About BEYN
Birmingham Early Years Networks: Learning Together for Every Child’s Best Start
A professional learning community where Birmingham practitioners connect, reflect, and grow
—so every child experiences high‑quality early education from the very start.
Our Purpose
BEYN exists to ensure every child in Birmingham experiences high‑quality early education from the very start. Our approach celebrates professional curiosity, nurtures reflective practice, and builds a shared culture of quality across the sector.
This work is aligned with Birmingham’s Best Start in Life Strategy and grounded in the belief that quality improves when practitioners learn together, reflect together, and act together.
Our Strategic Approach
Our strategy is shaped by the Competent Systems in Early Childhood Education and Care framework, ensuring that our work strengthens:
Individuals — practitioner knowledge, values, and reflective practice
Settings & Teams — shared frameworks, collaborative learning, and consistent pedagogy
Districts & Clusters — partnership working across providers, schools, and services
Governance — strategic oversight, coherence, and accountability
Birmingham Early Years Networks is guided by five core principles:
Collaborative Professionalism, where practitioners learn and problem‑solve together; Consistency with Flexibility, balancing shared expectations with each setting’s context; Evidence‑Informed Improvement, using research and real‑world insight to shape practice; A Whole Child, Whole Community Lens, recognising children thrive through joined‑up support; and Sustainable Professional Growth, building long‑term confidence and collective expertise across the city.
How We Work Across Birmingham
We provide a comprehensive range of professional development and learning opportunities at three levels — universal, enhanced, and bespoke — ensuring that individuals, settings, districts, and clusters can access the right support at the right time.
Universal: Building knowledge, confidence, capability, and coherence across the profession.
Enhanced: Strengthening provision and practice in priority areas through project‑based learning.
Bespoke: In‑setting support focused on communication and language development.
Meet the Team
Central Team
Our Central Team coordinates the BEYN offer across the city, ensuring coherence, communication, and high‑quality delivery.
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Network Coordinator
With experience across mainstream and specialist settings, senior leadership, and independent consultancy, Clare is committed to high‑quality, inclusive early years practice. Her work is shaped by learning with children, families, practitioners, and researchers around the world. She now serves as Joint Coordinator of the Birmingham Early Years Networks, supporting shared learning and system development across the city.
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Network Coordinator
Sue has extensive experience across the early years sector, having worked as a maintained nursery school headteacher and in the PVI sector, children's centres, and primary schools. Passionate about ensuring children and families remain at the centre of all she does, Sue is now Joint Network Coordinator for BEYN, helping to foster collaboration, shared learning, and strong partnerships across Birmingham.
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Communications
Stacey is a digital content manager with over a decade of experience working in education. Specialising in creative communications and social media strategy, they coordinate and manage the network's communications across all platforms and are a passionate champion of accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion.
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Website
Louise has worked with the networks since 2021 on website updates and the most recent brand refresh. Outside of work, she lives in Glasgow with her partner and two young children.
Early Education Advisor Team
The Early Education Advisor (EEA) Team offers professional development opportunities, in‑setting support, and district‑level collaboration.
North Cluster
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Louisa has spent 24 years working with young children, teaching and leading in early years across Birmingham and in Australia. These treasured experiences, especially her time in Kindergarten, shaped her nurturing, child‑centred practice and love of learning.
“It’s a privilege to help shape early years practice across the city and to work alongside so many dedicated practitioners who share the same commitment to giving children the best possible start.”
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Natalie’s approach is shaped by experience, deep reflection and a heartfelt commitment to helping every child flourish. With over two decades in early years, from childminding to owning a PVI setting and supporting learning in a primary school, she believes in nurturing, high‑quality practice and rich outdoor learning.
“A strong start in life changes everything, and I believe every child deserves that opportunity.”
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Danielle is an early education advisor for the North Birmingham Cluster. A qualified teacher (2016), she has experience across primary schools and PVI settings. Danielle is passionate about child‑led learning, supporting individual outcomes, and strengthening speech and language development through collaborative work with speech therapists.
“I am passionate about supporting children to foster a love of learning through rich child-led experiences, allowing them to explore the world at their own pace.”
Central & East Cluster
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Having spent the first part of her career working in the private sector and later as a swimming school owner and instructor, Olivia qualified as a teacher in 2014 and has worked in early years in Birmingham schools ever since.
“The opportunity to continue working in the sector I love is one I am incredibly grateful for. It is a privilege to be able to support the children of Birmingham through the Birmingham Early Years Networks.”
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With experience across nursery practice, leadership, outreach, and assessment, Zara has supported children, families, and practitioners across Birmingham. Her background includes managing nursery provision, strengthening community engagement, and working closely with multi‑agency partners to improve early years outcomes.
“I care deeply about building trusting relationships, empowering practitioners, and helping create nurturing, inclusive environments where every child can thrive.”
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Liz has dedicated her career to helping children, families, and early years practitioners to thrive. Her journey spans stay‑and‑play groups, pack‑away settings, before‑ and after‑school clubs, and many years as a Nursery Manager leading teams and strengthening quality. Most recently, she worked as an Outreach Worker, championing high‑quality, inclusive practice across Birmingham.
“My passion lies in empowering practitioners, raising standards, and ensuring every child has the best possible start in life.”
South Cluster
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With over 22 years’ experience as a qualified early years teacher in Birmingham, Giselle has taught in both nursery and reception. As a Lead Practitioner, she has supported schools across the city in strengthening provision and improving outcomes for young children. More recently, as Project Lead for the Schools DLP project, Giselle built on her passion for high‑quality, inclusive practice and effective transitions.
“I feel privileged to support children at the very beginning of their learning journey, and champion approaches that give every child the best possible start.”
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With over 10 years of experience in the Early Years sector, Gemma’s career started at Highters Heath Maintained Nursery School in Birmingham.
“I learnt so much and will always be grateful for being part of the Developing Local Provision project at Highters Heath. Coordinating Selly Oak district for three years was an incredible journey of strengthening early years outcomes across Birmingham. It shaped where I am today, and I’m excited and ready for this new project!”
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For more than 15 years, Laura has worked in private nurseries, supporting young children through the moments that shape their earliest experiences of learning and discovery. More recently, as an Outreach Worker on the Developing Local Provision project, she worked alongside inspiring professionals who shared a deep commitment to helping every child thrive.
“I’m passionate about empowering practitioners to strengthen their practice and deepen their pedagogy, creating rich, meaningful learning experiences where every child can flourish.”
Our Governance
Birmingham Early Years Networks is governed through a collaborative, citywide structure that ensures clear oversight, shared accountability, and consistent alignment with Birmingham's Best Start in Life Strategy.
We are:
Led by the Birmingham Nursery Schools Collaboration (BNSC)
Commissioned and funded by the Birmingham City Council (BCC) Early Years & Childcare Service
Supported by District Steering Group Partners
Overseen by the BEYN Strategic Group
Birmingham Nursery Schools Collaboration
The Birmingham Nursery Schools Collaboration (BNSC) is a collective of Birmingham’s 27 maintained nursery schools recognised for their effective early years practice, deep expertise, and commitment to children and families
BNSC provides strategic leadership and pedagogical expertise through its Chair and six Strategic Cluster Leads, who collectively shape direction, strengthen practice, and ensure coherence across the city. The BNSC also holds financial oversight, enabling transparent decision‑making and sustainable investment in high-quality professional learning.
Birmingham City Council Early Years & Childcare Service
Birmingham City Council (BCC) Early Years & Childcare Service has commissioned the BNSC to work in partnership to create a citywide, whole‑system framework that strengthens early years practice and improves outcomes for all young children in Birmingham. Maintaining strong partnership arrangements is essential to ensure coherent delivery across districts and a shared focus on agreed priorities.
This work, though a Memorandum of Understanding, is currently funded until March 2030.
District Steering Groups
Each district has a dedicated Steering Group comprising local partners and city-wide representatives who support BEYN by:
Analysing district and city-wide data to identify trends and needs.
Identifying and shaping local priorities for improvement and professional development opportunities.
Strengthening collaboration and relationships between early years settings, schools, and partner organisations.
Strategic Group
The Strategic Group is made up of representatives from the Birmingham Nursery Schools Collaboration (BNSC), senior leaders from the BCC Early Years & Childcare Service, the Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC), and HEART Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub.
The Strategic Group meets quarterly with project coordinators to review progress and ensure work aligns with reporting requirements across the financial year.
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Chairs
Claire Henebury, Chair of Maintained Nursery Schools Headteachers Forum, Central & East Cluster – Joint Strategic Cluster Lead and Member of BNSC
Lindsey Trivett, Head of BCC Early Years & Childcare Service
Nominated Representatives
Sharon Lewis, Chair (and Trustee) of BNSC
Sharon Eeles, North Cluster – Joint Strategic Cluster Lead, Finance Officer for BEYN and Member of BNSC
David Aldworth, South Cluster – Joint Strategic Cluster Lead and Member of BNSC
Nicola Pinnegar, BNSC Treasurer/Trustee
Fiona Hicks, Quality Improvement and Safeguarding Strategic Lead, Birmingham City Council
Karen Jones, Acting Head of Early Years SEND, Birmingham City Council
Chris Pascal, Director, Centre for Research in Early Childhood
Sally Davies, Lead Partner for HEART Midlands Stronger Practice Hub and Member of BNSC