Author name: Ellen Warren

Communication and communication skills are the foundation of learning. Before children learn to read and write, they need strong speaking and listening skills. Oracy goes beyond just talking – it’s about understanding, expressing ideas, and building confidence in conversations. But communication isn’t limited to spoken words; it naturally progresses into mark-making, drawing, and early writing.

Sickness and emergency protocols are crucial in running an early years setting, where managing the unpredictable, especially illness and emergencies, is a constant challenge. Young children are particularly susceptible to illnesses, and accidents can happen at any time. Ensuring you have robust policies and procedures in place will help protect children, staff, and parents while

All early years practitioners know that speech and language development is a crucial part of a child’s early years. It is the basis for communication, understanding the world, and social interaction, and all other forms of learning depend on the child’s ability to communicate using some form of speech and language.  Children begin learning language

In the early years sector, numeracy skills can sometimes be seen as secondary to literacy and communication skills, or something that children develop after learning to speak and read. Due to this misconception, settings can sometimes playdown numeracy skills in their staff and the British government has recently removed the requirement for Level 3 Early

Curiosity about how the world works is a vital part of childhood development, driving exploration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. At the heart of this natural curiosity lies Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths – collectively known as STEM. These subjects help children develop essential skills such as logical reasoning, experimentation, and analysis, laying the foundation for

Early Years Safeguarding Reforms from September 2025 will further strengthen safeguarding measures, and as early years practitioners, you will be aware that the Department of Education (DfE) is committed to enhancing early education and childcare from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework

Maths is fun! I love using maths as part of our everyday routine in my childminding setting; this makes learning feel more fun rather than formal. Learning one or two simple concepts should be the aim, instead of too many; extensions or adaptations can always be added later. Remember the three I’s (intent/implementation/impact) to help