12 Days of Christmas – Early Years Wrap
In the beginning of 2022 So here we are. The final blog of 2022. And hey, we’ve managed to get through what has been a year of discontent and foolishness.
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Margaret Horn Debate 2022
Is Nursery the Best Place for Children? The debate was wide ranging and addressed the challenge of a hybrid market-led sector, which also requires Government funding to deliver a contract for universal 15 or 30-hour funded places.
Engage in Staff-Child nursery Ratio Consultation
Calling ALL Parents, Colleagues and People Who Want THE Very Best for Children: Please Read. We must stop the proposed changes to staff-child ratios! In July I wrote a…
Listen to Pedagogy Coaches Chat about Pedagogy!
I have been using the word, ‘pedagogy’ for many years and am now beyond delighted that I can employ Pedagogy Coaches to support the nurseries understand how to embed…
How to adjust ratios and maintain quality
There is little doubt that the Recruitment and Retention issues facing the sector continue to cause concern and are impacting on the ability of more and more providers to meet…
Why Every Chef in the Early Years Needs to be Trained
A new Prime Minister, a new Secretary of State for Education and a new Minister of State inevitably means a new set of promises. However, if last…
Engage in the Consultation and Stop Changes to Children to Staff Ratios
Do you want the best for our children? I have been campaigning to protect the ratios since 2013 as our then Minister, Elizabeth Truss decided to pursue a plan to…
It’s time for a post-pandemic OBC
In preparation for this meeting and because time is simply speeding past, I looked over all the minutes of the previous Ofsted Big Conversation (OBC) blogs. The OBC kicked…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: in Conversation with Karen Lynch
Do you enjoy listening to an honest, funny, down to earth conversation? That sums up my chat with serial social entrepreneur Karen Lynch. I met Karen many…
Save Our Staff: Child Ratios
In 2013, then Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education) Elizabeth Truss decided to pursue a plan to reduce staff:child ratios. It was very unpopular and was roundly rejected by the sector…
Tackling the Early Years Recruitment Crisis Head On
A sober outlook The mood across the Early Years sector seems to be suggesting that recruiting and retaining staff is one of our biggest challenges. It was certainly the biggest…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: in Conversation with Charlotte Riley
Time to Put Childcare in the Spotlight When do you hear the words ‘actor’ and ‘childcare’ in the same sentence? Rarely, according to actor Charlotte Riley, Founder of The…