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…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Rights, Relationships and Respect: A Timely Book for EY Professionals
There are some books that arrive at exactly the right moment, and Babies’ and Toddlers’ Rights in Practice by Mary Moloney,…
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…
Story Maker, Scientist, Best Friend
Covid took off its invisible cloak on the 23rd of March when the country retrenched into lockdown. Now, six months later, with the battle partly won, the country has to…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with Laura Henry
Remembering the Power of Grandmothers. I remember many years ago talking to Laura about how she felt when her grandmother sadly passed away. I think it was at…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with Giles Andreae
Who Says Giraffes Can’t Dance? Well Giles Andreae did! He also reminded us that there is a Rumble in the Jungle and a Commotion in the Ocean and if…
No shoes to buckle
On Saturday morning (19/09/2020) I chaired a discussion with Neil Leitch from Early Years Alliance and Liz Bayram from Pacey for the Childcare Expo. We talked about…
Double Standards or Just Don’t Care?
The world is full of contradictions and here is a BIG one. I recently read in the Financial Times that the global management consultants, McKinsey & Company earned a…