Practice with under-threes is one of the weakest areas of early years provision, with the youngest and least trained members of staff often ending up in the baby room. The new framework should make it less likely, not more, that two-year-olds are doing worksheets all day!
However, the decision to call the framework the Early Years Foundation Stage is reinforcing the view that this is a prescriptive curriculum rather than a means to promote high-quality services. And while the early years sector has every confidence in Lesley Staggs and her team to encourage best practice with children, the suspicion is that the Government will intervene to squeeze out creativity in favour of targets and testing (see 'In my view', page 35).
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here