It’s sometimes suggested that as adults we should develop altruism within our children. In an Observer article published in early May of 2014, psychotherapist and author Graham Music asserts that we're likely to be born big-hearted and kind. It is later we are…
Read More
Children’s writing has been affected in several detrimental ways over the past year, especially those children that have not had access to a laptop or consistent support at home. From our consultancy visits in schools and talking to teachers from…
Read More
An important ‘knowing’ in the mind of the very young child is the realisation that the world is bigger than they themselves are. Helping children to develop not just self-awareness but also empathy, the ability to self-regulate and the resilience…
Read More
We’ve enjoyed putting together this list: so many glorious books about all-things celebratory! Each title reflects experiences and perspectives of different festivals, special occasions and life-events with the ultimate goals of sparking joy from within and allowing children to explore…
Read More
With spring sprung, daylight-saving clock-changes and the lockdown restrictions easing, some of us are perhaps dreaming of the outdoors: yearning for adventure, travel or just a change of scene. And we can’t help but think that adventures this spring and…
Read More
A year on from the first national lockdown and it would be safe to say we have all learnt a thing or two about ourselves in the last twelve months. Some of those lessons will have been obvious (the benefits…
Read More
The topic of catch up and recovery is very much on our minds at the moment. We believe that for all children, we need to create points from which they can begin to regroup as learners, both within themselves as…
Read More
We write this on the eve of all children returning to school in England. As we have explored in previous blogs, the needs of children on return will be hugely varied depending on their experiences of home learning so far. It will be a very welcome change…
Read More
Mental Health Week this year was perhaps one of the most important mental health weeks we've had so far. Still in a full national lockdown, so many of us must be wondering how the children in our lives are faring:…
Read More
Many schools are really refining their online provision this term during lockdown and teachers are developing their internet-honed, tech-savvy pedagogical prowess. And, if the teaching of spelling has slipped down a notch or two on the priority list, now be…
Read More
Following the reading by Amanda Gorman of her poem, The Hill We Climb last week at the inauguration of Joe Biden, we have been both moved and inspired. Gorman - America's first ever youth poet laureate, spoke to both hearts and…
Read More
I made my husband watch Bridgerton recently. It’s not his genre, let’s be clear. There were no spaceships and no apocalyptic warnings. There were no elves and portals to other worlds. However, it was set in the past and history…
Read More
As the country moves into its third lockdown, we have been again reading the beautiful, moving poem The Great Realisation by Tomos Roberts and beautifully illustrated by Nomoco. If you haven’t heard it already (or even if you have) and you’re in…
Read More
It’s usually at this time of year that we think about the year that we might have ahead. Well, given all that’s gone before in a difficult and extraordinary year that is finally almost behind us, perhaps thinking ahead too…
Read More
Every year, we ask our team to pick their favourite books (Christmassy or otherwise) and to talk about who they will be gifting them to, as part of our Christmas Bibliotherapy. This year, however, whilst there is the usual helping…
Read More
For the first year since we can remember, we are faced with having to make decisions about what children can or can’t do based upon experiences that we do – or don’t – know they might have had whilst at…
Read More
6 Tips... Whether it be for fictional or non-fictional purposes, writing is a creative process and, like any other creative process, it can be frustrating – infuriating at times – but ultimately joyful and gratifying. We want children to enjoy…
Read More
Themes of heroism often feature in children’s literature. But what of the everyday hero? What about the sort of character - often the underdog – who has such a strong sense of self and self-belief that they recognise that they…
Read More
