Children are learning from birth, and it is vital that their curiosity and natural desire to question and explore the world is nurtured. They learn most before the age of five and their attitude to learning is determined by what happens at this time. The benefit of good early years education is that it is appropriate for this age, and as embraced currently by the EYFS, there is an emphasis given to thinking, personal and emotional development and creative skills.
Practical activity is at the heart of what children do and how they learn. Assessing children's progress and planning for their further development is done through observation, not testing. Child-initiated learning is very important and teachers need the skills to enable this and a flexible curriculum that supports it.
Continuity between phases is essential if children are to get the most from their education. This means that we should look at the child's learning as a continuum, not broken into phases. The Early Childhood Forum believes that the National Curriculum review should start with the early years, follow its best practice and from this build the curriculum for the later years.
Formal learning of the kind often started at Key Stage 1 may not only be detrimental to children's learning but can often lead to early failure, loss of interest in and negative attitudes towards learning.
Transition between different phases needs to be as smooth and seamless as possible. This requires a curriculum that is developmental and does not change dramatically when children go from the early years to primary school, and primary to secondary. Involving mothers and fathers, which has been shown to improve learning and attainment, is critical at all stages. The curriculum must also promote diversity, celebrate difference, and counter discrimination of all kinds. This can only be achieved if it is considered as a whole and not in parts.