Marathon Early Years Consultancy

04/11/2026

Is the barrier within the child – or around them?

Something worth reflecting on in our latest blog.

We often hear phrases like:

"They struggle with transitions."

"They can't concentrate during group time."

"They find lunchtime difficult."

But what if we turned the question around?

Is it the child who is struggling, or could something within our environment, routines, expectations or adult interactions be making things unnecessarily difficult?

Sometimes the smallest changes can make the biggest difference.

Less rushing. Fewer instructions. More processing time. Greater opportunities for independence.

Perhaps we don't always need to change what the child is doing. Sometimes we need to change what we're doing.

In week four of our What's Getting in the Way? series, we're exploring how looking beyond the child can help us identify and remove barriers to learning.

A little challenge for your team this week: rather than asking why a child can't manage something, ask what we're expecting them to manage.

Read the full blog here:

https://www.marathon-consultancy.co.uk/is-the-barrier-within-the-child-or-around-them/

03/11/2026

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴? 🌈✨

Inclusion is so much more than a seasonal display board - it’s about ensuring every child and family sees themselves reflected meaningfully in your daily practice.

The Embedding Meaningful Diversity Without Tokenism Reflection Toolkit gives key workers, SENCOs, and setting leaders practical reflection tools, environment checklists, and staff discussion prompts to move beyond token gestures and embed genuine diversity across your setting.

💡 Give your team the confidence to embed meaningful diversity every single day.

🔗 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://tinyurl.com/y5aypzjp

31/10/2026

Sprout has certainly got into the Halloween spirit!

Wishing everyone who celebrates a very Happy Halloween!

Whether you’re dressing up, carving pumpkins or enjoying a few spooky activities, have a wonderful time!

From Sprout and all of us at Marathon Early Years Consultancy.

30/10/2026

🌱 Sustainability starts with the smallest of actions!

In Early Years, we have a wonderful opportunity to help children understand the importance of caring for our planet.

And sometimes, that learning can begin with something as simple as our vegetable scraps!

Rather than throwing everything away, why not explore what happens when we give certain vegetables the opportunity to grow again?

Spring onions, lettuce bases and carrot tops can provide fascinating opportunities for children to observe change, develop curiosity and understand where our food comes from.

It’s not about creating another activity. It’s about making sustainability part of everyday practice.

Reduce waste. Encourage curiosity. Grow understanding.

Small experiences today can help shape responsible choices for tomorrow.

29/10/2026

**When life changes, learning can change too.**

Sometimes, the barriers children face aren't immediately visible.

Changes at home, disrupted routines or difficult family circumstances can all influence how children engage, interact and learn.

As early years professionals, it's about remaining curious, looking beyond what we see and understanding what might be happening in a child's world.

Our latest blog explores why recognising these changes really matters.

Read more here:
https://www.marathon-consultancy.co.uk/when-life-changes-learning-can-change/

29/10/2026

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴'𝘀 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱? 😴✨

Safer sleep is a vital safeguarding priority. Our 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹 gives childminders and nursery teams an instant checklist to verify equipment safety, monitoring routines, and staff awareness with total ease.

https://shorturl.at/3kK3b

28/10/2026

🌧️ Rain, rain… don’t go away just yet!

It’s certainly the season for wellies, waterproofs, splashing and puddle jumping! 💦

But have you ever stopped to explore what happens to those puddles afterwards?

This simple investigation encourages children to observe, predict and revisit changes in their environment.

Mark the edge of a puddle, return later and see what’s changed. Where has the water gone? Has the puddle grown or shrunk?

Sometimes the best learning opportunities are right beneath our feet!

So, next time it rains, embrace those puddles. There’s plenty more to discover than just the joy of jumping in them!

26/10/2026

Are we really working together to safeguard children?

Following the recent Nursery World article about an individual who falsified references to secure employment in early years settings, I find myself asking some fairly significant questions.

We talk so much about safer recruitment, robust checks and safeguarding procedures. Yet cases like this demonstrate just how vulnerable the system can be.

At Marathon Early Years Consultancy, we regularly support settings to strengthen their safer recruitment processes. We know the importance of verifying references, completing appropriate DBS checks and exploring gaps in employment.

But surely there needs to be more joined-up working?

Why isn’t there a mechanism for employers to establish whether an applicant is known to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for relevant safeguarding concerns?

I appreciate that the LADO’s role is not currently designed to provide routine pre-employment checks. I also recognise the importance of confidentiality, proportionality and protecting individuals from unsubstantiated allegations.

But could there be a better system?

A DBS certificate is an important safeguarding measure, but it is not a guarantee of suitability. Information may exist across different agencies that does not appear on a certificate.

So how do we ensure that relevant safeguarding concerns are appropriately shared before an individual moves into another setting?

We have the police, DBS, local authorities, Ofsted and employers, all with responsibilities for safeguarding children.

But how effectively are these systems communicating with one another?

This isn’t about removing responsibility from providers. Safer recruitment must remain robust, and references must be independently verified.

It’s about asking whether the systems surrounding our sector are doing enough to support those responsibilities.

We continually encourage settings to reflect, challenge and improve their safeguarding practice.

Surely we should be asking the same of the wider safeguarding system?

I’d be interested to hear the thoughts of other early years professionals, safeguarding leads and those working within local authorities.

Marathon Early Years Consultancy

A man convicted of possessing indecent images of children has been further sentenced for falsifying references to gain work at a nursery in Leeds.

26/10/2026

𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲! 💙
Early identification is crucial, but knowing where to start shouldn't be stressful. The SEND First Response Toolkit provides clear templates, parent conversation guides, and practical intervention steps to support every child from day one.
https://shorturl.at/tFvNB

Sometimes something doesn’t feel quite right. This might be a child not responding, behaviour that feels different, or a child struggling to engage. The SEND First Response Toolkit supports practitioners to know what to do next through early identification and responsive practice. It is about noti...

25/10/2026

🎃 It’s pumpkin season! But what happens when Halloween is over?

Rather than throwing those pumpkins away, why not turn them into a fascinating, long-term learning experience?

Our Pumpkin Regeneration Project encourages children to observe what happens as a pumpkin decomposes, changes and potentially begins to grow new life.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to develop curiosity, language, scientific thinking and an understanding of the natural world.

And the best part? The learning doesn’t have to end next week. Children can revisit, photograph and reflect on the changes over the coming months.

One pumpkin. A whole year of possibilities! 🎃