Talking Early Years: In conversation with Frank Cottrell-Boyce
If you have been frog marched through books, why would you ever read for pleasure? The award-winning author and screenwriter Frank Cotterell-Boyce is the 13th Children’s Laureate of…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Lessons We Must Learn to Better Protect Our Children
In Memory of Genevieve Meehan Tonight, BBC One North West and Yorkshire will air an investigative programme titled How Safe Are Our Nurseries? It follows the heartbreaking story of Genevieve…
The Highs and Lows of the 12 Days of Christmas
Happy Christmas lovely people who bravely entered the Big Blogland House during 2017. Thank you all for bothering to read my blogs throughout 2017. I hope they brought…
Not So Sure that they are Bold Beginnings
Armed with some tea and a KitKat, I sat down to read the new Ofsted Report Bold Beginnings. As a child, I often…
Tolerance Needn’t Be A Drag
The common perception about those of us working with children is that we are nice but dim and we spend our time just playing. Nothing could be further from the…
Men in childcare
”What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation.” Cicero Five years ago, in August 2012, I wrote my…
The free childcare debate – an open letter
Dear Mr Goodwill Last week, as I watched the debate on thirty hours “free childcare” initiated by Ruth George MP sitting on…
A Pedagogical Postcard from Italy
On the 29 August three LEYF managers and I boarded a luxury Easyjet to attend the EECERA Conference in Bologna. Any of you who are kind enough to read my…
Celebrate Because We Are Worth It!
I do not subscribe to the L’Oreal line ”because you are worth it”. I reckon you have to earn that accolade. But at last weekend’s…
Encouraging Sixth Formers To Become the Next Entrepreneurs
I enjoy Desert Island Discs especially if I have been up long enough to have started doing something useful like baking. This week, I caught the words…
Come and Join the Ofsted Conversation And Put Your Mind At Ease
I am looking forward to the London OBC on the 19th of September at 2pm hosted by Bain London, 40 The Strand,…
Welcome Tracy Brabin, to the wonderful world of early years education!
On Friday 4th August at LEYF, we had our first conference in three years. We were joined by 450 staff who all came to catch up and reconnect whilst enjoying…
With a dash of imagination and a sprinkling of leadership…the recipe for Early Years success!
What do you do when you want to have the best cakes to eat at the annual LEYF Conference? You ask the chefs to bake them!…
Six Steps to Influencing and Creating a Strong Voice for Children
While dusting the other day, in true Mrs Beeton fashion, I came across my recent trophy for the NMT Award, “Most Influential Person in Early Years 2017”.