The Big Listen Reports!
The Ofsted Big Listen has reported. I have summarised the main thrust of the report. They will act using 7Cs but we need to engage and make sure we…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Is the Quality of New Staff Flashing Red?
The drive for the childcare expansion pushes on despite the worries about sufficient staff. However, while our concern about staff sufficiency remains flashing amber, our new flashing red is…
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…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: in Conversation with Katherine Hill
Child Poverty Affects Us All Why is child poverty not on the agenda? It’s a horrible situation that doesn’t just affect the child but the wider…
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…
Why the Early Years MUST be ‘Levelled Up’ Without Delay
With all the fuss about ‘Partygate’ and too many unpleasant images of our Prime Minster being shared by angry, vindictive ex-colleagues – you may have been forgiven for missing the…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with Helen Garnett
Time to Put Empathy at the Heart of Pedagogy I first got to know Helen Garnett when I met her at an Empathy Lab event and was…
Blue Monday is not very blue in Early Years
In a world, which is very focused on wellbeing and how we consider people sense of wellbeing, it seemed a bit strange to me that 17th January was renamed Blue…
A Wish for Wellness in 2022
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…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: in Conversation with Norma Raynes
From Generation to Generation: In Conversation with Professor Norma Raynes About ten years ago I discovered the work of Robert Putnam and the idea of social capital. In…
Oh What a Year – We Couldn’t Have Done It Without YOU
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…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with Leslee Udwin
Leslee Udwin is a film maker who is now on a mission to achieve a global system change In Early Childhood Education through social and emotional learning based on empathy,…
What About The Baby?
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…