In last month’s newsletter we mentioned that we’re planning some exciting changes to the FSF over this next year, in honour of 20 years of the Foundation Stage Forum! We’re busy working behind the scenes – but don’t worry, we’ll keep you posted. Fo…
On the FSF for January we have an article by speech and language therapist Ruth Jones, considering how the early years sector can ensure inclusive practice for neurodivergent children. Browse through all our articles from this link.
Ruth also…
December comes with new articles for you on the FSF. Dr Fengling Tang, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at the University of Roehampton, shares insights from her research into young children’s spiritual development. And early reading and…
On the FSF this month we have an article about STEM in the early years by Natalie Bent and Denhue Harris, founders of diverse children’s book publishing company and early years hub, Little Scholars Playground. And continuing reflections on how we …
This month on the FSF we have a new article by Early Years Practitioner and Tiney home nursery leader Alicia Wilkins, who offers advice to families looking for a school for their child based on her experience as a mum, reminding those of us who wo…
This month we revisit an article by Early Years Practitioner and Tiney home nursery leader, Alicia Wilkins, reflecting on the importance of embedding representation in our practice every moment of every day. And we share the final piece in a three…
On the FSF we have a couple of articles for your late summer reading. Developmental play expert Carly Budd explains the importance of play for babies' brain development; and Caroline Vollans continues her series on intergenerational learning with …
Here on the FSF we have two new articles for you: Sejal Payne shares a second piece, reflecting on how we can support our young EAL learners; and Caroline Vollans begins a three-part series about intergenerational learning, looking at The Together…
FSF articles and podcasts
This month we released the last episode in our podcast miniseries ‘Men in the Early Years’. Claudio Sisera, who is Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Male Childcare and Teaching Jobs, joined Stephen Kilgour from our e…
Our Coffee Break on the FSF this month considers the SEND Green Paper, and the deeper need for a shift in mindset - identifying the barriers to education and learning for children with learning differences and disabilities, and what adjustments we…
Positive Behaviour Management
What do we mean by "good behaviour"? We are often quite clear about the behaviour that we don't want to see in our settings! Can we be proactive about this and plan consistent positive behaviour strategies where a…
We have made a couple of changes here at the FSF and Tapestry HQ, and we have had a celebration too!
We are introducing a new Coffee Break item - short and sweet, updated regularly on the home page for you to dip into whenever you have a mome…
Since our last newsletter, we have published articles written by Alistair Bryce Clegg and by Penny Tassoni. Alistair asks us to think about how we prepare and present our setting to ensure that we are encouraging children to be ambitious, inquisit…
We have published several excellent articles recently. Nancy Stewart, who co-authored 'Development Matters', wrote a fantastic piece about why it is so important that practitioners do not use the Development Matters document as a 'tick list'. You …
We have published an inspiring article by Alistair Bryce Clegg this half term. In it, he discusses the ways in which different theorists impact on our practice. At FSF HQ the practitioners amongst us agree we are probably all 'magpies' lifting lit…
Resilience and early years experience: child, family, community
Kate Cairns invites us to consider the interaction between resilience and trauma, the key aspects of resilience, and the links between resilience and experience in the early years…
Here at FSF and Tapestry HQ we have been looking outwards in more ways than one!
Earlier in October, Emily and Jules went to Devon to do some training for Ventrus MAT. This was a new experience for us - we don't get out much! Thank you to the …
Using the Mosaic Approach to Listen to Young Children Developed at the Thomas Coram Early Childhood centre, the Mosaic Approach uses children's photographs, tours and maps to gain an in-depth understanding of children's lives and what is importan…
In this month's article we have been thinking about the managers who struggle in the first few months of their role. It can be hard to 'manage' colleagues who you have worked alongside as an 'equal' for some time - in her article, Anni McTavish tal…
This term we have published two articles designed to help you and you staff team set ‘Next Steps’ effectively. There seems to be an ongoing conversation about the best way to approach ‘Next Steps’ and hopefully our articles will give you things to …
On our forums it has been a very full month with staff beavering away to ensure they have everything ready for the ‘end of the year’ handovers. We constantly monitor our forums to ensure that threads are constructive and welcoming. We also use the …
A Reception Teacher's Blog (4)
I teach in the Reception class on Wednesdays. This Wednesday I am in the middle of the usual early morning chaos in my house (me, a husband, two teenagers and a 9 year old all attempting to leave at approximately the…
Twenty top tips for helping to develop self-discipline for positive behaviour management in young children
With increasing numbers of children being diagnosed with special educational needs such as ADHD and autism, managing challenging behaviour i…
The Role of the Adult in Early Years Settings: Part 2
Part 2 continues the journey of exploring our role in supporting young children’s learning and development. It outlines the five remaining ‘selves’ of the ‘plural practitioner’ framework that …
Are You Ready for Your Joint Observation? Observing Practice under the OfSTED Inspection Framework
Why does the joint observation element of OfSTED inspections cause us panic and anxiety? Providers and senior management are the people who have ove…
