In 2019 the Department for Education (DfE) published Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance, which outlines what schools should teach their pupils about relationships, sex, health and wellbeing. Schools had one year to prepare for implementation before first teaching in September 2020, although because of the pressures…

In November 2017, Ofsted published Bold Beginnings, a report on its findings about teaching in the Reception year. Like very many practitioners in the early years, the author of this article believes this report to be of concern, as the recommendations it proposes would be so damaging for the early education of young children. She believes its…

Forest kindergartens are a new idea in the United States but have been around in Germany, Norway, and other European countries for decades. Forest "kindergartens" are preschools for children ages 3-6 and focus on being outdoors and learning through interacting with nature. Instead of building with blocks or doing puzzles at a table…

A decade ago I wrote an article entitled "Technology as play" in which I called for early childhood educators to rethink the way in which they regard play. This involved not only incorporating the notion of playing with new technologies but also critiqued the essence of what constituted play and the link with learning that was viewed…

Physical Education is a core component of the primary school curriculum. The primary years are perhaps the most significant period for motor development in children, a time during which basic movement competencies are developed and which offers the first opportunity for embedding physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. This is the first…

This paper reports on the pedagogical changes that I experienced as a teacher engaged in an action research project in which I designed and implemented an indirect, developmentally appropriate and child-centred approach to my teaching. There have been repeated calls to expunge--or at least rationalise--the use of traditional, teacher-led practice…

Background: In 2000 the so-called "Reception" class was re-conceived (in curricular terms, at least) as the second and final year of the Foundation Stage, a distinctive educational phase for children aged 3 until entry to key stage 1 at 5 or 6 years old. The "Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage" endorses a play-based,…

This paper deals with Nurture Groups, which are a specialist form of provision for pupils with social, emotional and learning difficulties. The paper outlines the theoretical underpinnings of the NG approach and describes the practical arrangements and operations features of this form of provision. Evidence from research studies exploring the…

Notes that rapid introduction of information and communication technologies in United Kingdom schools, along with government-mandated curriculum requirements, has not been matched by growth in practitioners' understanding of appropriate ways to use the technology. Examines the successful implementation of technology in early childhood settings…

Drawing on experiences in North America, the United Kingdom, and other countries, this book examines the debate over the overall vision for early childhood education. The nature and quality of the United Kingdom's and other countries' culture is questioned in respect to the future it provides for children. The question of who is able to provide a…