I have chosen the word ‘promoting’ as opposed to ‘supporting’ as we should be encouraging children to value the languages used at home and be proud to be able to speak different languages. As early years practitioners we have a vital role to work with both the child and [...]

WHAT IS THE ACCREDITATION? This is a question I get asked a lot and simply put the #JustQuality Accreditation is a way for you as an early years setting, to showcase your journey and how you are adding impact into your everyday practice. It is unique to you as [...]

Baby training has been a hot topic recently, with lots of settings coming to us asking if it is something we do… firstly I want to say... yes, it is!! Secondly, I want to tell you why! I cannot tell you how shocked I have been to hear how many [...]

Oh yes, that dreaded word… Recruitment! It has really been a tough few years for Early Years when it comes to recruitment. The sector has been struggling to recruit and the reasons are vast. When I worked in settings, we regularly celebrated team members being in post for 10 [...]

International Play Iceland – October 2022 Well, what can I say… I have been blown away by the experience of International Play Iceland 2022. It all started with a little apprehension as I don’t particularly like being away from home, but I packed my suitcase and travelled up to [...]

Schemas are certain types of behaviours that children go through when trying to explore the world around them and figure out how things work. A child may show various schemas and identifying these can have a huge impact on supporting the child with their development. There are many types [...]

It’s not very often that I rant in a public space, but after the last few months, I feel like I need to get this off my chest... and why you may ask? On top of being a former Ofsted Inspector, I am also a qualified safeguarding instructor; I have [...]

Training is by far one of the most important things to keep on top of within your setting. When you have an inspection, your inspector will want to check the details of the training that's attended by you and your staff and also see the impact that this has had [...]

What Did We Find? So, what I want to talk to you about today is my findings from what I've been doing when I go out and do my quality improvement audits. So, these are my findings this week, and I just thought I’d give you some insight. Because we [...]

Can you see the invisible child? Let me take you back to many years ago when I was nearing the end of my training as an Ofsted inspector. It's a day I will never forget! We arrived at the setting lovely and early (as inspectors often do). We were [...]

We go behind the scenes of Joint Observations It's been a crazy few months here at JIGSAW EYC, and we have been out and about doing Quality Inspection Audits (QIA'S). Already wondering why we call them QIA'S rather than mock inspections or what the difference is between the two, [...]

It may be many years, even decades, since you registered with Ofsted. At that point, Ofsted carried out a range of suitability checks based on the information you provided about your setting and the people connected with it. Over time things change, but it is crucial to keep Ofsted updated [...]