The Voice of Early Childhood5 Touko 2025

Advocating for two-year-olds

More school-based nursery provision has been initiated within schools as part of the UK Government's focus on early years. In this podcast episode we discuss concerns around school-based nurseries, mindful care, respectful sleep spaces, ethical pedagogy, Schoolification, knowledgeable adults, nurturing and collaborative approaches…

We also ask the pertinent questions:

- Are schools ready for two-year-olds?

- How can we collaborate to best support two-year-olds in any setting?

- Are we aware of our own moral stances and consider ethical practices?

- Where IS the best place for two-year-olds?

Read Cassie's article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/advocating-for-two-year-olds

Download the free guides: 'Ready for twos' and 'All about twos' –

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/advocating-for-two-year-olds-guides/

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:

Early years curriculum: Provision for two-year-olds by Charlotte Norman:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-curriculum-provision-for-2-year-olds/

Get in touch and share your thoughts:

Do you have thoughts, questions or feedback? Get in touch here! – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome!
02:20 – Why is there currently a big focus on two-year-olds?
05:50 – The 'schoolification' of early years
07:20 – Is it appropriate for two-year-olds to be in schools?
10:10 – How can schools be ready for two-year-olds?
16:00 – A nurturing and collaborative approach
20:30 – Risks of becoming a fragmented sector
21:30 – Local networks and Stronger Practice Hubs
26:00 – The importance of 'thinking time' and slowing down
27:00 – Reaching out to local settings and arranging visits
36:00 – Ethical practice and political advocacy
38:45 – Episode summary
39:50 – Free downloadable guides on working with two-year-olds
40:50 – Provision for two-year-olds project: Further listening/reading

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

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