Although as adults we assume labels such as mother, father, grandchild, friend, aunt or employee, these labels are not related to our intellectual ability. However, for children in education, even in early years, labels are used to categorise them according to their ability. Labels including ‘more able’, ‘gifted’, ‘high ability’, ‘under-achieving’, ‘not at the expected level’ and many other variations are commonplace in settings and schools. Not to mention Pupil Premium, Special Educational Needs and English as an Additional Language. This raises the question about the purpose of these labels and whom they are for.
The notion of labelling children using ability-focused language is in conflict with the whole essence of the ‘unique child’, which is embedded in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This statutory legislation acknowledges that all children develop at different rates, and it is our responsibility to ensure our practices and policies reflect this. To emphasise this, the Statutory framework states…
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