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…
Come and Celebrate ‘Creative Connections’ at our Event this Thursday
Some weeks are pretty gloomy but this one had some really lovely highlights. The first was midweek when I gave a keynote speech to Essex County Council…
Next steps in The #OfstedBigConversation
DISCLAIMER:(!) I know that today is not my usual ‘blog day’ but we wanted to pass on the latest developments with Ofsted. Normal blog service will resume on Monday… …
Welcome to the Institute of Early Years: A Global Portal Connecting EY Colleagues – Help us shape it to meet your interests
For the past year, a small group of us have been mulling over how to create an international open-source space which connects people involved in all aspects of Early Years…
An Early Years Conference – A platform for play and a good craic!
It’s been a while since I attended a two day conference where I could participate. My recent pattern has been to attend a conference as a presenter and if possible…
First Thoughts on June’s #EYManifesto : Let’s start the Next Big Conversation
We have just had the party conferences and watched as each party started to position itself in readiness for the next election. They are all hard at work shaping their…
Fly Me To the Moon….’Dunoon!’
It was a good omen when we were told our plane to Glasgow was a long haul plane and we would be upgraded to business class. As this was my…
The London Men in Childcare Network Wins its First Award
Yesterday I woke up late, nursing a heavy head; a combination of a rotten head cold, three glasses of red wine (that’s one too many for me!) and dancing into…
Ofsted want to join the Big Conversation; so let the mediation begin…
The sector met last weekend and everyone uploaded their solutions onto the #OfstedBigConversation website. They also kindly sent their feedback to me and I was amazed at…
The #OfstedBigConversation: Consistency, transparency and easy access to information
On Friday, 50 lively people came to Marsham St, the headquarters of the London Early Years Foundation, to kick off the #OfstedBigConversation and share their time, expertise and stories. Colleagues…
Ofsted a go go….
The #OfstedBigConversation kicks off around the country on Friday. Here is the plan: So far, each group has between 30 and 40 people signed up and a great many unable…
#OfstedBigConversation: On your marks, get set…!
Charles Handy identified three attributes, ‘difference, dedication and doggedness’ as the mark of successful entrepreneurs. He quoted the poet Keats view on doggedness, “… as…
A Trip to the Farm and an Incident with a Chicken
I have the privilege of being the Chair of Paddington Farm Trust. This is a 43 acre organic farm in Glastonbury Somerset, set up with legacy funds…