The government’s own news item on the recent Spring Budget opened with the words ‘A revolution in childcare’. Here we take the Chancellor’s announcements and suggest 5 revolutionary ideas.
1. Putting children at the …
Maths to 18 will equip young people with the quantitative and statistical skills that they will need for the jobs of today and the future.
This includes having the right skills to feel confident with finances in later life, including …
Food. One of the most important parts of growing and surviving as a human. Our relationship with food begins from a very young age, watching those around us carefully as they move this mysterious substance towards their mouths and then ope…
It seems timely, as we begin another new learning year, to reflect on the link between the early stages of a child’s learning and the impact this can have on their outcomes as school leavers at 16. Here we bring together a research repor…
I had the privilege of attending the most recent meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Childcare and Early Education at Westminster on Wednesday 29th June. The theme of the meeting was 'a levelling up opportunity' and we …
Prior to the EYFS 2021, reception teachers would examine the mountain of evidence they had collected on the children and use the exemplification materials to compare attainment, before making a judgement for each ELG.
The new exemplifi…
Last Tuesday (19/3/22), the government released their long-anticipated SEND review green paper entitled: ‘right support, right place, right time’. I was aware this date was coming and was asked to prepare some opinions on its content…
It was the 25th anniversary of World Book Day recently. With the wonderful offer of a book token for every child, at the heart of this celebration of reading is a mission to make reading together and reading for pleasure a habit for life.
…
The new CPD feature on Tapestry has been almost two years in the making. The arrival of the pandemic led many to realise that our view of ‘typical’ could shift hugely. My own role as an Education Advisor was suddenly very different…
Emily Lees has created a resource to support educators to understand and reflect on ableism. Emily is an autistic Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) based in Manchester. She advocates and campaigns for Autism Acceptance through public s…
I was interested to read an article a few days ago about a research project teaching teenagers the science of babies’ brain development. Secondary school pupils attended science lessons designed by researchers from the University of Oxfo…
This year, we've all heard the question: 'Are you adopting Birth to Five Matters or Development Matters?' A more pointed query might be 'how exactly are you using the non-statutory guidance'
Both documents, written by the Early Years C…
Amid the recent fuel distribution crisis there had been fears that if the problem continued for too long, some educators may struggle to get into schools and settings for their working day. With both public and private modes of transport b…
In August, the Government announced that it was going to provide CO2 monitors for all state-funded education settings from September. Teaching unions have been asking for more ventilation approaches as children return to education after th…
Discussions around the widening achievement gap in this country have been predominantly about how best to support schools in helping disadvantaged pupils. However, research shows that the home learning environment is most important, and t…
How connection before correction might work for you:
Calm your own expectations or fears (remember your child is imperfect just like you). Enter into your child's world, think about the experience from their point of view. Listen to wh…
The new EYFS framework...
When the new EYFS Framework was released, it brought in some changes; some were widely accepted, others have caused many discussions amongst practitioners and advisors. One thing that almost everyone who works…
...and could do well to listen to ourselves.
Taking a moment
The other day I was re-reading Joanna Grace's article about using the 'settle jar' sensory resource to support a child to regulate their emotions and feel calm. In it, Jo…
Gaming and eSports were in the news last week after a survey conducted by gaming accessory company, HyperX, revealed over half of children would like to see gaming on their curriculum.
Now, I am going to ignore the blatant bias of the…
At the end of March, The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report, led by Dr Tony Sewell, was published. Before going any further, we should remember that as an education team here, we are a small group of white people. Our lived e…
We have a great responsibility as educators: to our children, their families and our colleagues. And beyond that, to our communities, and to society. The role of the early years professional, and of school staff, is far reaching.
But t…
Mother’s Day is coming up this weekend, and in settings and schools there may be a focus on Mummies. Perhaps cards will be made, or paper flowers, and perhaps there will be lots of conversations about what our Mummies do for us and why w…
Reflective Teaching in Early Education
Jennifer Colwell and Amanda Ince et al.
This book on reflective practice is aimed at early education students and professionals. It covers all aspects of practice, from the indiv…
The early years is a crucial time in a child’s life where their learning and development can be rapid and where their experiences have a significant impact on their future life chances. Those of us who work with babies and young children…
This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 lessons on how to wake up, take action, and do the work by Tiffany Jewel
To understand the value of this book, an acknowledgement of your place on the road to anti-racism is important. In addition …
