Put it in writing

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Jools Page 1st prize - 1,000 PhD student at the University of Sheffield, School of Education

Throughout 20 years of working with and for young children I have always wanted to spend time with the youngest, those under three. I recall once being told that my skills would be 'wasted' with the babies and I should stay with the three- to five-year-olds. Looking back, I can see that this intended compliment came from thinking which suggested that older children needed 'brighter' adults to work with them (I shall return to this later).

As a nursery nurse, I worried about the sleeping babies left in their prams at the bottom of the garden. I kept a watchful eye on the sleeping toddlers, who woke, tried to sit up and got caught up in their pram harnesses. Everyone in that nursery of 20 years ago tried to keep up with the increasing demands of the smallest and most vulnerable, but something wasn't right. Everything was clean, orderly and efficient, but something was missing, and although at that time I didn't know what to call it, I now see that the 'keyperson' was missing.