Colchester Institute students preparing for careers in Early Years are set to benefit from an exciting new partnership with Let’s Grow, an educational initiative co-created by CBeebies’ Ben Faulks, best known as Mr Bloom, and his wife Mimi.
Developed by Ben and Mimi in line with the Early Years Curriculum, Let’s Grow provides a range of resources designed to help young children develop new skills. The initiative uses a ‘nature and nurture’ approach to learning, encouraging children to explore the natural world while supporting their development.
As part of the partnership, Colchester Institute students will explore how nature, play and practical activities can support children’s learning and development, complementing the career-focused training they receive at the College.
Colchester Institute will become the second further education institution to adopt the Let’s Grow initiative.
Joedean Boyle, Area Head for Early Years at Colchester Institute, said, “Let’s Grow brings a really engaging approach to early years education, and we’re excited to see how our students incorporate these ideas into their own practice. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to explore sustainability and understand how these experiences can enrich the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.”
Ben Faulks is an actor, writer and producer best known to families for his role as Mr Bloom on CBeebies. Alongside Mimi, he co-founded Let’s Grow to support children and educators through an approach centred around nature and nurture.
Ben Faulks said, “We’re so excited to begin this fantastic partnership with Colchester Institute, bringing over 25 years of creative practice together with the EYFS curriculum to provide innovative teaching resources for the next generation of practitioners. Partnerships like this are vital in equipping today’s students with the broad, creative skills they need to become the inspiring teachers of tomorrow.”
