@paulwaughmp.bsky.social As I start my leave today, I’ve spent the morning emailing Paul Waugh and Lucy Powell. I want to see children, play, relationships, belonging and wellbeing placed at the heart of policy. More in my article out next week

A bit of fun on a Tuesday evening. Could you imagine if this actually happened? 😂 Being appointed as Minister for Play Imagine putting play, joy, relationships and childhood at the heart of government policy. Now that would be something worth getting excited about. A person can dream! 🎈

There has been a lot of positive change in early childhood over the past few years. But one measure still needs to go: the Good Level of Development. It’s time to stop chasing a number and start asking whether children are truly thriving. #EarlyYears #ChildhoodFirst

Today I posted an open letter to the Prime Minister. Not a letter of criticism, but one of hope. It’s time to place early childhood at the heart of government. If we truly want to transform Britain, we must begin with our youngest children. #EarlyYears #EarlyChildhood

Get hold of your copy of the 2nd Edition of Birth to Five Matters free download here: birthto5matters.org.uk/wp-content/u...

www.early-years-reviews.com/post/andy-bu...

Andy Burnham Must Move Beyond Neoliberalism if He Wants to Transform Early Childhood

By Aaron BradburyAndy Burnham Must Move Beyond Neoliberalism if He Wants to Transform Early ChildhoodIf Andy Burnham wants to become the next Leader of the Labour Party, he has an opportunity to redef...

early-years-reviews.com

📦 Just 1 day to go until Cardboard Box Day! Tomorrow, we’ll be celebrating something wonderfully simple: a cardboard box.

Can early childhood education be both joyful and ambitious? I’m joined by Alys Leighton-Rahman and Raj Ladva to explore joy, play, high expectations and why play and achievement should never be seen as opposites. 🎧 Listen now! #PlayMatters #EarlyYears #Play #ECEC open.spotify.com/episode/6CzN...

Play Talk Radio - Joy, Play and High Expectations with Raj Ladva and Alys Leighton-Rahman

Play Talk Radio · Episode

open.spotify.com

Play Matters Needs You! We’re looking for passionate professionals to help shape Play Matters Reimagined. If you believe in the power of play, we’d love you to join one of our working groups. Register your interest here 👇 forms.cloud.microsoft.com/Pages/Respon...

🚨 Speaker announcement! We’re delighted to welcome Greg Bottrill to the Play Matters Conference 2027. Join us for a day celebrating play, childhood and inspiring practice. 🎟️ Book your place: www.tickettailor.com/events/early...

Do you want a day of authentic discussion, early years pedagogy stooped in love and nurture approaches. Then come and book your early years training happening in Birmingham on the 9th October. See you there. Last remaining tickets available here. www.tickettailor.com/events/early...

Buy tickets – Love and Nurture Rating Scale Training – KADAMPA MEDITATION CENTRE BIRMINGHAM

Love and Nurture Rating Scale Training – KADAMPA MEDITATION CENTRE BIRMINGHAM, Fri 9 Oct 2026 - Love and Nurture Rating Scale Training With Dr Aaron BradburyFriday 9th October 2026 | 9:30am – 3:30pmKA...

tickettailor.com

Save the date! 🎉 The Play Matters Conference is officially happening on 12th June 2027 in Birmingham. Brought to you by Ruth Swailes and myself Tickets go live on 28th June 2026, and trust us, you’ll want to be ready. We’ve got an incredible line-up of speakers and big conversations.

Love and Nurture Rating Scale Training to Bham this October 💜 📅 Friday 9th October 2026 ⏰ 9:30am – 3:30pm 🍽 Lunch Included A day focused on relational pedagogy, nurture, meaningful interactions and emotionally responsive practice. 🎟 Book here: buytickets.at/earlyyearsre...

Early years stands at a crossroads. Yes, there are positive policy moves. But what’s happening in classrooms and settings tells a different story. We need courage to rethink the system, not just manage it. Read more 👇 nottinghaminstituteofeducation.wordpress.com/2026/04/14/r... #EarlyYears

Rethinking Early Years: Opportunity, Tension, and the Need for Courage

There is much to welcome in the current policy landscape. Commitments to family hubs, expanded childcare provision, and the introduction of breakfast clubs signal a clear intention to support child…

nottinghaminstituteofeducation.wordpress.com

What happens when early years educators believe in love & nurture… but feel they can’t fully show it? Particularly for men in the sector, authenticity can come at a cost. This is something we need to talk about. New blog👇 www.early-years-reviews.com/post/love-nu...

Love, Nurture and the Parts We Hide

By Dr. Aaron BradburyIt’s been happening more and more. A message here, an email there. Sometimes after a talk or a conference, sometimes quietly in the background, away from the noise of social media...

early-years-reviews.com

The smallest moments often matter the most. Moments of Meaning invites you to reflect, reconnect, and truly see the depth of your everyday practice. Want to explore the true meaning of connection? Get your copy now. www.lulu.com/shop/aaron-b... #EarlyYears #ReflectivePractice

Something simple. Something powerful. On 10 July 2026 we’re launching Play Matters: Cardboard Box Day No toys. No plans. Just boxes, imagination, and endless possibilities. Let’s show what play really looks like. More info coming soon on Early Years Reviews 👀 #PlayMatters #PlayMattersBoxDay

Tamsin Grimmer & I are now offering training on the Love & Nurture Rating Scale 🌱 Supporting teams to embed relational, nurturing practice at the heart of what they do. Available online or face-to-face. Get in touch to find out more. Email aaronearlyyears@outlook.com

We’ve been working on the refreshed Birth to 5 Matters guidance, expanding, clarifying, and adding new sections. Are we on the right track? Take a look and share your thoughts 👇 Draft: birthto5matters.org.uk/wp-content/u... Survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/QC5NPPB 🗓️ Closes 20 April 2026

Currently in Bangkok. That’s a wrap. This book belongs to the teachers, assistant teachers and children who brought it to life. Pure joy on every page. Bottling Joy in the Early Years, out June.

1 year. 60,000+ downloads. One message. This video says it better. To everyone who has read it, shared it, challenged it, and believed in it, thank you. 💛 This didn’t happen by chance. It happened because of you. www.early-years-reviews.com/playmatters #PlayMatters #EarlyYears #ChildhoodMatters

🚨MY POST TODAY 🚨 To the policymakers, just a reminder that the Early Years sector exists well beyond the M25. There’s a whole community of practitioners, leaders and researchers across the country shaping children’s lives every day. Have a great day.

🎙️ New Podcast Episode I recently joined Dr Karen Boardman to talk about Play Matters, why play must remain central to early childhood education and why protecting play is about protecting childhood. 🎧 Listen here: open.spotify.com/show/5Pq6MR2... #PlayMatters #EarlyYears

Stay connected with Early Years Reviews Join our WhatsApp Channel for: 🟡 Play resources 🟡 Early years news 🟡 Research and articles 🟡 New publications 👉 Join here whatsapp.com/channel/0029...

📣 New FREE resource for parents & carers Our Play Matters: Parents & Carers Guide explains how play supports learning, development, wellbeing and connection. Simple ideas. Real moments. Everyday play. Download here 👇 www.early-years-reviews.com/play-matters... #PlayMatters #EarlyYears

A powerful new paper examining educators’ experiences of Ofsted inspection has just been published. Drawing on 233 written submissions, it explores how inspection cultures shape professional practice, wellbeing and the realities of accountability. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Ofsted experiences: performing inspection and suicidal ideations

In this paper, we examine people’s experiences of Ofsted, the state school inspectorate in England. From thematic analysis of the 233 written submissions published by the Education Committee Parlia...

tandfonline.com

If We Really Believed in Article 31, We’d Be Doing Things Very Differently www.early-years-reviews.com/post/if-we-r...

If We Really Believed in Article 31, We’d Be Doing Things Very Differently

By Dr. Aaron BradburyUnited Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the right to res...

early-years-reviews.com

✨ Something new is coming… Play Matters introduces The Play Creatures 🌟 Spark. Root. Wobble. Three stories about curiosity, belonging and bravery, written for children, rooted in play. 📚 Coming Soon #PlayMatters #ThePlayCreatures #ChildrensBooks #ProtectPlay

📣 Out this week! The Play Matters: Parent and Carers Guide to Play 💛 Co-created with parents and carers, this short guide explains, in clear, simple language, why play matters and how everyday moments support children’s learning.

Ruth Swailes and I have been quietly developing: Joyous Journeys 🌿 A play-rich, relationship-centred curriculum with high expectations. ✨ Birth–2 ✨ 2–4 ✨ 5–7 Protecting childhood. Building strong foundations. Phase One pre-order soon. #JoyousJourneys #EarlyYears