07. Tom Richardson, outdoor learning, and owning a forest
Tom is the Operations Director for Naturally Learning, a group of seven settings based in Cornwall, with some of the most beautiful environments you will ever see. They have a forest and beach school, and, as Tom will no doubt echo in this episode, are passionate about being outside in their environment. The philosophy of the settings is unhurried, child-led learning and development - hence Naturally Learning - with a focus on nature, and sustainable materials and resources. Tom himself, as well as his mum Mandy and partner Sarah, is a long-time friend of Famly. He’s delivered webinars, appeared in our most recent documentary, and every year, he brings a group of the Naturally Learning team to our office here in Copenhagen to say hello to us!Cornishearlychildhood.co.uk
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06. Neil Leitch, inside the politics of EY, and football therapy
This week we sit down with Neil Leitch, the chief exec of Early Years Alliance. We get the gossip on what it’s really like working with the government, how his own childhood shaped his own views on why Early Years matters so much, and why football is the one time he can switch his brain off. You’ll hear about his proudest moments supporting 14,000 members at the alliance, and why he thinks the real answer is getting our policy makers in a nursery for a week.
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1:01:46
05. Dr. Sue Allingham, the early years environment, and cooking the counting bears
Sue has been a teacher and Early Years coordinator, a senior Early Years lead, and a local authority special advisor. She’s been trained and accredited in the BrainSET approach and has achieved a Level 2 award in ‘An Introduction to Neuroscience in the Early Years’. As well as being on the editorial board of Early Years Educator for many years, she’s also written books of her own. Sue is also a long serving member of TACTYC, where she’s a trustee.Where to find Sue:Twitter: https://x.com/DrSue22 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dr-sue-allingham-9b356516 Website: https://eyoutofthebox.com/
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04. Liz Pemberton, cultural competence, and the four E’s of anti-racist practice
Liz, is an Early Years consultant under the title The Black Nursery Manager. She writes articles, leads webinars, and was a part of Famly’s inaugural children’s champion judging panel. Liz has an MA in early childhood and is a qualified secondary school teacher. She ran a setting for many years herself, before launching the Black Nursery Manager consultancy in 2020. She has been nominated as a Nursery World Trainer of the year, nominated as a future leader in 2022 by the Black Cultural Archives, and was recognised by the Serendpity Institute as 1 of a 100 Black women who have made a mark in 2024.Books mentioned in the podcast:Strong Like Me - Kelechi OkaforI Am Golden - Eva ChenThe Many Colors of Harpreet Singh - Supriya KelkarMy First Jewish Baby Book - Julie Merberg & Beck FeinerRepublic of the Congo - Mel NyokoBathe the Cat - David RobertsHomeland - Hannah Moushabeck
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03. Matt Martin, difficult nursery decisions, and counting poos
Matt is a business manager of a group of Scottish settings called the Little Beehive and has been in the nursery business for over 10 years. Matt has contributed his ideas and improvements for the sector to our Famly blog, creating popular articles about having fewer transitions, a living wage for all educators, increasing conversions from enquiries, and the value of a survey.
Early years chats to brighten your day. Get ready for daily dilemmas, pedagogy puzzles, and heaps of interactive games. It’s the only EY podcast that’ll really make you giggle. Brought to you by Famly.
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