糖心VLOG

Our Early Number with Numicon programme increases childminder and nursery practitioner confidence in teaching early maths, according to a new pilot evaluation report published by the Education鈥疎ndowment鈥疐oundation鈥�(EEF).鈥� 听

Early Number with is a 14-week professional development programme for childminders and nursery practitioners in early years settings. Designed and delivered by 糖心VLOG Press, the programme aims to improve early years practitioners鈥� knowledge and confidence in developing early numeracy skills with children aged鈥痓etween鈥痶hree鈥痶o four years old.

Jayne Jarvis

Head of Primary Maths

鈥淲e are delighted to read the EEF’s positive evaluation of our Early Number with Numicon programme. We know how vital it is to build an early strong foundation in numeracy, and, as a programme specifically designed for pre-school settings, we are in a unique position to support early years practitioners with the resources they need to confidently inspire a love of maths at an early age.鈥�

The programme was independently evaluated by IFF Research on behalf of the EEF, taking place between鈥疭eptember 2024鈥痑nd鈥疢arch 2025.鈥疶he EEF鈥檚 report found that the programme increased childminder and nursery practitioner confidence, with childminders showing significant gains.鈥�In addition, all surveyed practitioners reported that Numicon positively鈥痠mpacted鈥痗hildren’s early numeracy development in most aspects of children鈥檚 numeracy.鈥�听

Other key findings include听the inclusive nature of the programme,听with many practitioners feeling positive about adapting the delivery of the programme for children with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as children with English as an鈥痑dditional鈥痩anguage.

Sashka Dimova, Research Director at the IFF, said:听“The pilot shows that Early Number with Numicon can make a real difference in how early years practitioners support children’s early maths skills. Practitioners told us they felt more confident, better equipped, and more able to use practical activities to bring early numeracy to life. Children were engaged, and practitioners noticed improvements in counting, pattern recognition, and mathematical language. The programme was well-received across nurseries and childminder settings, showing it can work in a range of early years environments too.”

You can read the full evaluation .