Less Screen, More Story: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever
Last week, we were delighted to welcome Helen Hayes MP to the Upper Norwood Library Hub, where I have the privilege of serving as a Trustee. Helen is our local…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Talking Early Years: In Conversation with Howard Roberts
The Curiosity Code What makes people tick? Why do we care about certain brands—or causes—more than others? And how do we spark genuine emotional connection, not just polite head-nods?…
Standing Tall for Early Years
To mark Empathy Day (9 June), we are proud to be launching our Standing Tall for Early Years campaign – with a call for ALL Early Years settings across…
Returning to Nursery on 1st June
When we were told by the Prime Minster on the 10th May that we would be able to open on the 1st of June we began to plan how we…
Another Step for Mankind into the COVID-19 Unknown
On the 23rd March, Boris Johnson put us in to lockdown to help address the unknown outcomes from the coronavirus (COVID-19). It was a sombre day and most of us…
Pause to Learn
Since I have been operating the LEYF business from home, I’ve increased my video conferencing to check-in everyday with the 15 nursery hubs that still remain open. We talk about…
Stepping Up to Prepare for a Return to the “New Normal”
The Covid -19 pandemic has introduced us to some new words such as furlough and serology which describe specific action. But alongside those real words we have also been introduced…
Late Night Guidance Suggest Row Back on Furlough for Childcare
On Friday night, the DfE produced the guidance on furlough and funded children. A rather last-minute announcement when so many have prepared to upload their data onto the HMRC…
Doing What’s Best for the Health of our Nation and the Health of our Sector
The Covid-19 pandemic lockdown is posing many philosophical questions. Is the virus a response to our wasteful society? Is nature giving us a wake-up call that we are not in…
Can Nurseries Deliver the 4th Emergency Service and Remain Sustainable?
Perhaps when Boris has his new baby and needs childcare he will finally begin to realise what we do as a sector an how we operate as an essential business.
From Cinderella to the 4th Emergency Service
Who would have anticipated that a virus we had never heard of could take us from being Cinderella to becoming the 4th Emergency Service? The Coronavirus has crept up…
The March of the Mothers in March
March is the yellow month. The month of daffodils and watery sun. March brings a sense of hope, energy and optimism; the winter is behind us and there is a…
What does it say about the value of care when low skills are aligned to low salaries?
Does our Home Secretary need to be quite so offensive to the 319,000 staff who provide Early Childhood Education and Childcare to parents every day to enable them to work…
Kindness is Contagious and Its worth Us All Catching it Early
As Early Years’ teachers, we need to continually reflect on the purpose of education. This is crucial given the pressures we face to deliver what many would describe as a…