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September 5, 2026
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Looking back and looking forwards

During the summer break I found myself reflecting deeply on my professional learning journey during the last academic year, helping me to consolidate my plans for the autumn term....

July 10, 2026
Joanne Hall (Staff)
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When Is an Activity Finished?

At first glance it was just a floor puzzle. Looking back, it became something much more. One day this week, we spent over an hour completing a large Peppa...

June 7, 2026
Joanne Hall (Staff)
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Oranges, Whiteboards and Keeping Mathematics Simple

Starting with a story… This week reminded me again how much mathematics can emerge from the simplest of resources. Our planned curriculum book was Baby Goes to Market. As...

May 10, 2026
Joanne Hall (Staff)
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When Print Becomes Visual Wallpaper 📜

💭Imagine you are two years old… You walk into your early years setting and everywhere around you are labels, banners, instructions and invitations to play. But you cannot yet...

April 25, 2026
Joanne Hall (Staff)
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A Simple Curriculum Thread: Revisiting Growth Through Story, Play and Making…

Jasper’s Beanstalk At Little Explorers, a shared story often becomes the thread that holds the week together. This week, Jasper’s Beanstalk gave us a clear starting point for exploring...

March 14, 2026
Joanne Hall (Staff)
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🪨 When a Story Escapes the Book: The Grumpy Old Stone at Little Explorers

At Little Explorers, shared stories often become much more than a reading activity. When time is taken to stay with a text, children begin to notice details, ask questions...

February 27, 2026
Joanne Hall (Staff)
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The Four Guiding Principles of the EYFS: Why They Matter More Than We Sometimes Realise.

The Four Guiding Principles of the EYFS: Why They Matter More Than We Sometimes Realise. I still remember sitting in a secondary school hall in 2008 during early EYFS...

January 27, 2026
Joanne Hall (Staff)
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When We Stopped Looking for the Camera and Let Learning Take Over…

When the camera went quiet, the learning got louder. This month, we made a deliberate decision to step back from routine photography. Not because photographs are wrong, and not...

December 26, 2025
Joanne Hall (Staff)
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Curriculum in the Ordinary: Measuring Impact Through What Children Do, Say and Remember

At Little Explorers, we continually evaluate our curriculum through its impact. Our practice has always been rooted in strong relationships, responsive teaching and high expectations; however, more recently, we...

November 27, 2025
Joanne Hall (Staff)
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Reflecting on What Children Need: How Simple, Responsive Days Are Shaping Our Practice

Looking Inwards at Our Practice. Over recent months, we have been reflecting deeply on what our children truly need in this post-Covid landscape. Like many early years settings, we...