Stronger Practice Hub Blog

Ruth Glover, CEO of Springboard Opportunity Group, emphasises understanding behaviour in early years as a form of communication linked to sensory experiences. She advocates for a sensory-informed approach to better interpret children’s needs, proposing strategies to create supportive environments. By viewing behaviours as signals rather than challenges, educators can enhance inclusion and self-regulation, ultimately aiding children’s learning and development.

In this blog post by Caren Egan, an early years leader with over 25 years of experience, she reflects on navigating the evolving inspection landscape with confidence and clarity. From the updated EYFS framework to the new five-point grading scale, Caren explores what genuine quality looks like on the nursery floor every day, and why high standards are not about inspection readiness, but about keeping children’s wellbeing and learning at the heart of everything we do. If you are a leader or manager in early years, this is a must-read for staying grounded, supporting your team, and leading with purpose through a period of real change.

Sarah Ellis, Nursery Manager at Bristol Children’s Playhouse, reflects on enhancing the nursery’s culture and vision. Following challenges to stability, staff engaged in collective reflections about their ethos and values, shaping a new vision aligned with families’ aspirations. This ongoing process aims to support child development and staff well-being through collaborative culture building.

Sarah Ellis, Nursery Manager at Bristol Children’s Playhouse, discusses the significance of setting culture in early years education in her blog series. The first part emphasises the impact of a supportive culture on staff retention and child attendance, highlighting the need for tailored cultural practices that reflect community needs.

In this blog post by Robin Taylor, Associate Head of St Pauls Nursery School and Specialist Leader in Early Mathematics, discover how block play unlocks deep mathematical thinking in young children. Explore the unique “language” blocks speak through their dimensions, ratios, and properties, and learn how educators can nurture spatial reasoning, comparison skills, and problem-solving through purposeful observation and environment design.

In this blog post by Robin Taylor, Associate Head of St Pauls Nursery School and Specialist Leader in Early Mathematics, discover how block play unlocks deep mathematical thinking in young children. Explore the unique “language” blocks speak through their dimensions, ratios, and properties, and learn how educators can nurture spatial reasoning, comparison skills, and problem-solving through purposeful observation and environment design.

In this blog post by Nicki Cherry, early years settings discover practical ways to integrate mathematics throughout the day using evidence-informed approaches. Drawing on EEF guidance and featuring case studies from North Somerset nurseries, the post demonstrates how educators can weave mathematical concepts, language, and ideas into daily routines, snack times, and play provision to ensure children don’t miss crucial mathematical learning opportunities.

This blog explores the updated Early Years Nutrition Guidance, the changes it brings, and why it matters now more than ever—particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. With rising food insecurity and increased marketing of ultra-processed foods, the early years sector has a vital role to play in shaping healthy eating habits from the very start. Clearer guidance offers a much-needed opportunity to align practice across all settings and support families with consistent, realistic, and affordable messages around food. As nutrition becomes a statutory part of the EYFS safeguarding and welfare requirements from September 2025, this blog highlights how settings can respond, adapt, and lead the way.

As the impacts of climate change become increasingly visible, the work of building sustainable futures for the youngest generations has never been more urgent. Millie Colwey explains how childminders and early years settings play a pivotal role in fostering environmental responsibility and sustainable behaviours in children. This blog explores the importance of education for sustainability, practical steps you can take, and how our sector can lead the way to creating a greener, safer future for young children. Through simple changes to their environments, such as using scrap stores for resources and choosing ethical banking, settings themselves can become more sustainable. Meanwhile, activities like outdoor nature exploration and food growing help develop children’s understanding of the world while teaching them they can make a real difference to our environment.

For too long, compliance has been the only goal for children with developmental differences in education and society. In this blog post by Jenna Jefferies, she explores how teaching self-advocacy skills to neurodivergent and disabled children can empower them to communicate their needs and stand up for themselves. By presuming competence, explicitly teaching self-advocacy in early years settings, and creating spaces where children feel validated, educators can help shift societal attitudes from deficit-focused to celebratory-driven. Learn practical strategies for supporting children’s self-advocacy that will raise a generation confident in getting their needs met and create a more inclusive society that values neurodiversity.

Explore the meaning behind common educational phrases like ‘Belonging Strategies’ and ‘Trauma Informed’ while discovering how to make a meaningful difference in children’s lives. Early years educator Terri Mitchell challenges us to shift our perspective on challenging behaviors and view them through a trauma-informed lens. Drawing from her extensive experience and training in Trauma Informed Schools, she explains how early childhood experiences shape brain development and why understanding trauma and attachment is crucial for every educator. This insightful post offers practical guidance on becoming an emotionally available adult who can positively impact children’s life outcomes.