Even knowing their limitations, the figures make for fascinating reading, of course - why do girls do so much better than boys? Why are this year's results down on last year's in every area?
Inevitably, however, the resulting stories in the national media express horror that young children are 'struggling' to write their names, and 'failing' to be able to write sentences. Information that could be used to improve practice will set children up to be seen as failures; parents will panic that their child is being left behind; the downward pressure to formalise methods of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage will intensify as practitioners concentrate on teaching children to meet targets rather than their true potential.
It is hard to have the confidence to stick with the approach of learning through play that children of this age require in the face of empty tick boxes, but more than ever, this is what our early years professionals need to do.
