How JLK invests in our team
The people who care for your child do the most important work in the world. So we invest in them properly. Every JLK practitioner has access to the JLK Academy — our internal platform of child-focused courses, from safeguarding and EYFS to SEND and reflective leadership. Continuous professional development that never stops.
50+
Child-focused CPD-ready courses
4
Child-focused academies from safeguarding to leadership
100%
Of JLK staff have a personal Academy account
2/wk
Target CPD engagement in the first 3 months
Four academies focused entirely on your child
Every JLK practitioner works through content designed by educators, for educators — grounded in the actual work of caring for children. Everything here is child-led.
Core Compliance
Safeguarding, paediatric first aid, food hygiene, GDPR, health & safety, fire safety, allergen awareness. The statutory ground floor that keeps every child safe.
16 courses
EYFS Excellence
Development Matters mapped rigorously — 7 areas, 3 age bands, meaningful planning, adult role, observation, inclusion. Includes the 12-module JLK EYFS Masterclass.
Masterclass + linked courses
SEND
Early identification, sensory processing, EHCPs, the SENCo role, working with external professionals. Every child, every ability, real support.
6 courses
Leadership & Practice
Coaching staff, holding difficult conversations, safeguarding leadership, room-leader development. How JLK grows deeply practised educators from within.
7 courses
A sample of what our team are actually learning
Real courses on the platform today
Safeguarding & Child Protection
Core Compliance
Behaviour is Communication
SEND / Practice
Schemas of Play
EYFS Excellence
Sustained Shared Thinking
EYFS Excellence
Sensory Processing
SEND
The Two-Year Progress Check
EYFS Excellence
Safe Sleep for Under-2s
Core Compliance
Early Identification of Additional Needs
SEND
Outdoor Play & Risk-Benefit
EYFS Excellence
Coaching Staff to Grow
Leadership
Paediatric First Aid Awareness
Core Compliance
Communication & Language Development
EYFS Excellence
Plus 40+ more — from the JLK EYFS Masterclass to Ofsted Readiness, EAL Families, and every statutory refresh in between.
How the Academy runs
Not a compliance box-tick. A living, breathing rhythm of ongoing development.
Personal account, per staff
Every JLK team member gets a unique access code the day they join. Progress syncs across their phone, tablet and laptop.
Induction first
Every new starter lands on the induction pathway — 43 tasks across 8 steps, worked through in their first 90 days.
2 courses/week, then 1/week
Structured pacing that grows with tenure. Bronze courses take ~20 min, Silver ~25-30 min, Gold ~30-40 min.
Quizzes, certificates, CPD hours
Each course ends with a knowledge check — 80% pass, unlimited attempts. Personalised certificates auto-generated on completion.
4-week reflection loop
Four weeks after every course, we ask: "How has this shown up in your practice?" That's how real training turns into real change.
Quality assurance built in
Weekly room mini-audits and monthly manager mock inspections keep child-facing practice consistent across Croydon, Lewisham and Bromley.
I've worked in early years for eight years and I've never had a setting that took my development this seriously. It's not just a folder of policies — it's real courses, real reflection, real support. I actually feel proud of the practitioner I'm becoming here.
Room Leader · JLK Croydon
Why this matters
We built the JLK Academy because we believe the person changing your child's nappy, spotting their first attempt at a word, or noticing a wobble that's really something bigger — deserves proper investment.
“The quality of your nursery is the quality of the people in the rooms. Everything else is scaffolding.”
JLK Management
Come and grow with us
Whether you're joining our team or trusting us with your child, this is what "invested in" looks like. See what we mean in person.
👋 Join our team 🌳 Book a tour