and context in development of their delivery plans and how they intend to meet these. Recruitment of experienced advisers is key to this.
Opportunities now open
Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs are now looking for applicants to join phase 2 of delivery; applicants will need to be willing to provide support in the areas covered by their local EYSPH. Please note that advisers will be required to work across more than one Local Authority.
Training will commence in September 2026, ahead of delivering support to settings from January 2027 for the Spring term of AY26/27. Experienced early years professionals are invited to apply for the role of Early Years Stronger Practice Adviser (EYSPA). All advisers need to have completed training before commencing their role, so please only apply if you will have capacity to attend up to 3 days of face-to-face training between September and December 2026. We hope to share the dates and locations of this training at the interview stage.
Different roles within the programme
- Each EYSPH will function as delivery partner for their local area. Each hub will have a dedicated EYSPA lead, who will support the management of the programme, recruitment of advisers and settings, and liaise with the department and training provider.
- The hub will be responsible for mapping need across their area and supporting the identification of eligible settings. They will collaborate closely with Local Authorities, to ensure settings most in need have access to the support.
- Each hub will recruit four advisers to support group-based settings and one adviser to support a cluster of four childminders.
- The Department have procured a training partner (White Rose Education) who will provide mandatory training for all advisers to attend ahead of delivery and to provide further training as and when needed.
Adviser - Responsibilities
As an adviser, you may be responsible for:
- Attending initial face-to-face training ahead of delivering support to settings.
- Attending any additional training offered by the training partner during the programme, based on need or department policy changes.
- Based on the settings diagnostic report, plan and deliver specific support to your assigned settings. This will include making initial contact, building trusting relationships quickly with setting leaders and leading reflective conversations to identify strengths and areas for development.
- Provide bespoke, targeted, face-to-face support to leaders and educators to improve practice, build professional confidence, and support continuous improvement across the settings through coaching, modelling best practice and providing opportunities for reflection.
- Support settings in how to select, adapt, and embed evidence-informed approaches and interventions.
- Signpost settings and educators to further support, such as other EY Stronger Practice Hub offers or the Early years Child Development training.
- Provide advice for supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or English as an Additional Language (EAL).
- Provide all your supported settings with a clear action plan that allows the setting to continue making sustainable and effective improvements once support has concluded.
- Maintain records of time spent with settings, activities undertaken for grant management purposes and identifiable impacts of the support provided at the end of the term, such as changes in leadership confidence, ability to embed evidence-based practice or evidence of improved quality of provision.
- Work alongside the EYSPA Lead within your local EYSPH, highlighting any concerns regarding a setting or their involvement in the programme.
- Support identification of training offers that would further support yourself or others in their adviser role.
- Take part in feedback surveys to support continuous improvement of the EYSPA programme.
Adviser – person specification
Essential Experience and Qualifications
- Have at least three years’ experience and be currently working in an early years setting that is Ofsted rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ (or expected standard and above in all areas under the new Ofsted reporting framework) and include working with children across the age range of 0-4. This includes those working in schools, nursery schools, a Private, Voluntary, or Independent (PVI) nursery or other early years settings. This should include some leadership experience.
- We will also accept applications from staff currently working in early years roles within Local Authorities (LAs).
- Experience of providing external support beyond their home early years setting, for example to other nurseries or schools within their chain or trust, through EY Stronger Practice Hubs or Family Hubs. This may include offering professional guidance to early years educators, delivering training or workshops, supporting staff during inspections, modelling best practice in child development and safeguarding.
- Applicants should have experience in mentoring or coaching others, such as guiding early years practitioners, apprentices, or volunteers in professional development, and modelling best practice in childcare settings.
- A thorough and up-to-date understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and child development, to include:
- The prime and specific areas of learning, safeguarding requirements, and assessment expectations.
- Knowledge of child development milestones to inform planning, observation, and assessment, ensuring that provision is inclusive.
- Understanding of the impact of early experiences on long-term outcomes.
- Applicants for group-based setting support must have a Level 6 or above early years qualification and have agreement from their home setting manager/owner/head teacher to take part in the programme.
Desirable Experience
- Experience of leading on strategies to address gaps in learning and development, which could include:
- Supporting children with delays in areas such as speech and language or physical development, through collaboration with specialist teams such as speech and language therapists.
- Implementing strategies to improve school readiness.
- Using data from observations and assessments to identify trends and gaps and developing action plans to address these.
- Collaboration with others to embed inclusive practices, ensuring children with SEND or those from disadvantaged backgrounds receive tailored support.
- Delivery of coaching to improve educators' confidence and consistency in closing gaps.
- Use of evidence-informed practice to support settings to guide change.
- Have experience of specific areas of interest or expertise that can be applied in their support offer such as:
- Working with children with SEND
- Working with children with EAL
- Inclusion
- Safeguarding
- Leadership and Quality improvement
- Other relevant early years, child development, or coaching qualifications.
- Given the focus of this programme is on providing peer-to-peer and setting-to-setting support, we intend to focus first on applications from people currently working within early years settings and will then consider applications from LAs.
Time required for the role
- You will be required to complete up to three days of face-to-face training to prepare you for the EYSPA role. In addition, you will be required to complete ad-hoc training throughout the programme when required. This training will likely be virtual.
- For the role of group-based adviser, you must be available for the equivalent of a total of 14 days per term. This includes 4 days per setting, with 3 dedicated to face-to-face support and a fourth per setting for planning or additional face to face support, however the adviser feels this is best spent. Each adviser will also get 2 additional days per term, for planning or working with the hub. Advisers will support 3 settings per term (you will be allocated new settings each term).
- Please note that group-based advisers will be expected to travel within their local hub area to support eligible settings face-to-face.
Training for the role
The DfE has appointed White Rose Education to provide training to all advisers, before delivering support from January 2027.
The training will involve attending up to 3 days of face-to-face training, as set out by the training partner. This training will take place between September and December 2026. Details on dates and times of this training will be shared with you, for those that make it to the interview stage. Attending this training will be mandatory for all advisers and they won’t be matched to settings for support until they have completed it.
The White Rose Education will also provide further training opportunities throughout the programme.
Other details
- The department is providing funding of £500 per day for a group-based adviser, and this includes any travel and subsistence costs incurred. Payment will be made to the school or setting you work in, in the form of a Section 14 grant. This funding is to release applicants from their setting to take part in the role. Some settings may wish to use part of the funding for additional payments to the applicants such as a ‘responsibility payment at the grant holder’s discretion. Successful applicants who are invited to our training event will also be reimbursed for this.
- Successful applicants must be available to attend training between September and December 2026 and start supporting settings from January 2027.
- EY Stronger Practice Hubs are welcome to request for references from applicants and conduct due diligence visits to the settings of successful applicants if they see fit.
How to submit your Expression of Interest
We invite you to submit an expression of interest, using the form below, outlining your relevant skills and experience.
Please submit your expression of interest form to your local participating EY Stronger Practice Hub Ludwick Nursery School
This will be assessed by a panel overseen by the EYSPH. We expect to respond to you with the outcome of our application by 4th August 2026.
If you have any further questions we recommend you contract your local Early Years Stronger Practice Hub. If you need to speak to the Department for Education, please email EYSPA.programme@education.gov.uk