Early Excellence Podcast

In a world that keeps speeding up, what does it mean to slow down — and why might that be exactly what young children need?
Re-release: Originally aired on 5 May 2023
Alison Clark joins us to discuss her book Slow Knowledge and the Unhurried Child, making the case for slow pedagogies in early childhood education and exploring the pressures that work against them.
Episode Links
Watch the Slow Pedagogy: Making Time for Children's Learning and Development video clip
Order a copy of Slow Knowledge and the Unhurried Child

What does it really mean to love the children in your care — and why does it matter so much in early years settings?
Re-release: Originally aired on 31 Jan 2025
Dr Jools Page joins us to explore her research on professional love in EYFS settings, and what it looks like when practitioners get this right.
Episode Links
Watch the Video "Professional Love: The Dance of Reciprocity"
Read the Blog "What is Professional Love?"
Explore EYFS CPD Training

What happens when young children and older generations share the same space — and the same daily life?
Re-release: Originally aired on 13 Sep 2024
Judith Ish-Horowicz, co-founder and director of the UK's first intergenerational nursery, talks us through the inspiring work at Apples and Honey Nightingale and the benefits it brings for everyone involved.
Episode Links
Watch Judith Ish-Horowicz presenting a TEDx Talk about her work
Find out more about Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC

What's it actually like to go through a pilot Ofsted inspection — and what did the focus on EYFS look like in practice?
Re-release: Originally aired on 30 Jan 2026
Leanne Foster shares her first-hand experience of a pilot Ofsted inspection, including the conversations her team had with inspectors and what schools can take from the process.
Episode Links
Explore more from Ofsted at our Senior Leader Briefing
Stay up to date with our Early Years Update Blogs

Mixed-age classes can work brilliantly — but what happens when change is driven by necessity rather than vision?
Re-release: Originally aired on 13 Feb 2026
Anne Brass and Kate Gingles join us to discuss the complexities schools face with mixed-age classes, from establishing a clear guiding purpose to navigating structural change with limited guidance available.
Episode Links
Order our New Guide to Mixed-Age Classes
Discover more from Education Durham
Download the Free School Leader Reflection Tool on Mixed-Age Classes
Find out more about the Education Durham Mixed Phase Magic guidance books