Nursery World Magazine

In the final article of their series, Prof. Sam Wass, Dr. Gemma Goldenberg and Martin Ellory discuss when young brains can adapt to early life environments – and when they can't Over-arousal could be the cause of increasing rates of dysregulation and anxiety in later life Childhood today is changing faster than it ever has before in our history as a species.

In part 3, Pennie Akehurst explores the areas within the new Early years inspection toolkit It's nearly five months since the introduction of Ofsted's new inspection framework, and many providers are describing a noticeably different experience – one that feels more collaborative, people-centred and more attuned to staff's wellbeing.

For your guide to the who, what and where of nursery chains, our directory gives you all the information you need Storal Farley Steeple Longford PHOTO Storal Head office: 47 Waterside Barns, Lincoln Lodge Business Centre, Castlethorpe, Milton Keynes, MK19 7ES Tel: 01908 510309 Email: info@acornearlyyears.org.uk Website: www.acornearlyyears.org.uk Chief executive: Zoë Raven Head of early years: Laura Tingey Established: 1989 Owns/manages 18 nurseries: Beds: Sharnbrook (65); Milton Keynes:...

How are Froebelian principles being reinterpreted and adapted in contemporary Scotland? A new book exploring their continuing influence is reviewed by Richard Willis, visiting professor at the University of South Wales. Lynn McNair and Luke Addison have brought together a carefully curated collection of chapters that are highly relevant to the real-estate mantra ‘location, location, location’.

New research reveals the scale of exclusion under the Government's free early years meals policy. Rosie Osborne discusses this and makes the case for an urgent review Only a fraction of children in need of nutritional support will access FEYM provision PHOTO: Adobe Stock Free school meals (FSM) entitlement exists for some early years children, but most disadvantaged under-fives remain locked out due to policy design that has failed to keep pace with how families access childcare.

Should you intervene with children's play when there is repeated conflict between the same children?We asked a range of people within the sector, including early years consultants, academics and staff in settings, and a psychotherapist, for their thoughts ‘Repeated conflict between the same children is likely to be preventing meaningful play and learning. ‘Persistent difficulties might also be signalling to us that these children are struggling in other areas of their life and need our attention.

Prof. Sam Wass, Dr. Gemma Goldenberg and Martin Ellory explore the impact of digital overload and unpick why scientists are recommending no screen time for young children. Time spent on screens can affect children's behaviour off-screen - ILLUSTRATION: ELLY WALTON Our brains are prediction machines. Word by word, as you are reading this, your brain is guessing what word you are going to read next. For each word that you read, your brain checks whether that guess was correct or not.

Meg Barclay, education consultant and early years reviewer for the School Library Association, recommends three picturebooks themed around Christmas and the festive period There There Little Reindeer By Anna Milbourne Illustrated by Cally Johnson- Isaacs Usborne Publishing Sep 2025, pp10, £7.99 9781836042419 Reading age: Birth to 2 years This is is a charming sensory discovery for young readers, which will also help them understand more about the season of Christmas.

London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) held a ceremony at their Marsham Street nursery to celebrate winning the prestigious King's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. LEYF is just one of only three companies in the whole of Greater London to have won this prestigious award in the Sustainable Development Category this year.

Creating high quality baby rooms is a priority. What do they look like and how we get there? By Dr. Mona Sakr, Dr. Sara Bonetti and Kayla Halls A calm environment is fundamental. The first years of a baby's life are a critical time for development, learning and wellbeing. They lay the foundations for an individual's future, including how they fare in school, relationships and work. With that in mind, getting it right in the baby room is essential.