Val Buckett, the head teacher of Pembury House Centre for Childhood in Tottenham, London, is not proud. 'Early Excellence is not about people coming in to admire us,' she says. 'It is an attempt to break through professional isolation and the lack of support experienced by many workers in the early years.'
The new centre was created three years ago to replace a conventional nursery school. It integrates nursery education, extended daycare and a training base for early years practitioners. The 70-place nursery school and the training and development base work closely together to ensure that theory in courses relates directly to good practice in action. 'Partnership with local colleges enables training to be delivered in the community at times and places that suit people's needs,' says Jackie Jeffries, the centre's training development manager. 'At the end of a session in the training base, they can walk around the nursery and make their own observations.'
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