In the face of much concern about some aspects of the draft Early Years Foundation Stage, welcome news came this week that the Department for Education and Skills is proposing to put back the publication of the final document (see News, page 4). It is not yet clear whether any substantial changes are likely, but a little breathing space to consider the points made by a number of leading figures and organisations is a necessary step. For the moment, Nursery World will continue to provide good practice advice for both Birth to Three Matters and the Foundation Stage curriculum. In this issue, early years expert Jennie Lindon examines how to promote healthy habits for babies and toddlers (see pages 12-13). And our latest Foundation Stage project is a two-part focus on Weather (see pages 16-18) - very timely, given the mix of heatwaves plus bright sunshine and grey skies plus pouring rain that the UK has been experiencing in recent months.
In the face of much concern about some aspects of the draft Early Years Foundation Stage, welcome news came this week that the Department for Education and Skills is proposing to put back the publication of the final document (see News, page 4). It is not yet clear whether any substantial changes are likely, but a little breathing space to consider the points made by a number of leading figures and organisations is a necessary step.
For the moment, Nursery World will continue to provide good practice advice for both Birth to Three Matters and the Foundation Stage curriculum. In this issue, early years expert Jennie Lindon examines how to promote healthy habits for babies and toddlers (see pages 12-13). And our latest Foundation Stage project is a two-part focus on Weather (see pages 16-18) - very timely, given the mix of heatwaves plus bright sunshine and grey skies plus pouring rain that the UK has been experiencing in recent months.
Elsewhere in the magazine, there are plenty of fascinating features on a wide range of aspects of working with young children, from former Bright Horizons Family Solutions director Susan Hay's account of the development of the private nursery sector, to a private/public children's centre partnership in east London and a look at working in a Montessori setting.
