Learner Resources
Celebrate all things apprenticeships this month during National Apprenticeship Week!
Now in its 16th year, National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) returns this month from 6th to 12th February. The week provides such a great way to bring together businesses and apprentices across the whole of the UK to showcase how apprenticeships...
Supporting apprentices with peer-on-peer abuse issues
The issue of safeguarding is fundamental to everything we do in education, whether for our early years children or our older apprentices who may only be just out of school, and still legally classed as children themselves (under 18s). If you...
National Apprenticeship Week
This month sees the return of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), and this year will be the 15th week-long celebration of everything to do with apprenticeships.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
It’s hard to imagine but in this day and age, there are still two women each week who are killed by a partner or former partner in England and Wales. In the Northeast, the area with the highest recorded rate of domestic abuse, there are an...
National Careers Week
It’s that time of year again – no, not the anniversary of the first coronavirus lockdown… (although that is fast approaching), but something much more optimistic and hopeful – the 10th anniversary of National Careers Week (NCW). From the 1st –...
Celebrate ‘all things apprenticeships’ during National Apprenticeship Week
The annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW2021) is upon us, 8-14th February, and with it, comes a great opportunity to celebrate ‘all things apprenticeships’. Apprenticeships allow individuals to earn while they learn and can lead to new and...
National Apprenticeship Week 2020
We love to celebrate our apprentices and their achievements here at Parenta. There’s no better time than National Apprenticeship Week to share with our readers what it means to our learners to complete a childcare course with Parenta Training....
National Apprenticeship Week is here!
This week-long celebration, organised every year by the National Apprenticeship Service, aims to unite everyone who is passionate about apprenticeships, to encourage more young people to choose this path as a first step (and often fast-track) to...
Top tips for managing your workload as an apprentice
If you are reading this and have recently embarked on your apprenticeship, congratulations! It may seem pretty daunting to begin with, juggling the demands of working in a busy setting with your course…and you may well be wondering how you’ll...
National blog posting month
November is National Blog Posting Month – and to celebrate this, we are giving you our top tips on how having a blog can boost your ranking on search engines and ultimately increase your occupancy levels!What is a blog? A blog is an online page,...
What to expect when working in childcare
Have you ever considered working in childcare but don’t know what to expect? Maybe you’re a parent returning to work, or a school leaver seeking their first apprentice placement, or maybe you just want a change of scene, and childcare appeals....
National Apprenticeship Week
The 12th annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW2019) – which runs from 4th to 8th March 2019 - is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate ‘all things apprenticeships’ and how they benefit not only individuals and employers, but communities and...
International Stammering Awareness Day
October 22nd is International Stammering Awareness Day. It aims to raise awareness about the seventy million people across the globe who suffer with stammering*. It could be on certain words, in certain situations, or in general, but the impact...
How to mark the changing of the seasons during the autumnal equinox
September 23rd is the autumnal equinox when there are equal hours of daylight and darkness. Equinox literally means “equal night”. It’s the time when we notice the change in the astronomical seasons from summer to autumn; harvests are gathered...
How do we ensure we’re not promoting or encouraging gender stereotypes?
Recent media attention has drawn our focus back to gender identity and the potential harm that gender stereotyping in childhood can do. A rising number of young people are labelling themselves as ‘non-binary’ – that is, refusing to define...
10 top tips to stay safe in the summer sun
It’s lovely to be able to make the most of the sunshine and spend time outdoors with the children. But there are lots of risks associated with spending too much time in the heat, and it can worsen existing conditions such as asthma. Here, we run...
10 fun summer activities for toddlers
Now that the summer has officially started and the weather is hotting up, everyone wants to spend as much time as possible enjoying the great outdoors! Here are 10 must-do activities to keep your children engaged this summer: Go on a water...
Mental Well-being and Vulnerability Support
Mental Health is an issue which affects so many people but not everyone lets it show if they are struggling mentally or emotionally; or are in a situation where they feel vulnerable. If you feel that you would benefit from some confidential,...
Creating a fairy garden – tips to make your garden magical
Raul from Earthfairy.com.au has some top tips on how to bring a fairy garden to life, whether indoors or outdoors. Read on below to get some inspiration for your setting’s next project… A fairy garden is a miniature piece of art. Such gardens...
Father’s Day 2018: how did it all begin?
On 17th June, the nation will dedicate a day to members of the family who we consider to be father figures. For many countries, Father’s Day traditionally falls on the third Sunday in June. Unlike Mother’s Day, this event is celebrated by the UK...
Set hearts aflutter with Butterfly Education and Awareness Day
Butterfly Education and Awareness Day (BEAD) takes place on the first Saturday of June each year. 2018 will be the 8th annual BEAD, an initiative started by the Association for Butterflies in America. This is a non-profit organisation which is...
Early writing: helping children to make their mark
Writing is a skill that we take for granted as adults. Like so many other skills acquired in early childhood, writing is something that must be learnt gradually. The journey starts with mark-marking - this is a term used to describe the...
May the fourth be with you!
This year, the 4th May marks a celebration of everything inter-cosmic and planetary. That’s right – it’s Space Day! It’s the perfect time for childcare settings to introduce children to the solar system, space-themed sensory play and the role of...
Understanding autism
There is no “one size fits all” aspect to autism, therefore those who have the condition may have different stimulatory triggers and resulting responses. Autism is described as a “lifelong condition” because there’s no cure for it and those who...
The value of apprentices
Press release: As a company, Bright Little Stars are committed to investing in our employees by supporting apprenticeship programmes and having an embedded culture which promotes higher level qualifications for all staff. At BLS we currently...
Why is Parenta’s qualification achievement rate so high?
Parenta typically enrols over 2000 learners a year onto apprenticeship training. This could be within any of our specialisms including childcare, business administration or even playwork. One of the key measures of our company’s success is our...
Fun physical activities for children
“The best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed only by the sky.” Margaret McMillan (1925) It’s important that we educate and encourage young children to be physically active and enjoy the outside. By doing this from a very young age,...
Healthy snack ideas for children
As part of National Obesity Awareness week from 8th-14th January, we’ve pulled together three healthy recipes that children will love. These recipes are all no-bake and shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes to prepare. Bircher muesli Bircher...
Fun festive crafts you can make with pre-schoolers
To mark the countdown to Christmas and get into the festive spirit, what better way than making some Christmassy crafts? We’ve found two fun activities that you can do with the children which will also make really wonderful gifts for families....
A perfect pairing: maths and construction play
The construction area of your setting provides a wealth of opportunities for children to practice maths whilst using imaginative exploration. Large empty boxes can become buses or boats, blocks can be built up into towers, small ramps can be...