Tiny Chair Podcast

Kerry Murphy is an early childhood specialist and lecturer in Early Childhood and SEND at Goldsmiths University. She specialises in neurodiversity- and disability-affirming practice, improving inclusion, understanding and promoting a celebratory framework of assessment and support. She’s a 22-year veteran of the Early Years as well as a consultant and author. She has delivered seminars and trainin...

Tom is the Operations Director for Naturally Learning, a group of seven settings based in Cornwall, with some of the most beautiful environments you will ever see. They have a forest and beach school, and, as Tom will no doubt echo in this episode, are passionate about being outside in their environment. The philosophy of the settings is unhurried, child-led learning and development - hence Natura...

This week we sit down with Neil Leitch, the chief exec of Early Years Alliance. We get the gossip on what it’s really like working with the government, how his own childhood shaped his own views on why Early Years matters so much, and why football is the one time he can switch his brain off. You’ll hear about his proudest moments supporting 14,000 members at the alliance, and why he thinks the rea...

Sue has been a teacher and Early Years coordinator, a senior Early Years lead, and a local authority special advisor. She’s been trained and accredited in the BrainSET approach and has achieved a Level 2 award in ‘An Introduction to Neuroscience in the Early Years’. As well as being on the editorial board of Early Years Educator for many years, she’s also written books of her own. Sue is also a lo...

Liz, is an Early Years consultant under the title The Black Nursery Manager. She writes articles, leads webinars, and was a part of Famly’s inaugural children’s champion judging panel. Liz has an MA in early childhood and is a qualified secondary school teacher. She ran a setting for many years herself, before launching the Black Nursery Manager consultancy in 2020. She has been nominated as a Nur...

Matt is a business manager of a group of Scottish settings called the Little Beehive and has been in the nursery business for over 10 years. Matt has contributed his ideas and improvements for the sector to our Famly blog, creating popular articles about having fewer transitions, a living wage for all educators, increasing conversions from enquiries, and the value of a survey.

Alison has worked in the Early Years for 40 years, as a nursery manager, early years teacher, and even an Early Years Development Officer for a Local Authority. Nowadays, she’s a procedure and policy genius, helping settings navigate everything from Ofsted, the EYFS, and safeguarding, to schemas, and behaviour and wellbeing. Alison even sat on the panel to award our first children’s champion winne...

Alice Sharp has enchanted and inspired educators in the Early Years for over 30 years- but how is she using all that experience to help shape the childhoods of tomorrow? Tiny Chair Podcast hosts, Julia and Matt, ask Alice about how we can prepare Generation Beta for the future, the magic of materials, her Early Learning Lab, and why parents shouldn’t panic if their child wants to be a milk maid.