D is for Disadvantaged: What Does that Mean?
“Disadvantage” is one of those terms we bandy about in policy papers and conference keynotes, but what do we mean by it? Do we understand the lived reality behind the…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
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…
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…
Gender inclusivity? Don’t forget the men!
“What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation.” – Cicero I wrote my first blog about men in childcare in…
Language is the golden route to educational success
We all assume that everyone will learn to talk. It’s part of being human but actually there are levels of success when it comes to language. We can all learn…
International Women’s Day; Champagne, Sex Toys and Birmingham ….
I am a girl from the late 70s. Feminism was a bit of a cult. Indicators of membership included buying the Spare Rib magazine and books from Virago. Meetings were…
What has love got to do with it?
Valentine’s Day is another marketing dream. A flurry of hearts and fluffiness is thrust upon us. The UK spends over a billion pounds on the stuff. Foolish…
Attention to retention – Ministers leading by example?
Welcome Nadhim Zahawi, the latest in a long line of Childcare Ministers. So let’s imagine we are going to have the perfect interview with the newest Minister. The sector…
Forget New Year Resolutions. Read This for *** Sake!
Every year, there is one present that exceeds all expectation and this year one lovely friend surpassed herself. She provided me with the antidote to the annual setting of New…
The Highs and Lows of the 12 Days of Christmas
Happy Christmas lovely people who bravely entered the Big Blogland House during 2017. Thank you all for bothering to read my blogs throughout 2017. I hope they brought…
Not So Sure that they are Bold Beginnings
Armed with some tea and a KitKat, I sat down to read the new Ofsted Report Bold Beginnings. As a child, I often…
Tolerance Needn’t Be A Drag
The common perception about those of us working with children is that we are nice but dim and we spend our time just playing. Nothing could be further from the…
Men in childcare
”What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation.” Cicero Five years ago, in August 2012, I wrote my…
The free childcare debate – an open letter
Dear Mr Goodwill Last week, as I watched the debate on thirty hours “free childcare” initiated by Ruth George MP sitting on…