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As settings are being more eco-conscious, as well as managing reduced budgets, we need to look for alternative ways to set up and maintain a supply of free resources.  One way of doing this is to set up a recycle and reuse scheme for parents and carers.  Encourage them to save items they might usually consider throwing away, ready to use in the setting. 

A positive to come out of the time many of us had to stay at home during lockdown was the way in which we became more connected and tuned in to nature.  Social media was flooded with images of vegetable plots, wildlife in the garden, blooming flowers, budding trees and food cooked with homegrown produce.  Now that we find ourselves living with COVID, rather than post-COVID, it is a good time to refocus on our environment, not just at home but in settings and schools too.

For more than 50 years, the Pritt glue stick has made crafting easier in homes, schools and offices around the world. Since being invented in 1969, Pritt has adapted to support crafting in 121 countries: whether this be through Pritt’s roller range, creative coloured sticks or the iconic glue sticks.

As an experienced leader in a multi-brand organisation, Andy joins the Group with an exceptional track record in the education industry. Andy’s career spans UK and US private sector, private equity and owner-entrepreneur businesses with strong strands of growth strategy and transformation throughout.

Many settings and schools are now looking to Forest School as a way to enhance their outdoor provision and opportunities for children’s play and learning.  However, it’s important to remember that Forest School is not merely outdoor learning.  Both have distinct advantages for play, development and wellbeing but are not the same.  Forest School is an approach to engaging with the outdoors, led by a trained Forest School leader.  Its ethos is built on the holistic experience of the child, led by the child, for the child.  

Often, January is a time for reflection and making plans. Time for Nurseries consider the coming year, setting objectives and mapping out the spring and summer terms.  However, things are much different this year, making it more of a challenge to look ahead.  It is difficult to predict what might be happening next month, let alone the remainder of the year. This can make it challenging for nurseries to think ahead, in a time which is still incredibly uncertain.  There is no way of knowing if COVID will impact further on the Early Years sector and how.  Although the current circumstances means it will be difficult to plan, it’s still important to reflect on our provision and practice and use this to feed into the coming months. 

No-one would argue that 2020 wasn’t our usual year, with many challenges faced by all of us. In schools, we dealt with many additional responsibilities which normally lie alongside, but not within, our remit. With the dawn of a new year, will our focus be the same?

At KCS, we are passionate about making sure the world is a better place for our children. We know how important it is to look after our environment and to ensure that we are not having a negative impact on the world around us. During the pandemic, many of our staff have been working from home which has reduced carbon emissions significantly because we're no longer commuting. There are plans for this to stay in place even once the pandemic restrictions are over.

There’s no denying that it’s been a most challenging year for Early Years settings and schools.  Now we’re heading into the festive season, we all want to celebrate with the children, to make this Christmas one to remember.  However, restrictions are going to somewhat limit the way we enjoy these coming weeks.  That doesn’t mean we can’t have fun – it just means we might have to think creatively in order to ensure we all remain safe.

Having to live with the restrictions imposed by COVID has required us to reevaluate how children learn. With lower transmission rates outdoors, and greater ability to naturally socially distance, outdoor learning is really taking off.