Nursery World - Celebrating 100 years: A is for 'agenda'

What does the past tell us about the here and now – and how does it point the way to the future? In this A–Z series, running throughout 2025, we dip into our archive to explore some key topics. Here, Professor Cathy Nutbrown provides an 'agenda' that will enable the sector move forwards.

Since 1925, when Nursery Worldwas first published, it’s clear how early childhood education has changed; how positive changes were won by pioneers working to lobby governments, and how some have since been lost.

The past 100 years saw the growth of state-funded nursery schools, Sure Start, and a well-trained and qualified workforce. The last century has seen some practices and policies which show how things can be.

Positive change has happened, but many effective developments have been threatened, reduced or lost. As 2025 begins, the realities are stark. Many maintained nursery schools, Children’s Centres and other settings and services known to effectively support children and their families who live in disadvantaged circumstances have closed or suffered cuts to their provision.

There is a crisis in early years staffing at all levels, with recruitment, retention, initial qualifications, ongoing professional learning, working conditions and remuneration being entrenched concerns. Addressing the issues remains urgent to secure high-quality provision for young children.

TODAY’S CHALLENGES

Many educators work in hugely challenging contexts, with concern around the experiences of many young children. Some go to sleep, and wake, hungry, can’t access much-needed healthcare and have inadequate spaces to play. Poverty has always been a desperate fact for some families, and 2025 still sees some young children living in poverty – in cold, damp, temporary housing – often with no bed of their own, to serious detriment of their health, wellbeing and family life.

Fluctuating funding and changing political priorities have seen various mitigating initiatives come and go, but none have been universal, and few sustained. Nurseries do amazing work to support families who live in desperate situations – going far beyond what is expected of them in terms of their substantive remit of supporting care-filled learning.

Young children’s rights to individual identity, citizenship, education, health, homes, play, protection and a place in society underpin quality provision. Political unrest and wars around the world, national turmoil and community friction serve to remind us of the importance of childhood to peaceful futures. Positive affirmation of childhood identities, communities and cultures is crucial. All children should grow and learn in spaces and with people who affirm they matter, are safe and everyone belongs.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO?

Early Education’s Agenda for the Future of Early Childhood Education identifies action points to achieve essential policy shifts and future investment towards sustained change. These include policy that promotes and prioritises:

high-quality play and play pedagogy
child-focused curricula
assessment for learning over assessment for accountability
cultures of sustainability and outdoor learning
families as partners in learning
ending discriminatory practices and promoting meaningful inclusion
strong leadership of settings and services
the development and implementation of a long-term strategy for ECEC.

None of this is possible without early childhood educators. A valued and supported workforce is the golden thread that runs throughout the whole agenda, making all aspects of high-quality early education achievable. As a century of Nursery Worldhas shown, early years educators – whatever their nomenclature – have always been a key factor.

Whatever issues are on your own ECEC agenda for 2025, urgent political action is essential. I hope every centenary year issue of Nursery World will be able to celebrate aspects of positive change.

Happy New Year and Happy 100th Anniversary, Nursery World!

Professor Dame Cathy Nutbrown is honorary president of early education and Professor of Education, University of Sheffield

‘In My View’, Marion Dowling, president of Early Education: ‘Over the years early education has been influenced by four themes – insufficiency, diversity, lack of resources and commitment. Without the amazing endeavour of early years practitioners there would be fewer pre-school places, much of the provision would not be as good, and the education and care of young children would be lower on the political agenda today.’

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