When we were told by the Prime Minster on the 10th May that we would be able to open on the 1st of June we began to plan how we would do this, given we would need to abide by any rules that would emerge from the DfE guidance. Although that gave them twenty days … Continue reading Returning to Nursery on 1st June

On the 23rd March, Boris Johnson put us in to lockdown to help address the unknown outcomes from the coronavirus (COVID-19).  It was a sombre day and most of us responded with fearful acquiesce. Lots about the lockdown didn’t make sense to us, why now, what about the economy, who was at risk, should we … Continue reading Another Step for Mankind into the COVID-19 Unknown

Since I have been operating the LEYF business from home, I’ve increased my video conferencing to check-in everyday with the 15 nursery hubs that still remain open. We talk about all the usual things as well as the changes and how we are adapting. Last week we had a lively pedagogical conversation as staff had … Continue reading Pause to learn

The Covid -19 pandemic has introduced us to some new words such as furlough and serology which describe specific action. But alongside those real words we have also been introduced to horrible banalities such as “unprecedented times”, “strange times” and the “new normal”. I vowed I would avoid all these words if possible but here … Continue reading Stepping Up to Prepare for a Return to the “New Normal”

This article appeared in Open Access Government 24th April 2020. As I write this, we have completed a full month in lockdown. The role of nurseries has been challenging – balancing safe distancing with delivering a fourth emergency service to children of key workers and vulnerable children. Safety concerns It took a while and a … Continue reading Can nurseries remain sustainable now and beyond COVID-19?