Natural Childhood

The National Trust is behind a new report entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Natural Childhood</span>, which examines the decline in the amount of time which children spend playing outdoors. The report forms part of the Trust's <a href="http://outdoornation.org.uk/" target="_blank">Outdoor Nation</a> project, which aims to organise a national summit on the subject of children playing in natural environments later this year. Some of the issues raised by the report are summarised in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/30/national-trust-children-playing-outdoors" target="_blank">this <span style="font-style: italic;">Guardian</span> article</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17495032" target="_blank">this BBC item</a>.<br /><br />To read the full text of <span style="font-style: italic;">Natural Childhood</span>, <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/servlet/file/store5/item823323/version1/Natural%20Childhood%20Brochure.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>. Readers may also be interested in this <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/sowing-seeds.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, which mentions a similar recent report from Tim Gill, a leading advocate of outdoor play.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SWE6EOmXLZM" width="420"></iframe>

Natural Childhood

The National Trust is behind a new report entitled Natural Childhood , which examines the decline in the amount of time which children spend...

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New EYFS

Is today the day that many in the early years sector have been looking forward to? Or dreading? They've certainly been waiting for it anyway...<br /><br />The Department of Education has just published the new <span style="font-style: italic;">Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage</span>. These are the new guidelines which will take effect from September for all those working with young children. There's a lot to get to grips with in the full document, but among the main points are a reduction in the number of early learning goals from 69 to 17, and an increased focus on the main areas of learning.<br /><br />The new framework is freely available and can be <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/EYFS%20Statutory%20Framework%20March%202012.pdf" target="_blank">accessed here</a>. A summary of some of the main points is also listed in <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1124318/Revised-Early-Years-Foundation-Stage/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH" target="_blank">this <span style="font-style: italic;">Nursery World</span> article</a>.<br /><br />For further background information, there's a <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1014512/BIG-ISSUE-Review-Early-Years-Foundation-Stage/" target="_blank">dedicated area</a> on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Nursery World</span> site (most but not all of the articles there are freely accessible), or you can read all the previous posts on this site relating to the EYFS by <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Foundation%20Stage" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. There's also a <a href="http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/early-years-foundation-stage-2012/" target="_blank">u</a><a href="http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/early-years-foundation-stage-2012/" target="_blank">seful page</a> on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Foundation Years</span> website which is updated with information on a weekly basis in preparation for the September launch of the new framework.<br /><br />STOP PRESS: Since I first posted this a couple of hours ago some more useful information has become available. <span style="font-style: italic;">Development Matters</span> is the title of a guidance booklet intended to support practitioners in implementing the statutory requirements of the EYFS - you can <a href="http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Development-Matters-in-the-Early-Years-Foundation-Stage.pdf" target="_blank">access it here</a>. The National Children's Bureau has also produced a 'know how' guide to provide advice on the new check at age two, which is intended to identify possible development needs at an earlier age - <a href="http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/A-Know-How-Guide.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a> to look at the guide.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4mE1J_pDChPEaEl7iqA3NkJ50GAhCRu1tKZTmBZBiDRHP6kt2OOD_UBPkWPR3_140yRuBBthrAEzSe1NnRqbemWGPKI6JvzARsudh_0wN-zdT8W_fkPRWxbZZOcsBq5c7mjb-vrW0Q/s1600/Holly%2526FreyaPark.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724560301871467522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4mE1J_pDChPEaEl7iqA3NkJ50GAhCRu1tKZTmBZBiDRHP6kt2OOD_UBPkWPR3_140yRuBBthrAEzSe1NnRqbemWGPKI6JvzARsudh_0wN-zdT8W_fkPRWxbZZOcsBq5c7mjb-vrW0Q/s200/Holly%2526FreyaPark.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 160px;" /></a>

New EYFS

Is today the day that many in the early years sector have been looking forward to? Or dreading? They've certainly been waiting for it an...

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