Introducing Kinderly Learn – an exciting new approach to CPD for early years practitioners.

Kinderly Learn is an exciting new online learning platform for early years practitioners (EYP’s), designed to support them to do more CPD with a little and often approach.  

Kinderly Learn has been created in response to the challenges faced by the early years sector around training and CPD and specifically:

• The lack of or reduced funding from local authorities to support training and CPD for EYP’s
• The ongoing requirement to meet Ofsted compliance regulations and CPD hours
• Traditional training and CPD courses are often expensive, unengaging and inaccessible for many early years childcare providers.
• Falling numbers of EYP’s

We wanted to make it easier, more affordable and fun for EYP’s to do their CPD and training, especially after a busy day looking after children.  

We knew that the use of technology could really help EYP’s to and applied for funding from the Ufi Charitable Trust to create a unique new online learning platform.   It was a perfect fit with Ufi’s mission to improve vocational learning through technology and, after 18 months in the making, Kinderly Learn was launched in March.  

The Kinderly Learn platform provides learners with short ‘learning bites’ (no more than a few minutes) in a variety of formats including; animations, quizzes, videos, fact sheets and interactive activities. Subscribers can take part in expert monthly webinars or use the forum to ‘ask an expert’ when they need trusted advice or support.   

So what makes Kinderly Learn different to traditional learning and CPD in the sector ?

• Learning has been created in bite-sized chunks helping to keep EYP’s engaged with their learning
• With a little and often approach EYP’s can stay on top of their CPD
• It’s highly accessible so learning can be completed at home or on the go and completely at a time that suits them using the mobile and web app.
• Efforts and achievements for CPD are rewarded with badges
• CPD achievements can easily be evidenced to Ofsted and parents
• In-built reflection points ensure that the learning delivers impact in the childcare setting
• Kinderly Learn is highly affordable from as little as £4.50 per month (+VAT) for annual subscriptions

We’ve worked closely with our early years partners and organisations including PACEY (Professional Association of Childcare in Early Years), Bath Spa University and Achievement for All along with a range of early years experts to ensure that all the Kinderly Learn content is high quality, reliable and trustworthy.  Throughout the development of Kinderly Learn, we conducted ongoing research with EYP’s and our own group of Kinderly Hero’s to ensure we created a CPD product that was different, delivered to their needs and would support them to be at their best.

We had a great response from the sector when we launched at Childcare Expo at London Olympia on 1st March 2019 and we’ve had some really positive feedback already.  Here’s what people are saying about Kinderly Learn:

Carolyn Hill, early years teacher, Bristol:

‘It’s great to get lots of legislative information in easy to understand and bite-sized amounts so I can keep up-to-date.”

“It’s accessible at the time you choose – I can dip into it and see what’s new – so you’re not tied to learning at the same time every week.”

Karen McDermott, early years practitioner:

“SO IMPRESSED. Just what a very busy childminder needs to grab a quick few minutes for professional development without feeling like it’s taking too much time.”

Debbie Else, early years practitioner:

“It gives you the scope to choose what you want to learn and when you want to learn it. This keeps me motivated to learn.”

Kinderly’s founder and CEO Geraint Barton says:  “ Producing Kinderly Learn has been a really exciting journey for us.  Ultimately, our aim is to help improve outcomes for all children by supporting EYP’s to be at their best,  and we hope that by providing digital solutions, like Kinderly Learn, we will help achieve this.”

Kinderly Learn has been developed by Kinderly, the company behind Kinderly Together the award-winning early years education app that  makes it quick and easy to capture a child’s early learning journey.

For more information about Kinderly Learn contact us at support@kinderly.co.uk or visit www.kinderly.co.uk/learn