Shine a Light Awards

We are absolutely delighted to learn that we are finalists for a Shine a Light Award!

Our commitment and dedication to communication, speech and language in the Early Years has been recognised and we have been shortlisted by over 28 judges in the Early Year’s profession.

Good communication skills are essential for learning and making friends, and have wide impacts across a child’s development, which is why The Communication Trust and Pearson have launched the fifth annual Shine a Light Awards.

The Shine a Light Awards is a flagship event in education and healthcare calendars. They began in 2011 years ago as part of Hello, the national year of communication campaign. The awards are run by The Communication Trust and Pearson Assessment.

Each year Shine a Light ask about best practice, the innovative approaches settings take; the impact the work has had; and why speech, language and communication needs are important to us. Each year these awards raise the profile of more than 30 leading organisations.

The Award Categories

  • Early Years Setting of the Year
  • Primary School of the Year
  • Secondary School or College of the Year
  • SEN School/Group of the Year
  • SLCN Innovation Award
  • Young Person of the Year Award.
  • Communication Champion Award
  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Award
  • The Communication Commitment School of the Year

To be shortlisted for the Early Year’s setting of the Year Award Bright Beginnings had to demonstrate the following;

  • How we prioritise children’s language and communication development in our setting
  • How Bright Beginnings supports children with SLCN (Speech, Language and Communication Needs)
  • How Bright Beginnings works in partnership with others to support children’s speech, language and communication development
  • What the impact of our work is on the development of children’s speech, language and communication
  • What is innovative about the approaches that we take
  • Supporting evidence including testimonials

Our entry and approach primarily focused on how we meet the individual needs of children with English as an additional language (EAL). With all of the work that has been done in the Centre to narrow the gap in children’s learning and development it seemed appropriate to take this stance on communication. We have of course recognised and celebrated the work that we do with all of our children including those with SEND.

The award ceremony will be held in London on Thursday March 23rd 2017. Pop star Gareth Gates will be presenting the awards. Representing Bright Beginnings is Lenka Melova, our Early Years Coordinator, and Daniel Waldron, Dragonflies Area Supervisor.