Professional learning for early learning and childcare

Published 04/04/2025.  Last updated 27/05/2025

This page contains links to self-directed professional learning activities, webinars, online events and to continuing professional learning (CPL) resources for early learning and childcare (ELC).

Our ELC team are here to support you. Find out who your Local authority contact is. 

This summary of early learning and childcare (ELC) resources provides a comprehensive overview of CPL resources for the sector.

Developing and understanding of curriculum rationale and Tracking and Monitoring are part of the suite of free online modules available to all early learning and childcare (ELC) practitioners. These are open to all ELC workers.

The Early learning and childcare practitioners training modules factsheet on gov.scot explains more about these training modules.

By logging in to the ELC professional learning directory you can access a wider range of professional learning resources from other providers.

Self-directed Professional Learning Activities (PLAs) are continuing professional learning (CPL) resources that you can work through at your own pace. These can also be used with teams that you support.

PLAs are interactive learning. As you work through the activity you can:

  • write responses and reflections to prompts

  • save your progress

  • keep a record of your learning

  • download a summary of your learning

This information can be used to support your professional review and development (PRD) discussions with your line manager.

PLAs can only be accessed by you and you need to register for an account to access the learning.

You may wish to check out our guide to creating an account.

Education Scotland's Professional Learning and Leadership team deliver a range of leadership programmes for leaders and practitioners. 

The following programmes may be of specific interest for ELC:

Please provide us with your contact information if you would like to be kept informed about future Leadership Professional Learning programmes.

UNCRC professional learning for ELC This resource supports knowledge and awareness of United Nations Conventions of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) for community learning and development practitioners. 

The Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning Framework is a suite of learning resources focussed on four interconnected and interdependent themes:

  • Inclusion

  • Rights and equalities

  • Relationships

  • Wellbeing and care

It has been designed to be used a number of ways depending on your context - this could be as facilitated sessions in your setting, as collaborative professional learning or self-directed professional learning. 

Our website also has two new open access learning resources - one focussed on coaching in education and the other practitioner enquiry in education .

These are designed as self-directed professional learning resources to build your own knowledge and skills.  There are opportunities in both Coaching in Education and Enquiry in Education to join online sessions with educators from around Scotland to learn together. 

Professional learning events include webinars and in person sessions. These can be searched by key words or phrases to look for specific themes or filtered by date or type of event (online or in-person).
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Professional learning for early learning and childcare

Published 04/04/2025.  Last updated 27/05/2025

This page contains links to self-directed professional learning activities, webinars, online events and to continuing professional learning (CPL) resources for early learning and childcare (ELC).

Our ELC team are here to support you. Find out who your Local authority contact is. 

This summary of early learning and childcare (ELC) resources provides a comprehensive overview of CPL resources for the sector.

Developing and understanding of curriculum rationale and Tracking and Monitoring are part of the suite of free online modules available to all early learning and childcare (ELC) practitioners. These are open to all ELC workers.

The Early learning and childcare practitioners training modules factsheet on gov.scot explains more about these training modules.

By logging in to the ELC professional learning directory you can access a wider range of professional learning resources from other providers.

Self-directed Professional Learning Activities (PLAs) are continuing professional learning (CPL) resources that you can work through at your own pace. These can also be used with teams that you support.

PLAs are interactive learning. As you work through the activity you can:

  • write responses and reflections to prompts

  • save your progress

  • keep a record of your learning

  • download a summary of your learning

This information can be used to support your professional review and development (PRD) discussions with your line manager.

PLAs can only be accessed by you and you need to register for an account to access the learning.

You may wish to check out our guide to creating an account.

Education Scotland's Professional Learning and Leadership team deliver a range of leadership programmes for leaders and practitioners. 

The following programmes may be of specific interest for ELC:

Please provide us with your contact information if you would like to be kept informed about future Leadership Professional Learning programmes.

UNCRC professional learning for ELC This resource supports knowledge and awareness of United Nations Conventions of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) for community learning and development practitioners. 

The Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning Framework is a suite of learning resources focussed on four interconnected and interdependent themes:

  • Inclusion

  • Rights and equalities

  • Relationships

  • Wellbeing and care

It has been designed to be used a number of ways depending on your context - this could be as facilitated sessions in your setting, as collaborative professional learning or self-directed professional learning. 

Our website also has two new open access learning resources - one focussed on coaching in education and the other practitioner enquiry in education .

These are designed as self-directed professional learning resources to build your own knowledge and skills.  There are opportunities in both Coaching in Education and Enquiry in Education to join online sessions with educators from around Scotland to learn together. 

Professional learning events include webinars and in person sessions. These can be searched by key words or phrases to look for specific themes or filtered by date or type of event (online or in-person).
^ Back to top