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…
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…
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…
On the FSF this month we have two new articles for you. Education consultant Sejal Payne takes a closer look at the links between oracy and literacy, while Preschool Manager Emma Davis wonders who looks after the leader in early years settings. In…
On the FSF this month, we have an article about the early years ratios debate. Nathan Archer, Director of the International Montessori Institute at Leeds Beckett University, reflects on the arguments against relaxing ratios. You can find out more …
The FSF offers some opportunities to pause and reflect with articles from Fifi Benham on supporting conversations with young children about diversity, discrimination and inclusion; from Jo Caswell considering reflective leadership; and from Joanna…
This month on the FSF we have an article from Adam Vasco, who leads on the 3-7 Early Years Post Graduate Route at Liverpool John Moores University. Adam reflects on education through the question ‘decolonise or diversify?’ and includes some resour…
Here at the FSF and Tapestry we are quite used to working remotely now, and we have been busy preparing some new articles for you: in our Primary section, Clare Hancock reflects on Teaching and Learning in the 'New Norm' and Georgina Walker explai…
On the FSF this month you will find an article by Nancy Stewart exploring how the new Birth to 5 Matters guidance can work for you in your setting. There are also articles by Caroline Vollans, who shares one setting’s approach to rethinking suppor…
After our popular articles covering recent Ofsted reports last year we've brought out a new series, updated after studying over 100 new Ofsted reports from the last three months. We can see certain recurrent themes and in the reports we outl…
Choosing 'Next Steps' from your observations
One of the biggest concerns when the EYFS was first published was about doing observations of children. How will there be enough time? How could you observe every child? How much paperwork was this goin…
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…
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…
We have lots of news from FSF and Tapestry HQ this month!
We have recently moved offices - in fact it would be more accurate to say we are now in actual offices! We had a special day to open the new building at the beginning of June and we we…
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 …
The Education Team at FSF and Tapestry HQ have been recording more podcasts this month. We have one on Self Regulation, a topic that has been the focus of much discussion since its appearance in the proposed new ELGs. We also have a couple of ligh…
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 …
Objective-led Planning (Alastair Bryce-Clegg)
Objective-led planning has to be the most effective way of taking teaching into children’s play that I have ever used. With objective-led planning you would still group the children by ability based o…
Characteristics of Effective Learning: creating and thinking critically
The EYFS describes creating and thinking critically as when ‘children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things’ (Df…
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…
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…
Ofsted Inspection Reports for Childminders (Part 2) In this article we look at the quality and standards of the early years provision and outcomes for children.
The Practitioner as an Explorer: Effective Observation Techniques Observation is …
Child Development: fact or fiction?
Knowledge about child development is an important tool which enables practitioners to make appropriate provision for young children; but if we are not careful it can also be a dangerously limiting illusion that…
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…
