Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC)

Established by Professor Chris Pascal and Professor Tony Bertram, CREC has been working to improve Early Years provision for over 25 years.

Located in the St Thomas Children’s Centre near Birmingham city centre, CREC specialises in early childhood research which has relevant and meaningful outcomes for practice and policy.

Some of its research is transformed into training and development programmes designed for the specific needs of the early years sector.

CREC also offers undergraduate and postgraduate research degrees .

We have a strong reputation for undertaking reviews, reports, evaluations and consultancy work with many UK local authorities, NGOs and countries. Examples include the British Council, QDCA, OECD, Portugal, Qatar, South Australia, Birmingham and Gloucestershire.

CREC Directors

Amber Publications and Training Ltd.

Our primary mission is to design, develop and implement professional development courses and publications for early childhood policy makers, professionals and practitioners within the UK and beyond.

APT is multi-disciplinary and multi-sector, meeting the growing development needs of care, education and health professionals in state, private, voluntary or independent sector organisations.

We deliver courses at APT's training facilities in central Birmingham, as well as at any suitable venue across the country or abroad.

Courses may vary in length, can be modular and accumulative, and can be delivered flexibly to suit clients' needs. Courses can also be created, tailored or co-constructed to meet local requirements. 

APT is a sponsor of CREC in Birmingham (Charitable Trust), with whom it shares offices at the St Thomas Children's Centre.

We work in partnership with CREC in Birmingham (Charitable Trust) to add value to the Charity's impact, as well as operating as an independent training organisation.

CREC in Birmingham

Based in the heart of Birmingham, Professors Christine Pascal & Tony Bertram serve as Honorary Directors and the team is dedicated to raising the quality of early childhood education and care. It aims to work collaboratively to pursue research, evaluation, scholarship, professional development and research related consultancy within the field of early childhood, in order to raise the quality, status and visibility of this crucial area of national policy and practice.

The charity’s objective is to: PROMOTE AND CARRY OUT FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT, RESEARCH INTO ISSUES RELEVANT TO EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVISION.

It does this by endeavouring to:

• encourage a clearer articulation of the links between research, policy and practice in ECEC

• raise the visibility and status of ECEC research through its rigorous, interdisciplinary and academic development and its dissemination activity on the national and international stage

• explore topical, theoretical and empirical research and encourage new methodologies which have applications for policy and practice

  These thread through all our work be it in keynotes, articles, blog posts, research projects, conferences or courses.        

• facilitate collaboration and cooperation between researchers, policy makers and practitioners working in this field

  For example CREC hosts a monthly Learning Circle where interested individuals from these sectors are invited to meet, share latest work and research and engage in critical dialogue.

• offer high quality, evidence based, multi-professional, university level accredited, development and training courses in ECEC across the UK’s wide range of providers

• raise the level of critical understanding and reflection amongst the UK’s ECEC workforce

  CREC does these through its relationships with Birmingham City University, University of Wolverhampton, Trinity Laban College and Amber Publications & Training LLP. CREC hosts these courses and funds additional student support for each cohort to encourage retention and completion despite the challenges faced by part time students working full time in the Early Years sector.

• develop ECEC setting improvement and quality assurance strategies

  The CREC team support a number of local authorities and schools by sitting on steering groups, boards of governance and working parties which directly influence quality improvement at local and individual levels.

CREC in Birmingham Charitable Trust is overseen by an independent Board of Trustees who have a wide ranging knowledge of the Early Years sector.

As a registered charity, CREC in Birmingham is required to submit annual reports and accounts to the Charity Commission. These can be viewed on the Charity Commission website.