About BEYN
A hub for Birmingham’s Early Years Community
Forward together for the children of Birmingham
The Birmingham Early Years Network (BEYN) is a place for the Early Years Community to connect, collaborate and communicate to improve educational outcomes for young children in Birmingham. The website serves as a communication hub and source of information about activities and practices in the district and across the city.
We welcome contributions from the community.
What we do
BEYN is led by the Birmingham Nursery Schools Collaboration Trust (BNSCT) in partnership with the Birmingham Early Years and Childcare Service. Joint network coordinators Sue Bennett and Clare Williams have been appointed to support this work on behalf of the BNSCT.
“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller
Core Values
At the heart of what we do.
Learning
High-quality professional development and experience of innovative pedagogical approaches to learning for everyone working in our Early Years Community.
Collaboration
Effective partnerships that support children and families to access places within our Early Years provision, and ensure smooth transitions for children.
Children
Celebrating the uniqueness of early childhood and keeping children at the heart of all we do.
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.
Birmingham Nursery Schools Collaboration Trust
The Trust was established in 2015 and brings together 27 Maintained Nursery Schools to fulfil its charitable purposes of advancement of education for children in early years (birth to 7 years).