15/05/2026
"𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻❜𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 ... ?"
.. I was asked this week.
After shrugging my shoulders, unable to give an answer, I was told ...
"𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱!"
When I mentioned this today to a member of SLT in one of the schools I've been working closely with, she agreed. (She actually made me feel very emotional with the lovely things she said).
She volunteered a reference should I want one.
There are a number of organisations that are larger and more well-established than mine, but I'm confident that what I offer is unique.
I can also evidence the success of my approach.
Word of mouth is the most effective marketing strategy in the education sector and I know that many of my connections mention my name in rooms that I'm not in - for which I'm very thankful.
🤍
Having an unusual name means that I often hear: "Oh 𝘆𝗼𝘂❜𝗿𝗲 Zelpher!" Even the simplicity of the logo for my business has had an impact!!
The reputation of my brand goes before me and when I reflect on the work I've been doing, I struggle to find any feedback that suggests that I shouldn't be doing it.
I love my job - and the relationships I've built with families, schools and other professionals. But I'd like to be doing more to support children and young people with additional needs.
The need is certainly there.
So, there are people who think the local authority should know about what I do.
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
09/05/2026
"𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻❜𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 ... ?"
.. I was asked this week.
After shrugging my shoulders, unable to give an answer, I was told ...
"𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱!"
When I mentioned this today to a member of SLT in one of the schools I've been working closely with, she agreed. (She actually made me feel very emotional with the lovely things she said).
She volunteered a reference should I want one.
There are a number of organisations that are larger and more well-established than mine, but I'm confident that what I offer is unique.
I can also evidence the success of my approach.
Word of mouth is the most effective marketing strategy in the education sector and I know that many of my connections mention my name in rooms that I'm not in - for which I'm very thankful. 🤍
Having an unusual name means that I often hear: "Oh 𝘆𝗼𝘂❜𝗿𝗲 Zelpher!" Even the simplicity of the logo for my business has had an impact!!
The reputation of my brand goes before me and when I reflect on the work I've been doing, I struggle to find any feedback that suggests that I shouldn't be doing it.
I love my job - and the relationships I've built with families, schools and other professionals. But I'd like to be doing more to support children and young people with additional needs.
The need is certainly there.
So, there are people who think the local authority should know about what I do.
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
19/03/2026
Join me on 15th May in London, where I’m speaking about Anti-Racist Practice in Education at the biggest Day Out in Early Years!! 🎉
https://invt.io/1fxb10dshbj
10/03/2026
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲.
As a class teacher, it was often tricky to fully appreciate children's behaviours and the motivation behind them.
Now that I work with children both at school and at home, it is of infinite value and hugely informative to see them in a home context as well.
Recently after school I visited a lovely family to explore the issues around their relationships and develop strategies for effective conflict resolution.
I took along some practical resources and we made hand puppets in order to create role-plays around "getting on and falling out". This went down really well as the family managed to produce 10 hand puppets in a two-hour session!!
They really enjoyed the activity and will, hopefully, go on to use these puppets to create many more scenarios where positive behaviours can be enacted, practised and embedded in a fun and age-appropriate way.
𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁?
(AI generated image)
05/01/2026
𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘀: 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 & 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀
This webinar includes conversations about:
⏩ The use of discriminatory language and behaviour towards females
⏩ Recognising early signs of misogynistic attitudes
⏩ Stopping violence perpetrated against females in your setting
⏩ Preventing harmful sexual behaviour
𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸: 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 - 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟲 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗹𝘀
𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 - 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟳 𝘂𝗽𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀
For children in EYFS to Year 4, I'm able to deliver age-appropriate assemblies and PSHE sessions. Message me for more details.
Please feel free to share this post among your networks. I deliver Time to Talk programmes to young people and Train The Trainer Training to professionals.
Book your free place on this webinar here to find out more:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/time-to-talk-preventing-violence-against-women-girls-vawg-tickets-1978744867164?aff=oddtdtcreator
24/12/2025
Reading a post earlier this morning brought this past experience to my consciousness ...
I was a volunteer for a well-known charity who at the time developed 'The Listeners' programme, which was delivered to inmates to support others during their period of imprisonment.
I was the deputy director of training and had the opportunity to train a selected group of inmates in the local Category B prison.
On one occasion when I had a 20p coin amongst the contents of my transparent pencil case, an inmate poked at it with his finger.
I took the coin out and gave it to him.
He put it in his palm and stared at it. He moved it around with his fingers. He tapped it against his teeth.
He said: "This is different from the money we had before."
A little shocked, I asked: "Have you not seen a 20 pence piece before?"
He told me that he'd been in some kind of secure institution since the age of 14. It started with him being excluded from school. I estimated that this man was in his mid-30s; about my age at the time.
The words he said next will stay with me for ever.
"If one person had cared ... just one person, I wouldn't be where I am today."
The 20p coin came into circulation in 1986. This conversation took place in around 2003.
He's likely to have been first detained in around 1981. So, he'd have served approximately 22 years.
We didn't discuss his crimes, but having been locked up at such a young and impressionable age he couldn't cope with being on the outside. In the earlier years after the short periods of release, he offended again within days.
He was a kind and empathetic 'Listener' and I hope his life has improved since I met him, but in my work with young people I often remember:
If just one person had cared ...
We can each be that one person.
12/12/2025
Would you like to offer 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 to support their children's 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 and 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴?
Parents will benefit from exploring how their understanding of 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 and 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 can help their children to better manage issues around their personal, social and emotional needs.
In turn, this awareness will facilitate skills of co-regulation and self-regulation for their children where behaviour and learning will be positively impacted.
These workshops are best suited to parents of children in early years and primary school settings, parent groups, support services in communities and in social care.
"𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻❜𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻❜𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿. 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆❜𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗭𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿!!" [Ken, parent of 3 children]
Get in touch to find out more and to book these sessions for your setting.
09/12/2025
Perhaps an area you want to address in your setting is relationships between male and female pupils.
Make 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 the year you tackle discriminatory behaviour towards females, signs of misogyny and help prevent violence against women and girls.
https://lnkd.in/e3dwR7xx