Editor’s View - With all due respect
LIz Roberts
Monday, February 8, 2016
Our recent readership survey asked you all what subjects you would most like to see covered in Nursery World.
Cited by many were British values and the Prevent duty, which are clearly areas where early years professionals don’t feel completely confident about what they are meant to be doing.
That is not surprising. It is difficult to get to grips with the concept of ‘British’ values, especially for very young children, and confusion has led to a profusion of Union Jack bunting and outbursts of the National Anthem in some settings.
Meanwhile, the Prevent duty can be misinterpreted as being all about spotting Muslim extremism rather than children’s risk of being drawn into any form of terrorism. And the links between the duty and British values give further pause for thought.
This issue of Nursery World has lots on offer, drawing on advice and information from the experts in the know. All About… British values and Prevent strategy: Duty bound will help support your setting to achieve best practice and satisfy legal requirements and Ofsted.
For despite the rather annoying name, ‘British values’ can really support equality, inclusion, fairness, democracy and child development when they are embedded in a setting’s delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We highlight some settings that are using them to improve their practice and children’s outcomes.
Likewise, with a careful approach and appropriate training, the Prevent duty can help to enhance community cohesion and relationships with parents and carers rather than destroy trust and create fear.
