Ella de la Motte - Early Childhood Consultant

Newcastle people, I'm opening up HQ again for this sustainability session!

Join Ella de la Motte for an evening of reflection, challenge, and practical insight as we explore the EYLF V2.0 principle of Sustainability through a ‘Refuse and Respect’ lens.
Date: Tuesday 30th June 2026 Time: 5.00pm - 7.00pm Location: HQ, G01/61 Date Street, Adamstown

Sustainability is often spoken about as something we add to our programs, but what if it is actually about what we choose not to do? What we choose to question, minimise, or let go of?

In this two-hour session, we will move beyond surface-level approaches and take a deeper look at how sustainability lives within our everyday decisions, interactions, and environments. Together, we will consider what it means to engage respectfully with resources by valuing what we already have, reducing unnecessary consumption, and making intentional choices that reflect care for our world and each other.

This session will offer:
Thought-provoking reflection on current practices
Practical strategies for embracing a ‘refuse’ approach in your service
Ideas for embedding sustainability into daily operations, not as an add-on but as a way of being
Opportunities to consider how our decisions shape children’s understanding of responsibility and respect

Whether you are just beginning to explore sustainability or looking to deepen your approach, this session will support you to think differently, act intentionally, and lead change within your setting.

Book your place here: https://square.link/u/EGn9sUfN

Have you recently welcomed new team members?

Experienced significant change?

Or perhaps you're finding that everyone is working hard, but not necessarily pulling in the same direction?

Building a strong team doesn't happen by chance. It takes intention, clarity, trust, communication and shared accountability.
Over the years, I've had the privilege of building and leading teams that genuinely enjoyed working together, supported one another, and stayed focused on what mattered most.

If you're looking to strengthen team culture, improve communication, or create greater consistency across your service, I'd love to work alongside you.

Because when a team is connected, clear about expectations, and moving towards a shared vision, everything feels a little easier.

This is a great 2 hour session that I would love to share with you! Ella de la Motte - Early Childhood Consultant
www.elladelamotte.com

Would you like to find out 10 top tips for Effective and Engaging staff meetings from someone who has attended and/or planned these meetings for over 30 years?

Would you like to find out why one leader who watched this webinar now provides beautiful healthy food for their meeting instead of heading to a pizza delivery?

AND MORE!

This pre-recorded webinar goes for 30 minutes, but is designed to be watched over an hour with opportunities to pause, reflect and take notes.

The extra benefit is the invitation to then engage with me around your next steps, top takeaways and strategies you want to implement but still have questions about!

When you receive the recording, you have access to it for 7 days too so that you can plan to watch it or rewatch it several times if you like!

Book your recording here: https://square.link/u/NadThrut

My Monday morning mood includes being annoyed when people tag me in an comment. I got excited you tagged me, then I see ‘oh it’s everyone’ haha.

This mood shall pass though as I am about to spend time with some amazing Educational Leaders and discuss leading change. Let’s go!

What is your plan for today? 🌸

Effective and Engaging Staff Meetings – A Recorded Presentation by Ella de la Motte - Early Childhood Consultant

In this 30-minute recorded presentation, Early Childhood Consultant Ella de la Motte shares valuable insights from more than 30 years of experience attending and/or facilitating staff meetings. More than just getting people to show up, this session focuses on how to foster real engagement, ensuring meetings are meaningful, productive, and supportive for all educators.

Through practical strategies and handy hints, Ella explores ways to enhance wellbeing, create a positive meeting culture, and make every discussion worthwhile and purposeful. Participants are encouraged to pause the recording at key moments to reflect individually or discuss with their team.

Reminder: The recording is sent to you in an email and the link is available for one week from the date of purchase, watch at your convenience and make the most of these expert insights! In an effort to support a small business, please don't share the recording with anyone outside of your setting, but you are more than welcome to show it to a group of people within 💛

Book yours here: https://square.link/u/NadThrut

Yes, 100 times yes.

Behaviour Is Changing. Maybe Our Practice Needs To Change Too.

One of the most common conversations I have with educators right now goes something like this:

“The children feel different.”

“Behaviour feels different.”

“What used to work doesn’t seem to work anymore.”

And if I’m honest?

I think they’re right.

After more than 20 years working in Early Years education, supporting hundreds of settings and talking with educators across the globe, there is one thing I hear again and again:

The needs of children seem to be changing.

But perhaps the bigger question is this:

What if children aren’t the only thing that’s changing?

What if the world around them is changing too?

And if both of those things are true, surely our approach needs to evolve as well.

Because we cannot keep responding to today’s children with yesterday’s expectations.

One example that many settings are quietly wrestling with is whole-class carpet time.

Is it realistic to expect 30 children to sit still, regulate their bodies, process language-heavy input and ignore their sensory needs all at the same time?

For some children, yes.

For many others, it’s overwhelming.

And when their nervous systems can’t cope, what do we often see?

• Fidgeting
• Calling out
• Rolling around
• Disengaging
• “Challenging behaviour”

But what if those behaviours aren’t defiance?

What if they’re communication?

What if the behaviour is telling us:

“This is too much.”

“I need to move.”

“I can’t process this right now.”

This isn’t about removing boundaries or lowering expectations.

It’s about asking whether our practice is still developmentally appropriate for the children in front of us.

I’ve written a new blog exploring why behaviour may be changing and what that means for us as educators.

I’d love to know your thoughts.

Read the full blog here:

https://www.hyggeintheearlyyears.co.uk/blog

❤️ Because perhaps the question isn’t “What’s wrong with children?”

Perhaps it’s “What needs to change in our practice?”

It's Sunday afternoon... and for some people in Early Childhood, the Sunday Scaries are starting to creep in.

The endless to-do list, staffing concerns, documentation, difficult conversations, meetings, emails, and wondering how you'll fit it all into another busy week.

If that sounds familiar, you're not alone.

Sometimes what makes the biggest difference isn't working harder, it's having someone alongside you to listen, problem-solve, prioritise, mentor, and help you find a way forward.
That's exactly what I do.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by leadership, compliance, team dynamics, quality improvement, or simply the weight of carrying it all, reach out. Sometimes a conversation is all it takes to make Monday feel a little lighter.

Ella de la Motte - Early Childhood Consultant

elladelamotte.com | Register for Early Childhood Events Today Explore upcoming early childhood education events and professional development sessions with Ella de la Motte, including slow pedagogy, curiosity approach, and more.

Do you feel like it's just going to be any day now? Let me know, I have a wonderful PD opportunity to support you and your team 💛

www.elladelamotte.com
Ella de la Motte - Early Childhood Consultant

Thank you to the beautiful Infant & 2 year olds team at Arkie Early Education Box Hill for sharing your time with me on Thursday. It was so lovely to see the progress and adaptations that have been made since I was there first in 2023. This was one of the first settings that requested ongoing connection and regular PD with me!

The most important reflective opportunity here was to wonder what it might be like to be a baby in your setting. We thought about how we could increase the opportunities for 'serve and return' interactions through eye contact, verbalisations and gestures and also how we can slow down the rush! 💛