Welcome to the May FSF newsletter.

This time of year can be one of hope and looking to new beginnings: as we unfold from winter to spring, and in settings and schools children and staff continue their preparations for transitions, from one room to another, to a new class, or to a new setting. Hope can be challenging, but it is necessary.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Childcare and Early Education recently published the results of a survey which highlights parents’ concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early years settings, the wellbeing of their children and the future of the sector. You can read more about it and share your thoughts on this Forum post.

If you are looking for some language enrichment training to support your staff and children, Kirstie Page, founder of Launchpad for Literacy, has made available a recording of some training delivered through YEAT English Hub. You don’t need to be a user of Launchpad for Literacy to benefit from the key messages. To access the training, you can go to this Forum post.

And just a reminder that if you are thinking about the diversity and representation in the children's books on your bookshelves - perhaps you are about to do a book audit - do take a look at the suggestions from Liz Pemberton, Fifi Benham, Leon Wenham, Joss Cambridge-Simmons and Aaron Bradbury - Coffey here. 

Wishing you a happy and hopeful May.

We'd like to welcome back members from the following authorities, who have renewed their LA subscription. Members from these authorities need do nothing; their individual accounts will automatically be re-subscribed:

Central Bedfordshire - 9th year 

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 Grace who shares advice on how to combine knowledge with the use of sensory resources, taking the settle jar as an example.

Don’t forget to listen to our podcasts. This month we chatted with Ruth Swailes about curriculum development; Rhia Gibbs from Black Teachers Connect joined us to discuss the importance of creating a supportive community of educators; Tania Swift, founder of b inspired, talked about movement and active play; and Fifi Benham reflected on creating a gender inclusive environment in early years settings. You can find all our episodes here, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Just a quick reminder from Tapestry HQ that we have some resources to support settings as they get ready to implement changes that are happening in the early years in September with the revised EYFS and new non-statutory guidance document. You can find them here. We also have some resources explaining how Tapestry is adapting to fit the new EYFS – you can find them here.

On Wednesday 19^th of May at 7pm, Ben and Stephen from the Education Team at FSF/Tapestry will be running a webinar entitled “Tapestry and the new EYFS Framework." This webinar is designed to give you some more information on how Tapestry has adapted to fit the new EYFS and the new non-statutory documents: Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters. You will be able to ask your questions in the chat. To find out more, check out this post. 

And finally…we have created a 3-5 minute survey with a focus on engaging with parents and carers. It explores how settings and schools connect with families, and support parents and carers who face barriers to engagement. We’ll share a summary of the results on the Foundation Stage Forum and Tapestry websites – they will be used to inform our article themes and to support our public relations and marketing, as well as to inform the way we develop Tapestry and the FSF. We would love to hear your views – you will have the chance to win £25 of M&S vouchers. To take part please follow this link.  

(This survey is now closed. We will be holding the prize draw on 7th June 2021. Thank you to all those who responded.)