I think that the early years sector has been preserving a quiet sense of satisfaction that, amid all the policy moves that could threaten quality services for young children, the proposed ratio changes for babies and two-year-olds had been fought off.
So there was a sense of dread and deja vu last week when it became apparent that the Department for Education was polling parents and early years experts in a clear push to increase the use of the 1:13 ratio allowed for graduate-led sessions for three- and four-year-olds.
There are several points that spring to mind immediately when examining this move. The structure and content of the parents' survey is lamentable, as our online analysis by Ross Midgley demonstrates so well, as well as the fact that using mainly social media is hardly inclusive.
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