The Power of Intergenerational Nurseries
Talking Early Years: June O’Sullivan and Sue Egersdorff The world is changing fast. Technology is accelerating how we live, work and even care, but in that rush, you…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Another Consultation… This time, it’s Space
Just as the ink dries on the Ofsted consultation, up pops another. This time it’s about space, equally important and not to be overlooked. The Department for Education (DfE) has…
Maths: As Simple as One, Two Three?
There’s trouble up mill … The sector is dismayed because the Early Learning Goals are being reviewed and the DfE has not engaged Early Years people nearly enough. Will…
Hats Off For Learning!
Summer in the office and many teams are off strategy planning, team building and completing a myriad of personality tools from Birkman to Insights or learning style questionnaires…
Dear Mrs May
I would like to thank Mrs May for hosting and chairing our meeting on Monday. It was a pleasure to be sitting in the Cabinet Room rather than down the…
Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads!
“Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a Dad.” — Anne Geddes Dads matter and so says the research and me because I have…
Minds Really Do Matter
I was very pleased to be invited as a guest to the annual 2018 Pre-School Learning Alliance conference. The subject was one that currently keeps me up at night;…
The Consultation Dilemma: How to Get it Right
There is a lively debate afoot about consultation. It broke at the Firm Foundations and has now hit twitter so risks turning into 140 character soundbites. It has…
I’ll Drink to That!
If anyone ever asked me what my favourite Champagne was, I would have struggled to answer and probably remark on the benefits of the affordable Prosecco. However, since my recent…
Murder in the Playground
Waiting for the bus the other day I stood and read a shocking poster. It reminded me of a conversation I had with a colleague earlier this week. It occurred…
Goodbye to a Very Dear Friend and Great Supporter of Early Years
I have been asked many times about who has influenced my life and I am usually publicly quite non-committal and say “friends”. However, my dearest friend who shared my passion…
The Easter Egg Sugar Rush
Soon the whole country will be taking part in a giant Easter Egg hunt. A collective response to a marketing campaign that has replaced the reason for Easter…
More men in early years education. That’s the plan.
It might be understandable if we were frustrated by slow progress given our first report on the state of men in childcare. However, it’s not in my nature to give up…
Now that Mr Hinds has discovered the error of the ways in education when will he have the same epiphany about Early Years?
The new Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds MP has admitted that school funding is “tight” and an issue for headteachers. He agreed that it is “vital” for…