In education, particularly in early years settings, male educators often face gender stereotypes that impact their professional and emotional wellbeing. These expectations not only shape how male teachers are perceived but also affect their ability to express their authentic selves, nurture students, and create truly inclusive learning environments. This article and podcast episode explore the emotional toll that gender stereotypes impose on male educators and highlights the need for greater...

There are still too many uninspiring classrooms, staffrooms and learning spaces, with little thought around user experience. The Rocket Approach challenges this by seeking to truly redefine early years education through creativity, innovation, and design. Winsy Flores shares Rocket Production’s mission of nurturing tomorrow’s creators and thinkers, and how this is brought to life.  Read Winsy’s article here: ...

Leanne Galloway gives us insight into working in international schools, including challenges and opportunities, accountability measures in Dubai, Bangkok and England and cultural impacts on pedagogy, as well as her previous experience as an Ofsted inspector.  Read Leanne’s article here: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/what-is-it-like-to-work-in-international-schools Listen to more: If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: The case for systemic change in Ofsted’s approach –...

This podcast episode and article take a critical look at independence in Montessori practice, discussing Montessori materials, the dichotomy between work and play, an asset-based approach, the role of the adult and more. Sole Scuderi shares his experience of working in Montessori settings and explains that blended practice is considered best practice – merging different approaches and pedagogies with Montessori principles. Read Sole’s article here: ...

Knowing when to step back, good quality conversations, space for both talking and listening, interacting with the environment around you…Gillian Craig shares her expertise as a language teacher and consultant, as well as a parent herself. We problematise when is the right time to stop babbling back to a child, how much choice we give to children, should we use ‘big’ words with children, whether watching TV is useful for learning language, creating a need to communicate, and much more… Read...

This episode is in partnership with the Nursery Management Show Innovate, Educate, Elevate: Leading nursery management into tomorrow Experience an event that can help you, your business, and your career flourish. Located at ExCeL, London, it includes two days of insightful content, CPD training, networking, plus industry leaders and 150+ exhibitors. Register for your free ticket here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0cRmXs0 Adopting an enquiry led approach to learning – this is something Stuart Cloke...

Dawn Jones’ and team’s research unexpectedly unveiled the use of scrapbooks as a new methodological approach to action research within practice as well as research studies. Dawn proposes that scrapbooks could provide a rich collection of documented evidence to support both the inspection framework and the EYFS outcomes.   Read Dawn’s article here: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/scrapbooks-as-a-methodological-and-practice-based-tool/   Listen to more: If you enjoyed this episode,...

A need for a culture shift and systemic change within Ofsted – this is what setting owner Lucy Lewin is advocating for after her recent Ofsted inspection. Lucy believes that Ofsted is too focused on protecting its system’s integrity, rather than focusing on improvement and raising quality.  Read Lucy’s article here: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-case-for-systemic-change-in-ofsteds-approach/  Listen to more: If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Dr Sue Allingham’s...

Being attuned to children’s needs, loco parentis, co-regulation and professional boundaries. These are just some of the things Tamsin Grimmer and Aaron Bradbury discuss on the topic of love and nurture in early childhood settings and beyond. Read Aaron and Tamsin’s  article here: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/love-and-nurture-in-the-early-years/ Listen to more: If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Tamsin Grimmer’s article and podcast episode on: Tuning into...

A focus on meaningful contexts, sequenced learning, school leadership involvement and provision for 2-year-olds. The progress from the Durham Early Yeats Curriculum Project is shared here through the journeys of two Early Years Leaders; Paige Hutchinson and Charlotte Norman.  Read Paige Hutchinson’s article here on: Building sequences of learning https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-curriculum-building-sequences-of-learning/  Read Charlotte Norman’s article here on: Provision...

Advocacy can involve lobbying government as well as less publicly exposed actions such as day to day choices in your classroom. Donna Mooney discusses how educators are generally not equipped with the tools for advocacy, so she provides practical and actionable ways of making change, and routes to influencing government and creating impact.    Read Donna’s article here: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-art-of-advocacy/   Listen to more: If you enjoyed this episode, you might...

Too often we have a reactive over a proactive approach to mental health, focusing on mental ill health rather than on thriving. Matt Bawler shares his work around this, including establishing strong foundations and providing children with the tools and agency to be able to thrive in life. Read Matt’s article here: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/proactively-promoting-positive-mental-health/ Listen to more: If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:  Matt’s previous episode...

How does Montessori practice embed sustainability? Montessori Consultant Sarah Cummins explains that social development sits alongside academic learning, children are supported in building a sense of ownership of their community and environmental stewardship is embedded early on. We also discuss some misconceptions around Montessori practice as well as how we can support higher education students in becoming passionate educators and sustainably minded advocates for the planet. Read Sarah’s...

Reward charts, certificates and golden time – how do such behaviour management systems affect children’s self-perception and the perception of their peers? Dawn Jones discusses her research, opening up conversations around adult and child power imbalances, listening to children, classroom design and much more. This episode is sponsored by ‘My Mood Stars’. My Mood Stars are resources that have been created to support emotional development; with the aim of encouraging children to talk about...

Feeling helpless and lacking control in your own learning and wider life seems to be a common attribute being noticed in children and young people currently. It is important to begin unpicking this from early childhood…Dr Sue Allingham reflects on how the EYFS Characteristics of effective teaching and learning are supporting children to be resilient and build a growth mindset…yet what goes wrong the minute they step into a school? Read Sue’s article: Learned helplessness: Are we setting...

What is the ‘right time’ to start encouraging reading? What if my child is not showing any interest at all? These are some of the questions addressed in the episode and article by Stacy Benge. You will also gain insight into vestibular and proprioceptive systems, crossing the midline, using print in meaningful contexts, attributing meaning to marks, learning to tune into and distinguish between sounds, developing phonological awareness and visual perception, discriminating between marks and...

Are we child carers or teachers?  A question which is so deep and heavily steeped in wider systems and society. Carlie Powell and Jackie Warren, from Growing Places, have been reflecting on this with their teams for a while, and want to spark a wider movement of advocacy, change and reinvention within early childhood in England by taking inspiration and insight from an international perspective. Read Carlie and Jackie’s article: Are we child carers or teachers? ...

Are you considering bringing in animals to your school, nursery or other education setting? Perhaps you already work with animals…Dr Helen Lewis shares her work around animal assisted education, explaining the importance of moving towards the view of animals as members of the classroom, rather than simply using animals to serve us. Helen shares the vast benefits for children when involving dogs as partners in learning, from self-regulation to understanding sustainable citizenship. Read...

June O’Sullivan shares her work around supporting families experiencing imprisonment, and takes us through her and her team’s journey around a prison. June discusses what this journey is like from the perspective of a young child, and the fact that the child is often forgotten about in these circumstances… We as educators need to be better equipped to support children and families who are affected by prisons, and there are many ways of doing this which June shares on this episode, and...

In this episode Lauren Middleton and Melissa Wilson from Hartley Brook Primary School, Astrea Academy Trust, talk about how their practice and understanding has changed since embarking on the Brain-SET project. The year-long project focused on enabling children to feel emotionally secure and ready for learning, by looking at classroom design in terms of lighting, noise, the use of colour, furniture layout and more. The overall aim was to really bring calm into children's lives, which is...

Stephanie Warrender brings a new Scandi approach to her school. After using the method in her class, Stephanie has set up her own company providing the Songdrawing Method as part of Laulau Learning UK. In this episode you will get to learn what Songdrawing is, the developmental benefits of engaging children in singing, the relation between phonics and music, active music listening vs passive music listening and how a teacher can set up their own business doing something they love and...

In this episode Sarah Mason from The Hill Primary School, Astrea Academy Trust, shares with us the journey she and her team have been on in developing their learning environment in line with understanding the way children’s brain develops. This was part of the Brain-SET Learning Environments project which Astrea Academy Trust embarked on, looking at classroom design through the lens of children's brain development. This year-long project focused on enabling children to feel emotionally...

In this episode Dawn Jones shares findings on a project closely working with children in gaining their reflections on spaces and places within shared worlds. In this 1st episode and article, in the 3-part series, Dawn shares how the findings relate to sustainable development goals, and poses some of the following reflections and questions: Co-collaboration on learning can lead to so many more avenues around sustainability beyond the ‘3 R’s’. Children value quiet spaces and time to think......

Leadership, management, psychological safety, difficult conversations, priorities, education or care, leading with love…Lewis Fogarty and Angelica Celinska discuss a range of thought-provoking topics, which all stemmed from the conversation of the need to stand up to your manager. This episode relates to anyone interested in leadership, workplace culture and self-development beyond educational settings. Read Lewis’ article: ...