Talking Early Years: In conversation with Professor Sam Wass
We’ve Got It the Wrong Way Round I’ve just finished recording a podcast with Professor Sam Wass, and I’m still buzzing. He is Director of the Institute for the…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Why Social Enterprises Must Lead the Future of Childcare — And the Wider Social Care Economy
The Government’s Best Start strategy signals an intention to look again at Early Years business models and examine whether they can truly deliver for disadvantaged communities. It is a welcome…
Talking Early Years with June O’Sullivan: In Conversation with Giles Andreae
Who Says Giraffes Can’t Dance? Well Giles Andreae did! He also reminded us that there is a Rumble in the Jungle and a Commotion in the Ocean and if…
No shoes to buckle
On Saturday morning (19/09/2020) I chaired a discussion with Neil Leitch from Early Years Alliance and Liz Bayram from Pacey for the Childcare Expo. We talked about…
Double Standards or Just Don’t Care?
The world is full of contradictions and here is a BIG one. I recently read in the Financial Times that the global management consultants, McKinsey & Company earned a…
Pat a Cake, Pat a Cake Bake Me a Low Fat, Sugarless Cake
Being overweight or obese is one of the biggest health crises the country faces. It has a devastating impact on our physical and mental health. Almost two thirds (63%) of…
Zooming to a National OBC Conversation
It was an OBC with a difference. We didn’t have to find a room and a suitable time and lots of refreshments, we zoomed straight into everyone’s homes in nearly…
Chancellor Sunak: Be Brave and Invest in the Future By Starting with the Early Years
The other night I was watching my new late-night Netflix addiction, How to Get Away With Murder. I have reached Series 5 where the main protagonist, Annaliese Keating is…
Walk into the Wild Side
I am constantly being asked about how we have responded to COVID-19. What are the problems, levels of anxieties, health and safety issues, business risks and leadership approach? Throughout, I…
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…