The EYFS paves the way for British Values

It is important from the start to remember that here in Britain we do not have a monopoly on integrity, morality, democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, fairness, civility, mutual respect and ‘tolerance’.

These values are civilised human values. They are enlightenment values and are spread across the world. Other cultures, nations, civilisations and people who are not British, claim, and hold and enact comparable values from their own positions, experiences and perspectives. Britain’s claim, to these values, should, in no way, negate the fact that other nations, cultures, civilisations, peoples, rightfully claim, hold and implement these values as their own also.

These shared, good values are, communally endorsed and accepted values and are recognised as part and parcel of British shared identity. They are British expectations of positive citizenship and arising from this, these good values have been claimed as being British values here in Britain.

However, there has been much concern from the sector about what ‘British Values’ actually mean in reality.

There are worries about what requirements actually are on extremism and expectations being imposed on the early years in this regard. This is informed by education secretary Nicky Morgan who has said that, 'The best way to help children resist extremist views or challenge views such as creationism is to teach them to think critically and become independent learners, which is fundamental to the Characteristics of Effective Learning and Teaching embedded in the EYFS.'

The latter position is that early years settings cannot ‘teach creationism but they can the Bible’.

In response to this, early years practitioners are saying, ‘Er, helloooooooo?!’

This is very confusing, as creationism is the belief that the universe and living organisms originate from divine creation.

The Church of England subscribes to this and believes God's hand continues to play a part in the progression through the doctrine of Theistic evolution. This position may not be the same form of fundamentalist Christian ideology found elsewhere, which ministers say is a form of creationism teaching that they do not want to see in educational settings - including early years settings - but is this not still creationist?

Lest we all forget, the Queen is the Head of the Church of England too.

Such anomalies have added to confusion about what constitutes extremism, what is permissive and the expectations being imposed.

To add to the sector’s worries, new guidance for local authorities published in September, states that, ‘Local authorities cannot meet their duty to secure early education by securing places at an early education provider in relation to whom the local authority has reasonable grounds to believe:

 - is not meeting the independent school standard in relation to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils;

- is not actively promoting fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; or

- is promoting as fact views or theories which are contrary to established scientific or historical evidence and explanations.’

Ofsted, the sector understands, will be required to inspect on these benchmarks too.

Not only is the Government demanding compliance on promoting ‘British Values’, but there will also be punitive consequences for any non-compliance.

In order to secure greater clarity on this ‘new’ requirement and to assist with developing an enhanced understanding on the expectations in regard to the promotion of ‘British Values’ for the sector, Early Years Equality has been working with local, regional and national organisations to develop and publish materials, which will be available soon.

We hope these resources will alleviate these concerns, by assisting the early years  sector’s families, early years practitioners, providers, service commissioners and inspectors, to identify and gain a greater understanding of these expectations - how the sector might be meeting some of  these expectations already, and how we might address others through the EYFS and its real life applications.

Through promoting good shared values and by complying with the EYFS expectations on early years settings, needing at all times to adhere to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, via the promotion and implementation of anti-discrimination, community cohesion, inclusion, equalities and human rights, as well as through the fostering of a pedagogy of hope, there is opportunity not to ‘throw out the baby with the bath water’, which was something that some early years providers and sector representative groups had thought was expected of them.

Consolidating and building on what exists and what has been working well, will continue to provide children, their families, early years practitioners and communities with the chance to have differences acknowledged, supported and celebrated as appropriate and very importantly to have similarities acknowledged too as a uniting force - all in line with promoting British Values.

We as a sector can continue to support through the EYFS playful learning opportunities that helps develop children’s positive diverse and communal identities, as well as their well-being and their empathy and emotional literacy, while continuing to take action to eradicate inequalities, bullying, discrimination, exclusion, aggression and violence; all of which fosters and secures, children’s pro-social behaviours and responsible citizenship and real belonging.

Therefore in the best of British sensibilities - I plead with all to - keep calm.

Watch this space!

Chrissy Meleady MBE, on behalf of EYE and its partners