The Power of the Emotional Environment
For babies and young children who rely on adults as their primary caregivers, creating an emotionally enabling environment means providing nurturing spaces filled with warmth, safety, and responsive interactions. These environments should also offer stimulation to support learning and development.
This unique and important stage of early development requires emotionally rich places and spaces where young children can explore, investigate, and engage in meaningful play experiences, all while remaining within proximity of their Key Person. Such environments foster a sense of belonging and allow babies and young children to experiment, make discoveries, and think critically.
A robust key person approach ensures that every child has one specific adult who takes primary responsibility for their emotional wellbeing, learning and development and provides an environment which meet individual needs. This approach is rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage as it recognises that relationships are central to young children’s learning and development.
An emotionally enabling environment is fundamental to both personal and cognitive growth.
Our Commitment to Emotionally Enabling Practice
The Sefton Early Years Team recognises and values the power of the emotional environment. Through training and projects such as SSTEW and Emotional Health and Wellbeing, we have made the emotional environment a key priority.
A Visit from Professor Dr Ferre Laevers
In January 2024, we were delighted to welcome the esteemed Professor Dr Ferre Laevers to Bootle Town Hall. He delivered an inspiring session to an audience of dedicated Sefton practitioners, focusing on experiential learning and the well-renowned Leuven Scales of wellbeing and involvement.
Reflecting on children’s levels of wellbeing and involvement - both individually and in groups - provides a valuable platform for evaluating emotional environments. This reflection helps us to critically assess and design spaces where babies and young children can feel emotionally secure, thrive, and flourish in every way.
How We Can Support You
The Early Years Team is here to support you through our training offer and bespoke visits. We are committed to helping you in your journey to design or develop your own emotionally enabling provision.
For further information, advice, or support in enhancing the emotional environment in your setting, please contact your Quality Improvement Officer, Early Intervention Officer, or Early Years School Inclusion Consultant.
For more information about supporting the emotional wellbeing of your team, please see the section on Your Wellbeing Matters.
Resources
Watch this short, inspirational talk, where Professor Dr Ferre Laevers explains how wellbeing and involvement are essential contributors to high-quality learning in early years settings.
See below for a list of more excellent resources relating to The Emotional Environment.
Bespoke health and safety checks are available through our team as part of our ongoing support for settings. These visits are tailored to the individual needs of your provision.
If you would like to arrange a visit or discuss further, please speak with your Early Intervention Officer or Quality Improvement Officer.
Sefton’s Graduated Approach Toolkit supports schools and educational settings to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.
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The environment should support both emotional wellbeing and learning. This audit considers a wide range of factors, from aesthetics and levels of stimulation to physical elements such as noise and light quality. It is equally important to ensure that outdoor spaces promote growth and learning, as research shows that children can often learn even more effectively outdoors.
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This document champions the importance and wide-ranging benefits of play in early childhood development.
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A blog and research project focused on achieving high-quality provision in baby rooms.
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An article exploring how to develop emotionally secure environments for babies and young children.
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A range of resources and podcasts focused on supporting wellbeing in early years settings.
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A collection of free podcasts and videos by Dr Karen Treisman to support relaxation and emotional regulation, including sensory, grounding, soothing, and regulating box techniques.
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For more information on developing a slow pedagogy approach, visit the Froebel Trust.
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A collection of podcasts from the Froebel Trust. Episode 7 highlights the importance of the vital role of strong relationships within early years settings and discusses how leaders can best support staff to foster nurturing environments for children.
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A great service that offers toolkits and guidance for supporting emotional wellbeing in early years. Visit their website for more.
The Curiosity Approach offers a modern pedagogical framework designed to inspire educators to nurture curiosity, creativity, and holistic development in early years settings. Through training, resources, and a supportive community, it empowers practitioners to transform their environments and practices to better support children's natural learning instincts. Visit their website to explore tools, ideas, and inspiration for creating engaging, child-led learning experiences.