Teach Early Years Magazine

Hello, “The opportunities to learn, grow and thrive
that this government wants for every
one of our children must be there right
from the beginning,” writes the Education
Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, in her
foreword to Giving every child the Best Start
in Life. That’s something I’m sure we can all
agree with; where things get more complicated
is establishing how to turn principle into practice. Labour’s
strategy to improve the quality of early years education and
boost children’s life chances was published in early July,
and as we move into September the sector is still grappling
with the implications for those on the ground. As ever with
government policy, the devil is in the detail, so this issue we
have comprehensive coverage of what has been proposed,
what it might mean for early educators and their settings,
and how best to move forward – you’ll find insights from
June O’Sullivan OBE, Neil Leitch, Stella Ziolkowski, and James
Hempsall OBE.
Of course, that’s not all there is to enjoy over the
following pages. From approaches to play-based learning
around the world and the importance of helping your charges
bond with books to ways to introduce the concept of
consent, you’ll find plenty to inform your practice. We hope
you find it useful!