Amanda King
Amanda’s career in early years education has been built over the last 20 years, teaching KS1, reception and nursery, including a role as Foundation Stage coordinator in a large primary school.
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Early Education and unions call for long-term MNS funding
Organisations representing Maintained Nursery Schools have joined together to warn the government that it must provide a long-term funding solution for Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) as part of this autumn’s spending review if further closures and cuts to staffing and services are to be avoided. Early Education, NAHT NEU and Unison have written to both […]
Petition to scrap Reception Baseline delivered to Downing Street
Today, members of the More Than a Score campaign, including Early Education’s Chief Executive, Beatrice Merrick presented a petition of 112,000 signatures to Downing Street calling for the Reception Baseline Assessment to be scrapped. View the coverage on ITV news Daisy Cooper MP, the Lib Dem spokesperson on education and Baroness Blower were present to […]
The DfE’s new reading framework by Helen Bradford
Introduction In July 2021, DfE published The reading framework: Teaching the foundations of literacy which, it says, focuses on the early stages of teaching reading and the contribution of talk, stories and systematic synthetic phonics (SSP); supports primary school leaders to evaluate their teaching of early reading and best practice for improving early reading (especially in Reception […]
Parents and educators rally to save nursery schools
Today (Thursday 8th July 2021), parents, school leaders, teachers and advocates for the early years sector will come together in an online public rally calling for the government to commit to investing in early years education and maintained nursery schools. Maintained nursery schools play a vitally important role in early years and in our education […]
Funding pressures put at risk early years education for children with SEND
A survey of maintained nursery schools carried out by Early Education in June 2021 has found increasing demand from children with SEND in the current school year, or for September entry. However, funding constraints were expected to affect most schools’ ability to support children with SEND in due to additional funding for children with SEND […]
It takes a whole world to raise a child by Professor Cathy Nutbrown:
The Duchess of Cambridge launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood on 18th June 2021 with a substantial report Big change starts small which identifies six areas which form an agenda for change. Described as a “golden opportunity” to make a difference to children’s lives towards a happier, more secure future, it identifies the estimated cost […]
June 2021
Updated briefing for MPs
Early Education welcomes new Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood
We welcome today’s announcement from the Royal Foundation of the launch of its Centre for Early Childhood. The Big Change Starts Small report brings together key evidence about the importance of children’s earliest years and we support its recommendations, especially in respect of strengthening the early years workforce. It rightly identifies the importance of many different professionals in […]
Pedagogical principles for successful animal-assisted interactions in the early years by Helen Lewis & Russell Grigg
Animals are special and important to many young children. In fact, even if they do not share their home with a pet, they will meet all kinds of animals through stories, television, film and toys. For example, from the Rainbow Fish to the Very Hungry Caterpillar; from Spot to the Three Bears, many of the much-loved characters in children’s […]