Professional development is something every early childhood setting invests in, yet it does not always lead to meaningful or lasting change. Training sessions may be delivered, feedback forms may be completed, and educators may leave feeling inspired. But the more important question is what happens afterwards: does practice change in ways that benefit children?

In this live podcast conversation and article, Dr Julian Grenier CBE reflects on what effective continuing professional development, or CPD, can look like in early childhood contexts. A central message is that high-quality professional development is not defined by a single event, but by how learning is sustained, supported and embedded over time.

Read the article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/what-does-good-quality-cpd-look-like/

This episode is in partnership with BookedIn

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Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:

· Using the early years pupil premium to strengthen practice and equity, with Dr Julian Grenier - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/using-the-early-years-pupil-premium-to-strengthen-practice-and-equity/

· Astrea Academy Trust Project - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/projects/astrea-academy-trust-project/?playlist=56a5917&video=17c6a45

Get in touch and share your voice:

Do you have thoughts, questions or feedback? Get in touch here! – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Live podcast recording at Nursery World in London 02:10 – What does good-quality CPD look like? 03:22 – Introducing Dr Julian Grenier and the focus on effective professional development 04:00 – Moving beyond "train and pray" approaches to CPD 05:28 – Why professional development needs to be sustained over time 06:45 – Taking years, not days: embedding change in practice 08:05 – Motivation, relevance and why change is difficult 09:28 – What handwashing in healthcare teaches us about sustaining change 10:55 – Supporting educators through feedback, modelling and removing barriers 12:05 – Everyday coaching moments as professional development 13:10 – Aligning CPD with children, families and community context 14:28 – Working with external consultants and speakers 15:55 – Choosing fewer priorities and embedding them well 17:05 – Balancing inspiration with sustained change 18:05 – Building explicit knowledge of practices, not just enthusiasm 19:20 – Bridging theory, research and practice 20:15 – What evidence-informed CPD looks like in early childhood 21:18 – Evaluating CPD beyond feedback forms 22:10 – Looking for change one month, three months and one year later 23:02 – Final advice: focus on a few things and do them well 23:30 – Closing reflections and thanks

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com