Politics is not welcome in the nursery
I write this blog with a sense of anger and despair. Even playing Verdi very loudly and a glass of wine could not quell my alarm. Why such gloom? Our…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Asking Robin Van Persie to kick the childcare football straight into the Equalities net
Childcare is flavour of the week and quickly becoming a political football. I wish we had an equivalent Robin Van Persie to either land the childcare ball in the…
The childcare cost mystery: is it time for Monsieur Poirot to visit the Treasury?
We are all aware that the cost of childcare is too expensive for many parents. Yet the Government says it…
Will the arrival of a Royal baby raise the profile of Early Years?
Hurrah, the press finally have something new to focus on now the Duchess is having a Royal Baby. Poor old Kate, suffering not just morning sickness but…
The importance of Cultural Capital, or how every child deserves a little Water Music more than just now and again.
An invitation to speak at the Early Arts UnConference at the MAC in Birmingham led to my reflecting back on why I started to investigate cultural capital…
Get off the diet kicks and learn to eat, serve and advise on nutritionally sound food.
Admit it, you’re either going on a diet, thinking about a diet or have just given up a diet and busy trying to accept your muffin top or your beer…
Parent engagement: research tells us to avoid being a shrinking violet.
At the recent summer NDNA conference,…
The Angels’ Share: a film that turns whiskey into a political metaphor. Drink Up!
When the weather is raining and grey, I often like to go to see a film in the afternoon. It beats drinking tea in front of the box, watching the…
Mr Mayor, please take an interest in the childcare sector and build a London fit for the next generation
When I started working with children many many years ago, I never envisaged talking about children and the economy in the same breath. These days, I never give it a…
Leadership elections or popularity contest, you decide.
On Friday, I was delighted to be able to give the keynote speech to the staff of Rainbow Trust, a children’s charity led by their energetic and…
Do you really need GCSE Maths grade C to have a laugh or do a sum?
I am very pleased to be able to represent LEYF as a member of Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s Expert Panel. The…
Cuba, philosophy and Angelina Jolie’s exposed right leg
In stark contrast to last Sunday when I sat in a warm Havana, sipping cocktails and enjoying live Cuban music, today I could only…