LEYF News and CEO Blog

2022 has finally arrived and it is also Day 5 of my COVID isolation. I know I am nearly better because the world doesn’t feel like a permanent menopausal hot…

Thank you to everyone for your support this year and helping us Stand Up for Early Years by shouting out like Santa about the big structural issues relating to child…

Why now is the time for national leadership and a rescue, recovery and repair plan for the nation’s youngest children. I have long reluctantly accepted that any child…

Is the Early Years sector doing enough when it comes to helping young children maintain a healthy weight and tackle childhood obesity? Tell us what YOU think. Did you…

The Chancellor had some tough decisions to make today to drive the Government’s Levelling Up agenda and prepare the country for a post-Covid “age of optimism”. Whilst we know…

Gosh, isn’t it great to have permission to talk about menopause.  Thank you whoever pushed for World Menopause Day.  Personally, I think it should be a week. There is…

In 2013, I wrote a blog to raise the alarm on an ill-considered plan to reduce staff to child ratios and reduce the cost of childcare. I was not…

One of the few benefits of COVID-19 was that we learned that we could manage big meetings using technology and there was less reason for people to complain about not…

  It was about five years ago, when things with Ofsted were not positive, I started the Ofsted Big Conversation (OBC). Supported by many in the Early Years sector…

Last week, when the weather was still warm and summer made a brief appearance, we piled onto Zoom to engage with Ofsted as part of their termly Consultative Forum. While…

What does it mean to be awarded Social Enterprise Leader of The Year? A prize, a party, a badge, a sense of confidence about what you do, a picture…

Will The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood raise the status of the Early Years? On Friday 18th June, The Duchess of Cambridge launched the Royal Foundation Centre for…