POD-CACHE

In this episode, James Lane, the Digital Sector Manager at NCFE, and Dr Gray Mytton, from the NCFE Innovation Team, discuss the evolving role of artificial intelligence within education and its broader implications. Join the team as they discuss how AI, particularly generative AI, is currently being used by colleagues, and the wider education sector, primarily for routine tasks and as a creative b...

Join us this week as we chat to Dr Kathryn Murray, founder of Future Strong Education and creator of the Brain-SET Environments Formula. In the episode, Kathryn shares how her personal experiences, combined with her research into brain development, led to the creation of the Brain-SET formula, which focuses on designing educational environments that make children feel safe and secure. Reflecting o...

Join us this week as we chat to Cheryl Warren, an award-winning trainer and consultant from Aperion Training, specialising in neurodiversity in the early years.  In the episode, Cheryl discusses her career journey and personal mission, sharing how her lived experience has shaped her professional approach. As a parent, Cheryl offers valuable insights into supporting neurodivergent children and thei...

Join us this week as we chat to Jane Maria Harding da Rosa from Enriching ELT about English language learning and teaching. During our conversation, we learn about Jane's fascinating journey from mime and dance to her career in language education. Jane shares her research aimed at making language learning more memorable and engaging with rhythm, chanting and games and explains the nuances of teach...

Join us this week as Dean Blewitt, NCFE's Senior Innovation and Investments Manager , chats to Charlotte Jones, Operations and Project Manager from the Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network (GMLPN) and Seamus Mannion, Chief Operating Officer of Digital Advantage . In the episode, Charlotte and Seamus discuss their organisations' work on the Inclusive Pathways Autism Support Project, which p...

Join us for this throwback episode of POD-CACHE and re-listen to Dr Diane Boyd on sustainability in education and childhood development.    We'll be back with a whole new episode on Wednesday 10 July.  00:00 What's Coming Up? 00:36 Introducing Diane Boyd 01:00 Sustainable education and development 14:39 Taking it into practice 25:35 Environmental awareness and skill building 31:02 CACHE Alumni 31:...

Join us this week as we chat to Claudio Sisera from Male Childcare and Teaching Jobs   In the episode, we discuss equality in early years employment and explore the challenges and opportunities for men working in early years and childcare roles.   We also discuss gender inclusivity at work and the possible reasons that we still see such disparity in the numbers of men entering the early years work...

Join us this week as we chat to Sass Boucher and Kate Collier from SelfCare Psychology, an organisation dedicated to providing support for practitioners at risk of professional trauma and fatigue.  In the episode, we explore the complex challenges faced by those working in care through the lens of SelfCare's 'Umbrella of Professional Trauma and Fatigue', and we examine the strategies for mitigatin...

Join us this week as we chat to Dr Shelly Newstead, practitioner, trainer, author, editor, publisher and researcher with over 30 years of experience in the playwork field, and the creator of the PARS model of playwork practice.  In the episode, we chat about what PARS is, how it was developed and how pracitioners can start their journey with PARS. We also discuss the importance of creating a relax...

Join us for this episode about navigating the food landscape, the relationship between food and wellbeing, and the importance of nutrition in the early years. We'll be back with a whole new episode on Wednesday 15 May.  Louise Mercieca, a nutritional therapist and early years nutrition consultant, emphasises the intricate relationship between food and our overall wellbeing. Moving beyond simply la...

Join us for this episode about positive parenting, making changes and setting boundaries in challenging environments. We'll be back with a whole new episode on Wednesday 1 May.  In this episode we meet with Kathy Bowers to talk about parenting, communication and relationship improvement work.  Kathy discusses her experience in social care and family support work, highlighting the importance of exp...

In this episode we meet with Dr Helen Bilton, Author and Professor of Outdoor Learning and Play, to talk about recapturing the lost value of play and independent problem-solving, as well as how different early years settings can support outdoor learning. We also touch on the courses Helen has written for FutureLearn on Supporting Successful Learning in Primary Schools and in Secondary Schools, whi...

Welcome to the latest episode of POD-CACHE, the award-winning professional development podcast from CACHE Alumni. Join us for this fascinating conversation with Bethan Harding MBE, a seasoned education professional working to pioneer the 'Winning With Numbers' teaching platform. In this episode, Bethan shares her professional journey and brings real-world insights from her experiences in various s...

Join us as we meet with Yasmin Mukadam and learn about Mindfulness in Early Years.  Find out more about the conversation below, and subscribe for more interesting conversations in care, health, early years and education. We'll be back with a whole new episode on Wednesday 7 February.   00:00 Introduction and Background 01:14 Importance of Mindfulness 05:03 Mindfulness in Early Childhood 06:37 Mind...

Join us as we learn about behaviour as communication in care with Victoria Bartle.  Find out more about the conversation below, and subscribe for more interesting conversations in care, health, early years and education. We'll be back with a whole new episode on Wednesday 7 February. This journey into Victoria's day-to-day provides a comprehensive insight into understanding and interpreting the de...

Join us as we meet with Lucy Norris and learn about the Wizzybug.  Find out more about the conversation below, and subscribe for more interesting conversations in care, health, early years and education. We'll be back with a whole new episode on Wednesday 24 January.    00:00 Introduction 00:46 Introducing Lucy Norris and Designability 01:18 What is Wizzybug?  02:46 Age Range for Wizzybug 04:33 Im...

Join us for this throwback episode of POD-CACHE and re-listen to Dr Helen Williams' wisdom on making maths playful.   We'll be back with a whole new episode on Wednesday 10 January.  0:00 Introduction to Dr Helen J Williams and her journey with maths 2:30 Moving from a dislike to a love of maths 4:50 Maths' evolution since the 80s and use of manipulatives in maths teaching 7:42 The challenges of a...

00:00 Introduction - Welcome to POD-CACHE, the portable professional development podcast from CACHE Alumni 00:48 Fey Cole - An introduction to Fey 02:24 Why intergenerational practice? Fey explains how she first got involved with bringing intergenerational learning to an educational setting 03:50 Making the project student-led and establishing an intergenerational café 04:50 Embedding existing lea...

(00:00) Introduction - Welcome to POD-CACHE, the portable professional development podcast from CACHE Alumni (00:48) Jenny Phillips - An introduction to Jenny (02:52) They say never to work with children or animals... Jenny's dream job (04:52) A love of animals - Bringing animals into the classroom (05:28) George the Cat - The teaching power of animals (06:46) Making the unpredictable understandab...

00:00 Introduction - Welcome to POD-CACHE, the portable professional development podcast from CACHE Alumni 00:50 Alix Robertson - Alix introduces herself and the Centre for Education and Youth 01:18 Sarah introduces herself and Big Education 02:08 Meet PEPA - What is the Primary Extended Project Award? 04:30 Project-based learning 05:24 Choosing a project - Collaboration, theme setting and helping...

00:00 Welcome to CACHE Alumni - What can you expect in this episode of POD-CACHE? 00:40 Jawad Bhatti introduction - Who is Jawad and what is the Spark story? 03:40 The impact of the pandemic on loneliness, routine and mental health 05:30 Mental Health support online and through talking to others 07:23 Mental Health in the workplace - Jawad's experiences at work 10:20 Why do people drop out of ment...

00:00 Welcome to POD-CACHE, the portable professional development podcast from CACHE Alumni  00:23 Coming up in this episode - thinking outside of the box with Annie Pendrey 00:43 Annie's career so far.  From Early Years Teaching Assistant to training, writing and research 02:43 Creativity and changing careers - How Annie found her path 03:50 Three books in two years - Reflection and reflective sp...

POD-CACHE is back with a new season! In our debut episode, we chat with Amy Baird from the Discovery Museum in Newcastle. Amy tells us about her early years sessions called 'Tiny Sparks', organised for families with 3-5 year old children, which are themed around STEM subjects. We explore how connecting museum objects from diverse collections with stories and interactive play can aid children in le...

As we conclude season 4, we bring you an incredible story which showcases the power of education and mentorship. Join us as Janet King assumes the role of interviewer to speak with Andreas Kalli, who shares his journey from substance addiction to completing a Psychology degree with a first class honours. We also find out how having a mentor supported Andreas through this process, and learn how his...

In this week's episode, we welcome back Lucy Lewin, Founder of 85-Place Day Nursery and The Profitable Nursery Academy. Lucy shares with us the value of adopting a strength-based approach in early years settings and embracing one's natural abilities. We also discuss the importance of fostering a work culture of psychological safety, open communication and one that encourages a collaborative mindse...