Put children first, not paperwork

'Ask the children to show us how,' suggests Nicola Smith in her imaginative and stimulating article regarding child-centred principles in New Zealand (Nursery World, 25 November) - and how we need reminding of this! I have been working with children for almost 40 years in various ways - running pre-schools, as a learning support assistant, running Brownie packs and youth clubs, school governor, specialist educational social worker, fostering social worker, family centre worker, as well as being a mother and grandmother. If it's taught me one thing it's that we need to let children show us what they need and...