Reception has always occupied an uncertain space. The pedagogy and curriculum sit firmly within the Early Years Foundation Stage, but Reception classes are located within a school, which will have its own ethos and expectations.
‘Reception has never been properly understood,’ says Jan Dubiel, head of national and international development at consultancy and trainer Early Excellence. ‘In most countries, children start in Year 1 or 2, but for historical and economic reasons, in this country we have a school year when children are still in early childhood.’
CURRICULUM CONFUSION
Ofsted’s recently published ‘Bold Beginnings’ report looks at the Reception curriculum in successful schools, and how well it prepares children for the rest of their education and beyond. The authors state that ‘around two-thirds of the staff inspectors spoke to confused what they were teaching (the curriculum) with how they thought they were supposed to teach it’.
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