Early Years Resources
Practical resources to support confident early years practice
Browse our range of downloadable early years resources, created to support leaders and practitioners in real settings.
Each resource can be purchased individually, giving you flexible access to the tools you need, when you need them.
Individual Resources
Learning Walk Observations List
A practical observation tool to support learning walks across your setting.
Designed to help leaders and staff focus on what children are experiencing day to day, this resource supports professional discussion around quality, environment and practice without turning learning walks into paperwork-heavy exercises.
Best for: Managers, deputies, room leaders
Format: Downloadable document
Makaton Sign Resource Sheet
A clear, easy-to-use Makaton reference sheet to support inclusive communication.
Ideal for supporting consistency across staff teams and helping practitioners build confidence using key signs within daily routines.
Best for: Practitioners, SENCOs, whole teams
Format: Downloadable document
🗂️ Included in Makaton Course
Next Steps Template
A simple, flexible template to support identifying and planning children’s next steps.
Designed to help practitioners think clearly about children’s learning and development without overcomplicating the process.
Best for: Practitioners, key persons
Format: Downloadable PDF
🗂️ Included in Next Steps and Tracking Course
Ofsted Planning Call Prep Checklist
A supportive checklist to help leaders prepare for the Ofsted planning call.
Designed to help you organise key information, reflect on current practice and feel more confident going into the conversation.
Best for: Managers, deputies, childminders
Format: Downloadable document
🗂️ Included in Ofsted Course
Top 10 Transition Tricks
A practical guide packed with simple, effective ideas to support smooth transitions throughout the day.
Focused on reducing stress, improving flow and supporting children’s emotional wellbeing during change.
Best for: Practitioners, room leaders
Format: Downloadable PDF
Transition Songs & Rhymes Sheet
A ready-to-use collection of songs and rhymes to support transitions in early years settings.
Designed to help make transitions calm, predictable and engaging for children.
Best for: Practitioners, whole teams
Format: Downloadable PDF
Supervision Template
A structured and supportive supervision template designed for early years settings, helping managers regularly review staff wellbeing, safeguarding responsibilities, and professional practice.
It promotes reflective discussions, identifies training needs, and supports continuous improvement in line with EYFS requirements.
Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) Template
A clear and supportive performance improvement template for early years staff, designed to address areas of concern through structured targets, guidance, and ongoing support.
It helps ensure consistent practice, accountability, and improved outcomes for children while aligning with EYFS and safeguarding standards.
EYPP Allocation & Impact Record
This EYPP Allocation & Impact Record is designed to support early years settings in effectively planning, tracking, and evidencing how Early Years Pupil Premium funding is used.
It enables practitioners to clearly identify children’s individual needs, outline targeted support and interventions, and record how funding is allocated, including a breakdown of costs.
Parents Evening Form
Make parents’ evenings clear, professional and meaningful with this easy-to-use Practitioner Record Form. Designed for busy early years practitioners, this resource supports you to confidently share each child’s development, interests and next steps with parents.
This form is completed by practitioners and used as a guide during meetings, helping you structure conversations while ensuring all key areas are covered.
Assessment Form
Support accurate, consistent and confident assessments with this easy-to-use Assessment Form. Designed for early years practitioners, this resource helps you clearly track children’s progress across key areas of development and identify their current stage within age-related expectations.
Perfect for everyday use, observations, and progress reviews, this form ensures assessments are both meaningful and manageable.
Parent Email Templates
A practical collection of ready-to-use email templates designed to support professional communication with parents and carers in early years settings.
Perfect for nursery managers, room leaders, preschool leaders, and childminders this resource includes templates for common situations such as behaviour concerns, illness reminders, accidents, complaints, late collections and positive feedback.
Designed to save time, improve consistency and support confident communication across your setting.
🗂️ Included in Leadership Toolkit
Room Checklists
A practical collection of ready-to-use room checklists designed to support organisation, safety and high-quality practice within early years settings.
Perfect for nursery managers and room leaders, this resource includes daily room checks, continuous provision audits, hygiene and safeguarding checks, outdoor area checks, sleep area monitoring, end-of-day routines and inspection readiness prompts.
Designed to support consistent standards, effective safeguarding and calm, well-organised learning environments across your setting.
🗂️ Included in Leadership Toolkit
Inspection Preparation Guide
A practical inspection preparation resource designed to help nursery leaders feel organised, confident and inspection-ready throughout the year.
Perfect for nursery managers, deputies and early years leadership teams, this guide includes leadership audits, safeguarding checks, curriculum reviews, staff readiness prompts, environment walkthroughs and inspection preparation checklists.
Designed to support continuous improvement, strengthen leadership confidence and help settings maintain high-quality practice across all areas of provision.
🗂️ Included in Leadership Toolkit
Meeting Templates
A practical collection of professional meeting templates designed to support communication, organisation and leadership within early years settings.
Perfect for nursery managers, deputy managers, room leaders and early years teams, this resource includes templates for staff meetings, supervisions, safeguarding discussions, parent meetings, wellbeing check-ins, appraisals and leadership meetings.
Designed to improve consistency, support effective communication and help leaders manage meetings confidently and professionally across their setting.
🗂️ Included in Leadership Toolkit
Rota Planning Tools
A practical collection of rota planning templates and staffing tools designed to support organisation, ratio management and smooth daily operations within early years settings.
Perfect for nursery managers, deputy managers and room leaders, this resource includes weekly rotas, room deployment sheets, ratio monitoring checklists, break planners, absence trackers, annual leave planning and staffing overview tools.
Designed to help leaders manage staffing confidently, maintain safe ratios and support both operational efficiency and staff wellbeing across their setting.
🗂️ Included in Leadership Toolkit
Wellbeing Check-Ins
A practical collection of wellbeing check-in templates and reflective support tools designed to help nursery leaders support staff wellbeing, reduce burnout and strengthen team culture within early years settings.
Perfect for nursery managers, deputy managers and early years leadership teams, this resource includes wellbeing reflections, burnout awareness tools, workload reviews, return to work check-ins, staff support plans and team wellbeing discussion prompts.
Designed to encourage supportive leadership, improve communication and help create healthier, more positive working environments across your setting.
🗂️ Included in Leadership Toolkit
EHCP Support Guide
Navigate the EHCP process with confidence using this practical guide designed for early years practitioners, SENDCOs, nursery leaders and childminders.
Learn what an EHCP is, when a child may need one, how to gather effective evidence, access available funding, and work in partnership with families and professionals.
Packed with useful guidance, funding information, and signposting to key services, this resource is an essential tool for supporting children with SEND and achieving positive outcomes.
🗂️ Included in SEND Bundle
Emotions and Feelings Cards
Understanding emotions is an important part of a child's social and emotional development. These Emotion & Feelings Cards have been designed to help children recognise, identify and talk about a range of emotions in a supportive and engaging way.
The cards can be used as a complete set during group discussions, circle time, wellbeing activities and emotional check-ins, or individually to support specific children, conversations and situations. They are ideal for helping children develop emotional literacy, build self-awareness and learn positive ways to express their feelings.
🗂️ Included in SEND Bundle
Resource Bundles
Save More with Our Early Years Resource Bundles.
Explore our collection of early years resource bundles designed to give nursery leaders and practitioners practical, ready-to-use support at a lower cost. Each bundle includes a range of professional templates, checklists, guides and toolkits to help save time, improve organisation and support high-quality practice across your setting.

Leadership Toolkit
A practical bundle of ready-to-use leadership resources designed to support organisation, communication and confident leadership within early years settings.
Includes:
• Inspection Preparation Guide
• Meeting Templates
• Parent Email Templates
• Room Checklists
• Rota Planning Tools
• Wellbeing Check-Ins
Perfect for nursery managers, deputy managers, room leaders and early years leadership teams.

SEND Bundle
Equip your setting with practical, ready-to-use resources designed to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Ideal for early years practitioners, SENDCOs, childminders and nursery settings, this bundle provides essential tools to help identify needs, gather evidence, and promote inclusive practice.
This bundle includes:
- EHCP Support Guide
- SEND Observation Toolkit
- Visual Timetable Pack
- Communication Exchange Cards
- Emotion & Feelings Cards
- First and Then Boards
Whether you're supporting children with emerging needs, preparing evidence for referrals, or creating a more inclusive learning environment, these resources will help you support every child to thrive.
FREE - Safer Sleep Resource
Support safe sleep practice in your setting with this clear, easy-to-follow poster.
Designed in line with EYFS expectations and safer sleep guidance, this resource helps practitioners understand what safe sleep looks like in practice — from babies through to toddlers.
What’s included:
✔ Safe sleep spaces for under 1s
✔ Guidance for 1–2 year olds (including sleep mats)
✔ What to avoid and why (linked to SIDS risk)
✔ Sleep supervision reminders
✔ Equipment and environment checks
Perfect for:
- Nursery sleep areas
- Baby and toddler rooms
- Staff rooms and training
- Supporting consistent team practice
Safer sleep guidance can sometimes feel confusing or inconsistent. This poster simplifies key messages into a clear, visual format, helping staff feel confident in their day-to-day practice.

How to use our resources
Our resources can be used:
- as part of everyday practice
- in staff meetings or supervision
- to support consistency across teams
- for individual reflection or development
All resources are:
- available for instant download
- suitable for digital or printed use
- designed to support professional judgement, not replace it
✔ Purchase only what you need
✔ Download instantly
✔ Use at your own pace

Already on a Stepping Stones Training course?
Some of these resources are included within our courses.
This page is ideal if you:
- want access to a specific resource only
- need extra copies for staff
- would like to use a resource independently
Need help choosing a resource?
If you’re unsure which resource is right for you, or you’re looking for wider support, explore our training courses or contact the Stepping Stones Training team.
