Running a Setting
International Mother Earth Day April 22nd
There’s a famous quote that has been attributed to US Native Americans, which has been modernised and translated as: “When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then will we realise that one cannot...
The Big Pedal
It’s that time of year again: when the clouds part (hopefully) and the spring bulbs are in full bloom, so it must be time for the annual push to encourage people to be fitter, get out and tell them to get on their bike!Each year, Sustrans, a...
The benefits of animals for children’s development
There’s no doubt that the UK is a nation of animal lovers! You only have to look around at the number of us who co-habit with pets of every shape and size, the predominance of pet shops, and the amount we spend on our pets each year, which...
The importance of immunisation in fighting disease
Media coverage of the current global health crisis has, understandably, been unprecedented. The Covid-19 pandemic is a new strain of virus, although other forms of the coronavirus itself have been known to cause common colds and flu for years....
Take yourself from ‘distress’ to ‘de-stress’ during stress awareness month
Stress. n. “A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances”. A definition that almost certainly resonates with many – particularly during this unprecedented period of dealing with the outbreak...
How to involve parents with children’s learning
In today’s modern society, when parents are often working full-time (and subsequently short on time!) it’s not uncommon for their children to be placed in childcare for up to 50 hours a week. More often than not, your setting is the prime...
Electronic devices & online safety in the early years
Back in 2010, when iPads and other comparable tablets first appeared, their potential to change the way children were educated was revolutionary.What made them so attractive was that they had three noticeable features which had the potential to...
National Careers Week
The first week in March, or the 2–7th March to be precise, is National Careers Week, when educational institutions, employers and careers advisers across the country will be shining the spotlight on the many-faceted nature of our working lives,...
British Science Week
When you think about science lessons, what do you think of? Crusty old chemistry labs, blue-flamed Bunsen burners and impossible physics equations? Or green-powered racing cars, destructive robot wars and space exploration? If you answered the...
Mother’s Day – where did it all begin?
Mother’s Day (also known as Mothering Sunday) is a celebration honouring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood as a whole. It’s an annual event when members of the family show their gratitude and love for their mothers, as well as the...
EYFS activities – Mind the (language) gap!
In Tamsin Grimmer’s article this month, “Keep on talking and mind the gap” (on page 26), she reveals that on average, 49% of year one children are lacking the vocabulary they need to access the curriculum, which, in turn, negatively impacts...
Time for a Cuppa 1st–8th March
We all love a cup of tea and a chat. But talk to anyone these days about life after 65, and you will probably discover that we are all slowly coming to terms with the fact that as we live longer, we might not all necessarily be living better....
National Old Stuff Day
Have you ever heard the expression: “Out with the old and in with the new? Or how about; “Old ways won’t open new doors”? If you have, and appreciate their aims, then National Old Stuff Day on March 2nd will be right up your street! Contrary to...
Is your childcare website Ofsted-ready?
If you have a childcare website, by the time you receive notification that you will be having an inspection, there’s a good chance that Ofsted may have already reviewed it. With such short notice of a visit, keeping your website up-to-date could...
Family Safety Week 29th February – 4th March
29th February is a special day because it only happens every 4 years. Due to the orbit of the earth around the sun, (which actually takes 365.25 days and not 365 days exactly), every 4 years we have to add another day to our calendar, hence 29th...
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...
How to deal with rude people
Don’t you just hate rude people? You know the ones – always pushing in front in the queue or talking over you; and they never listen to anyone but themselves. And boy, do they think they’re right all the time. Going on and on about how terrible...
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...
National Storytelling Week
“Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.” Most of us have heard this phrase and understand that it refers to starting storytime, even if we are too young to remember the original children’s BBC radio programme “Listen with mother” that it...
Children’s Mental Health Week
Children’s mental health has been the subject of a lot of news coverage in recent years, and there is increasing concern about children’s mental health which has been deteriorating according to statistics. In 2018, the NSPCC reported that over...
Blue monday
January 20th – argh! Christmas is over, you can’t get into your new jeans because you put on a half a stone; you’ve maxed out your credit card; it’s still 10 days till payday, and to top it all, it’s freezing and the trains are cancelled due to...
Wellbeing of staff
Last year, we published an article on “How to improve the wellbeing of your staff”, focusing on ways that you could promote their physical, mental and emotional health. In Ofsted’s recently introduced Education Inspection Framework, the...
Yoga, meditation and mindfulness for toddlers
In a busy world, where time always seems to be ‘of the essence’, we are all straining to be effective parents, productive professionals, and happy to boot, it’s no wonder that sometimes our patience snaps and our tolerance wanes. But who then is...
Reducing single-use plastic in your setting
We hear on the news and via social media (sadly, pretty much on a daily basis) about the growing decline of our planet. We learn that we must strive to be more sustainable: increase our recycling, decrease our carbon footprint and reduce our...
Young Carers Awareness Day
Have you ever thought about what would happen if you or another adult member of your family became seriously ill, had mental health issues that affected their day-to-day life, or developed a disability that affected their sight, hearing or...
An insight into a new EIF Ofsted inspection
© Chris Dorney 123RF.COM The new Education Inspection Framework (EIF) from Ofsted is just about to enter its 4th month and many settings have already had their first inspection under the new changes. Parenta assessor and setting owner, Fiona...
Ethical and sustainable Christmas ideas
Christmas - time for feasting, celebrations, meeting up with family, and remembering what the true meaning is – love, peace and goodwill to all. And then there’s presents, trees, stockings, turkey, stuffing, mince pies, wrapping paper,...
What to do with Christmas leftovers
Once upon a time, if you didn’t buy enough milk before Christmas, and then ran out on December 25th, you’d have to endure Christmas pudding without custard, no eggnog, and black coffee for 3 days until the shops opened again on the 28th!...
Christmas celebrations and traditions
Christmas is coming and families around the world are getting ready to celebrate the Christian festival marking the birth of Jesus, approximately 2,000 years ago. Over the centuries, different Christmas traditions have developed in response to...
