Standing tall for early years by being sustainable

To be honest, it just seemed the right thing to do. The Fifty Fantastic Activity format is accessible and fun and a useful way of bringing the notion of sustainability to life.

Before lockdown, and as far back as 2014, we had been discussing sustainability throughout the organisation. As a social enterprise, we understood sustainability to have three elements often described as a triple bottom line; economic, social and environmental. Sustainability is often viewed as an environmental issue, but it has three strands all of which need to be integrated it into every element of our pedagogy and operational practice. In other words, sustainability needs to be right at the heart of an inclusive quality education.

We had already figured out the first two elements of sustainability via our business model and social pedagogy but I realised we could do more about our approach to environmental sustainability as well as strengthen our connection with nature. By 2018, we had written a gardening book to do what Thomas Weaver calls connecting with the poetry of our own back yards.

Across our 42 social enterprise nurseries we have reduced plastic consumption over the years and banned single use plastic, plastic shoe covers, gloves and aprons. We introduced trough sinks to not waste water and improved the planting, both indoors and outside. Nick came and enhanced our efforts leading the way on more activities in the garden, water conservation, glass milk bottles and a range of resource replacements.

In that mid-lockdown moment, Nick and I decided it was time to take the next step and we cowrote 50 Fantastic Ideas for Sustainability to give Early Years staff some simple ideas to begin their own journey. All activities in the book are designed from an Early Years perspective and are multi layered and cross curricular. We have used music, dance, arts, crafts, science & nature and narration & demonstration to introduce small children to some of the complex issues around sustainability.

We also looked at the best way to embed this and agreed a qualification was the right step. In partnership with Cache, we designed and implemented the Level 4 Qualification in Sustainability in the Early Years.

My main ask now is for the sector to connect and form a UK Early Years ECEC Sustainability Alliance – similar to the Ofsted Big Conversation. That way we can build a greater and deeper understanding of sustainability and each become a leader – integrating it into every element of our pedagogy and operational practice. Our overarching aim should be to put sustainability right at the heart of our inclusive quality education.

Writing the book with Nick has given me a great buzz of hope because as the leader of an organisation that wants to change the world one child at a time, it’s essential we capture the sense of optimism and resilience across a sector that stands tall for children and, of course, the Early Years.

Ultimately, it’s about making changes in our daily lives to help us become more responsible, respectful and actively engaged in the sustainability agenda. Whilst we are not asking people to become eco warriors, if everyone does their bit – small changes can make a big difference.

50 Fantastic Ideas for Sustainability by June O’Sullivan and Nick Corlett is priced £10.99 (paperback) and available via Amazon UK

June O’Sullivan is chief executive at the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF)