Digital Literacy in Early Years: It’s About Pedagogy, Not Screens
Even in a digital age, nobody goes to a good conference without a notebook. I spent three days at the 34th EECERA Conference at the University of Madeira…
LEYF CEO Blog and Podcast by Dr June O’Sullivan OBE
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Getting Away to Learn: Why Conferences Still Matter
I have always liked a good conference. Not necessarily because I want to sit in a chair all day being talked at. In fact, that is probably my definition of…
Social Enterprise: using ethical fashion to change lives and save the planet
Many will have watched the Extinction Rebellion unfolding on the streets of Westminster with probably a mixture of bemusement, support and irritation. In the last week I have experienced all…
What is Cultural Capital?
To be honest, cultural capital is not the usual conversation piece. But it is both a conscious and unconscious part of our everyday lives. Now that Ofsted has introduced the…
Going to Bath for a Bath
I arrived on Friday evening (15 March) in a wet Bath for the Firm Foundations Conference. A wet bath was also just perfect metaphor for my life at the…
Save the Curly from Losing Its Wurly
I have taken Brexit like the rest of the UK, a bit like a grief response, shock, anger, fear, sadness and gradual acceptance but a small piece of satirical…
Happy International Women’s Day
Everything starts somewhere, and as the notices for International Women’s Day (IWD) started to proliferate, I wondered about its origins and its purpose. IWD can be traced back to…
Enjoy Books on World Book Day, Don’t Worry too Much about Dressing Up!
I grew up in a world where reading was a normal pastime. I didn’t have access to many books at home but I was an avid library fan. I went…
Reclaim the Outdoors For Children
I was invited to talk to Eamonn Holmes at talkRADIO the other week about a news story that commented on our intention to try and ensure that of the…
Don’t Call Me Sweet: I am a Fast, Furious and Fabulous Early Years Teacher
I was visiting a LEYF nursery on the Wandsworth Bridge Road and Shandrika the deputy manager was engaging a in a deep pedagogical conversation with me. Then she stopped, sighed…
The London OBC: Consulting on the Consultation
Ofsted has a strategic objective to be a force for improvement through intelligent, responsible and focused inspection and regulation. To do this we must ensure we understand what we mean…
Messy Play not Messi Plays
Last week I gave a seminar at the Nursery World Show about pedagogy, and I particularly referenced the importance of Early Years teachers being able to name and describe the…
Time Out to Reflect on Social Enterprise
I am not always great at taking my own advice, which in this case is to take a few days away from the office to “think”. I have just had…
The importance of partnership
“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” – Theodore Roosevelt Many organisations talk about working in partnership. It…