Category: Featured News to Spotlight

As the impacts of climate change become increasingly visible, the work of building sustainable futures for the youngest generations has never been more urgent. Millie Colwey explains how childminders and early years settings play a pivotal role in fostering environmental responsibility and sustainable behaviours in children. This blog explores the importance of education for sustainability, practical steps you can take, and how our sector can lead the way to creating a greener, safer future for young children. Through simple changes to their environments, such as using scrap stores for resources and choosing ethical banking, settings themselves can become more sustainable. Meanwhile, activities like outdoor nature exploration and food growing help develop children’s understanding of the world while teaching them they can make a real difference to our environment.

For too long, compliance has been the only goal for children with developmental differences in education and society. In this blog post by Jenna Jefferies, she explores how teaching self-advocacy skills to neurodivergent and disabled children can empower them to communicate their needs and stand up for themselves. By presuming competence, explicitly teaching self-advocacy in early years settings, and creating spaces where children feel validated, educators can help shift societal attitudes from deficit-focused to celebratory-driven. Learn practical strategies for supporting children’s self-advocacy that will raise a generation confident in getting their needs met and create a more inclusive society that values neurodiversity.

Explore the meaning behind common educational phrases like ‘Belonging Strategies’ and ‘Trauma Informed’ while discovering how to make a meaningful difference in children’s lives. Early years educator Terri Mitchell challenges us to shift our perspective on challenging behaviors and view them through a trauma-informed lens. Drawing from her extensive experience and training in Trauma Informed Schools, she explains how early childhood experiences shape brain development and why understanding trauma and attachment is crucial for every educator. This insightful post offers practical guidance on becoming an emotionally available adult who can positively impact children’s life outcomes.