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. 

Download the BEYN Strategy

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. 

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Stacey Overton

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Sue Bennett

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Clare Williams

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Louise Thomason

  • Clare Williams

    Network co-ordinator

    As a teacher in mainstream and special provision, headteacher of a maintained nursery school and children’s centre and an independent consultant, I have been privileged to work with children, families, colleagues, and researchers across the early years sector in Birmingham, the UK and internationally.

  • Sue Bennett

    Network co-ordinator

    As well as being a headteacher of two inner city nursery schools in Birmingham I also have experience across the PVI sector, children's centres, primary schools, and more recently initial teacher training. Working with the networks has been a further opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across the early years sector.

  • Stacey Overton

    Social Media & Events

    Stacey is an experienced digital content manager who has been working with the networks since 2020. Specialising in Creative Digital Communications and Social Media Strategy, they manage the network’s events, blogs, and social media.

    Stacey has been working within education (Early Years through to Higher Education) for over 9 years and has a particular passion for and interest in equality/equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

  • Louise Thomason

    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 Team offers professional development opportunities, in‑setting support, and district‑level collaboration. 

North Cluster

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Name

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Name

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Name

Central & East Cluster

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Name

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Name

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Name

South Cluster

Find Your District & Cluster

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Name

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Name

When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.

Name

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 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.  g

 

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. 

  • 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 

    The Strategic Group meets quarterly with project coordinators to review progress and ensure work aligns with reporting requirements across the financial year.