Once again the early years sector finds itself in the eye of the storm. At the time of writing, Omicron is rapidly on the rise and nurseries are reporting that they have experienced more cases since September than during the first two lockdowns.
Naturally there is a great deal of concern about the current lack of safeguards when so little is known about the new variant and what it means in terms of infection in settings and its effects on young children. Hopefully by the time you read this, the situation will be clearer – not least in terms of Government guidance.
Greeting a new year from a position of such uncertainty is now nothing new to the sector. As our round-up of its hopes and dreams for 2022 suggests, a lot is understood about the negative impact of repeated lockdowns and social distancing measures on the learning, physicality and wellbeing of young children (page 6). In light of the challenges of the pandemic, it seems early years has never been more united in its objectives. Maximising opportunities for children to thrive outdoors and to learn how to care for the planet are recognised as integral – and complementary – aspects of practice. The need for settings to embed inclusive and anti-racist practice is also right at the centre of pedagogy.
These areas will be prioritised by Nursery Worldthis year. On page 14, outdoors guru Jan White begins a 12-parter unlocking the keys to innovative outdoor practice, while in our management section, Liz Pemberton kicks off a thought-provoking guide to anti-racist leadership (page 44). Meanwhile, turn to page 46 for a problem page which will see a panel of experts address topical dilemmas each month. We hope this starts the first of many new conversations in 2022. Wishing all our readers a very Happy, Healthy New Year.
