The culmination of a three-year inquiry into primary education in this country, Children, Their World, Their Education, was published on 19 October. This final report draws on years of thorough research, wide consultation and deep reflection (see column). The project was funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust, and is thus an independent study. This is significant at a time when Government has intervened in education at unprecedented levels.
Ministers commissioned a parallel review led by Sir Jim Rose, while Cambridge report editor Professor Robin Alexander and his team were collecting evidence and analysing their findings.
The Rose report, although called an independent review of primary education, complied with tight terms of reference drawn up by the DCSF which explicitly excluded any consideration of the testing regime. As the Cambridge Review points out, this has a crucial impact on what is taught throughout the primary school, and early years settings have also suffered from downward pressure and the narrow focus on targets for literacy and numeracy.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
