This Friday 26th Sept! Starting Strong: Nurturing School Readiness the Child Centred Way eBook is just £6 🌱✨ A must-read for anyone passionate about child-centred practice & play. 👉 Don’t miss out! www.lulu.com/shop/aaron-b... #StartingStrong #EarlyYears #PlayMatters

House of Commons nursery provider criticised for article praising Reform conference www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

📚 2026 is the year my full Starting Strong mini series will be out! The 2nd book in the series, Moments of Meaning: Reflective Practice in Early Years Education, arrives in February 2026. Excited to share more soon! 🌱✨ #StartingStrongSeries #EarlyYears #ReflectivePractice

Excited to share my book: Starting Strong: Nurturing School Readiness the Child Centred Way ✨ A call to reframe “school readiness” as a nurturing, play-based, and relationship-led journey. Available now 👉 www.early-years-reviews.com/copy-of-publ... #EarlyYears #SchoolReadiness #PlayMatters

🚀 37,000 downloads! 🚀 Play Matters is spreading far and wide — proving that play really is at the heart of childhood. 💛 Thank you to everyone championing play. Together we’re making a difference. 🙌 Download your copy here www.early-years-reviews.com/play-matters #PlayMatters #EarlyYears

🚨 You heard it here first! Something new is coming… Early Childhood England (ECE). ✨ Change begins when we come together. 👉 Want to know more? You’ll only find out in our WhatsApp group: whatsapp.com/channel/0029... #EarlyChildhood #Policy #ChildrenAndFamilies #Collaboration

New report out: Play, Policy and Power (Bradbury & Hare, 2025) It shows how play in early childhood has been sidelined by policy, accountability & “school readiness” agendas – and why reclaiming play is both ethical & political. 👉 Download here: www.early-years-reviews.com/copy-of-publ...

🌟 Excited to be delivering a @kinderly webinar: The Child in the Now 🌟 📅 Wed 10 Sept, 8pm (UK) 🌱 Exploring relational pedagogy & supporting children in their present moment. 💻 Join for just £5 👉 kinderly.co.uk/event/dr-aar... #EarlyYears #Childhood

🚨 Launching Friday 5th Sept! Play, Policy & Power: A Systematic Literature Review of Early Childhood Education in England (2025) by @AaronEarlyYears & Meredith Hare. 📖 Free download via Early Years Reviews. #PlayMatters #EarlyYears #Policy

I’m old enough to remember the DFE’s first foray, ‘desirable outcomes.’ Advisory& non-statutory, they seemed reasonable. Now, 30 years later we have turned milestones into monolithic inspected targets. As @ruthswailes.bsky.social & @aaronearlyyears.bsky.social point out here, this is dysfunctional.

As the focus on GLD increases, @aaronearlyyears.bsky.social and I share some thoughts on the potential pitfalls of setting national targets for very young children. www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/feat...

Children are not percentages, GLD should reflect growth, not just numbers. Let’s rethink how we measure early development. www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/feat... #ChildrenNotPercentages #EYFS #GLD

Early Years Children are not checklists. They are individuals, brimming with potential, right here and right now. That’s my post, that’s it #EarlyYears

I'm thrilled to be speaking at Nursery World's 'Best Beginnings: The power of early years to equip children for school' conference on November 4th! I encourage you all to register and join us for a day of inspiration and collaboration. earlyyearstoschool.com/live/en/page...

🚨 Out Today! 🚨 The 2nd Edition of Early Childhood Theories Today 💡 Updated insights 🧠 Fresh perspectives ✨ Practical for every practitioner Enjoy 25% off with code SAGEAUTH25 at sagepub.com, ebooks.com & woodslane.com.au

Passionate about early years? Help shape the future of non-statutory guidance. 📝 Project Lead – Birth to 5 Matters (part-time, fixed-term) 🌱 Lead the national review 📍 Apply now: early-education.org.uk/project-lead... #EarlyYears #BirthTo5Matters #EYFS #EarlyEducation #PlayMatters

More men in early years: Why we need to move beyond the ‘male role model’ narrative www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/opin...

📚✨ They’ve arrived! The brand new 2nd Edition of Early Childhood Theories Today edited by Ruth Swailes and I is here! Updated, relevant & ready to inspire early childhood practice. 💜 #EarlyYears #EarlyChildhood #Education

🚨 This Sept: Early Years Reviews CONNECT launches, a grassroots coalition led by real professionals, parents & carers. No more closed circles. No more favours. Just real action. ✅ Raise voices ✅ Sign letters ✅ Lobby for change 📢 Free to join. Coming soon. #EYRConnect #PlayMatters

I’m speaking at Best Beginnings on 4 Nov in London! My session: Nurturing School Readiness Through Play, exploring how play supports emotional, social & cognitive growth. Let’s put children, not systems, at the heart of readiness. 💬 Join us 👉 earlyyearstoschool.com

📚 Over 230 copies sold! Starting Strong is making waves, thank you for supporting a truly child-centred approach to school readiness. 💛 Get your copy 👉 www.lulu.com/shop/aaron-b... #EarlyYears #ChildCentred #StartingStrong #PlayMatters

Early Years educators & play champions! Join the Outstanding Early Years Conference by @in2playCIC on 4 Sept in Hastings. 🌱 Outdoor learning 🎒 Child-led practice 🤝 Real CPD for real-world children 🎟️ Book now: www.in2play.org.uk/outstanding-... #EarlyYears #PlayMatters #ChildCentred #CPD #Hastings

Are our systems truly meeting the needs of our youngest children, or are they shaped by policy, convenience & funding? Where is the child in all this? They need love. They need play. They need people who understand children, not data. #WhereIsTheChild #EarlyYears #PlayMatters

🚨 Coming soon… Joyous Journeys 🚨 Ruth Swailes and I are developing a NEW early childhood curriculum — child-centred, nurturing, and ambitious for all children from birth to five. ✨ Watch this space! Website launching soon. #EarlyYears #JoyousJourneys #EYFS #ChildCentred #PlayMatters

📣 One Day Only – Friday 18th July! My book Starting Strong: Nurturing School Readiness the Child-Centred Way will be available for just £5, that’s half price for one day only! This offer ends at midnight on the 18th. www.lulu.com/shop/aaron-b...

✨ Over 200 booked! ✨ I’m now closing registrations for my FREE webinar: “Developing a Child-Centred Approach Through Love, Nurture and Play” Thank you to everyone who signed up – I can’t wait to see you on Tues 9th Sept, 7pm 💛 #EarlyYears #PlayMatters #ChildCentred #EYWebinar

Our Early Years Reviews letter has been sent today, emailed and posted, to Bridget Phillipson MP (Sec of State for Education) and cc’d to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Thank you to everyone who added their voice, over 900 of you. #EarlyYears #EYR

📮 Tomorrow I post 2 copies of our open letter, one to Bridget Phillipson, one to the Prime Minister. Over 908 voices from across the early years sector have signed in solidarity. We are united in our call for change to policy. #EarlyYearsMatter #PlayLoveVoice #PolicyChange

✨ It was a real privilege to deliver a Play Matters session for the National Education Union @NEUnion this evening, alongside passionate advocates for play in Early Years and Key Stage 1. We explored why play isn’t just important, it’s essential. For learning, wellbeing and joy

📣 Last chance to sign! Today’s the final day to add your name to the open letter calling for a rethink on early years policy. ✍️ Sign here: forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon... #PlayMatters #EarlyYearsMatter #LetTheChildrenPlay

25% OFF! Some of my books on nurture & child-centred early years practice and theories are now discounted with SAGE! Use code SAGEAUTH25 at: 🔹 sagepub.com 🔹 ebooks.com 🔹 woodsLane.com.au Let’s keep championing what matters 💛 #EarlyYears #EYFS

Two versions of “school readiness.” ⬅️ One demands stillness, silence, no joy. ➡️ The other is playful, loving, colourful, child-centred. I know which one I’d choose. Which one would you? #PlayMatters #SchoolReadiness #LetThemPlay #EarlyYears #ChildDevelopment

600 signatures We’re calling for a balanced, evidence-informed early years policy that puts children’s rights, play and expertise at the ❤️of practice. 📣 Please sign and share widely across your networks, the more voices, the stronger the message. forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...

We’re calling on Bridget Phillipson to rethink approach to early years. Children need play, not pressure. The science is clear, school readiness shouldn’t come at the cost of child development. 🖊️ Sign the open letter: forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon... #PlayMatters #RethinkEarlyYears

We’re calling on Bridget Phillipson to rethink approach to early years. Children need play, not pressure. The science is clear, school readiness shouldn’t come at the cost of child development. 🖊️ Sign the open letter: forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon... #PlayMatters #RethinkEarlyYears

Every child needs play. It’s not a luxury. It’s how children learn, grow, and thrive. But play is being locked away, by policy, pressure, and politics. Let’s change that. 📢 Share this. 🧱 Use the hashtag #PlayMatters ✊ Voice for early childhood. #EarlyYears

Bridget Phillipson, the image may look playful, but the message is serious. You’re being ill-advised on early learning. Play isn’t soft. It is learning. Children show writing, maths & thinking skills through play. So don’t take play away. Come & observe it. #PlayMatters

GLD was never meant to be high-stakes. Yet 75% became a target, not a tool. Child development isn’t linear. It’s messy, magical, and personal. Let’s stop using GLD to judge, and start using it to understand and support. #EarlyYears #GLD #PlayMatters #LetThemBeLittle

New in @NurseryWorld: I explore the contradictions in the govt’s Best Start in Life strategy. Family Hubs = nurturing ✅ School readiness = data-driven ❌ 👀 Read here: nurseryworld.co.uk/content/opinio…#EarlyYearsr#PlayMattersr#BestStartInLifef#StartingStrongng

I’m pleased to be featured alongside 27 other voices in the 2025 ‘The ABC of Nursery Management’ guide from @Connect_group. Read my thoughts on N is for Nurture and Love Matter and get your free copy today: tinyurl.com/2jsebcwk

Play Matters. More than ever. Over 25,000 downloads and counting. That’s not just a number, it’s a message. The sector is speaking. We’re choosing PLAY. We’re choosing CHILDREN. 🟡 Download it here: www.early-years-reviews.com/play-matters #PlayMatters #EarlyYears #ChildCentred #LetThemPlay #EYFS

A bold ambition from the new government: 🎯 75% of children to reach a good level of development by age 5 by 2028. The Best Start in Life strategy puts early years front and centre, now we need action, funding, and trust in the profession. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/686bd6...

Early Years Educators, We Need You! We’re exploring how play is used, valued & supported in practice across the UK. Your voice matters in our new research: #PLAY2025 📝 🕐 10 mins 📍 For all EY professionals in the UK 🔗 Take part now: app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/northampto... #EarlyYears

2 places left Book here forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...

Children growing up in our country deserve the best start in life. Building on the legacy of Sure Start, we’re opening Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority. That’s the difference Labour makes. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

🎉 NEW! Early Years Alliance My Play, My Way podcast episode is now live on YouTube, as part of the National Week of Play 2025. Watch now: m.youtube.com/watch?v=W7xp... #PlayWeek2025

📢 FREE WEBINAR 🗓️ Tuesday 9th September 🕖 7pm – 7:45pm How can we centre love, nurture and play in a system driven by targets? Join me on developing a child-centred approach in the EYs 👶 Let’s protect play 💬 Prioritise relationships 📚 Champion wellbeing forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...

More school readiness messaging this week, but let’s pause: “Are we harming children by pushing them to be ‘ready’ in ways that ignore who they are and how they grow?” The truth? In some cases, yes. Why carry on with what hasn’t worked? There are different ways, rooted in play, love and trust.

Dive into the world of 'Starting Strong through Play with myself! Join our engaging webinar on early years play and development, Thursday 10 July. Sign up now! 👇 www.training.bright-futures.co.uk/courses/webi...

🎓 Finishing your Level 5 Apprenticeship in Early Years? Turn it into a degree, fully online, flexible, & built for working professionals. 📚 BA (Hons) Childhood & Education Studies (Top-Up) 🖥️ 100% online ✅ Apply now: www.ntu.ac.uk/course/mansf... #EarlyYears #TopUpDegree #Level5toDegree