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Kathryn Solly
Courses offered
Areas of expertise
- Outdoor play and Learning
- Adventurous play
- Risk and Challenge in the Early Years
- Raising boys achievement
- Diversity, Gender, Inclusion and Uniqueness in the Early Years
- Leading learning outside
- Enabling environments outdoors
- Working with Dads
- Extending learning in the specific areas
- Creative Science in the Early Years
- Becoming Outstanding in the Early Years
- Can children be able, gifted and talented in the Early Years?
- Observation, planning and assessment
- Leadership and management
- Coaching and mentoring staff
- Adult and child led learning
- The Sustainability of Maintained Nursery Schools
- Creating a nursery garden for play and learning
- Physical Development
- Health and Well Being outdoors and in
- Loose Parts
- Froebelian Practice and Principles
Kathryn is now a specialist Early Years trainer and consultant working around Britain and internationally. Previously she was the Headteacher of the historic and diverse Chelsea Open Air Nursery School and Children’s Centre for nearly 17 years. However, Kathryn started her pedagogic life as a secondary school teacher on Voluntary Service Overseas in Papua New Guinea for two years. Since then she has taught across all the phases of education in a variety of places including a short time in an Albanian kindergarten. She retrained to teach in the early years and has since achieved a special needs qualification and an M.A. in Early Education and Care.She has travelled widely and studied education and care in Italy, Germany, Iceland, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Australia.
Kathryn was awarded the Unilever Fellowship researching aspects of Early Years Leadership and Management in 2006. She has contributed articles to several journals and books on a variety of aspects of young children’s play, teaching and learning. Her first book ‘Adventure, Risk and Challenge in the Early Years’ was published in December 2014. She is an experienced and passionate public speaker, trainer and consultant at home and abroad. She is a Froebel Travelling Tutor, and is Vice Chair of the Early Childhood Forum.
Kathryn recently contributed chapters on promoting positive relationships and behaviour and learning through risk and challenge to our recent publication for headteachers and senior leaders: Achieving Excellence in the Early Years.

Book a course
To enquire about a course, please download and return the booking enquiry form below to associates@early-education.org.uk
Please read the terms and conditions on the second page
We recommend a lead-time of three months to book a course. Certain Associates may be booked up further ahead than that and certain dates, eg start of term, also get particularly booked up.