I was disappointed that he did not at any point mention the pre-school sector and the role it plays in ensuring that children reach their schooldays ready to 'enjoy ... be stimulated ... feeling confident to meet the future challenges of life'.
We have had the opportunity to read and reflect upon some exciting research material over the past year, some of which has been excellently summarised in Nursery World. This identifies appropriate, positive experiences in the early years as of paramount importance in establishing learning, social and life patterns from schooldays onwards.
Teamwork is one of the driving factors as pre-school providers and practitioners across the country continue to rise to the challenges of meeting the national standards for under-eights daycare, the development of quality assurance schemes, the complications of understanding how the training framework will work, and how to 'upskill' and continue to develop professionally. This is all tackled alongside working with children and families, ensuring good-quality, appropriate early learning experiences through play.
This early work is vital and the funding generated through the national childcare strategy has been very welcome. Further funding must be considered across all pre-school settings to ensure the workforce feels valued and can afford to stay working in the sector, which is so rewarding, but does not enjoy the professional status it justly deserves.
So Mr Clarke, fewer initiatives and more time for consolidation and reflection, with some real debate about funding for playgroup, nursery and cr che staff to ensure that they sit at a professional level with other education colleagues.
Vicky Fowkes, Gloucestershire Playgroup and Toddler Association, Tuffley, Gloucester
