Sussex schools and nurseries invited to explore a new, playful approach to learning at Crawley showcase

Sussex schools and nurseries are being invited to explore a new approach to learning as educators from the UK and overseas gather in Crawley for an international Playoneering Global Showcase this November.

The event follows a new partnership between Hayley Peacock Education and Italy’s Fondazione Reggio Children, launched in May as Catherine, Princess of Wales visited Reggio Emilia to learn about its approach to early childhood education.

The Playoneering Global Showcase takes place at the K2 Conference Centre in Crawley on 14 November, followed by an optional two-day study tour on 15 and 16 November.

Sussex educator Hayley Peacock, who founded Little Barn Owls Forest & Farm School Nurseries, Atelier 21 Future School and the International Playoneering Studio, developed Playoneering to bring together playful rigour, enquiry-based learning and character education.

She said: “Play and rigour belong together. When children are encouraged to ask questions, investigate ideas and think deeply, they are not only building knowledge. They are developing the curiosity, confidence and resilience that help them face new challenges.

“We want Sussex educators to see what that can look like in practice and explore how it might enrich the work they already do.”

Hayley Peacock Education is offering nurseries and state schools across Sussex a 20 per cent discount on tickets. One early years educator from anywhere in the UK will also have the chance to win a free three-day golden ticket through the Play Is Golden competition.

The optional study tour offers a behind-the-scenes opportunity to visit the new International Playoneering Studio in Staplefield, Atelier 21 Future School in Crawley and a flagship Little Barn Owls Forest and Farm School nursery in Faygate. Educators can see practice in action, meet practitioners and explore ideas they could adapt for their own settings.

Hayley’s ambition is to change the lives of a million children, to start with, by making education more meaningful and relevant to their futures.

She said: “Sussex is where this journey began, so it feels important to open our doors to the schools and nurseries in our own community. Every educator who takes an idea back to their setting has the opportunity to make a difference to the children they work with.”

Speakers at the showcase will include Cristian Fabbi, director of Fondazione Reggio Children; Ben Kingston-Hughes, author and managing director of Inspired Children; and education leader and author Professor Dr Ger Graus OBE.

The five-year partnership between Hayley Peacock Education, the International Playoneering Studio and Fondazione Reggio Children brings together educators to explore research and practice. It is the foundation’s first official partnership with a UK education organisation.

Little Barn Owls staff train at the studio to develop their practice. In September, the nursery group won the Team Development Award at the 2026 Nursery World Awards. Its Southwater nursery received three “Exceptional” and three “Strong” judgements following an Ofsted inspection in April, with the result reported in August.

Hayley said: “This kind of learning asks a great deal of educators too. It takes skilled, thoughtful practitioners who know when to guide, when to ask a question and when to give children space to pursue an idea. That is why we invest so much in learning and enquiry as a team.”

The three-day golden ticket is valued at £745 plus VAT. Educators can enter the competition through the Play Is Golden enquiry form. More details about the programme are available on the link below: https://hayleypeacockeducation.co.uk/events/global-showcase/