Onwards And Upwards Consultancy

Onwards And Upwards Consultancy EY Quality Consultant | Training & support | North East Scotland | Nursery and Childcare Setting Consultant

Evidence and proof are NOT the same thing.This is something I think we need to talk about more in early years.You can ha...
04/09/2026

Evidence and proof are NOT the same thing.

This is something I think we need to talk about more in early years.

You can have observations, planning, photographs, floorbooks, learning stories, meeting minutes and reflective records coming out of your ears…

…but that doesn’t automatically demonstrate quality.

The important question is:

What does the evidence actually tell us?

Strong evidence helps us understand what happened, why it mattered, what impact it had and what happens next.

So when you’re preparing for inspection or evaluating your own practice, don’t just ask:

“Have we got evidence?”

Ask:

“What story does our evidence tell us about children’s experiences?”

That’s where evidence becomes meaningful.

Sometimes early years has a habit of taking a perfectly straightforward idea and giving it a very complicated name 😂Self...
02/09/2026

Sometimes early years has a habit of taking a perfectly straightforward idea and giving it a very complicated name 😂

Self-evaluation?

How do we know how well we’re doing?

Quality improvement?

How can we make things better?

Impact?

So what difference did it make?

Outcomes?

What difference are we making for children?

Reflective practice?

Why did we do it, what happened and what could we change?

Continuous improvement?

What’s next?

And honestly, I think “what’s next?” is one of the most useful questions we can ask ourselves.

Let me tell you what a mock inspection actually isn’t.It isn’t someone walking into your nursery with a clipboard, looki...
21/08/2026

Let me tell you what a mock inspection actually isn’t.

It isn’t someone walking into your nursery with a clipboard, looking for everything you’ve done wrong.

It isn’t about creating panic.

It isn’t about catching staff out.

And it definitely shouldn’t be about making everyone terrified of the Care Inspectorate.

A good mock inspection should give you an opportunity to step back and ask:

What is working well?

What are children experiencing?

What evidence do we have?

What could be stronger?

What should we prioritise next?

It should feel like a safe opportunity to test your practice before an actual inspection.

Because the aim isn’t to make you look perfect for one day.

It’s to help you understand your practice well enough that you can confidently talk about it, evidence it and improve it.

That’s the difference between preparing for an inspection and building genuine inspection readiness.

What actually is pedagogy in early years?It’s one of those words we hear constantly.But if I asked your team:“What does ...
20/08/2026

What actually is pedagogy in early years?

It’s one of those words we hear constantly.

But if I asked your team:

“What does pedagogy mean to you?”

Would everyone give me the same answer?

Pedagogy isn’t just a document.

It isn’t a policy.

It isn’t a fancy word to put into your self-evaluation.

Pedagogy is the how and why behind your practice.

How do we support children to learn?

Why have we chosen to interact in this way?

Why have we designed the environment like this?

How do we respond to children’s interests?

How do we balance adult support with children having ownership of their learning?

And importantly…

What do we believe about children and how they learn?

Your pedagogy should be visible in what children experience every day — not just written in a folder somewhere.

Should every child really have an observation every week?This is something I think the early years sector needs to talk ...
19/08/2026

Should every child really have an observation every week?

This is something I think the early years sector needs to talk about.

Because sometimes we become so focused on producing evidence that we forget what the evidence is actually for.

A child doesn’t need an observation simply because it’s Friday and their name hasn’t appeared on the observation feed this week.

Good observation is about noticing, understanding and responding to children’s learning and development.

Sometimes that might mean a detailed observation.

Sometimes it might be a conversation with a child, a moment captured during play, a discussion with parents, a reflection on their interests or simply using what you already know to inform what happens next.

More observations don’t automatically mean better practice.

Meaningful observations that influence what we do next?

Now that’s quality.

Heading to ElginGearing up for a trip to Elgin this Friday!I’ll be heading along to the Moray Council childcare sector e...
18/08/2026

Heading to Elgin

Gearing up for a trip to Elgin this Friday!

I’ll be heading along to the Moray Council childcare sector event, bringing together people from across the sector — practitioners, parents, organisations and businesses.

I’m really looking forward to getting out of the consultancy bubble for the day and having some proper sector conversations — hearing what matters to people, sharing ideas, making connections and talking about the future of early learning and childcare.

Events like this are such a great opportunity to bring different voices together and get a bigger picture of what’s happening across the sector.

Looking forward to meeting lots of new faces, catching up with familiar ones and, of course, having plenty of conversations about quality, improvement and early years!

See you in Elgin on Friday!

Laminated posters won’t improve your practice.There, I said it.A beautifully displayed poster about children’s rights, G...
18/08/2026

Laminated posters won’t improve your practice.

There, I said it.

A beautifully displayed poster about children’s rights, GIRFEC, schemas, sustained shared thinking or effective interactions doesn’t automatically mean those things are happening in your setting.

The question isn’t:

“Do we have it displayed?”

It’s:

“Can we see it in practice?”

Can staff explain what it means?
Can they give examples of how it influences their decisions?
Can you see it reflected in interactions, planning, environments and experiences for children?

Resources can support practice, absolutely. But they should never become a substitute for understanding.

Because quality improvement isn’t about making the walls look like a nursery Pinterest board.

It’s about what children actually experience.

🚨 PETITION TO REMOVE “INSPIRATIONAL” POSTERS FROM THE STAFF ROOM 🚨Because I think we can all agree that the staff room d...
14/08/2026

🚨 PETITION TO REMOVE “INSPIRATIONAL” POSTERS FROM THE STAFF ROOM 🚨

Because I think we can all agree that the staff room does NOT need another poster telling us to:

✨ “Be the best version of yourself.”
✨ “Choose happiness.”
✨ “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
✨ “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

I’m sorry, but at 8:47am after someone has poured water all over the floor, the printer has stopped working and you’ve already been asked “how long until lunch?” 14 times…

“Choose happiness” is not the message we need. 😂

What we actually need in the staff room:

☕ A decent coffee machine
🍫 An emergency chocolate stash
🧻 Tissues
📅 The staff rota
📱 The WiFi password
😂 A sign saying “YOU’RE DOING GREAT” that actually feels like it came from a real person
🚪 And potentially a locked door for 5 minutes of peace.

Because sometimes practitioners don’t need another inspirational quote.

They need a break, a cup of tea and someone to say, “I’ve got this one — you go.” 🤍

Petition starts here. 👇😂

What would you replace the inspirational poster with?

📁 5 THINGS I’D HAVE IN EVERY EARLY YEARS OBSERVATION FOLDERIf you’re reviewing your observation folder and it’s basicall...
13/08/2026

📁 5 THINGS I’D HAVE IN EVERY EARLY YEARS OBSERVATION FOLDER

If you’re reviewing your observation folder and it’s basically just… observations 👀 — this is your sign to add a few more things!

Here are 5 things I’d want every practitioner to have to hand:

1️⃣ A quick observation guide
A reminder of what makes an observation meaningful — not just what the child did, but why it matters and what it tells us about their learning.

2️⃣ Your curriculum/framework guidance
Something practitioners can use to confidently identify relevant learning and development rather than adding random links just for the sake of it.

3️⃣ A bank of possible next steps
Not a list to copy and paste, but prompts to help practitioners think about how they can extend, challenge or deepen learning.

4️⃣ Different observation methods
Narrative, snapshot, learning story, time sample, event sample, photo observations and child voice — because one observation style doesn’t work for every situation.

5️⃣ An observation quality checklist
Something simple that helps practitioners ask:
✔️ Is it clear what happened?
✔️ Have I explained why it is significant?
✔️ Have I captured the child’s voice where appropriate?
✔️ Have I linked it meaningfully to learning?
✔️ Does the next step actually come from what I’ve seen?

And honestly…

📌 Your observation folder should be a tool for improving practice — not just somewhere to store paperwork.

The best folders help practitioners notice, understand, plan and reflect.

What would you add to the list? 👇

Mock Inspection Day: Woodlands Nursery 🌟📋I had the absolute pleasure of spending the day carrying out a mock inspection ...
12/08/2026

Mock Inspection Day: Woodlands Nursery 🌟📋

I had the absolute pleasure of spending the day carrying out a mock inspection for the brilliant team at Woodlands Nursery in Banchory!

It was fantastic to observe so much nurturing, responsive practice in action. The team has cultivated welcoming, purposeful environments where children are truly settled, respected, and empowered to lead their own play.

During our feedback, we celebrated some standout strengths:

Nurturing, rights-respecting staff interactions and a deeply embedded focus on wellbeing.

Purposeful indoor and outdoor environments supporting independence and free-flow play.

Strong leadership, low staff turnover, and clear quality assurance frameworks supporting ongoing growth.

We also explored key action areas to help take their practice to the next level:

Strengthening the planning cycle—ensuring responsive planning reflects current children’s interests and strengthening the 'golden thread' from observation to next steps.

Enhancing child-led, open-ended creative experiences.

Empowering the wider team to confidently articulate their vision, values, and role in continuous self-evaluation.

A huge thank you to Managing Director Anna, Manager Lianne, Deputy Manager Alice, and the whole team for being so welcoming, professional, and dedicated to excellence. Your commitment to providing high-quality care for your children shines through! 💫

Are you preparing for an upcoming inspection or looking to refresh your team’s reflective practice? Send me a message to book a mock inspection or tailored consultation! 📩

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