Running a Setting
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...
St John Ambulance seeks to increase awareness of sepsis
This year, first aid charity St John Ambulance is trying to increase sepsis awareness amongst its employees, volunteers and the general public. Sepsis is a serious condition which develops as a result of an infection in the body. It’s also known...
Essential steps to choosing the right nursery management software for your setting
It’s an exciting but daunting thought. You know you need to embrace technology, go paperless and enter the world of nursery management software. You understand the need to “go digital” to allow yourself and your staff the freedom to be able to...
Why not get involved with BNF Healthy Eating Week?
The British Nutrition Foundation’s (BNF) Healthy Eating Week will be taking place from 11th-15th June. During this week, the charity aims to encourage people to focus on healthy eating and drinking, physical activity, and healthy lifestyles. The...
Take part in Red Cross Week
This year, Red Cross Week takes place from the 6th-12th May. During this time, people from across the UK will come together to help fundraise for people in need. Who the charity helps The British Red Cross helps people, both in the UK and...
Are we keeping children “too” safe?
“...the more risks you allow children to take, the better they learn to take care of themselves. If you never let them take any risks, then I believe they become very prone to injury. Boys should be allowed to climb tall trees and walk along the...
What should I do to prepare for GDPR?
GDPR stands for ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ and is a new EU law. Once in force, it will give individuals greater control over their own personal data. Regardless of the UK’s plans to leave the EU next year, this will still be a legal...
Processing personal data under the new GDPR regulations
Whether you’re a small childminder or a large nursery chain, the GDPR regulations will affect everybody when they become a legal requirement on the 25th May. The GDPR applies to information that can be used to personally identify an individual....
Hickory Dickory Dock – what skills do nursery rhymes help unlock?
Nursery rhymes are a staple part of life in an early years setting. You sing them, act them out and read them to your children. But did you know that nursery rhymes go back as far as the 18th century? Despite being introduced hundreds of years...
What is GDPR?
GDPR stands for the General Data Protection Regulation. In very simple terms, the General Data Protection Regulation can be likened to an up-to-date version of the Data Protection Act. When the first data protection laws were introduced in 1998,...
Business review sites and why YOU should you be using them
One of the most likely sources that new parents will use to look for information about your setting is Google. Before they decide to contact you, they may want to read reviews from other parents about the quality of the service you provide....
National Storytelling Week
2018 marks the 18th National Storytelling Week, running from the end of January to the beginning of February. This celebration will see stories being shared across the country in clubs, theatres, museums, schools, hospitals and care homes. The...
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...
National Obesity Awareness Week
National Obesity Awareness Week runs from the 8th-14th January. It helps to promote awareness of obesity as a UK health concern, supporting ways to prevent and tackle the problem as a nation. According to statistics published by Public Health...
How do you prepare for the new term in January?
With December having whizzed by faster than you can say “Santa’s reindeers”, we decided to ask three settings how they prepared for the new term and the year ahead. Here’s what they said: “Specifically for January, I will think about what the...
Child’s play: Experts discuss how important it is to pick the right toys for development and to IGNORE gender-specific labels
Press release Experts have revealed just how important it is to pick toys which aid children’s development and encourage their emergent interests, rather than choosing toys which relate to their gender. UK online discount code website, Voucher...