Baby Talk
While I was at the Labour Party conference last week, I listened to Maya Ellis MP talk about why it was important to establish an APPG for Babies (Pregnancy to…
LEYF News and CEO Blog
Read the latest news and updates from our CEO and the wider LEYF team.
Talking Early Years: In conversation with Peter Moss
The Early Years as a Political Space Early childhood education is not a neutral or technical service—it is a deeply political space and this is the focus of…
The next round of applause is on me…
I have not written a blog for a week because some of you said you could not keep up with my output. Others have since asked ‘where is the blog?’…
Collecting Ministers like ‘Top Trumps’
This week has been rather a fest of networking, the most noteworthy of which was one evening and one day attending the Conservative Party Conference. A Conference virgin, I was…
Much Ado About Nothing…or is it?
Last week I went to the Globe to see my favourite Shakespearean comedy; Much Ado About Nothing. It was a sterling performance and the wit…
Musing over a cocktail in the city
I have just come back from presenting to the judges of the National Business Awards on the 27th floor of the Gherkin. It was quite daunting, so…
Street Talk has no place in nurseries
In the Evening Standard on Tuesday 16th August (Ghetto grammar robs the young of a proper voice) Lindsay Johns touched on something I have been passionate about for a long…
When the cows come up to you, just sing
Last weekend I went to Paddington Farm to help them celebrate their 25 years anniversary. A joyous occasion with…
Today’s Family is Tomorrow’s Society
Reflecting on the riots leads me to believe that the complexity of the situation which released such behaviour will need substantial intelligence, pragmatism and creativity to resolve. Like…
The Government’s ‘Fish Wish’: parenting made simple
Chatting to my sister in the car the other evening, we were whished into silence by an indignant five year old in the back seat who, demanding our attention, said…
Fairytales and true romance: reading treasure for children
I read with a sinking feeling, an article in the Telegraph March 2011 entitled “Parents who shun fairytales miss chance to teach children morality“. In essence, they…
The new vision for Early Years
The Department for Education and the Department of Health have published the Government’s vision for the foundation years. In their own words… It is…
Everything is going to be alright, as long as we lead the way
Earlier this week I found myself listening to a debate about the best way to care for our elderly citizens – and was immediately struck by the similarities between good…
How do you measure SROI at a social enterprise garden party?
On Friday, 1st July, over 200 LEYF staff – now spread across Barking & Dagenham, Camden, Tower Hamlets and Westminster – came together in the beautiful garden…