Tapestry Talks

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 worki...

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 storyt...

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-sc...

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.