Nationally, it has been a groundbreaking time for the early years. Young children have stopped being 'pre' everything, and now enjoy the right to have their own particular needs and interests recognised and met, first in the Foundation Stage, then in Birth To Three Matters and finally in the EYFS.
There was finally a recognition - backed by research - that what happened to children in their earliest years made a real difference to their academic outcomes, social and emotional well-being and dispositions to learn. But I'm sad that despite that recognition, there is still a reluctance to invest in the early years workforce.
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