The press release sent out from the DCSF on 14 October celebrating the first-year successes of the EYFS sent shivers down my spine - and not in a good way. (You can read it at: www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0188.)
The words that really struck me were 'driving up achievement' when being applied to children of five and under. The release was sent out with a list of impressive statistics - all clearly demonstrating that children were performing better than before.
We have now given young teachers a statutory framework that they are encouraged to see as the 'norm' for children's development in the early years. The framework uses terms like 'required to deliver', 'driving forward' and 'outcomes'. Settings are measured according to how well they are delivering the outcomes and the workforce is being trained to ensure that its focus is on achievement.
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