Early years specialists fear that well-designed outdoor environments are being overlooked in the rush to expand provision to meet the Government's target of 2,500 children's centres by 2008.
Although the centres are intended to be the standard bearers for the sector, focusing on young children's education, health and inclusion, there is already anecdotal evidence of settings seeking to join the programme with minimal outdoor areas.
'We worry that outdoor provision is not on the top of people's agendas when they are developing children's centres,' says Jan White, senior early years development officer for Learning Through Landscapes. 'If you think of all the services that children's centres offer, the outdoors has a vital role in each of them which can't be replicated indoors.'
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