From Supply Chains to Sandpits: Why ESG in Early Years Matters
Context: Why ESG Is Rising Up the Agenda I joined an audience of charities and investors at the ESG Imperative Conference, organised by…
LEYF Early Years News & CEO Blog by June O’Sullivan OBE
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
The Friendship Quilt: Sewn with Stories, Kindness and Belonging
The year 2023 marked our 120th anniversary, celebrating a long and fascinating history that began in 1903 when a group of doctors and almoners came together to tackle poverty in…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: in Conversation with Bikeworks
Pedal Power to the Children and their Families It was a chance conversation with Jim Blakemore that led to the beginning of what has now become a strong relationship…
Don’t Keep Quiet about the Menopause Fairy
Gosh, isn’t it great to have permission to talk about menopause. Thank you whoever pushed for World Menopause Day. Personally, I think it should be a week. There is…
Raise the Alarm and Stop Changes to Children to Staff Ratios
In 2013, I wrote a blog to raise the alarm on an ill-considered plan to reduce staff to child ratios and reduce the cost of childcare. I was not…
Ofsted has a Big Conversation with the London OBC
One of the few benefits of COVID-19 was that we learned that we could manage big meetings using technology and there was less reason for people to complain about not…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: in Conversation with Gill Jones
Listen and Listen Well is Gill Jones’ Mantra Gill and I became friends under the most usual circumstances. I was very fed up with Ofsted and the attitude…
London OBC is next week
It was about five years ago, when things with Ofsted were not positive, I started the Ofsted Big Conversation (OBC). Supported by many in the Early Years sector…
Inspector Ofsted – Get Ready, Be Ready and Join the OBC
Last week, when the weather was still warm and summer made a brief appearance, we piled onto Zoom to engage with Ofsted as part of their termly Consultative Forum. While…
Leading by Social Purpose
What does it mean to be awarded Social Enterprise Leader of The Year? A prize, a party, a badge, a sense of confidence about what you do, a picture…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In conversation with Kate Silverton
Mum to two young children, journalist and children’s mental health advocate, Kate Silverton shares her ground-breaking new approach to parenting under-fives that helps to make family life so much…
Raise the status of the Early Years
Will The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood raise the status of the Early Years? On Friday 18th June, The Duchess of Cambridge launched the Royal Foundation Centre for…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In conversation with Trisha Lee
The Importance of Storytelling : In Conversation with Trisha Lee from Make Believe Arts I met Trisha many years ago when we were both involved in some…
Why Nature Must Matter for Children AND the Early Years Sector
We simply don’t listen enough to children! They have long realised the benefits of being in touch with nature, but we have done our best to reject this innate need…