215 - The New Planning Call: What’s Changing, What Matters, and How to Shine!
Release Date: 12/01/2025
222 - What Safeguarding Looks Like When It's Working Well (And How To Tell When It Isn't)
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
Does your safeguarding feel embedded into practice on a daily basis, or does it only spring into action when you get the call? Many early years leaders worry that if safeguarding feels stressful or fragile, they’ve “missed something,” when often the real issue is culture, not commitment. This episode speaks directly to that tension, helping you recognise whether safeguarding in your setting is proactive, confident and child-centred, or quietly drifting into risky territory without anyone noticing. By listening to this episode, you will: Learn how to spot the real signs of strong...
info_outline
221 - In The New Inspection Toolkit: What Do Barriers To Learning Look Like
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
How confidently could you explain where barriers to learning sit across every area of the inspection toolkit? Under the new inspection toolkit, barriers to learning are interwoven throughout, they run through leadership, safeguarding, inclusion, curriculum, behaviour, and wellbeing. Many settings are doing the right things but not connecting the dots in a way that shows clear understanding and intent. This episode helps you reframe everyday practice through the toolkit, so barriers become visible, meaningful, and easier to explain with confidence. Within this episode, you will learn... ...
info_outline
220 - What Do Barriers To Learning Mean?
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
Have you ever wondered why some children seem unable to engage in learning before it’s even begun, even when your provision feels strong? This episode speaks directly to a challenge many early years leaders and practitioners are facing right now: understanding what “barriers to learning” really means under inclusion. If inspections, audits, or day-to-day practice are leaving you questioning whether you’re truly identifying and removing these barriers, this conversation helps you reframe inclusion beyond labels and see what might be getting in the way for children in your setting....
info_outline
219 - The One Place Inspectors Look That Most Settings Forget!
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
When was the last time you looked at your website or Facebook page through the eyes of an inspector or a parent? If inspections, first impressions, or parent confidence are on your mind, this episode speaks directly to the hidden risks sitting on outdated websites, old policies, forgotten social media pages, and missed feedback opportunities, areas many settings assume are “fine” until they become a problem. Within this episode, you will... Learn how inspectors research your setting before they arrive—and what they notice first. Discover simple ways to audit your website, policies,...
info_outline
218 - Belonging Begins with Courage
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
What if our word for 2026, Belong, was only possible because of the courage we built in 2025? In this studio conversation, we reflect on why Belong became our word of the year and how last year’s focus on Courage gave us the confidence to step outside our comfort zones, challenge old thinking, and truly own our space. It’s an honest look at how growth, emotions, and reflection have shaped who we are, together. In this episode, you will... Understand why courage had to come before belonging Hear how our reflections, risks, and experiences led us to choose Belong Gain...
info_outline
217 - The Courage to Change: Behind the Scenes of Our Bravest Year Yet
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
What does a full year of choosing courage actually look like behind the scenes? In this episode, we reflect honestly on the risks we took, the fears we pushed through, and the moments we nearly talked ourselves out of big decisions, the kind of courage that doesn’t look flashy, but quietly changes everything. Within this episode, you will... Get a real, unfiltered look at the decisions that shaped our year A powerful insight into how courage shows up in everyday leadership, not just big moments A perspective that helps you reflect on your own year with kindness and clarity Hit play...
info_outline
216 - Supporting Every Child's Voice, The Importance of The Environment
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
How confident are you that your early years environment is truly supporting children’s speech and language development, especially for those who communicate in different ways? In this episode, Vanessa explores new research that examines how the structure, quality and consistency of early years environments influence children’s communication. If you’re aiming to improve interactions, support non-verbal communicators, or strengthen the way your team uses total communication approaches, this conversation will help you reflect on current practice and identify meaningful improvements. Within...
info_outline
215 - The New Planning Call: What’s Changing, What Matters, and How to Shine!
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
Are you fully prepared for what really happens during the new Ofsted planning call? With the inspection framework shifting towards a more collaborative, observation-focused process, many providers are unsure what information to share, how to structure that initial call, and how to confidently shine rather than panic. This episode breaks down exactly what you need to know so you can step into your next inspection with clarity instead of overwhelm. Within this episode, you will... - Learn the key questions inspectors now ask on the planning call and how to answer them with confidence. -...
info_outline
214 - Teamwork To Make The Dream Work
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
Do you ever feel like miscommunication or a lack of teamwork is holding your nursery team back from being at its best? In busy Early Years settings, where everyone’s juggling endless tasks, it’s easy for teamwork to break down and for communication to feel like a game of Chinese whispers. This episode explores how to strengthen your team dynamic, whether you manage a large nursery or a small, close-knit group, so that everyone feels heard, valued, and motivated. Within this episode, you will... Discover how understanding your team’s “love languages” can transform morale and...
info_outline
213 - Belonging for All: How to Bring Inclusion to Life in Your Nursery
Get Inspection Ready - For Early Years Nurseries and Preschools to Finally Feel Confident for Ofsted!
Are you sure every child in your setting truly feels like they belong, or could some be getting unintentionally overlooked? With inclusion now forming one of the seven evaluation areas in the updated inspection toolkit, inspectors will no longer take your word for it; they’ll want to see how you’re identifying needs, adapting practice, and ensuring every child is actively involved and thriving. Within this episode, you will... Explore what genuine inclusion looks like in everyday practice, far beyond policies and paperwork. Take away realistic ways to adapt your routines,...
info_outlineAre you fully prepared for what really happens during the new Ofsted planning call?
With the inspection framework shifting towards a more collaborative, observation-focused process, many providers are unsure what information to share, how to structure that initial call, and how to confidently shine rather than panic. This episode breaks down exactly what you need to know so you can step into your next inspection with clarity instead of overwhelm.
Within this episode, you will...
- Learn the key questions inspectors now ask on the planning call and how to answer them with confidence.
- Understand how to showcase your curriculum's intent clearly and connect it to your ethos and vision
- Gain practical insights into safeguarding expectations, staff roles, and how to demonstrate strengths and improvements effectively.
Hit play now to get the essential guidance you need to approach your next Ofsted planning call feeling prepared, confident and inspection-ready.
For more resources, visit www.jigsawearlyyearsconsultancy.com