I can hardly believe that this is the last column I will write as Editor of Nursery World after 24 years in a role that has always been fascinating and absorbing, supporting such a worthwhile and deserving sector.
When I joined Nursery World in 1996, the then-Conservative government had just brought in nursery vouchers, swiftly followed by Labour winning the next general election and establishing the first-ever National Childcare Strategy.
My own daughter was at nursery when I got the job on Nursery World, so I had a personal as well as professional interest in early years education and childcare. That interest has never waned as she has progressed through primary school, secondary school, university and into a career.
There has been a constant torrent of policies and initiatives sweeping nursery education and childcare along for both better and worse in my years at the helm of Nursery World.
The roll-out of the Sure Start children’s centres programme was transformational, but has been subjected to a dispiriting dismantling since. ‘Free’ childcare hours have risen and risen, partly as election sweeteners, but their under-funding persists and becomes a bigger problem for providers. The EYFS has gained plaudits, but there are many concerns about the latest revisions coming into force. And the growth of large nursery groups has changed the landscape greatly.
Despite it all, the early years sector continues to inspire with its dedication and passion, particularly in the pandemic.
From nursery vouchers to lockdown heroics, it has been a huge privilege to be editor of Nursery World, supporting the sector, and this will still be a priority in my new role as editor-in-chief. I know that Karen Faux, who has worked for Nursery World and has been editor of EYE most recently, will do an excellent job as editor as we all prepare to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.
