Ofsted is coming under increasing criticism, and our open letter to Amanda Spielman (https://tinyurl.com/y3x8f5k6), co-signed by more than 50 notable signatories including Rowan Williams and Sir Tim Brighouse, is the tip of the iceberg.
Ofsted’s ‘audit culture’ and high-stakes accountability regime have long been devastating authentic professionalism within education; but the impact on children in early years education of such linear instrumental thinking is especially harmful. Ofsted’s punitive regime forces schools and teachers into complying with a test-readiness preoccupation, rather than focusing on what really matters: children’s well-being, the experience of unintruded-upon free play, and joy and inspiration for learning. And as Donald Winnicott showed many years ago, the first casualty of compliance is creativity.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
