The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World
On the 17th of November, I was invited by the Royal Foundation, Centre for Early Childhood to a lecture by Professor Robert Waldinger from Harvard University, who co-wrote the letter…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Margaret Horn Debate 2025
Is the government’s offer of childcare from nine months truly in the best interests of babies or more about boosting the economy? The annual Margaret Horn debate always tries to…
Child Poverty Affects Us All: Don’t Pretend It Has Nothing to Do with YOU
Child poverty is back on the agenda. New reports highlight how we have made no progress improving the number of children living in poverty and how the COVID-19 pandemic, has…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with Naomi Duncan
Rising to the Occasion – WHY Nursery Chefs Must be Integral to All Early Years Settings The importance of a good nursery chef cannot be underestimated. But we often don’t realise…
Come and Have a Pedagogy Chat
On Sunday morning, I had a welcome change from the daily COVID-19 conversation; I met up with Alice Sharp to discuss pedagogy. I have been using the word,…
The Early Years Locked out of Lock Down and No Promise of a Vaccine
In December, when I wrote my notes in preparation for my New Year blog, they were optimistic, with a focus on next steps for a national conversation to shape our…
2020: The Year of Living Dangerously
2020, the year of living dangerously and the year of lockdown. L – Living at work O – Obesity: The Covid diet C – Cook, clean and carry on…
The Duchess of Cambridge thanks the Early Years Sector for committing not to the quick win but for the BIG win
Last Friday (27 November 2020), the Duchess of Cambridge announced the results from her landmark public survey on the Early Years, ‘5 Big Questions on the Under Fives’, which…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with C.J. Bowry
Please Sir, Can I Have Some Shoes? Growing up in a working-class family, the outlay on school shoes was always a concern. The annual purchase of a pair of plain…
From Lalaland to Toryland: Can We Re-Shape the Early Years?
How do you know a Zoom debate is lively? Well, read the chat. At this year’s 14th annual Margaret Horn debate the question explored asked if times of upheaval…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with Diana Gerald
From Books to Bookworm – join the conversation that celebrates reading When I was a child, I was often asked what I wanted to be when I grew up.
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with Dr Lala Manners
Moving in the Right Direction – Talking About a Child’s Right to Move Though we may not realise it, movement is our very first language and essential to the…
Times of upheaval bring radical change and revolution. Is this the moment to change the direction of Early Years?
Every year we have the Margaret Horn Debate to introduce, explore and dispute ideas, policies and innovative practice. Consequently, we have debated a wonderful array of topics over the past…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with Helen Moylett
I have long been writing about cultural capital in the Early Years, with mixed and sometimes bemused responses. Now that Ofsted has introduced cultural capital into the new inspection framework…