Webinar: Expanding provision: How to grow your early years setting and create environments that meet all children’s needs by Nursery World

About This Webinar

Capacity is a huge challenge in the early years sector. Since September 2025, the government has increased its funded childcare offer to working parents of all children aged from nine months to when they start school. To create 100,000 new places to meet this offer, the government’s School-based Nursery programme is currently offering funding to schools to expand their early years provision.

The webinar will discuss how providers might be able to meet rising capacity demands by expanding provision, both within schools and in PVI settings. And importantly, consider how to create the right environments for children of all ages and needs. Both indoors and outdoors, surroundings and equipment have a huge impact on children’s development and learning, particularly those with SEND.

About YPO

YPO has been inspiring nurseries for 50 years with their specialist range of early years resources, furniture, equipment and supplies.
Working with the UKs leading suppliers including Cosy, Community Playthings and Millhouse, YPO can deliver everything you need to kit out your early years setting - from play spaces and outdoor areas to kitchens, washrooms, and offices.
By collaborating with industry experts and partners like Twinkl, NSPCC and Early Years Alliance, YPO aims to support professionals in the early years sector.

Presenters

Conor Bathgate

PhD researcher, Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth

Conor Bathgate is a PhD researcher at the Institute of Science in the Early Years and Youth, supervised by Dr Gemma Goldenberg, studying how noise affects young children’s development. He also works on a Nuffield-funded project examining noise in early years settings and its impact on language and communication, particularly for disadvantaged children. With 16 years’ sector experience spanning practice, leadership, local authority work, and higher education, he brings strong applied expertise. He holds qualifications in educational psychology and education and is a Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA).

Natalie Bishop

SEND & Inclusion consultant and CEO of nursery group Little Years Nurseries which has recently expanded its provision

Natalie Bishop is the Founder and CEO of Little Years Nurseries, a growing family-run nursery group in North Yorkshire. With over 20 years’ experience in the early years sector, Natalie is an Early Years SEND specialist, consultant, and Ofsted inspector. Her career has included senior leadership roles with national nursery groups, as well as supporting settings across the UK with quality, inclusion, and leadership. Passionate about creating environments where every child feels they belong, Natalie is also a speaker and advocate for meaningful inclusion in early childhood education.

Zoe Raven

CEO, Acorn Early Years Foundation

Zoe Raven is the founder and CEO of Acorn Early Years, a charitable social
enterprise with 18 nurseries, out-of-school clubs, nature kindergartens and forest schools. The organisation began with one nursery in 1989, is based in Milton Keynes, and also covers Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire. Zoe’s book, A Care Manifesto for the Early Years, was published in February, and is based on her doctoral research as well as her own experience over the last 35 years.

Jenna Welsby

Jenna Welsby is the director of Let’s Be Kids Limited, which runs multiple early years and wraparound settings in Warrington. Prior to this she was a registered childminder, and moved into PVIs as her family grew. She has Early Years Teacher Status and the NPQ in Early Years Leadership qualification as well as being a forest school leader. Jenna is a passionate advocate for play and values the importance of babies and young children accessing quality early years settings.

Rachel Pimblett

Rachel Pimblett is Headteacher at Cinnamon Brow Church of England Primary School and Deputy CEO for the Emmanuel Diocese of Liverpool Academies Trust.
Rachel is passionate about supporting children's education alongside their personal development and has led on innovative development of enrichment including creative play across the school. She has worked closely with Jenna and Let's Be Kids to extend the EYFS provision at the school.

Gabriella Jozwiak (host)

Gabriella Jozwiak is a freelance journalist who has written for Nursery World for over a decade. She also writes about children around the world for other publications, focusing on early childhood development, education, health, trauma and conflict.