Equality, Diversity and Prevent
Equality, diversity and inclusion – EDI
The UK in the 2020s is diverse, multicultural and constantly changing. Although most British people still fall into the category of “white British” at 74.4% (2021 census), this percentage has gone down since 2011, from 80.5% to 74.4%. The...
“You can dance, you can jive”: artistic expression in the early years
Most people recognise the value of creative childcare ideas, and often early childhood is seen as the best “training ground”. Most developments in society can be traced back to creative approaches that were taken, seen in medicine, technology...
Reading the rainbow: how to make the most of LGBTQ+ picture books
The recent surge in the publication of LGBTQ+ picture books is incredibly exciting for the early years (EY) sector. Books are a key resource in the sector’s mission to champion diversity, equity and inclusion because they provide a way for...
‘Gifted’ and ‘talented’ and sometimes ‘misunderstood’
In England, the Department for Education (DfE) distinguishes between gifted learners and talented children: Gifted learners are those who have particular academic abilities Talented learners are those who have particular abilities in the...
Understanding cultural differences and potential culture clashes
Educational institutions are required by law to promote British Values, which have been defined as: democracy the rule of law individual liberty mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs The last point here, “mutual...
April religious festivals around the world
When it comes to religious festivals in April, we often think about Easter in the UK, since Christianity has been the dominant religion here for many years. However, in other places of the world, there are many different religious festivals that...
Zero Discrimination Day
March 1st is Zero Discrimination Day – a day when the UN and partner agencies around the world celebrate the right of everyone to live a full and productive life - and live it with dignity. According to the official website: “Zero Discrimination...
World Religion Day
World Religion Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of January every year, meaning the next celebration day will fall on Sunday 15th January 2023. World Religion Day is celebrated to: Show respect to other religions Treat each other with...
How New Year’s Eve is celebrated in different countries
At midnight on December 31st, the champagne corks will pop, the fireworks will fizz and people around the UK will cross arms to sing “Auld Lang Syne” with their friends and family. But by the time it gets to the UK, 2023 will already have been...
Inclusive end of year musical celebrations in the early years
Towards the end of the year, many Western countries traditionally celebrate Christmas. With the increase in travel for so many reasons, it is clear that even this one occasion is not celebrated in the same way in each country and culture. In...
Supporting parents with SEN children
Most settings will already be catering for some children with special educational needs (SEN) to help them access your services and curriculum. However, are you also finding ways to support their parents? Being a parent of a child with SEN can...
European Day of Languages
If someone came up to you and said “Snak med mig”, what would you do? a) Run? b) Eat what they offered you? c) Be offended? d) Answer “Jeg ville elske at” and continue with a conversation in Danish? “Snak med mig” means “talk to me” in Danish,...
Eid al-Adha – The Greater Eid
This month sees Muslims around the world celebrating the end of Hajj (pilgrimage) with one of the main festivals in the Muslim calendar, Eid al-Adha, also known as The Greater Eid.Islam has many feast days and festivals, as do most of the...
World Humanitarian Day
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean, if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” - Mahatma GandhiWhat does it mean to be human? Do we define our humanity by our DNA,reportedly 99.9% the...
Activities to help children understand equality and diversity
When it comes to teaching the early years, we don’t “do” equality and diversity - it’s more about how as practitioners, we set a good example with the ethos adopted in our settings. It’s our responsibility to ensure we are being inclusive, that...
World day for Cultural Diversity
The United Nations (UN) was formed in 1945 after the second world war as a political avenue for solving differences to avoid future conflicts. A year later, UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation – was set...
Talking about difference: profound disability
In our settings, we explore many differences with the children we support: we talk about the changing seasons, we explore different cultures and ethnicities, we celebrate festivals and we talk about growing up and growing old. Difference is a...
LGBT History Month
Winston Churchill famously said: “History is written by the victors” and some historians have proved him right by writing somewhat biased accounts about people in power, sometimes ignoring various social sectors and marginalising whole...
Dyslexia Awareness Week
Richard Branson is one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs: his Virgin brand operates over 60 companies in 35 countries; he has written 8 books and has over 41 million followers on social networks, and his net worth in 2019 was reported at...
Black History Month
Why celebrate Black History Month? When we think about British history, most of us remember what we were taught in schools – Roman Britain, the Magna Carta, Henry VIII, the sinking of the Titanic and the impact on Britain of the World Wars. It’s...
Cyber security tips
‘Cyber security’ is the technology, processes, and practices designed and put in place to protect networks, devices, computer programmes and data from attack, damage, or unauthorised access. It can also be referred to as ‘information technology...
International Friendship Day
July 30th is the United Nation’s International Friendship Day. Officially proclaimed in 2011, it is aimed at promoting friendships between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals to “inspire peace efforts and build bridges between...
7 tips for nystagmus success in the classroom
Having just released my book “Can I Tell You About Nystagmus?” I jumped at the chance of being able to raise the awareness around the condition, in support of Nystagmus Awareness Day, 20th June 2019. For those who don’t know, nystagmus is an...
Drowning Prevention Week
Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children in the UK, and every year, over 700 people drown in the UK and Ireland; approximately one person every 10 hours. According to the Royal Life Saving Society’s Director of...
Diabetes Week 2019
What comes to mind when you think of diabetes? Older and more obese people? Insulin injections? Poor eyesight? A life without chocolate?All these things have been associated with diabetes in the past, and some still are today; but is this all...
Learning Disability Week
Can you imagine how your life would be different if you had a learning disability? How would it affect you and the lives of the people you love? Maybe you’d find it more difficult to live independently? Perhaps everyday tasks that we all take...
People who help us
In the UK, there are over eight million ‘999’ calls made every year? That’s approximately one every 4 seconds! And millions of other calls are made to the non-emergency police number, 101. But it’s not just the police, fire and ambulance service...
The importance of fostering
Every year, around 30,000 children enter the British care system – imagine the intake of 30, average-sized comprehensive schools – all children needing to live with people other than their parents, in surroundings that may, or may not be...
Deaf Awareness Week
In the UK, it is estimated that 1 in 6 people (approximately 11 million people) are deaf or hard of hearing. Deafness is the third most common disability in the world, but you would be hard-pressed to spot a deaf person in a crowd. Most deaf...