HEART of Worcestershire College (HoW College) has announced its upcoming Early Years Conference, a free event for professionals working across the sector.
Taking place on Thursday April 16 from 11:45am to 4pm, the conference will bring together educators, practitioners and sector leaders for an afternoon of insight, collaboration, and professional development.
Attendees can expect a dynamic keynote address, interactive workshops and the opportunity to explore progression into Higher Education in Early Years.
The event will feature keynote speaker Polly Harrow, a highly respected educational practitioner with over 25 years of experience.
Polly has delivered training and presentations across the UK and Europe to outstanding feedback and has built an exceptional reputation within the sector.
Currently Assistant Principal and Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead at Kirklees College, Polly is also a qualified Trauma and Mental Health National Practitioner (TISUK), a Prevent National Practitioner and a Senior Mental Health Lead.
Her expertise spans safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, restorative and trauma-informed practice, positive behaviour, exploitation and radicalisation, coaching and mentoring, and addressing sexual harms, gangs and knife crime.
In December 2023, Polly was announced by Minister Robert Halfon as the first FE Student Support Champion in the post-16 sector.
Polly’s keynote speech will be followed by two inspiring workshops. The first, delivered by Polly, will focus on implementing trauma-informed, restorative and inclusive educational practice within early years and primary settings.
The second workshop, delivered by HoW College’s Blended Learning Consortium (BLC) team, will showcase an innovative Virtual Reality (VR) programme designed to help students understand how insensitive care in babyhood and early childhood can have lasting traumatic effects, and how everyday incidents later in childhood can trigger behavioural responses rooted in earlier experiences.
Adrian Price, manager for Higher Education at HoW College, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be hosting this Early Years Conference, bringing together professionals who are passionate about making a difference in children’s lives.
“With Polly Harrow’s expertise and our innovative VR programme, this event offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on practice, deepen understanding of trauma-informed approaches, and explore progression within Early Years Higher Education.”
