Dear Friend,

Thank you for your interest in Tuesday evening's webinar when we welcomed Dr. Nathan Archer from Leeds Beckett University who shared with us the results from the research into Early Years Care and Education during Covid19. The findings, also set out in the report: Essential but Undervalued: Early Years Care & Education During Covid19, do not paint a happy picture and experiences shared by those attending the webinar and in private messages sent to us prior to the webinar, reflect these. If you were unable to attend the webinar on Tuesday or wish to revisit Nathan's review of the report, the recording is available here.

The report shares a number of recommendations for the future sustainability of the ECEC in England and Wales, drawing also on best practice from abroad. However, these recommendations rely on policy changes and, whilst the DfE recognises the challenges of post-Covid early years provision and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Childcare and Early Education also makes a number of recommendations to secure the future of the ECE sector, the changes required to support recovery may not come soon enough for the sustainability of your setting. 

Liaising with other settings to share best practice and ideas may be a way of exploring how to secure the long-term future of your setting. Do feel free to use the Montessori Musings Leaders and Managers Facebook Group to connect with one another.

We hope to see you next Tuesday evening when we welcome Annamaria Guild, a former childminder and tutor, specialised in the 0-3 age-group. Annamaria now works independently as a consultant, supporting settings and parents with creating a nurturing and inviting environment for the youngest children. The webinar will explore how we meet the needs of the children from birth to around the age of 3, which are significantly different to those in the ‘casa’ environment. Register for this webinar here.