As Wendy Scott and Anne O'Connor point out in this week's Analysis (see pages 10-11), many interested parties will have been on holiday since the consultation was announced on 2 August and will be returning to a hectic workload, with the priority to settle children in to new settings or stages.
Scant time, then, to get to grips with such an important, fundamental review, which will have such an effect on the experiences of young children.
Furthermore, as our authors explain, each response, whether from an individual or a whole organisation, counts as a single reply when the results are analysed. This makes it even more vital for everyone to have their say.
Dame Clare Tickell's EYFS review does, of course, have an expert group to provide guidance, and it is filled with experts whose knowledge and experience should prove invaluable. Its members include Bernadette Duffy, Chris Pascal, Kathy Sylva, Sue Owen and Jean Gross (see news, page 8).
However, we should not forget that the previous Government convened its Early Years Advisory Group of 13 experts, who advised it in no uncertain terms that the two controversial literacy goals reached by less than half of children should be amended. Their reponse to Sir Jim Rose's primary review, which specifically included these two goals, was ignored, as were similar views from many other experts.
With these goals now being used inappropriately to measure outcomes in the EYFS Profile, let's hope that the expert voices will be heard this time.
