ELF News Issue #02, Autumn 2026

What's been happening at ELF?

What a busy and happy term! We have welcomed three new children and five new visitors, and everyone has helped them feel they belong. We now have 6 volunteers, and we loved trying out the newly refurbished park!

Harvest Festival. We learned about Harvest traditions, found where food is grown, worked out money and change, designed posters and made our ELF Autumn tree.

Goose Fair. We learned the history of Goose Fair, made our own hook-a-duck game, built fairground rides and played fairground games outside together.

Making and investigating. We made salt dough and autumn wreaths, tested waterproof fabrics, modelled hibernating animals and drew self portraits for 'belonging'.

This term we welcomed students from Nottingham Trent University, who joined us to begin a research project into the positive impact of Deb's SELF Approach on the children's learning and wellbeing. We are so proud that our way of learning is being recognised, and we can't wait to share what they find.

Our next theme: Festivals around the world.

Announcements

• Please make sure you have completed and signed a consent form for ELF.
• Thursday 17th December is our last ELF Together session before Christmas.
• ELF Life, our new Friday sessions, starts 13th November!

Now live!

The ELF booking app is here! Book sessions, see what's on and keep your child's details up to date, all from your phone: elf-bookings.netlify.app

Our new website is live too: a home for everything ELF, from The SELF Approach to session times and how to get in touch: ethereallearningfoundation.org.uk

ELF Life starts Friday 13th November!

Our new Friday sessions for ages 6 to 10 run on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month: four one-hour topic sessions between 9am and 2pm. Book single hours at £8 or the full day for £30, lunch included. Only 10 places, so book now in the app!

A note about our prices

We have kept our price at £15 per session since January 2025, and worked hard to keep ELF affordable for every family. From Wednesday 13th January 2027, ELF Together sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays will cost £20.

We haven't taken this decision lightly. The new price means we can pay our staff fairly and invest in good-quality resources. Both make a real difference to the children's experience: more support in the room, and better materials for their projects, play and learning. Every penny goes back into ELF.

We know budgets are tight for many families right now. If the new price is a worry for you, please talk to Deb in confidence. We never want cost to be the reason a child misses out.

Thank you for being part of ELF and for your support.

Thank you for your kindness

A huge thank you to every ELF family who donated food this term. Deb took it all to the local food bank, and it was a humbling reminder of how much it is needed, including by families with very young children. We are so grateful for the caring community we have built together at ELF.