Early Excellence Podcast

Early Excellence

Early Childhood Education

Child Development

Early Years Education

Outdoor Learning

Continuous Provision

EYFS

Education

Self-Regulation

Physical Development

Key Stage 1

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Professional Love

Ofsted

Characteristics Of Effective Learning

Forest Schools

Mathematics

Early Excellence

Language Development

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Emotional Needs

Join us as we discuss a diverse range of EYFS and KS1 best practice and provision, resourcing your Early Years environment and keep you up to date news and reviews from Ofsted & the DfE

54 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	200	Founded	5 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	CoursesEducation

Listen to this Podcast

Guests Host Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

Creativity, Culture and the Child with Gemma Shadid

What does child-centred creative practice really look like in the early years?

Re-release: Originally aired on 9 May 2025

In this episode, Gemma Shadid joins us to explore the power of child-centred creative practice in the EYFS. We discuss the Reg... more

15 May 2026 • 53 min

The Can Do Approach to Supporting Speech, Language and Communication Skills with Joanne Jones

Speech Therapist and online educator Joanne Jones joins us on the podcast this week. We discuss positive approaches to supporting speech, language and communication skills in young children.

Episode Links

• Explore language-rich environment resourc... more

8 May 2026 • 42 min

Developing an Inspiring Forest Schools Site with Charnwood Nursery and Preschool Group

Listen in as we’re joined by Jess Watson and Claire Curtis from the Charnwood Nursery and Preschool Group and discuss all things forest schools. We explore the development of their forest school site, the wonderfully rich experiences provided and the... more

1 May 2026 • 46 min

The Power of a Great Room Plan with Holme Valley Primary School

What does a transformative learning environment actually look like when a room plan really comes together?

Re-release: Originally aired on 16 May 2025

In this episode, we chat with Rachel Stephenson and Sue Lonsdale from Holme Valley Primary Schoo... more

24 Apr 2026 • 40 min

Key Facts

Accepts Guests

Contact Information

Podcast Host

Number of Listeners

Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Two Mr Ps in a Pod(Cast)Two Mr Ps in a Pod(Cast)

Alan Carr's 'Life's a Beach'Keep It Light Media / Travesty Media

Great Company with Jamie LaingJampot Productions

Head-to-Head PodcastEarly Excellence

The Mid•Point with Gabby LoganGabby Logan

Recent Guests

Gemma Shadid

Teacher and art lead at Lakenham Primary School

Lakenham Primary School

Episode: Creativity, Culture and the Child with Gemma Shadid

Joanne Jones

Speech and language therapist and online educator

Independent practitioner / online educator

Episode: The Can Do Approach to Supporting Speech, Language and Communication Skills with Joanne Jones

Claire Curtis

Forest school lead and outdoor coordinator

Charnwood Nursery and Preschool

Episode: Developing an Inspiring Forest Schools Site with Charnwood Nursery and Preschool Group

Rachel Shearer

Speech and language therapist

York, Early Talk for York

Episode: Early Talk for York with Rachel Shearer and Martin Cumming

Martin Cumming

Assistant head teacher, Ccomment specialist speech and language teacher

St Paul's Nursery School, York

Episode: Early Talk for York with Rachel Shearer and Martin Cumming

Dr. Gai Lindsay

Author and academic focusing on visual arts education in early childhood

University of Wollongong; co-author of Art Play and Enquiry

Episode: Visual Arts in Early Childhood Settings with Dr Gai Lindsay

Jess Denning

Assistant Producer, BBC Bitesize Primary Content

BBC Bitesize

Episode: Exploring BBC Bitesize

Nancy Stewart

Educator at the forefront of early years education

Early Excellence (guest)

Episode: Birth to 5 Matters with Nancy Stewart

Claire Underwood

Early years practitioner at Hopping Hill, developer of Wonderwood

Hopping Hill/Nursery

Episode: Wonderwood: Outdoor Learning in the Early Years with Claire Underwood

Host

Andy Burt

Host associated with Early Excellence Podcast; leads discussions on EYFS/KS1 practice, outdoor learning, and policy updates.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 54 ratings

So helpful
All of your podcasts are so helpful and informative. I actually look forward to listening to them and coming back to them. Thank you for the time you take to put these together. Amy Banks, East Haddon Primary School
Apple Podcasts
5
Mrs Banks EYFS KS1
United Kingdom3 years ago

Embed These Reviews on a Website

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Consistently thoughtful about outdoor learning and policy shifts

Engaging hosts, credible guests, and clear guidance for schools

Great range of expert guests and actionable takeaways

Informative and practical for practitioners

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#53	United Kingdom/Education/Courses
Apple Podcasts	#88	United Arab Emirates/Education/Courses
Apple Podcasts	#151	Switzerland/Education/Courses
Apple Podcasts	#160	Ireland/Education/Courses
Apple Podcasts	#230	Hong Kong/Education/Courses
Apple Podcasts	#248	South Korea/Education/Courses

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Can Do Approach to Supporting Speech, Language and Communication Skills with Joanne Jones

Q: How has delivering therapy online changed your practice and what are the key benefits?

Online delivery allowed viewing hundreds of home interactions, which revealed patterns like late talkers' need for more pauses and back-and-forth exchanges. It also enabled scalable feedback and empowering parents to act as co-therapists, a shift from the hands-on NHS model to a more relationship-centered, accessible approach.

The Can Do Approach to Supporting Speech, Language and Communication Skills with Joanne Jones

Q: Can you describe the can-do approach and what its heart is?

The approach centers on understanding what the child can do, using simple screening to place children into groups, and equipping parents with practical, in-the-moment strategies. It emphasizes visuals, analogies, and a memorable framework (airspace) that keeps the focus on building interaction and confidence rather than chasing developmental norms.

Early Talk for York with Rachel Shearer and Martin Cumming

Q: What impact has this approach had on children and staff, especially post-pandemic?

There has been a substantial turnaround in language development and related outcomes, with staff becoming empowered through training, leading to better identification, earlier interventions, reduced need for specialist services, and lasting positive effects on children's learning and life chances.

Early Talk for York with Rachel Shearer and Martin Cumming

Q: How does the three-step process work in practice for schools and settings?

Screening all children annually to identify needs, followed by training staff to become communication champions using L-Clan, and finally achieving a communication-friendly setting status that requires ongoing support and audits, with a focus on whole-setting engagement and collaboration with parents.

Early Talk for York with Rachel Shearer and Martin Cumming

Q: Can you explain what Early Talk for York is and why it was started in York?

It's a citywide, jointly commissioned approach between NHS and the local authority intended to close the language development gap by boosting communication skills in children from birth to five, starting with a pilot in the most disadvantaged areas and expanding citywide after compelling evidence of its impact.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Early Excellence Podcast

What is Early Excellence Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The program focuses on EYFS and KS1 best practices, classroom design, outdoor learning, and play-based approaches across diverse educational settings. Episodes highlight practical strategies for leaders and teachers, such as transition-aware pedagogy, mixed-age class management, and outdoor learning innovations, with guest experts sharing tools, frameworks, and real-world implementations. Noteworthy is the strong emphasis on outdoor learning (Forest Schools, Wonderwood), design-thinking in primary contexts, and ongoing policy/practice discussions (Birth to 5 Matters, play-based learning, and curriculum evolution). The show often features practitioner voices, international perspectives, and practical takeaways for improving engagement, well-... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Early Excellence Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Early Excellence Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Early Excellence Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Early Excellence Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Early Excellence Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Early Excellence Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Early Excellence Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Early Excellence Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Early Excellence Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Early Excellence Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Early Excellence Podcast:

1. Two Mr Ps in a Pod(Cast)
2. Alan Carr's 'Life's a Beach'
3. Great Company with Jamie Laing
4. Head-to-Head Podcast
5. The Mid•Point with Gabby Logan

How many episodes of Early Excellence Podcast are there?

Early Excellence Podcast launched 5 years ago and published 200 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Early Excellence Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Early Excellence Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Early Excellence Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Early Excellence Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Early Excellence Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Early Excellence Podcast?

Recent guests on Early Excellence Podcast include:

1. Gemma Shadid
2. Joanne Jones
3. Claire Curtis
4. Rachel Shearer
5. Martin Cumming
6. Dr. Gai Lindsay
7. Jess Denning
8. Nancy Stewart

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.

Try it free for 7 days