Strengthening Practice Through Research – EECERA
LEYF at EECERA 2025 Wrapped up with a Bow for You! Attending an EECERA conference established by the wonderful Chris Pascal and Tony Bertram has become a LEYF ritual. …
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World
On the 17th of November, I was invited by the Royal Foundation, Centre for Early Childhood to a lecture by Professor Robert Waldinger from Harvard University, who co-wrote the letter…
#OfstedBigConversation: On your marks, get set…!
Charles Handy identified three attributes, ‘difference, dedication and doggedness’ as the mark of successful entrepreneurs. He quoted the poet Keats view on doggedness, “… as…
A Trip to the Farm and an Incident with a Chicken
I have the privilege of being the Chair of Paddington Farm Trust. This is a 43 acre organic farm in Glastonbury Somerset, set up with legacy funds…
Get on Board Ofsted: Listen and Respond to the #OfstedBigConversation
I came back from holiday last week to a bunch of emails which included one from Ofsted asking for feedback on their performance. I laughed out loud and went straight…
Is the current Ofsted strategy masking something far more sinister?
Sir Michael Wilshaw was no doubt promoted to lead Ofsted because he successfully turned around a failing school. It would seem he is taking the same approach to the Early Years…
In Support of Childminders: You are not a Lone Voice Calling from the Wilderness.
On last week’s blog a LINK childminder made an impassioned appeal to the sector to support childminders. She was feeling that we were less engaged with the argument against childminding agencies.
More Great Childcare? Don’t think so…
The delayed response to More Great Childcare (or ‘More Great Childcages’ as coined by Penny Tassoni) filled me with dread. I looked and saw it was…
The role of the modern politician
It’s 100 weeks to the next election… Remember at your peril, politicians can determine our destiny. The call to roundtables is loud and the manifesto push is in…
It was raining on men and about men all week
Last week men featured quite highly on the agenda. Along with Jai Patel and Paul Spinks, co-chairs of the London Network of Men in Childcare, I attended the APPG on…
Will I be on the same list as Sir Bob ?
Last week I was awarded an MBE for services to children and young people in London. As an Irish person, I am technically a non-National so I…
A Thank You Letter to Mr Clegg
Dear Mr Clegg, Thank you for listening to us about the potential changes to the ratios. I can honestly say we were genuinely delighted that you understood our perspective and…
Picnics, Parents and Paris
There is no doubt that the God of Weather likes children. On Saturday the 1st June, International Children’s Day, the sun shone and a light breeze made it a comfortable…
Countdown to our 1st June picnic – a plea to the weather God!
It has been described as a work of fiction by the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PSLA) but is this the best description of the Department for Education report published last week? …