Tickell Review of the Early Years Foundation StageIt's a big day for the early years sector with the publication of the report of the Tickell Review of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The review was commissioned in July last year by the Department for Education with the intention of making the EYFS less bureaucratic, with plans to implemen…
Education PolicyMore new research carried out by the NFER and Office of the Children's Commissioner: Children's and Young People's Views of Education Policy is a report which examines the views of almost 2000 children aged between 8-17 in interviews carried out towards the end of last year. Among the findings of th…
A Sense of SecurityI was talking to a group of teachers at the California AEYC Conference about children needing security when coming into the classroom. It was freshly on my mind because I had told my student teachers the same thing. We owe it to the children in our classrooms to have a consistent classroom manageme…
Trying to Get ByThe Office of the Children's Commissioner has published some new research carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), which asked children and young people from deprived areas for their views on poverty. Among the findings were a fear that the gap between rich and poor wi…
BBC News Schools ReportWhat are children today really like? The BBC set out to investigate by asking 24,000 11-16 year olds across the UK a range of questions about their lives and ideas. The survey covered such areas as religion, aspirations, home life and much more.An article summarising the main points is available fro…
Helping Schools with Special NeedsNew research from the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust argues that schools need to change their teaching methods to meet the needs of children with increasingly complex special needs; as more disabled children are surviving to school age, so schools need increased support in providing educatio…
Childhood & Education on TwitterMost large organisations and media outlets in the childcare and education sector now have Twitter accounts where they post little snippets of news, details of campaigns etc as and when they happen, making it much easier for interested parties to stay in touch with what's going on. Today's post simpl…
Children's Playground GamesThe Institute of Education has published the results of a study which examined children's behaviour in school playgrounds over a period of two years. The researchers found that, while children are familiar with computer games and technology, they are incorporating this knowledge into more traditiona…
It's that time of year. This week is St. Patrick's Day. I know it is that time not just because of the calendar or change of seasons, but also the shamrocks are beginning to pop up in my front yard. When those shamrock leaves start appearing, it brings me back to the years that I spent in Ireland. I…
Breastfeeding & DevelopmentA new research paper from the Institute for Social and Economic Research claims that breastfeeding produces not only healthier but also brighter children. Those children who had been breastfed were found to score more highly than their peers in reading, writing and mathematics tests throughout their…
Support and Aspiration - SEN Green PaperToday sees the publication of the new green paper on special educational needs (SEN), which sets out the government's plans for reform to the support available within schools. The proposals are wide-ranging, covering plans to replace SEN statements with education and health care plans, and assessing…
Prevention and Response to BullyingThe Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a new study which examines the issue of prejudice-based bullying of children, on the grounds of disability, gender, race, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Among the findings are that such forms of bullying are widespread and can have lo…
Men in FamiliesA new United Nations publication provides an overview of the issues affecting men in modern families. Although the report is international in scope, it contains plenty of useful information on areas such as male carers and fathers in vulnerable families within the UK. You can read the full text of M…
Laying the TableA review of nursery food has called for national guidelines on what under fives should eat and drink in early years settings. Laying the Table: Recommendations for National Food and Nutrition Guidance for Early Years Settings in England is the full title of the new report from the School Food Trust,…
Complex Needs, Complex ChallengesA new report from the National Deaf Children's Society argues that deaf children with additional needs face a difficult future due to poor or non-existent support and medical care. The research, entitled Complex Needs, Complex Challenges, examines the experiences of families who have deaf children w…
