The importance of having a 'room intent.' From recent audits that I have done, it has been highlighted to me the importance of having a 'room intent'. I have seen this being delivered extremely successfully, and children have flourished, but I have also seen the impact on children when the [...]

Professional LoveI did an audit of an incredible setting and was inspired by them in many ways.During the learning walk the Manager mentioned their ‘Professional Love Policy’. I had so many questions, so we stopped and chatted, which resonated with me. I have always had the same approach and [...]

Schoolification - Should phonics be taught in Early Years? It is an interesting question that may cause great debate! I have seen lots of group teaching times on audits recently, with staff seen teaching letter sounds, writing names, writing letters and much more. Children are sitting down and an [...]

What are loose parts? The original theory, proposed by Simon Nicholson, an architect, in 1971, simply states that in any environment, ‘the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it’ So, any resource or environment [...]

Conversation around this topic is very much at the forefront of people's minds and has been in the media a lot recently and yet some still struggle to get their heads around the terms and right/wrong things to say. What is our role in Early Years? We need to [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]