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Part 4 of the insider interview with Julia Maynard, Childcare Director of Happy Orkids Ltd Welcome back to our ongoing series, ‘Preparing for an Early Years Ofsted Inspection.’ In this latest article, Julia Maynard, Childcare Director of Happy Orkids, explains the importance of leadership and management in the context of an Ofsted inspection. Join us…

In the early years sector, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework serves as a foundation for shaping the experiences and development of children attending early years provision. In the ever-evolving landscape of early years education, staying informed about changes to regulations and guidelines is crucial. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework, a fundamental…

It’s no secret that nurseries sometimes find it hard to recruit and retain talented and committed staff. In today’s competitive employment market, owners and managers must often use any advantage they can to attract and hold onto their dream team. A great, positive working environment, some flexibility on conditions, and opportunities to progress are all…

Connect Childcare’s latest survey What does parental engagement best practice look like? A guide for progressive nursery managers was packed with facts and figures on how nurseries and families communicate in 2023. Our aim was to provide insight and inspiration to help owners and managers foster success in this sometimes tricky operational area.  Among the 1,300…

Part 1 of ‘Ask the Expert’ with Jordan Tully, Head of Operations at Ashbourne Day Nurseries Welcome to our beloved blog series, “Ask the Expert,” where we create a nurturing platform for Early Years Education and Care (ECEC) professionals to share their wisdom and experiences with the sector. Whether you’re an expert in policy, a…

Establishing productive and honest partnerships with parents is crucial to achieving the best possible outcomes for children — as well as commercial success — for UK nurseries. But what does best practice truly look like for those early years setting looking to increase and improve parental engagement? To gain insight into this complex topic, we…

Part 3 of the insider interview with Julia Maynard, Childcare Director of Happy Orkids Ltd Welcome to our latest article in our ‘Preparing for an Early Years Ofsted Inspection’ series. Throughout this blog, Julia Maynard, Ofsted Inspector and Childcare Director of Happy Orkids explores a topic of great importance for early years education – understanding…

Ofsted reports are often the first things parents will look at or ask about prior to or during their first visit to a new setting. For many parents, this is a deciding factor in their choice of a childcare setting. Although they’re interested in reading and learning about Ofsted reports most parents don’t understand the…