Running a Setting
The London Marathon and the importance of charity
How do you fancy running 26 miles around the streets of London, dressed as a giant chicken, in whatever the British weather has to throw at you? For thousands of people, that is what they will be doing on Sunday 28th April this year, as the...
Ways to celebrate St George’s Day
On Tuesday 23rd April, England will celebrate their Patron Saint Day and the heroic figure of St George will be remembered up and down the country. Flags bearing the familiar red cross on a white background, will be flown from many a windowsill...
Achieving Ofsted success
Alison Bates, founder of 4 nursery schools in Leicestershire, tells us about her experience and offers advice to others on achieving Ofsted success. How did you start? Childcare is my second career. I spent 20 years in finance until I had my...
Sensory Nature Adventures and Play with the Sensory Trust
written by Madeleine Amos For children with disabilities and their families, going out and being in nature can seem a daunting prospect. In response, Sensory Trust, a charity that creates accessible and engaging outdoor experiences, have...
Write a letter to The Queen
Have you ever thought about writing a letter to The Queen? What would you say? How would you address it? And since The Queen has multiple residences, where would you send it?Every year, The Queen receives tens of thousands of letters, not only...
Easter activities – keeping kids busy
by Laura Anne Sutcliffe The Easter holidays mean some much needed down time in our house and the first significant holiday since Christmas, half term, always goes so quickly! As a teacher, I know I am fortunate to have time off with my children...
National Autism Awareness Month
April is National Autism Awareness Month and the first week, (1–7th), is World Autism Awareness Week. Across the globe, people who have autism, carers, parents, teachers, family and friends will come together to raise money for research and...
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day
Sunday 17th March is St Patrick’s Day – the patron saint of Ireland, but it is not only in the ‘emerald isle’ that this day is cherished and celebrated as it’s reported that St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other...
Tips to encourage young readers
Helping young children discover the joy of reading is one of the great pleasures of being an early years practitioner. Sharing stories, discovering letters and learning the alphabet and phonics are the first steps in helping each child on the...
Pancake Day – healthier options
On Tuesday 5th March, the nation will be reaching for the frying pans to celebrate Shrove Tuesday by cooking and eating some pancakes! In Christian traditions, the 40 days immediately before Easter (known as Lent), are observed to remind...
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...
Hiring your perfect apprentice
If you are looking to fill a skills gap in your team and are considering taking on an apprentice, but are unsure of all the facts, look no further. The team of recruitment experts at Parenta are on hand to give guidance to early years settings...
7 ways to market your new nursery on a small budget
Once you have committed to the idea of opening a day nursery, marketing your setting to parents in the early stages will become a crucial part of making sure your childcare business is a success. If money is an issue and you only have a very...
Encouraging healthier options to tackle childhood obesity
Childhood obesity rates are rising in the UK leading to potential health problems for these children in later life. Preventing this is now an important public health issue and the Government’s approach has been two-fold: prevention policies, and...
Understanding the needs of children in the care system: part 2
In the second of our series looking at the challenges faced by children in care, we offer some practical advice on how best to meet the needs of these children. Ways to help children in care Communication with the foster family Foster...
Safer Internet Day
Tuesday 5th February 2019 is this year’s “Safer Internet Day” and will be celebrated by hundreds of organisations, schools, colleges and pre-schools around the world. The aim is to raise awareness of the benefits and risks posed by the internet,...
Understanding the needs of children in the care system: part 1
In the last year, there were 2.4 million calls to children’s services because of concerns about a child – a 78% rise over 10 years. More serious investigations (where a child is at risk of significant harm) are up 178% and there are now 75,000...
How to improve the wellbeing of your staff
January is the time when our thoughts naturally turn from presents, snow and flying reindeer, to where we are in our life and what we want to achieve in the coming year. Many of us try to shake off the indulgences of the festive season and...
Dealing with children’s food allergies in your setting
The recent tragic death of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a baguette, highlights the dangers that people who suffer with severe allergies face on a daily basis. For some, everyday food choices...
‘Gender-equal play’ needs to be promoted by childcare providers
A new campaign has been created to raise awareness of and promote “gender-equal play” in childcare settings. The Care Inspectorate - which inspects registered childcare providers - stated that the guide was brought in because “childhood and play...
Saint Nicholas Day
In many European countries, December 6th is celebrated as the feast day of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children. Children celebrate by leaving shoes by the fireplace in the expectation that Saint Nicholas will leave them a small gift....
Teach your children about road safety with Beep Beep! Day
Road Safety Week takes place on 19th-25th November and is an annual event organised by road safety charity Brake. Brake works to prevent road death and injury, as well as raising funds to support the victims of road crashes. As part of Road...
Recycling Week: Support sustainability in your setting
How we dispose of plastics has become a contentious issue lately, especially with images circulating on social media of the effects that plastic waste has on marine life and the environment. Documentaries such as Blue Planet II have also helped...
Remembrance Day in Your Setting
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." From "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon Remembrance Day,...
How did Halloween begin?
When most people think of Halloween, they think of trick-or-treating, scary costumes and carving pumpkins to make lanterns. But the origins of this annual tradition can actually be traced back to Celtic times, over 2,000 years ago. An annual...
Lend your support to World Food Day 2018
World Food Day will take place on the 16th October and is a day dedicated to tackling global hunger. The event was created by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to promote awareness of those suffering from food...
World Heart Day 2018: The importance of a heart-healthy lifestyle
World Heart Day is celebrated on the 29th September each year. The day focuses on what measures can be taken to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD), which kills 17.5 million people every year – approximately a third of all deaths globally. By...
World Car-Free Day – Are you doing your bit?
World Car-Free Day takes place on the 22nd September and seeks to promote cycling and walking as alternative forms of active and sustainable travel for destinations which are closer to home. There have been several recent stories in the media...
The Gender Debate: how do we ensure we’re not promoting or encouraging gender stereotypes within our settings?
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...
Why it’s more important than ever to plan visits into the community
The children of today live in a much more insular world than the generations that came before them. We see less and less of children rolling down grassy banks and climbing trees, and an increasing number of children using tablets, iPads and...
