Early Years Insights

Kathy Leatherbarrow
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  • Education
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Introduction : Welcome to “Early Years Insights,” a podcast hosted by Kathy Leatherbarrow from Eden Training Solutions. In this podcast, Kathy explores various topics related to early years education and apprenticeships. Through insightful interviews with guests from diverse industries, the show aims to provide valuable insights and perspectives on the early years sector. About the Host: Kathy Leatherbarrow is a seasoned professional in the field of early years education and apprenticeships. With her extensive experience and expertise, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the podcast. Kathy’s passion for empowering individuals in the early years sector is evident in her engaging discussions and thought-provoking conversations with industry experts. Podcast Format: “Early Years Insights” features in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics relevant to early years education and apprenticeships. Each episode delves into key topics, trends, and best practices within the industry. The format includes engaging interviews with professionals, educators, and leaders who share their valuable insights and experiences. Key Topics: The podcast covers a diverse array of topics, including but not limited to: Early childhood developmentEducational philosophies and approachesApprenticeship programs in the early years sectorInnovative teaching methodsRegulatory updates and complianceCareer pathways and professional development opportunitiesGuest Interviews: Kathy Leatherbarrow invites esteemed guests from various related industries to share their expertise on the podcast. These guests include influential figures, educators, policymakers, and professionals who offer unique perspectives and valuable insights into the early years sector. Audience Engagement: Listeners are encouraged to actively engage with the podcast by sharing their thoughts, questions, and feedback. The show fosters a sense of community among early years professionals, educators, students, and anyone passionate about early childhood education. Please visit www.eden-ts.com to find out more! Conclusion: “Early Years Insights” is a must-listen podcast for anyone involved or interested in the early years sector. With its informative content, engaging interviews, and thought-provoking discussions, the show serves as a valuable resource for staying updated on key developments within early years education and apprenticeships.

  1. 5d ago

    The Truth About Weaning: Building Parent Confidence - Early Years Insights

    Watch the video version on YouTube! . https://youtu.be/g-Bxsm5lvoA . The Truth About Weaning: Building Parent Confidence - Early Years Insights Kathy Leatherbarrow is joined by Intuitive Weaning founder Lisa Wallace to unpack the choking fears around early mealtimes. They explore how shifting from a rigid "nutritional chore" to a sensory, stress-free journey empowers parents to wean with confidence. Key Discussion Points: The Noise Around Weaning: How social media trends, commercial sales, and conflicting guidance drive unnecessary anxiety.More Than Just Food: Why treating weaning as a nutritional chore misses key developmental and sensory milestones.Supermarket Convenience: A balanced look at baby pouches versus home-cooked foods and progressive textures.Removing Judgment: Lisa shares personal experiences with parent-shaming and the need for individualized approaches.Mindset Shifts: Practical lessons on managing sweet versus savoury preferences and cost-of-living challenges.Guest: Lisa Wallace – Founder of Intuitive Weaning https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-wallaceuk/ https://www.instagram.com/intuitiveweaning/ Host: Kathy Leatherbarrow – Early Years Consultant at Eden Training Solutions Connect With Us: We'd love to hear your feedback on this episode at www.eden-ts.com. #EarlyYearsInsights #IntuitiveWeaning #EarlyYearsEducation #ParentConfidence #ChildDevelopment #EYFS #EdenTrainingSolutions

    The Truth About Weaning: Building Parent Confidence - Early Years Insights

  2. Jun 29

    The Campaign for Gigi & Building A Culture of Safety - Early Years Insights

    Watch the video version on YouTube! . https://youtu.be/Sr6PpWLEBHc . The Campaign for Gigi & A Culture of Safety Welcome back to a brand-new season of Early Years Insights. To launch this next chapter, we begin by hosting an incredibly important and deeply meaningful conversation about Gigi's Campaign. https://campaignforgigi.com Kathy Leatherbarrow sits down with Katie Meehan, the mother behind The Campaign for Gigi. Following the tragic, preventable loss of her daughter Genevieve, Katie has turned immense grief into a powerful movement for national legislative reform. This episode honours Gigi's memory and outlines the non-negotiable steps needed to build a true culture of safety across the UK early years sector. Key Discussion Points: Remembering Genevieve: Katie shares fond memories of Gigi's bright personality, her raucous laugh, and her deep bond with her older sister.Statutory Requirements vs. Guidance: Why converting safe sleep guidelines into strict statutory law ensures mandatory compliance for infants under one.Reforming Inspections: A professional look at lowering the four-to-six-year Ofsted cycle and rolling out 3,000 unannounced safeguarding visits.The Power of CCTV: Why granting inspectors routine access to nursery footage serves as an unfiltered, vital asset to protect children and staff.Standardised Training: Why settings cannot rely on whistleblowing alone, and how national training removes ambiguity in safe sleep practices. Guest: Katie Meehan – Founder of The Campaign for Gigi. Host: Kathy Leatherbarrow – Early Years Consultant at Eden Training Solutions. Connect With Us: Protecting our most vulnerable children is our highest priority. Share your feedback on our season premiere at www.eden-ts.com. #EarlyYearsInsights #GigisCampaign #ChildSafety #OfstedInspections #SaferSleep #EYFSWelfare #EdenTrainingSolutions

    The Campaign for Gigi & Building A Culture of Safety - Early Years Insights

  3. May 27

    Future-Proofing The Nursery: Season 2 Grand Finale

    Watch the video version on YouTube! . https://youtu.be/2eBgv4MXfjA . 🌟 Future-Proofing the Nursery: Season 2 Grand Finale 🌟 Welcome to the grand finale of Season Two! In this special episode, we bring together the absolute "best bits" of the season. We focus on long-term operational excellence, leadership mindset, and quality practice. If any of these clips spark your interest, dive right back into our full archive to listen to the complete guest episodes! Key Discussion Points: The Resilient Mindset: Lucy Lewin explains why profit is not a profanity when used to build a secure business foundation and an embedded "North Star" vision.People Power & Diversity: Forward-thinking recruitment and retention strategies, focusing on growing apprentice talent, encouraging male role models, and utilizing staff mentors.The Culture of Safety: A critical discussion on uncompromising safety standards, proactive updates to EYFS choking guidance, and life-saving equipment. Guests: Lucy Lewin, Natalie Healey & Laura Salmon (Banana Moon), Sarah Baker & Beth Mincher (Eden Training Solutions), Louise Scott, James Tunnell, and Lewis Steeper. Host: Kathy Leatherbarrow – Early Years Consultant at Eden Training Solutions. Connect With Us: Thank you for an incredible season! Share your favourite moments from the season with us at www.eden-ts.com Stay tuned for Season 3 next month! #EarlyYearsInsights #NurseryLeadership #EYFS #EarlyYearsApprenticeships #ContinuousProvision #NurseryManagement #ChildcareSafety #EdenTrainingSolutions

    Future-Proofing The Nursery: Season 2 Grand Finale

  4. Apr 28

    How to Make Government Funding Profitable - Early Years Insights

    Watch the video version on YouTube! . https://youtu.be/l5QDRYqrNMs . 🌟 How to Make Government Funding Profitable - Early Years Insights 🌟 Join Kathy Leatherbarrow and Lucy Lewin, CEO of The Profitable Nursery Academy, for a masterclass in nursery economics. Lucy tackles the sector's biggest "taboo" - making government-funded hours actually pay. Lucy shares her strategy for navigating the entitlement expansion, moving away from emotional decision-making and towards a data-driven "Portfolio Economics" model that has led her to her highest revenue months on record. Key Discussion Points: Portfolio Economics: Stop isolating age groups. Review ratios across your entire setting to unlock true economies of scale.The Cost Per Hour Challenge: Get honest about your data. Divide bank debits by hours sold to find your real operational costs.The 55% Staffing Rule: Protect your profit margins. Ensure staffing costs never exceed 55% of turnover to fix inefficient rotas. Guest: Lucy Lewin – CEO of The Profitable Nursery Academy. Find Lucy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-lewin-75217461/ Host: Kathy Leatherbarrow – Early Years Consultant at Eden Training Solutions. Connect With Us: Learn more at www.eden-ts.com #EarlyYearsInsights #NurseryFinance #LucyLewin #ChildcareFunding #EarlyYearsLeadership #GenZWorkforce #EYFS #NurseryManagement #EdenTrainingSolutions

    How to Make Government Funding Profitable - Early Years Insights

  5. Mar 24

    Creating Sustainable Early Years Businesses with The Profitable Nursery Academy - Early Years Insights

    Watch the video version on YouTube! . https://youtu.be/ik2N3ZlAxzM . Creating Sustainable Early Years Businesses with The Profitable Nursery Academy - Early Years Insights Join Kathy Leatherbarrow and Lucy Lewin, CEO of The Profitable Nursery Academy, for a raw and insightful discussion on the business of early years. Lucy shares her lived experience of moving from the brink of bankruptcy to building a thriving, sustainable nursery by shifting from a "heart-led" to a "data-driven" mindset. Key Discussion Points: Profit is Not a Profanity: Breaking the misconception that high-quality pedagogy and a healthy bank account are mutually exclusive.Selling Hours, Not Care: A "blinding flash of the obvious"—realising that the actual sellable commodity in a nursery is time, not "care".Head Over Heart: Why leaders must step out of their hearts and into their heads to build solid foundations that allow teams and children to thrive.The 55% Revenue Rule: Implementing a game-changing metric where staffing costs should ideally represent 50% to 55% of turnover.Guest: Lucy Lewin - The Profitable Nursery Academy CEO. Host: Kathy Leatherbarrow – Early Years Consultant at Eden Training Solutions. Connect With Us: Share your experiences with us at www.eden-ts.com #EarlyYearsInsights #ProfitableNurseryAcademy #NurseryBusiness #EarlyYearsLeadership #SustainableChildcare #EYFS #NurseryManagement #EdenTrainingSolutions

    Creating Sustainable Early Years Businesses with The Profitable Nursery Academy - Early Years Insights

  6. Feb 24

    Continuous and Enhanced Provision with Nursery Nook - Early Years Insights

    Watch the video version on YouTube! . https://youtu.be/PDLShRgDHNg . Continuous and Enhanced Provision with Nursery Nook - Early Years Insights Join Kathy Leatherbarrow and James Tunnell (Nursery Nook) as they continue to discuss the technical bridge between continuous and enhanced provision. James shares how to move learning forward by building on the familiar and understanding schematic play. Key Discussion Points: Familiarity First: Why resources must mirror home tools to help children transfer skills.The Topic Trap: Why rigid themes (like the "superhero box") can limit engagement and lead to wasted time.The 5-Question Framework: How to enhance play by changing just one variable: Why, What, Doing, Where, or Who.Decoding Schemes: Identifying natural behaviours like "dabbing" or throwing as essential learning patterns.Narrating Play: Replacing constant questioning with "narrating the ether" to build vocabulary in context. Guest: James Tunnell – Director at Nursery Nook. Instagram: @nurserynook Host: Kathy Leatherbarrow – Early Years Consultant at Eden Training Solutions. Connect With Us: Share your experiences with us at www.eden-ts.com #EarlyYearsInsights #NurseryNook #ContinuousProvision #SchematicPlay #EYFS #PlayBasedLearning #EarlyYearsInsights #EdenTrainingSolutions

    Continuous and Enhanced Provision with Nursery Nook - Early Years Insights

  7. Jan 23

    Connection Beyond the Curriculum - Early Years Insights

    Watch the video version on YouTube! . https://youtu.be/GdlT5utmj_M . Connection Beyond the Curriculum - Early Years Insights In this episode, join host Kathy Leatherbarrow for a deeply practical and inspiring conversation with James Tunnell, Director of Nursery Nook. The discussion centres on the idea that connection is the foundation of all learning; if we don’t have a relationship with a child, we cannot effectively teach them. James shares his insights on shifting from "activity-led" planning to following the natural rhythms of play. Key Discussion Points: Connection Over Curriculum: A deep dive into why relationships must come first. If children don't want to be with you, the impact of your curriculum will be limited.The COVID Generation: Discussing the "misshaped foundation blocks" of children who missed out on early social interactions and how settings must work to fill these social gaps.Valuing Uninterrupted Play: Why children need at least 30 minutes to reach a state of "flow" and why adults should act as "satellites"—helpful and nearby, but not interrupting the work of the child.Guest James Tunnell – Director at Nursery Nook. Follow James on Instagram @nurserynook for daily practical strategies and "bite-sized" CPD.Host Kathy Leatherbarrow – Early Years Consultant at Eden Training Solutions.How to Connect We'd love to hear your thoughts on what 'Connection Beyond the Curriculum' looks like in your setting. Connect with us on social media or visit our website to share your experiences: www.eden-ts.com #EarlyYearsInsights #EdenTrainingSolutions #NurseryNook #ConnectionBeforeCurriculum #ChildLedLearning #EarlyYearsCPD #ContinuousProvision #PlayBasedLearning #ChildhoodDevelopment #EYFS

    Connection Beyond the Curriculum - Early Years Insights

  8. 12/16/2025

    Developing 'Key Adults' within Your Staff Team - Early Years Insights

    Watch the video version on YouTube! . https://youtu.be/DLUfz56rSzI . Developing 'Key Adults' within Your Staff Team - Early Years Insights In this insightful episode, join your host Kathy Leatherbarrow as she continues the conversation with Laura Salmon (Head of Early Years at Banana Moon Franchise) and Natalie Healy (Head of Operations at Banana Moon Franchise Support Office) to explore the evolution of leadership and staff development within the Early Years sector. This discussion moves beyond traditional management models to focus on empowering practitioners, creating a nurturing internal environment, and managing the complexities of running a successful childcare business. Key Discussion Points: Evolving Leadership: Moving from a "dictatorial" style to a modern, nurturing approach focused on guiding staff potential.The 'Key Adults' Model: Treating staff as "key adults" whose careers and next steps must be nurtured individually, mirroring child support.Individualised Management: Managers must constantly check-in and adapt their style to manage staff the way they prefer, not the way the manager prefers.Fairness and Flexibility: Navigating the complex balance of offering flexible arrangements to individuals while maintaining equality and avoiding internal workplace issues.Empowering Managers: Launching a Training Academy provides CPD and confidence for often younger managers to deliver training and develop their leadership skills. Guests: Natalie Healey - Head of Operations at Banana Moon Franchise Support OfficeLaura Salmon - Head of Early Years at Banana Moon Franchise Support Office Host: Kathy Leatherbarrow - Early Years Consultant at Eden Training Solutions Connect with us on social media or send us an email to share your experiences and insights: www.eden-ts.com #EarlyYearsInsights #EdenTrainingSolutions #EarlyYearsLeadership #KeyAdults #StaffDevelopment #NurseryManagement #ChildcareBusiness #FranchiseSupport #TeamNurturing #CPDforManagers #WorkplaceFlexibility #EarlyYearsCommunity Thank you for listening to "Early Years Insights." Stay tuned for more essential discussions in early childhood development.

    Developing 'Key Adults' within Your Staff Team - Early Years Insights
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About

Introduction : Welcome to “Early Years Insights,” a podcast hosted by Kathy Leatherbarrow from Eden Training Solutions. In this podcast, Kathy explores various topics related to early years education and apprenticeships. Through insightful interviews with guests from diverse industries, the show aims to provide valuable insights and perspectives on the early years sector. About the Host: Kathy Leatherbarrow is a seasoned professional in the field of early years education and apprenticeships. With her extensive experience and expertise, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the podcast. Kathy’s passion for empowering individuals in the early years sector is evident in her engaging discussions and thought-provoking conversations with industry experts. Podcast Format: “Early Years Insights” features in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics relevant to early years education and apprenticeships. Each episode delves into key topics, trends, and best practices within the industry. The format includes engaging interviews with professionals, educators, and leaders who share their valuable insights and experiences. Key Topics: The podcast covers a diverse array of topics, including but not limited to: Early childhood developmentEducational philosophies and approachesApprenticeship programs in the early years sectorInnovative teaching methodsRegulatory updates and complianceCareer pathways and professional development opportunitiesGuest Interviews: Kathy Leatherbarrow invites esteemed guests from various related industries to share their expertise on the podcast. These guests include influential figures, educators, policymakers, and professionals who offer unique perspectives and valuable insights into the early years sector. Audience Engagement: Listeners are encouraged to actively engage with the podcast by sharing their thoughts, questions, and feedback. The show fosters a sense of community among early years professionals, educators, students, and anyone passionate about early childhood education. Please visit www.eden-ts.com to find out more! Conclusion: “Early Years Insights” is a must-listen podcast for anyone involved or interested in the early years sector. With its informative content, engaging interviews, and thought-provoking discussions, the show serves as a valuable resource for staying updated on key developments within early years education and apprenticeships.

Information

  • Creator
    Kathy Leatherbarrow
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Eden Training Solutions 2024
  • Show Website
    Early Years Insights

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