Initatives

M) Working with Parents Award

Open to services or projects that support parents, enhance their understanding of their children’s learning and development, or improve children’s outcomes through involvement and co-operation with families

N) Inclusive Practice Award

Open to services or projects that promote equality of opportunity and the best outcomes for all children, regardless of ethnic origin, special needs, background or disadvantage

O) Team Development Award

Open to early years and childcare service providers who have built a high-quality staff team through good practice in recruitment and retention, training and career development

P) Business Development Award

For a new launch of or significant expansion to an early years service in the past 12 months. For example, starting a new nursery; rejuvenating a failing early years setting; opening new branches of a nursery group; adding new services such as out-of-school care or in-house training.

For categories M to P the following information is essential to your entry:

Details

• Name of initiative

• Type of organisation

• Number of children catered for

• Age range of children catered for

Initiative (no more than 400 words for each part). You can upload your initiative document through the system in Word or PDF.

• Describe the nominated service

• Give examples of how this initiative has improved outcomes for young children and their families

• Why should this nomination win the award?

Supporting evidence

• Provide brief supporting statements from two people who have benefited from this service

• Give details of any Ofsted reports, quality assurance schemes, Investors in People etc relevant to this service

Q) Nursery Food Award

Open to early years settings whose approach to and provision of nutritious food promotes children’s health and well-being. Please note that after preliminary screening, it may be determined by the judges that a site visit is necessary to determine a winner.

For category Q the following information is essential for your entry:

Details

• Name of setting

• Type of organisation

• Number of children catered for

• Age range of children catered for

Initiative (no more than 500 words for each part). You can upload your initiative document through the system in Word or PDF.

• Describe your setting’s approach to providing healthy meals and snacks

• Describe your setting’s approach to meal times and snack times

• Describe how your setting involves children in cooking and learning about food

Supporting evidence

• Provide three weeks of your setting’s menus

• Enclose your food policy

• Provide two brief supporting statements from parents, local authority advisor or similar

• Give details of any awards or quality standards for food that your setting has achieved

R) Enabling Environments Award

Open to early years settings who have developed elements of their provision to create stimulating, child-centred learning environments in line with the principles of the EYFS. This could be any aspect or area of the setting, including outdoor area, forest school, under-threes provision, movement play area, free flow, children's access to self-chosen activities etc.

For category R the following information is essential to your entry:

Details

• Name of setting

• Type of organisation

• Number of children catered for

• Age range of children catered for

Environment (no more than 400 words for each part). You can upload your environment document through the system in Word or PDF.

• Describe the area or approach, and why and how you developed it

• Describe how the environment is used in your daily practice

• Describe the benefits for children and staff

Supporting evidence

• Provide a couple of brief supporting statements from parents or local authority advisors etc if available

• Give details of any Ofsted reports, quality assurance schemes, Investors in People etc relevant to this entry

• Provide photographs or plans to illustrate the environment

S) Website of the Year

Open to early years providers (nurseries, schools, pre-schools and childminders) whose websites are informative, accessible and innovative.

For category S the following information is essential for your entry:

Details

• Name of setting

• Type of organisation

• Number of children catered for

• Age range of children catered for

• URL of website

Initiative (no more than 400 words for each part). You can upload your initiative document through the system in Word or PDF.

• Give a brief description of your setting’s website – how it was set up, sections, main functions  etc

• Describe how your website has benefited your setting

• Describe how you would like to develop your website in future

Supporting evidence (optional)

• Brief testimonies from parents

• Web traffic figures