The Friendship Quilt: Sewn with Stories, Kindness and Belonging
The year 2023 marked our 120th anniversary, celebrating a long and fascinating history that began in 1903 when a group of doctors and almoners came together to tackle poverty in…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Rights, Relationships and Respect: A Timely Book for EY Professionals
There are some books that arrive at exactly the right moment, and Babies’ and Toddlers’ Rights in Practice by Mary Moloney,…
A fond farewell to 2012… or should that be ‘Au Revoir’?
As we rush to the end of a very speedy 2012, I thought I would review the year through the lenses of my 42 blogs. From…
Ofsted Annual Report? A great read, but please tell us something we don’t already know.
Last week Ofsted produced its Annual Report, the first from her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children Services and Skills, Sir Michael Wilshaw. It…
Will the arrival of a Royal baby raise the profile of Early Years?
Hurrah, the press finally have something new to focus on now the Duchess is having a Royal Baby. Poor old Kate, suffering not just morning sickness but…
What do women want? Better ask the Spice Girls.
The Margaret Horn Big Conversation happened last week on Social Enterprise…
Could more men in childcare have a real and lasting effect on the inherent prejudices of society (or only as long as the media take an interest)?
What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation. Cicero Was it fortuitous or bad timing…
The importance of Cultural Capital, or how every child deserves a little Water Music more than just now and again.
An invitation to speak at the Early Arts UnConference at the MAC in Birmingham led to my reflecting back on why I started to investigate cultural capital…
LEYF Magic, coming to a nursery near you soon.
Friday saw another fantastic LEYF Staff Conference, once again successfully managed with great aplomb. Like another Chocolate Orange segment…
LEYF Staff Conference: Building a better future for more of London’s Children
Every year we hold our annual LEYF conference when we celebrate our achievements over the past 12 months and present our plans…
Discovering Eva Hart and Ashley Banjo while doing Action Research in Chadwell Heath
Action research at LEYF is a key aspect of how we ensure quality. It’s all about asking questions of ourselves and checking how we can do things better to give children…
Wearing a red coat to a blue Conference
I went to the Conservative Conference because I was invited to speak at a couple of Fringe events. Having done a day and a half at the…
A fine Scottish trinity: Islands, Carnochan and Mr Gove
It was a brave move when Isabel Dunn, recently retired chair of the Scottish Preschool Playgroup Association (SPPA) asked me if I would give this year’s keynote…
Conference talk: more courage and less cliché for two-year-old childcare please
The Conference season is upon us, and so the launch of ideas for manifestos rain down upon our ears. Clichés and soundbites abound as the Party Leaders…