The EA offers a wide range of professional support, teaching resources, and networking opportunities for colleagues in primary and early years education, whether you’re a teacher, teaching assistant, teacher educator, education consultant, or adviser. Our membership spans independent and maintained schools, foundation and voluntary-aided schools, as well as multi-academy trusts. We also have members who are experts in children’s publishing and children’s library services.

Much of the work we do in primary and early years education is linked to our work in secondary/further and higher education, so that as a member of the EA you will have the opportunity not only to deepen your subject knowledge and develop your practice, but also to connect with colleagues in other sectors and learn about the journeys of your students before and after they enter your classroom.

On our website you will find a range of resources including:

Join us

Our work in primary and early years education is driven by the Primary and Early Years Education Committee, working alongside our other Education Committees. Members of the PEYEC bring a range of expertise and experience from across the discipline, including teachers, education consultants, specialists from multi-academy trusts, teacher educators, publishers, and librarians.

The PEYEC meets three times a year to explore all current and relevant aspects of Primary and Early Years English pedagogy, aiming to achieve a good balance between the spoken language and communication, reading, and writing strands of the curriculum, and celebrating the creativity and richness of English. The PEYEC works to:

  • Respond to consultations on national education policy
  • Campaign for our subject, and enable teachers to adovcate for English
  • Provide ways to support teachers (especially trainee and newly-qualified teachers) to reflect on and develop their practice
  • Celebrate the richest new fiction and non-fiction picture books, chosen by teachers for teachers to share with their classes
  • Build on the work of the English 4-11 Picture Book Awards to share and celebrate quality children’s literature
  • Help teachers discover quality children’s literature that can be used in lessons on any subject
  • Provide opportunities for teachers to develop their subject knowledge through online events and resources
  • Participate in the Common English Forum, which meets regularly with the Department for Education

The PEYEC is currently chaired by Kirstie Hewett FEA. Kirstie is a school improvement specialist for the University of Chichester Academy Trust, and a senior lecturer in Initial Teacher Education at the University of Chichester, specialising in the teaching of English across the primary age phase.  Prior to this, she spent twenty years working in a number of roles in primary schools, including class teacher, deputy head teacher and SENDCo.

Other members of the PEYEC

Jo Beer, Senior Lecturer in Primary Education (University of Chichester)

Sonia Carvell, primary school teacher

Megan Dixon, Director of Literacy at MAT, Research and Development Lead for the Aspirer Teaching School, and Director of a Research School

Jake Hope, Reading development and children’s book consultant

Suzanne Hughes, teacher with expertise in oracy and drama

Philip McCahill, Assistant Headteacher and All-through Reading Lead

Mia Sneyd, Educational Consultant and English Specialist

Laura Spargo, Education Consultant and Primary English Specialist

Alison Spicer, Assistant Headteacher (Teaching, Learning, and Language Development)

Lorna Watson, primary school English Lead