Welcome to the final blog in our three-part series on elevating leadership in the Early Years sector. We started by redefining delegation as a tool for capability building, and then we explored how to use accountability as supportive scaffolding rather than a harsh spotlight. Today, we are bringing it all together. We are looking at […]
Welcome to the second blog in our three-part series on elevating leadership in the Early Years sector. In our first post, we explored how true delegation is about building capability, not just offloading tasks. Today, we are tackling the natural next step – and often the hardest part of leadership: accountability. In my work coaching […]
Welcome to the first in a three-part series exploring how we can elevate our leadership in the Early Years sector. In my work coaching Early Years leaders and developing the 9-Step Management Mastery program, I often see managers and deputies wrestling with the same core challenge: time. We are constantly balancing the immediate needs of […]
There has been a clear shift since the introduction of the Ofsted Early Years inspection toolkit. What is coming through in inspections now is not that settings are getting everything wrong, but that practice is not always secure across all areas. It is entirely possible to demonstrate a strong standard in one area, meet expectations […]
In early years, it is easy to feel that safeguarding is covered once a Designated Safeguarding Lead has been trained. The course has been completed. The certificate is in place. The role is assigned. But safeguarding is not secured by simply attending a course. It depends on the depth and quality of the training behind […]
In Early Childhood, behaviour is rarely random. More often, it is a form of communication. Young children are still developing the language, emotional understanding and self-regulation skills needed to express their needs and feelings. When those skills are emerging, children often communicate through their actions. For practitioners, this means that behaviour should not be viewed […]
In the busy Early Years environments, practitioners are constantly balancing many responsibilities – supporting routines, ensuring children are safe and engaged, and responding to individual needs throughout the day. Within this hustle bustle, it can sometimes feel difficult to slow down and engage in deeper interactions with children. However, these meaningful moments of connection are […]
In the busy, high-energy world of Early Years, it can be easy to fall into a trap of thinking and feeling that “teaching” only happens during planned activities or group times. Whilst we understand that children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of development, evidence is clearer than ever that the most profound linguistic development […]
The updated Ofsted Early Years Inspection Toolkit (September 2025) marks an important shift for early years settings. Inclusion now sits as a standalone area of evaluation, contributing directly to inspection judgements since November 2025. For nursery leaders and owners, this brings a clear message: inclusion is no longer viewed through isolated actions or individual examples. […]
If you’re leading a team while juggling inspections, staffing pressures, training requirements and ever-rising expectations, January can quickly start to feel overwhelming. This blog is here to support you. It’s written to help you take a breath, step back, and approach the year ahead with a little more clarity and confidence. By taking a few […]
Is anyone immune? Is this a real problem? Research says that 74% of early years educators are regularly stressed, so what does this look like and what can we do? 67% suffered with anxiety, 65% with fatigue, and 64% with loss of motivation. Do you relate to this? Over 30 years working in education, I’ve […]
From 1st September 2025, the statutory reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brought a much tougher stance on employment references, and for good reason. Key Updates to EYFS Reference Request Requirements At the heart of the update is a requirement for all references to come directly from senior individuals within the candidate’s current […]