In this final episode of the season, Glenn has been talking to Mark Stewart. A search for left-handed scissors for his son has led to a remarkable career supporting left handed people inculding producing a variety of resources to help left-handed children, as  well as for their parents and teachers, such as the activity book” So You Think They’re Left Handed?”, the handwriting books series “Left Hand Writing Skills”, the Writewell Mat,  Handwriting Sticker set and Table Guide. Mark has been instrumental in setting up training courses for teachers and early years practitioners, to support them in supporting an often forgotten need for some children. Marks current CPD offering, “Left…

Glenn was delighted to welcome back the Author, Trainer, Play Specialist and Managing Director of Inspired Children working with vulnerable children across the UK, Ben Kingston-Hughes. In this edition Ben was talking about his new book “Why Children Need Joy: the fundamental truth about childhood” and how we all need the magical joy of play in our lives. www.inspiredchildren.org.uk  www.facebook.com/inspiredchildrentraining   instagram: inspiredchildrenltd Check out this episode!

Lynnette Brock is the director and co-founder of SchemaPlay Community Interest Company. Her early years journey began in maintained and Montessori nursery schools in London, where their passion for nurturing young minds was ignited. In 2016, they embarked on a collaborative research project, alongside Professor John Siraj-Blatchford. This work led to the birth of SchemaPlay, an initiative born out of their research and the transformative impact SchemaPlay was having in enhancing outcomes for young children. With a shared vision of fostering free-flow play and empowering young learners, Lynnette and Professor Siraj-Blatchford created an awe-inspiring training program for early years’ educators. Find out more on their website: www.schemaplay.com Check out this…

Using a holistic approach and a deep understanding of child development, Teresa Robinson was able to devise an approach to children’s learning that truly puts the child at the heart of everything we do. You can find out more about the approach on Teresa’s website: https://nopencilrequired.co.uk/  Check out this episode!

Rachel Buckler has worked in the safeguarding and children protection arena for 30 years Her book ‘Developing Child-Centred Practice for Safeguarding and Child Protection. Strategies for every early years setting’ was published by Routledge as part of their Little Mind Matters series, in February 2023. She’s a regular writer and contributor for Nursery World, co-founder of the Early Years Hub and founder of the Early Years Hub, Safeguarding Hub which is a dynamic online resource and learning community for designated safeguarding leads. She chats to Glenn about how developing a setting-based view and approach to child protection is so important. https://rachelbuckler.co.uk/  Check out this episode!

Glenn’s guest, for this edition, is Cheryl Warren, she has 30 years of experience within the early years sector and is now a consultant and award-winning trainer, working with nurseries and schools across the UK. Her passion and specialism for understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity within early years is impactful and comes from the heart, as a professional and also as a parent of two neurodivergent children. She is an advocate for true inclusive practice, enabling ALL children to be heard, to be given the tools and connections to thrive and to be celebrated and accepted for their uniqueness. Cheryl delivers in-house training sessions for teams, webinars, sensory-aware environmental audits,…

In our latest episode of the second season, Glenn is joined by Clare Stead, who is the creator and founder of the Oliiki app, an evidence-based app for parents and educators who spend time with babies in the first 1000 days of life. She is a primary teacher, education researcher and e-Learning specialist, now focused on working with parents to help them spark adventures in their baby’s learning journey through tiny playful moments from conception to two.   Find out more about the Oliiki app via the website: https://www.oliikiapp.com/   Check out this episode!

Dan McFarland (AKA Mr Mc) is from the glorious seaside town of Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, although they currently live in Leicester. He has been a prominent figure on social media for a while, particularly with their “flying with phonics scheme” and has worked hard to develop continuous provision that not only inspires children but makes them feel valued, successful and happy. They feel that school should be a place where children bounce through the door, feel like they can take a risk, not be afraid of ‘making a mistake’ and learn to believe that if they give things a go they will be “on their way”. They’ve worked in EYFS,…

In this edition of the podcast, Glenn is delighted to discuss the amazing work of Dr Sarah Goldsmith and her PhD entitled “Girls’ toys and ‘boys’ toys: learning through play” and how we still have work to do to make our settings inclusive to all. Check out this episode!

Glenn’s guest for this week, Michelle Hague, is an accomplished and inspirational school leader with a track record of developing high-performing cultures, systems, and strategies to enhance academic standards. With experience as a Rapid School Improvement Partner, Head of School Development, Head of an Outstanding School and an Early Years Ofsted Inspector. They’ve partnered with educational institutions and businesses to create and implement tailored visions for excellence, underpinned by effective strategies that foster team cultures focused on defining and achieving success. The HEYD Approach, driven by their passion for excellence, enables organisations to unlock their full potential and achieve success consistently. www.euhu.co.uk/heyd  www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-hague-1b8341278/  Check out this episode!