Our official birthday date is 2 December – which means we are in a party mood!

Tune in to find out what our special, collectible anniversary supplement has in store and get into the festive mood with our exploration of how Christmas continues to have magic and meaning for young children.

Our official birthday date is 2 December &ndash; which means we are in a party mood!
Tune in to find out what our special, collectible anniversary supplement has in store and get into the festive mood with our exploration of how Christmas continues to have magic and meaning for young children.

Your monthly podcast about everything to do with early years, brought to you by Nursery World.

Your monthly podcast about everything to do with early years, brought to you by Nursery World.

This is early years

Nursery World podcast: Join us to celebrate our 100th birthday!

For the first episode for 2026 we are looking ahead to the future, and what the early years sector will be like in the coming years as Gen Z continues to enter the workforce.

Generation Z currently makes up 27 per cent of the labor force, and this is projected to rise to 31 percent by 2035, making Gen Z the largest generation in the job market.

To discuss the opportunities this brings for settings and more, we hear from Lucy Lewin, nursery owner, early years business strategist, founder of The Profitable Nursery Academy and soon to launch The Nursery Toolbox. 

Lucy has nearly two decades of hands-on experience hiring, developing, and leading teams across every generation, and she’s known for her strengths-based, no-nonsense approach to workforce culture. She brings a real-world lens to the recruitment and retention crisis and a refreshing perspective on Gen Z — not as a challenge, but as a huge opportunity for the early years sector.

For the first episode for 2026 we are looking ahead to the future, and what the early years sector will be like in the coming years as Gen Z continues to enter the workforce.
Generation Z currently makes up 27 per cent of the labor force, and this is projected to rise to 31 percent by 2035, making Gen Z the largest generation in the job market.
To discuss the opportunities this brings for settings and more, we hear from Lucy Lewin, nursery owner, early years business strategist, founder of The Profitable Nursery Academy and soon to launch The Nursery Toolbox.&nbsp;
Lucy has nearly two decades of hands-on experience hiring, developing, and leading teams across every generation, and she&rsquo;s known for her strengths-based, no-nonsense approach to workforce culture. She brings a real-world lens to the recruitment and retention crisis and a refreshing perspective on Gen Z &mdash; not as a challenge, but as a huge opportunity for the early years sector.

Purpose not payslips: How Generation Z is set to reshape the early years sector

This month’s focus is on attachment theory, tracing its historical roots and wider influence.

Awareness of attachment theory has grown over recent years, due to increased interest in therapy and self-reflection

It’s arguably the most well-known concept that has made it out of the specialism of early years and into public consciousness.

But what are the different styles of attachment? Where did these ideas come from, and how have they developed over the last 100 years of Nursery World’s history, to become part of modern early years education?

To discuss all of this, and more, we hear from Dr Jools Page, an early years researcher, speaker, and award-winning infant-toddler specialist, recognised nationally and internationally for developing the concept of Professional Love© which is changing professional attachment practices in early years. 

Articles discussed in this episode and further reading include:
Nursery World 90th anniversary: Pioneers - The heart’s affections by John Bowlby
Professional Love blog by Dr Jools Page 
VIDEO: 'Professional Love: The dance of reciprocity.' Research in Early Years education and embodied dance
Page, J., 2008. 'Permission to love them'. Working with babies and children from birth to three, pp.181-187.
Page, J., 2011. 'Let’s Talk About Love: The Need for Professional Love in Paid Childcare'. Early Education, 63, pp.310-323.
Page, J. (2014). Developing Professional Love in Early Childhood Settings. In: Harrison, L., Sumsion, J. (eds) Lived Spaces of Infant-Toddler Education and Care. International perspectives on early childhood education and development, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8838-0_9

This month’s focus is on attachment theory, tracing its historical roots and wider influence.Awareness of attachment theory has grown over recent years, due to increased interest in therapy and self-reflectionIt’s arguably the most well-known concept that has made it out of the specialism of early years and into public consciousness.But what are the different styles of attachment? Where did these ideas come from, and how have they developed over the last 100 years of Nursery World’s history, to become part of modern early years education?To discuss all of this, and more, we hear from Dr Jools Page, an early years researcher, speaker, and award-winning infant-toddler specialist, recognised nationally and internationally for developing the concept of Professional Love© which is changing professional attachment practices in early years. Articles discussed in this episode and further reading include:<ul><li><a href='https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/features/nursery-world-90th-anniversary-pioneers-the-heart-s-affections'>Nursery World 90th anniversary: Pioneers - The heart’s affections</a> by John Bowlby</li><li><a href='https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/MGYiCmwBwf8l0PEhGfruRVmDO?domain=blogs.brighton.ac.uk/'>Professional Love</a> blog by Dr Jools Page </li><li><a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVSn8BwgdlI'>VIDEO: &apos;Professional Love: The dance of reciprocity.&apos; Research in Early Years education and embodied dance</a></li><li>Page, J., 2008. &apos;Permission to love them&apos;. Working with babies and children from birth to three, pp.181-187.</li><li>Page, J., 2011. &apos;Let’s Talk About Love: The Need for Professional Love in Paid Childcare&apos;. Early Education, 63, pp.310-323.</li><li>Page, J. (2014). Developing Professional Love in Early Childhood Settings. In: Harrison, L., Sumsion, J. (eds) Lived Spaces of Infant-Toddler Education and Care. International perspectives on early childhood education and development, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8838-0_9'>https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8838-0_9</a> </li></ul>

The history of Attachment Theory

This month, we speak to the family of Robert McAcleese one of the first men to qualify as a nursery nurse in the UK.
From salesman to sector pioneer, Robert’s journey broke barriers and reshaped perceptions in early education. His career marked a turning point in gender representation within early years education, culminating in his role as officer-in-charge at Kepler Day Nursery—an unprecedented achievement at the time.
Hear from his wife, Elaine, and son, Andy, about Robert's incredible story, as we reflect on his legacy and the evolving role of men in early years. 

To see some lovely photos of Robert and his nursery, visit Nursery World's website.

This month, we speak to the family of Robert McAcleese one of the first men to qualify as a nursery nurse in the UK. From salesman to sector pioneer, Robert’s journey broke barriers and reshaped perceptions in early education. His career marked a turning point in gender representation within early years education, culminating in his role as officer-in-charge at Kepler Day Nursery—an unprecedented achievement at the time. Hear from his wife, Elaine, and son, Andy, about Robert&apos;s incredible story, as we reflect on his legacy and the evolving role of men in early years. To see some lovely photos of Robert and his nursery, visit <a href='https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/news/this-is-early-years-new-episode-alert'>Nursery World&apos;s website.</a>

Nursery World podcast: Join us to celebrate our 100th birthday!

This is early years

In 1 playlist(s)

This is early years

Follow podcast

Recent clips