Celebrating the Power of Connection - exploring how relationships, care and responsive practice shape children’s earliest years.

Designed for Early Years practitioners working with babies and young children from birth to three, this conference explores the power of relationships and the vital role they play in a child's earliest experiences. Through inspiring keynote speakers and practical workshops, we'll focus on connection, care and responsive practice, and how warm, attuned relationships create the foundations for children to feel secure, thrive and flourish

We’re delighted to welcome our guest speakers:

Dr Julia Manning - Morton – Early Years Consultant, Trainer, Author and Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor

Dr Julia Manning-Morton is an author, trainer and independent early childhood consultant, with a career spanning 40 years across a diverse range of roles including nursery nurse, manager, adviser and lecturer in Early Childhood Studies.

Julia is a Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor and associate trainer for Early Education, supporting practitioners to develop their knowledge, understanding and practice. She is also a member of the Pikler (UK) Association, reflecting her longstanding interest in respectful and responsive approaches to working with young children.

Her research, writing and training focus particularly on practice and provision for children from birth to three years, with a strong emphasis on children’s personal, social and emotional wellbeing, inclusion and anti-bias practice.

Julia is the author of From Birth to Three: An Early Years Educator’s Handbook, published by Routledge in 2024, which was awarded Professional Book of the Year at the 2024 Nursery World Awards. She has also contributed to Froebel Trust podcasts and professional learning, sharing her expertise in working with babies and toddlers and developing thoughtful, responsive early years practice.

Through her work, Julia is committed to promoting the wellbeing of young children and recognising the knowledge, skills and professionalism of the practitioners who care for and educate them.

Kayla Halls - Research Fellow in Early Childhood Studies, Middlesex University

Kayla Halls is a Research Fellow in Early Childhood Studies at Middlesex University, with a particular interest in quality, equity and social justice in early childhood education.

Having worked in nurseries across both the UK and United States, Kayla brings valuable practical experience to her research, alongside an MA in Early Childhood Studies from the University of Roehampton.

Her research focuses on improving the quality of care and education for babies and young children, with particular attention to baby room practice, early years leadership and professional development. She has contributed to several significant research projects, including a Nuffield Foundation-funded study exploring high-quality provision for children aged birth to two.

Through her research and publications, Kayla is passionate about recognising the importance of the earliest years, strengthening professional practice and ensuring that babies and young children receive the high-quality care, relationships and experiences they deserve.

This years workshops include:

Touch, Trust and Connection: Physical Interactions in Care Events with Dr Julia Manning-Morton - Explore the vital role of touch and physical interaction in everyday care events with babies and toddlers. This workshop will consider how sensitive, respectful moments of care can become powerful opportunities for connection, communication and trust, supporting children’s emotional security and sense of being known and understood.

A Secure Base: Understanding Attachment with Babies and Toddlers with Dr Nicola Canale - Explore what attachment really means for babies and toddlers, and how relationships with familiar adults help children feel safe, secure and confident to explore. This workshop will consider how sensitive, responsive care supports attachment through everyday moments of connection, separation, distress and reunion.

From Connection to Communication: Building Brains for Language and Learning with Hannah Munkley - In the baby room, the smallest moments matter. This workshop will explore how warm, responsive interactions, songs, rhymes, movement and everyday routines help babies build the foundations for communication, language and later learning. Discover how the way we talk, sing, move and connect with babies supports developing brains through the relationships they experience every day.

Effective play provision for 0-2-year-olds and the adult’s role with Rachel Tappling - Explore what effective play provision can look like for babies and toddlers, and the important role adults play in making it meaningful. This workshop will consider how thoughtful environments, responsive interactions and sensitive observation can support curiosity, exploration and learning through play.

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