Podcasts from the Foundation Stage Forum Limited

Jules chats with Glenda Tinney and Natalie MacDonald, both academics in Childhood Youth and Education at University of Wales Trinity St David. They discuss the qualities and knowledge that are embedded in being an early years professional, how to raise the status of the sector, and how they prepare students for the important work they do with children and families.

Stephen chats with Andrew Cartwright and Ben Carr who are the Co-Directors of the North East Coaching Company. They discuss the importance of children being engaged and enjoying physical activity as well as why teaching PE in primary schools can cause anxiety.

Ben and Jules chat with Curtly Ania, nursery owner and mentor for others who are on the journey to opening their own early years setting. Curtly shares practical advice and inspiration, including some of the key things to consider if you are thinking about running a nursery.

Feeling a bit lost with the current Ofsted consultation (deadline April 28th)? Listen in for a friendly chat with Wendy Ratcliff and Caroline Hearn from Ofsted, where we break down the main points to help you feel clearer and ready to share your views. You can give your feedback on the consultation here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ofsted2025/

Stephen and Jules chat with Adam Marycz, about his own changing roles and about the changes in the sector, and how we can get back to what we are all striving for – positive outcomes for children, families, and the educators who work with them.

Stephen and Jules chat with Julie Robinson and Charlotte Thornton from Mini Minds Matter. They discuss what mindfulness looks like for very young children, how this supports emotional regulation and resilience, and they share some ideas you can implement in your settings today. https://mini-minds-matter.mykajabi.com/

Jules and Ben chat with Dr Leanne Jaye about fundamental motor skills – what they are, the role educators play in developing them, and how to support families in realistic ways to encourage movement with their children.

Ben and Jules chat with Laura Henry-Allain MBE about her latest children's book Maya and Marley and the Great Big Tidy Up. They discuss the important themes in the book, how the story can be used in settings, and Laura shares where she finds inspiration for her stories.

Peter Moss is Emeritus Professor of Early Childhood Provision at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education. Professor Moss discusses the failings of the current early years education system and how a radical transformation is required. His recent book is available free to download here: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10191508/

Jules chats with Naomi Wilkinson and Nigel Clarke, familiar faces and voices from CBBC. They talk about their BBC Teach series Let's Move with Naomi and Nigel and share ways to help teachers and children to feel confident about dance. https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/articles/zhtkxg8

Jules chats with Tapestry SEND Advisor Stephen Kilgour, and Doncaster Early Years Inclusion Officer Ann Lowe, about some of the key themes in their book The Inclusive Early Years Educator.

Stephen chats with Claudio Sisera - Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Male Childcare and Teaching Jobs. They discuss Claudio's route into the Early Years, barriers he has faced as a man in the sector, and how his organisation is making a difference. https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claudio-sisera

Ben and Stephen chat with Rob Fox about his journey to becoming a nursery owner, and the challenges faced in encouraging and retaining males in the early years workforce.

Stephen chats with Richard Waite about his long and varied career in the Early Years. They discuss barriers men might face in entering early education, why working in the Early Years can be a great career choice and how Richard's love of technology has impacted his roles.

Ben and Jamel talk about the publishing Jamel's book Olu's Teacher, which takes you through the journey of starting nursery and the importance of representation. You can order Jamel's book via the link below: https://booklink.walker.co.uk/olus-teacher/

Helen and Stephen are joined by Tina Maltman, Executive Director of Childminding UK. They talk about childminding as a career option and the state of the profession in 2024, as well as how Childminding UK supports childminders nationwide.

Jules chats with Early Years and Literacy Consultant Olivia Corbin-Phillip about storytelling with young children, how to begin, how to adapt story telling for different developmental stages, and how to create some magic.

Jules and Stephen chat with Dr Yinka Olusoga about children's digital literacies, how children's play is evolving, and how we can shift our mindset to recognise and participate in their digital and post-digital play.

Ben and Jules chat with Rob Fox who is a nursery manager and owner. They discuss how to share a vision with your team and families, embodying practice and pedagogy, and the challenges of being an ‘edu-carer' working with children while also running a business.

Jules chats with Farzana Chowdhury, headteacher of Wentworth Nursery School and Children's Centre. They take a deep dive into how one nursery school approaches planning, teaching and learning, the importance of tuning into the child and how planning together supports the team.

Jules and Ben chat with motivational speaker and life coach Jackson Ogunyemi – Action Jackson! – about how to surf the wave of negativity. Jackson shares strategies to help educators to support themselves and the children they work with to find gratitude and happiness.

Ben and Jules chat with teacher, podcast host and bestselling author Lee Parkinson about how teachers can use AI to support them and their children, what are the benefits, what to look out for, and why we need to work with and model the use of this changing technology with children.

Jules and Anya chat with Sonia Mainstone-Cotton about how we can extend our concepts of creativity to focus on children's well-being and understanding of themselves. They discuss how the language we use and the environments we develop in these creative spaces can support well-being, regulation and psychoeducation.

Jack and Jules chat with Hannah Dolan, food development specialist, about the importance of early years nutrition, the role early years settings play, the many challenges for families, and tips to support parents and carers to encourage children to learn healthy eating habits.

Ben and Jules chat with Manny Joss Cambridge-Simmons about the role of grandparents in the lives of children. They discuss the importance of intergenerational learning, how to navigate relationships and share knowledge, and the love and joy that can be present.

This week on the FSF Tapestry Podcast Jules chatted with producer Jen Redmond, trumpeter Sean Chandler, and BSL interpreter Lizzie Wharton, who have all been part of the CBeebies Musical Storyland series. They discussed the ideas behind the series and the teacher resources that accompany it. Sean shared his experiences as a DeaF musician, the importance of role models and representation, and working with Jen and Lizzie. You can find the video version of this podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im-7-re7TCQ&ab_channel=TapestryOnlineLearningJournal To find the Musical Storyland films and resources you can go to the BBC Teach website: https://bbc.in/49VFloa

Jules and Anya talk to Lotte Skinner, chief operating officer of Corey's Farm, a setting which offers animal assisted therapy to neurodivergent and disabled children. They discuss the incredible impact nature and animals (including Elliot the bearded dragon!) have on the children and families who attend Corey's Farm. https://coreysfarm.org.uk/

Stephen and Jules chat with advisory teacher and anti-racism trainer Jaziea Farag, taking a deep dive into the words and phrases we use when we're talking about building relationships with families – what do they really mean, and what do they look like in the day-to-day life of a setting.

Jules chats with primary school librarian Rumena Aktar about what libraries bring to children's reading experiences, creating inclusive spaces so children have ownership over their reading, and Rumena shares advice for schools to improve or set up their libraries.

Ben and Jules chat with best-selling author and publisher Winsome Duncan about the work she does, including the Look Like Me Book Challenge enabling young Black authors to publish their writing. They discuss the writing and publication process, some of the challenges, and what needs to be done to change children's literature to be more inclusive of Black and Brown characters. For children's storytelling workshops click here: www.looklikeme.co.uk

Ben and Jules chat with teacher and trainer Caprice Fox about talking with children about LGBTQIA+, the importance of belonging, and the language and resources to support you to create an inclusive learning community. Useful resources mentioned in this episode are linked below: https://www.popnolly.com/ https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/445987/my-magic-family-by-jeffs-lotte/9780241560518

Stephen chats with storyteller, author and playwright Richard O'Neill about his early memories of storytelling, growing up in a fully nomadic Romani Gypsy family, and why storytelling is such a powerful tool.

Helen and Anya talk to Ben Cooper, Research Manager at Fabian Society, about the current state of the early years sector and what needs to change to ensure all children access the very best early education and care.

Jules chats with teacher Varinder Kaur about the things children think about and the questions they ask; helping all children find their voice; and what educators need to be mindful of to make sure their classrooms are spaces where children know they will be listened to.

Ben and Jules chat with Sarah Sudea, founder of Finding the Flex, about flexischooling, what this can look like in a school, and what the benefits are for children, families and educators of learning in flexible ways. You can find Sarah's website below along with some useful links discussed in the podcast: https://eyfs.info/forums/topic/54807-podcast-episode-finding-flexibility-in-education-and-school-%E2%80%93-what-is-possible/

Ben and Jules are joined by Beatrice Merrick, Chief Executive of Early Education, in a conversation to recognise the centenary year of the organisation. They discuss child-centred pedagogy, practice and policy in the sector now and in the future.

Jules talks with consultant and author Orlene Badu about racial literacy, what schools and individual educators need to consider, and how to start to make change happen.

Ben and Jules chatted with Hannah Clifford, founder of Seren Kids, which provides children and adults with digital skills and e-safety knowledge. Hannah shares ideas about how to talk with children about e-safety, how to teach children to have a creative and healthy relationship with the digital world, and what families and educators can do to increase their own understanding. Hannah has kindly provided us with loads of links to information and resources, which you can find in our article below: https://eyfs.info/forums/topic/54764-podcast-episode-how-can-we-support-children-to-live-in-an-ever-changing-digital-world/

Warda Farah, Professor Eunice Lumsden and Kate Moxley joined Stephen and Jules for a special edition of the Tapestry and Foundation Stage Forum podcast for Early Years Wellbeing Week. Their discussion centred on an intersectional approach to cultivating wellbeing. https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/bhm-intros/celebrating-our-sisters-saluting-our-sisters-matriarchs-of-movements-wematter/ https://www.tapestry.info/a-beginners-guide-to-intersectionality.html https://www.tapestry.info/the-mandela-model-workbook-2.html https://www.tapestry.info/a-beginners-guide-to-educator-wellbeing-2.html

Stephen chats with baby massage specialist and hypnobirthing instructor Josette Sticher about the many benefits associated with baby massage, and the importance of representation when it comes to massage for babies.

Ben and Jules chat with teacher and PE lead Omar Green about what to consider when developing your PE curriculum, building on the strengths of children and teachers, and getting children's input.

Jules chats with Elly Roberts, Editor of Early Years Educator, about the importance of creating a community of practice, raising the status of the early years, and finding and telling the stories from the sector. (edited)

Stephen is joined by Jordan Tully who is the Head of Operations at Ashbourne Day Nurseries. They discuss current challenges facing the sector, as well as the influence of social media on educators. Jordan also explains how larger nursery chains can ensure high quality provision.

Stephen chats with Emma Pinnock and Marguerite Haye about a new resource that they have created which aims to promote a more diverse range of voices and improve representation in the SEND sector. You can find a link to the Black SEND index here: https://tapestry.info/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/05/The-Black-SEND-Index.pdf

Anya and Jules talk with specialist educational psychologist Jemma Carter about what trauma informed practice can look like in settings and schools, how trauma informed adaptations to learning environments will benefit all children, and the opportunities we have as educators to enable change for children.

Ben and Jules chat with Maths and Robotics tutor Zan Nadeem about the importance of strong mathematical foundations in the early years and how they link to children's learning and confidence in maths as they move through primary and secondary school.

Stephen and Jules chat with Dr Prospera Tedam who developed the Mandela Model, and Professor Eunice Lumsden who designed the Unique Childhoods Workbook. They discuss these tools and how they can be used to support connection and build trust, deepening our anti-discriminatory practice and bringing about change in early childhood education.

Anya and Ben are joined by Charlotte Rands, Head of Primary at the British International School of Stockholm. They discuss the joys and challenges of working in a British International School and tips on making the most of working abroad. If you enjoy these podcasts from the Education Team at Tapestry, make sure to subscribe to be notified when we post new episodes. For more information on Tapestry please visit our website or contact us by email: https://tapestry.info/index.html customer.service@eyfs.info Twitter: @Tapestry_FSF Intro Song: Rising Spirits Music by Jay Man - OurMusicBox http://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Helen talks to Claire Kenyon, owner of The Children's Garden in Norwich and co-founder of Early Years Equality. They discuss Claire's experiences working in the early years for over 20 years and how the sector needs respect and recognition, ditching the 'childcare' label once and for all. If you enjoy these podcasts from the Education Team at Tapestry, make sure to subscribe to be notified when we post new episodes. For more information on Tapestry please visit our website or contact us by email: https://tapestry.info/index.html customer.service@eyfs.info Twitter: @Tapestry_FSF Intro Song: Rising Spirits Music by Jay Man - OurMusicBox http://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Stephen and Jules are joined by expert nanny Shada Lambert to discuss how nannies become part of the ‘parenting team', supporting families to develop routines, and the importance of a knowledge of child development in a child-centred approach. If you enjoy these podcasts from the Education Team at Tapestry, make sure to subscribe to be notified when we post new episodes. For more information on Tapestry please visit our website or contact us by email: https://tapestry.info/index.html customer.service@eyfs.info Twitter: @Tapestry_FSF Intro Song: Rising Spirits Music by Jay Man - OurMusicBox http://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Jules chats with Suma Din about the support community-based centres offer families: from signposting them to services such as health or library and IT support, to involving parents/carers in their child's learning and development, and providing new mothers with community and connection. If you enjoy these podcasts from the Education Team at Tapestry, make sure to subscribe to be notified when we post new episodes. For more information on Tapestry please visit our website or contact us by email: https://tapestry.info/index.html customer.service@eyfs.info Twitter: @Tapestry_FSF Intro Song: Rising Spirits Music by Jay Man - OurMusicBox http://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox