The Private Early Years Chatroom Podcast

Early years problems: carpet time, difficult conversations with parents and staff rotas

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 09:21:12 +0000

Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschools answers your early years practitioners problems! This episode covers:

How long should carpet time be in preschool?
How do you handle a difficult conversation with parents?
How are staff rotas organised in your early years setting?

Want to see more from the Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschool team? You can find us on Facebook and Instagram. Don't forget to check out our lovely Twinkl EYFS Resources for your day nursery, preschool and all other EYFS settings too!

Early years practitioner must have resources

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 23:00:00 +0000

We all have a list of essential resources and items for working in early years. Join Katie, Charlotte and Fliss as they share the resources they couldn't go without for the children... and themselves.

Early years problems: job benefits, getting parents involved and obvservations

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschools answers your early years practitioners problems! This episode covers:

What additional job benefits do you get as an early years practitioner?
How do you get parents involved in early years?
How many observations of learning should early years practitioners take of their key children?

Adjusting to the new 1:5 ratio for 2 years olds in early years

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 23:00:00 +0000

The Department for Education have confirmed that from 4th September 2023, the ratio for toddlers in early years settings will be increasing from 1:4 to 1:5. At Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschools, we know that this i is likely to be a huge period of change so we've shared a few of our top tips to adapt to this new ratio in your early years setting.

Early years problems: moving rooms, settling babies, deputy manager interviews and September topics!

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschools answers your early years practitioners problems! This episode covers:

How often should early years practitioners move rooms?
How can early years practitioners support babies to settle into their nursery?
What questions will be asked in a deputy manager interview?
What topics will you be learning about in September?

2 Truths and a lie... early years edition!

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Join Katie, Fliss and Charlotte as we get to know each other and our early years careers a little bit better! Who almost fell down the stairs with a baby on their hip? Who stole a toddlers moisturiser? Who pretends not to notice pooy nappies?

Early years problems: phone storage, gifts from parents, end of the day activities and early years qualifications

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschools answers your early years practitioners problems! This episode covers:

phone storage for early years practitioners and safeguarding.
ideal gifts from parents to nurseries and preschools.
activities for early years children at the end of the day.
qualifications for early years practitioners to pursue after completing their level 3 qualification.

What are Ofsted's Three I's?

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 23:00:00 +0000

The thought of Ofsted makes most early years practitioners in day nurseries and preschools panic... especially all the buzzwords. Amongst the newest are Ofsted's Three I's. So... what are the three Is?

Short and simple, they are intent, implement and impact.Join Katie, Charlotte and Fliss as they explore what the three I's look like for each practitioner and your early years setting as a whole.

Find Twinkl's Three I's planning format here.

Early years problems: sun cream policies, summer uniforms, staff sickness and snack time.

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschools answers your early years practitioners problems! This episode covers sun cream policies, summer uniforms, staff sickness and snack time in early years settings, day nurseries and preschools.

Are home corners old fashioned in early years settings?

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 23:00:00 +0000

We all have home corners in our day nurseries and preschools but are you make the most out of it? Do you have a separate role-play area? Are mud kitchens replacing home corners? Join Katie, Charlotte and Fliss as they explore home corners, roleplay areas, mud kitchens and more.

Find Cultural Capital in EYFS here.

Find Twinkl's full range of role play resource here.

Never have I ever... early years edition!

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Never have I ever... pulled a sicky as an early years practitioner! 👀 Never have I ever... hidden items that need tidying instead of doing it in my nursery or preschool! 😅 Join Charlotte, Katie and Fliss as they play the early years edition of never have I ever...

Find support for managing staff breaks here!

EYFS regulatory changes consultation

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Proposed changes to the EYFS in the May 2023 Consultation include removing maths from the level 3 requirements, a practice-based route to the level 3 qualification, changing adult: child ratios outside peak times and more!

Find out more about the consultation here!

What are the highs and lows of working in early years?

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 23:00:00 +0000

What are the advantages of working in an early years setting, such as a nursery or preschool? What are the lows of being an early years practitioner? Why shouldn't you say 'be careful' to children?

Should early years settings follow children's interests?

Sun, 28 May 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Should early years setting use a child-led approach? How can early years practitioners resource this? How do you work with mixed age groups in your nursery, preschool or EYFS setting?

Do early years settings need room leaders?

Sun, 21 May 2023 23:00:00 +0000

What are the main responsibilities of a early years room leader? Are they essential to for the day-to-day running of an early years setting? How can you improve staff morale and staff wellbeing?

Should early years practitioners get time out for paperwork and admin?

Sun, 14 May 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Should early years settings give practitioners time out of the room to complete reports, assessments and observations? How much time should early years practitioners get out of the room? How can you support biters in your early years setting?

Should early years practitioners have degrees?

Sun, 07 May 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Should early years practitioners have degrees to be counted in ratios? What's more important for an early years setting - experience or knowledge? How can you make your early years settings social media more engaging?

Do trips actually happen in early years?

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 23:00:00 +0000

What ratios should be used for trips in early years settings? Do babies have more opportunities to leave early years settings than preschools? What are the essentials for a sensory room?

Are display boards pointless in early years?

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 23:00:00 +0000

In this episode, the Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschool team question... what is the point in display boards in early years settings? Who are they for? Where should they go in a nursery or preschool? What makes a good room leader and early years practitioner?

Should food play be banned in early years?

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Is food play wasteful in nurseries? Is it confusing? Is it too expensive during the cost of living crisis for preschools? Should early years practitioners use real food be in their role play area? Join the Twinkl Private Nurseries Team as they discuss their thoughts and feelings.

Is the key person approach outdated in early years?

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Do early years settings use the key person approach as intended or has it become purely organisational? Are we limiting children by encouraging one important attachment in our nursery, preschool and EYFS settings? Join Katie, Charlotte and Fliss from the Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschools team as we share our thoughts and experiences!

Early years uniforms, tattoos, piercings and the 1:13 ratio!

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Should early years settings have uniforms? Should early years practitioners be allowed tattoos, piercings, nails and bright hair? Who's allowed to use the 1:13 ratio? Join Katie, Charlotte and Fliss from Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschools as we dive into the above!

Download the early years ratio calculator here.

How far should early years settings take parent partnerships?

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Should early years practitioners be allowed to babysit nursery or preschool children in their EYFS setting? Is it weird to be friends with parents on social media from your early years setting? Are EAL children SEND? Listen to the Twinkl team as we share our thoughts, experiences and opinions on these topics.

How will the Spring 2023 budget affect the early years sector?

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 16:54:04 +0000

On 15th March 2023, the Government announced their Spring 2023 budget and there are some big changes planned for the early years sector. This includes increasing the adult: child ratio to 1:5 for 2 year olds and the introduction of 15 and 30 hour funded childcare for children over 9 months. If you work in an early years setting, such as a nursery or preschool, you want to hear this one one to find out how this could affect your future as an early years practitioner.

How did you get started working in early years?

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 09:22:58 +0000

Join the Twinkl team as we talk about how we began working in early years, the difference between a nursery and nursery... and how to cope if your early years settings is full of boys!

Should early years practitioner go on strike?

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 14:36:24 +0000

What questions could OFSTED ask early years practitioners? Grab our list of questions for early years settings here.

Visit our full range of OFSTED support for preschool and nursery practitioners here.

In this episode, the Twinkl Private Nurseries and Preschool team talk about whether the private early years sector should go on strike and how to prepare for OFSTED in your nursery, preschool or EYFS setting.

Top tips for early years practitioners.

Mon, 26 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Katie, Charlotte and Fliss share there top ten tips for early years and nursery practitioners. If you work an early years setting or have an EYFS class, check out these top tips!

Early years and pet peeves...

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

You know what really drives early years practitioners mad about working in the early years? So many things.... and they probably make you a bit crazy too fellow preschool and nursery practitioners!

Every day is a celebration in early years...

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

There are so many weird and wonderful events to celebrate in your early years setting including World Nutella Day, Put Your Own Shoes Day and I Forgot Day. What activities are you planning for World Toilet Day? 😉

I'm not just an early years practitioner...

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 12:23:28 +0000

Life as a preschool and nursery practitioner is very busy. You aren't just an early years practitioner... you're also an actor, athlete and professional singer. Join Katie, Charlotte and Fliss as they talk about the 1 million roles early years practitioners do in their nurseries, preschools and EYFS settings.

Would you rather... early years edition!

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Let's take everyone's favourite game and make it early years friendly. So, fellow preschool or nursery practitioners, in your early years settings... would you rather...

Interview questions, biscuits and elephant trunks in early years.

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 23:00:00 +0000

We all know preschool and nursery practitioner interviews can be stressful with tricky questions but we've been asked some downright weird ones by early years settings in the past. Can you really tell if I'm a good early years practitioner from that question!?

Tell me you work in early years...

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 23:00:00 +0000

Go on then fellow EYFS preschool and nursery practitioners... tell us you work in the early years without telling us you work in the early years. We'll start! We are covered in glitter or snot and have a pocket full of random toys.