What a shame that it's come to this - strict guidelines, increasing paperwork, Ofsted Inspections, NVQ qualifications and much, much more - when all along it was intended that the trained school teachers knew best.
I, for one, supervise at a large pre-school and like many other settings adhere to all regulations regarding early years and childcare.
Do we really want our babies going into the school nurseries when they are still in nappies, unable to settle or communicate well with others? Some really are simply not ready to go but parents feel compelled to accept places, either for their own convenience or because they feel they'll be put to the bottom of the nursery list. The system seems to care little for the emotional well-being of the child, as long as they are on target for a 'good education'.
Pre-schools around the country are facing difficulties when there is no support from local schools, and in some cases very little communication.
It is a real shame that professionals in all areas of childcare cannot work together to produce a system that covers the whole area of a child's growth, from their first steps to school age and further. Pre-schools should be included and encouraged to do what they do best - the very important task of helping young children to learn through play and integrating them into the wider community.
* Andrea Warren, The Willows Pre-school, Didcot, Oxford
