Liz, is an Early Years consultant under the title The Black Nursery Manager. She writes articles, leads webinars, and was a part of Famly's inaugural children’s champion judging panel. Liz has an MA in early childhood and is a qualified secondary school teacher. She ran a setting for many years herself, before launching the Black Nursery Manager consultancy in 2020. She has been nominated as a Nursery World Trainer of the year, nominated as a future leader in 2022 by the Black Cultural Archives, and was recognised by the Serendpity Institute as 1 of a 100 Black women who have made a mark in 2024.
Liz emphasises the need to acknowledge and discuss race, ethnicity, and culture in early childhood education. Conversations about race, culture, and ethnicity should serve as a golden thread that runs through the sector. Centring these conversations and diverse voices in Early Years can lead to richer, more inclusive educational experiences for young children.
Liz discusses the importance of using social media platforms like Instagram to reach Early Years educators, as many access content during their free time. The "Black Square Summer of 2020" and global conversations about race created an opportunity for discussions about anti-racist and inclusive practice
While allowing Liz to share content addressing anti-racism in UK Early Years contexts, she acknowledges the challenges of social media, including the potential for misinformation. However, Liz sees real value in the way social media reaches Early Years educators and helps to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application.
We have to move beyond just inclusion in the Early Years to active anti-racist practice. The Early Years Foundation Stage states that it seeks to ensure equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practices - but what does that look like?
Liz introduces her "Four E's of Anti-Racist Practice" framework:
The Four 'E's provide a structured approach to implementing anti-racist practices in Early Years settings, to support educators' learning and development. She explains that the framework was inspired by a conversation with early years consultant Kim Scott, to help educators remember key aspects of anti-racist practice. You can find out more about The Four 'E's though Liz' work here.
Liz discusses the importance of acknowledging that certain voices, particularly white European perspectives, have traditionally been centred in early childhood education. Liz explains that we need to question why only certain theories and thinkers are considered, and to incorporate more global voices and perspectives into our pedagogy. This reflection can also help us investigate our unconscious biases.
Liz also emphasises the importance of adapting to new generations and technologies, noting that traditional theorists like Montessori and Piaget didn't account for modern developments like smartphones and social media. We have to focus on what's relevant to the lives of children and families now.
Liz emphasises the importance of diverse children's books that represent a wide range of experiences, cultures, and identities in Early Years settings. She calls out the following books, which centre on experiences of dark-skinned Black girls and themes of home, belonging, and cultural history:
Liz stresses the need for children's literature to reflect the diverse realities of children in 2025 and promote understanding of oneself and others in the world.
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