D is for Disadvantaged: What Does that Mean?
“Disadvantage” is one of those terms we bandy about in policy papers and conference keynotes, but what do we mean by it? Do we understand the lived reality behind the…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
The Power of Intergenerational Nurseries
Talking Early Years: June O’Sullivan and Sue Egersdorff The world is changing fast. Technology is accelerating how we live, work and even care, but in that rush, you…
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.
Talking Early Years: June O’Sullivan and Teresa Heaney
Thank you for listening to my Podcast with Teresa Heaney, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland, the largest membership and advocacy organisation for Early Years in Ireland. …
Is Nursery the Right Place for Your Child?
What is the annual Margaret Horn debate? Every year we have the Margaret Horn Debate to introduce, explore and debate ideas, policies and innovative practice. Consequently, we have discussed a…
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…
LEYF wins two 2022 Nursery World Awards
LEYF was delighted to recently receive two Nursery World Awards at the 2022 ceremony. The awards, which are open to everyone in education and childcare, are a wonderful chance…
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…
Make Our Practice Part of the Praxis Triangle
Every year I try and get LEYF staff to attend and present at the annual EECERA conference. I have been doing this since 2004 , although we have not…
Wake Up, Rethink the Funding
Last week I was contacted by national radio and TV to do an interview about the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and how this will affect both parents and…
An Invitation to Debate a Change to the Ratio of Staff Qualifications with Ofsted
The recruitment and retention issue continues to drag us down and there is no immediate end in sight. Worse still, I doubt if Liz Truss, the darling of the Tories,…
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…