‘Free to be me: exploring identity online.’
This year’s focus for Safer Internet Day in the UK was getting people to explore how they manage their online identity and think about how the internet shapes their own o…
This week's Coffee Break comes from Stephen Kilgour, our SEND Advisor, who takes a closer look at the benefits of creating a more natural and sustainable environment in any play-based setting.
It was quite a few years ago, on a visi…
We have a very short Coffee Break for you this week.
It’s a call to all early years practitioners to respond to the proposed changes to the EYFS. We have until 31st January to have our say. The ELGs are under the spotlight. They may …
On New Year’s Eve, like so many other people, I made my resolutions for 2020. I also looked up the meaning of ‘resolution’ in the Cambridge Dictionary and discovered some thought-provoking definitions that wouldn’t seem out of plac…
In a time of national uncertainty, the General Election delivered a decisive Conservative majority.
What do we know about the Government’s plans for the Early Years sector?
The answer is not very much. Their election manifesto ha…
Egg boxes, toilet rolls, rice - but think of the children!
At the risk of sounding a bit too 'Trumpy', there have been some cases of ‘fake news’ being spread around social media and on various teaching sites over the years.…
Don't forget these key strategies to fostering phonics success in Reception and beyond.
Every early years teacher wonders the same thing. Is there a formula? A secret formula to getting early reading right in Foundation Stage? We kno…
It can be challenging to work within the structure of the EYFS and Development Matters when teaching and learning with children with special needs. We want to show progress, but how can we do that when the child’s successes are evidenced…
Change starts here. Change starts now. Change starts with us.
Between 11th – 15th November 2019, schools across England will be raising awareness of Anti-Bullying Week, which takes place nationally each year. The aims of …
I am writing this from FSF and Tapestry HQ, which many of you know is based in Lewes. This quirky but usually peaceful town takes on a whole new vibe on Bonfire Night. Lewes is home to the largest Bonfire celebrations in the UK, with seven…
Let’s give a shout out for the Characteristics of Effective Learning!
They are the foundation, the glue that holds all other learning together; they are the how rather than the what children learn; and they are absolutely central to…
The mental health of staff is at the forefront of conversations about the early years workplace, with troubling evidence provided by the Early Years Alliance Minds Matter Report in June 2018 and the appearance of staff wellbeing in the Lea…
Welcome to this week’s coffee break. Take a moment to ponder: what is reflecting and why should it be part of our daily practice?
What?
· Reflective practice is a mindset. Thinking about it like this can help educat…
We’re introducing a new feature to the front page of the FSF called ‘Coffee Break’. Here you will find quick reads to get you thinking, keep you informed and to support you in your working day. You can dip in and out whenever you h…
Helen and Rebecca represented the FSF at the APPG for Childcare and Early Education at Westminster on Monday 1st July to launch the 'Steps to Sustainability' report. Tulip Siddiq MP chaired a lively debate and the event was very well at…
A new group has been formed to look at creating a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner apprenticeship. The Early Years Alliance's director of quality improvement, Michael Freeston, has been appointed the group's employer chair, and other colle…
A survey has been launched by a coalition of early years organisations that includes the Early Years Alliance, Early Education, NDNA and PACEY 'to help better understand attitudes towards the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) ahead of a…
Ofsted's new education inspection framework for 2019 has now been published. The new framework applies to maintained schools and academies, non-association independent schools, further education and skills providers and early years settin…
Education Policy Institute warns of Childcare sector losing staff to the Retail sector: The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has released a worrying report identifying great uncertainty over recruitment and retention, with growing report…
FSF Jules attended the London event last week and has written comprehensively detailing the useful discussions that took place. You can read her thoughts and comment on them here. The official minutes (Published by the London OBC group) can…
In the session MPs heard how the introduction of 30 hours had decreased flexibility for parents, with providers restricting their hours to particular times of the day. They were told that there was evidence of increased ratios and lower l…
Ofsted are holding Early Years Curriculum Workshops, which are taking place on various dates and in various locations. The purpose of these workshops is to discuss early years issues as they arise in relation to the new inspection framewo…
Rebecca, from The Foundation Stage Forum, attended Ofsted’s ‘South East’ launch of the new Inspection Framework consultation. Click here to read her report.
The Guardian have published an interesting piece of research today regarding the number of men currently employed within the early years sector. You can read the article here and discuss it here.
