Bake it Better GOSH charity fundraising – Maia’s story
Every year, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity asks people across the UK to get baking to raise money for the charity. Fundraising is vital to children like Maia (above), supporting life-changing research and care that makes a difference to each of the 618 children that arrive at the hospital every day. In this blog, […]
Vaccinations – Keeping your setting safe
Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher explains why vaccines are so important for young children. This article originally appeared in our Under 5 magazine. “One of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine” – that’s how the NHS Choices website describes vaccination. The practice has brought an end to incurable diseases including smallpox, which was […]
Inspirational early years practitioners – the Alliance Outstanding Member Awards Special Commendations 2018
In 2018 we launched the Alliance’s Outstanding Member Awards. The response was overwhelming and attracted an incredible calibre of nominations. As a result, the judging panel felt it necessary to create a new Special Commendation award category. In this way, some nominees could be formally recognised for their dedication and outstanding contribution to early years practice. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the […]
Why movement counts – a free book extract
Physical development is one of the three prime areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), alongside communication and language and personal, social and emotional development. These three areas have equal status, are interdependent and together form the very heart of all learning and development. In this free extract from Alliance publication, Moving Right […]
Ten things to consider when planning an outdoor play area
This is a sponsored guest blog from our friends at Kompan Schools, sharing their top tips when planning a new or updated outside play area for your setting. Creating an outdoor play area is a considerable investment, so careful consideration needs to be taken before you embark on such a project. 1) Trust […]
Make a Splash in the Early Years – 5 easy water play ideas
Summer is here and the weather’s hotting up, so now is the perfect time to share some tips and inspiration for making the most of water play in your setting during the lovely warmer weather. In this guest post, Mary Horn, founder and director of Curious Fox Company, shares her suggestions on keeping water play activities […]
Myth vs fact: Data protection
Rebecca Reilly-Cooper, senior policy officer at the Information Commissioner’s Office, clears up some common data protection myths in this piece, which originally featured in the Alliance’s membership magazine Under 5. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is responsible for regulating, advising and providing guidance on the new enhanced data protection laws, the General Data […]
Pivotal Points of Development – For Unlocking Learning in Early Years
Ali McClure is a respected, experienced early years consultant who specialises on development in boys, learning and behaviour. Her unique workshops, delivered over the past two decades, support practitioners to improve outcomes for boys. We’re delighted that she will be running a practical session at the Alliance’s annual conference on the 1st June, titled Making it better […]
20% off seminars at Childcare Expo Manchester
Childcare Expo Manchester is once again set to take over EventCity this June. If there is one show guaranteed to give you inspiration, this is it. Running over two days, 15 – 16 June, the third northern event promises a bumper agenda with a full exhibitor line-up, as well as a range of interesting […]
How can we make the transition between the EYFS and Year 1 easier?
Jessica Gosling, founder of Step to Pre-school, has years of experience teaching in both the early years and primary schools, in the UK and internationally. In this blog, she talks about her differing experiences of working with both the early years and primary cirriculums, and how an understanding of child development and the EYFS can help […]
No time for a story?
Mary Medlicott is a professional storyteller, storytelling trainer and storytelling workshop leader with over 30 years’ experience. In this blog for the Alliance, she explains the benefits of storytelling with young children, and how both practitioners and parents can help children get the most out of storytime whilst having fun and creating a stronger […]
Happy children — taking care of young people’s wellbeing
Sonia Mainstone-Cotton, early years nurture and wellbeing trainer, and early years consultant, explains how you and your staff can take care of children’s mental health. This article orginally appeared in the Alliance’s Under 5 membership magazine. Wellbeing is a term we hear a lot when discussing adults and young people – but we don’t often think about […]