Portobello Institute’s Early Years Team Attend National Síolta Aistear Initiative Conference

On Monday, 1st December, members of Portobello Institute’s Early Years tutoring team including Maeve Nolan, Rachel Dunne, Sinéad Finnerty, Abigail Mhic Cormaic and Jacinta Murphy attended the National Síolta Aistear Initiative (NSAI): Continuing Aistear’s Journey Conference in St Patrick’s Campus, DCU.

This important national event brought together leading support organisations, inspectorates, academics and early years experts to explore the future direction of Aistear and to strengthen professional practice across the early childhood sector.

The tutoring team's attendance reflects Portobello Institute’s ongoing commitment to remaining at the forefront of early years education, research and professional excellence.

A Gathering of Ireland’s Leading Early Years Thinkers

The conference opened with an address by Dr Toby Wolfe, setting the tone for a day focused on relational practice, educator wellbeing and high-quality learning environments for babies, toddlers and young children.

The programme featured an impressive line-up of respected researchers and practitioners:

Dr Geraldine French

Building Relationships: The Power of Slow Relational Pedagogy with Babies and Toddlers
Dr French’s keynote emphasised the value of slow relational pedagogy — an approach that prioritises connection, attunement and the emotional wellbeing of the youngest learners. This theme ran strongly throughout the day, highlighting its growing importance in Irish early years practice.

Shirley Heaney

Fostering Learning Environments that Promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Heaney explored practical, reflective ways to ensure early years settings truly embrace diversity and provide equitable experiences for all children.

Gráinne McKenna

The Inherent Influence of the Agentic Educator: The Role, Reach and Rewards
A powerful presentation that resonated deeply with our team, McKenna highlighted the vital importance of valuing and supporting educators. She noted that when staff feel appreciated and have a strong sense of identity and belonging, the quality of practice increases exponentially.

Dr Mary Daly

Listening to and Listening for the Voices of Babies, Toddlers and Young Children in Transitions
Dr Daly examined the subtle yet significant ways practitioners can tune into children’s verbal and non-verbal communication during transitions, ensuring that every child’s voice is heard and respected.

Máire Uí Mhurchú

Acquiring Gaeilge Through Movement, Song and Dance
Her engaging session offered creative methods for incorporating Gaeilge naturally and joyfully into early learning experiences.

Dr Sharon Skehill

Ómós Áite: Noticing the Learning in Outdoor Spaces
Dr Skehill’s presentation reaffirmed the role of the outdoor environment as a dynamic learning space rich in opportunities for exploration, wellbeing and relationship-building.

Key Takeaways for the Portobello Institute Team

Our tutors came away energised and inspired, with clear insights that will immediately influence our teaching, mentoring and programme development:

1. Slow relational pedagogy is central to quality practice

The emphasis on slowing down, connecting deeply and acknowledging each child’s emotional world aligns strongly with best practice. This approach enriches learning, builds confidence and supports a profound sense of value and wellbeing in babies, toddlers and young children.

2. Educator wellbeing is essential — not optional

Gráinne McKenna’s message was clear: supporting the educator supports the child. A culture that values, listens to and uplifts early years practitioners is fundamental to sustaining high-quality care and education.

3. New and evolving resources will continue to support the sector

The conference highlighted the ongoing development of tools and guidance through the Nurturing Skills webpage. These resources will be invaluable to:

• academics
• experienced educators
• new graduates
• students beginning their early years journey

Our team will be integrating these materials into teaching and professional discussions to ensure learners at Portobello benefit from the most up-to-date national guidance.

Strengthening Portobello Institute’s Commitment to Excellence

Attending the NSAI conference reinforces Portobello Institute’s leadership and active engagement in Ireland’s early years community.

It ensures our tutoring team remain connected to national developments, research-informed practice and the evolving needs of educators and children.

By staying immersed in these professional conversations, we continue to equip our students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive as reflective, responsive and relational practitioners.

If you're interested in studying early years at Portobello Institute, visit our faculty here.