Nursery World - Quality of provision - It's time to set aside sector rivalries

Ofsted's first early years report has prompted a fierce debate
about the best place for children to learn. But, argues Dr Julian
Grenier, we can only truly improve quality if we work together

As I walked through Westminster to hear Sir Michael Wilshaw launching Ofsted's first early years report, the air in London was still gritty with a mixture of pollution and Saharan dust. For the next two hours, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector did his best to stir up early years opinion - and it saddens me to comment that the early years sector has spent most of the subsequent weeks flinging the sand around instead of working out a unified response to the report.

As the national chair of Early Education (The British Association of Early Childhood Education), I am fortunate to be in touch with a wide range of early years practitioners from different backgrounds - schools, settings, children's centres and childminding - as well as advisers and academics. So it was noticeable how most of the early years sector split down predictable sector lines following Sir Michael's speech.

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