What will we hear at the FREE Network?

 

Join us on Wednesday 29th April, 2026, 4–6pm, for the first free Play in Education Network hosted by the National Play in Education steering group. The network is designed especially to connect educators who are passionate about the reasons for purposeful, powerful play beyond EYFS.

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Facilitator:

Jo Gray, Head of Educational Development Services at One Education and founder of Play in Education, will facilitate the session and share the vision around founding Play in Education.

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Speakers:

Suzi Bray, Headteacher at Weston Rhyn Primary School will explore her school’s journey implementing play beyond EYFS.

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Emma Lewry, consultant and creator of the C.O.O.L. Curriculum, will discuss the importance of core principles and the impact of play.

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Ben Kingston-Hughes, international keynote speaker and multi award-winning trainer, will explore “Playful Brains: The Neuroscience of Play (or why children run in corridors!)”

 

Free to attend. for all members of Play in Education  (Membership is free too!)

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What will the speakers discuss?

At each network there will be different speakers focusing on different elements of play beyond EYFS. For the first session we are looking "The Reasons for play beyond EYFS"

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Let Them Play: Transforming Learning Beyond EYFS - Suzi Bray

This inspiring and informative session shows how play has transformed KS1 learning at a primary school under the guidance of  their passionate headteacher, Suzi Bray.  This session provides leaders and teachers with a practical roadmap for successfully embedding play in KS1, sharing real experiences, key decisions, and lessons learned along the way.  Led by a headteacher who has driven this journey firsthand, this training will be invaluable for school leaders and teachers looking to confidently implement play-based learning beyond the Early Years.

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Playful Brains – The Neuroscience of Play (Or why children run in corridors!) - Ben Kingston-Hughes

This transformative session shows exactly what happens in children’s brains when they play and explores play as an essential process directly linked to life-long emotional well-being, physical health and even life-expectancy. Play specialist Ben Kingston-Hughes makes a compelling argument that, far from frivolous, play is a crucial process supporting even our most vulnerable children to thrive. This session is entertaining, thought-provoking and might just help us build the brains of the future!

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Pedagogical Play Cogs - exploring core principles of play based learning that create impact. - Emma Lewry

This session digs into three core principles, which form part of common play based learning opportunities . Emma uses child development research and wide ranging experiences of implementing continuous provision beyond EYFS, to explore how and why the concepts of talk, movement and autonomy have high impact on learning outcomes. She shares practical considerations for teachers and leaders looking to implement play based learning with key reflection considerations and small step starting points that can be developed in practice.