The Department for Education and Skills said it has no plans to make changes to the curriculum guidance, following a consultation carried out by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) which found that the guidance had widespread support from the early years sector.
The DfES is now circulating a draft order specifying that the Early Learning Goals should be adopted as the statutory learning goals for the Foundation Stage and that practitioners should be required to have regard to the curriculum guidance when they plan and provide learning activities and play opportunities, which should be consistent with achieving the Early Learning Goals.
Professor Tina Bruce of the University of North London welcomed the move.
She said, 'I think it will protect the Foundation Stage. The danger has always been that reception classes have not really been seen as part of the Foundation Stage. This will help people to embed it and hopefully will bring in training money.
'One thing that has emerged from DfES research is that primary school headteachers are not really informed about the Foundation Stage. If it becomes part of the National Curriculum it will be imperative that they know about it and understand it. There's also a move from Early Education, TACTYC (Training Advancement and Co-operation in Teaching Young Children) and the National Union of Teachers to look again at Key Stage 1 and the SATS at the end of it, and take the Foundation Stage philosophy further up.
Having it as part of the National Curriculum will be helpful.'
Diane Rich, national professional officer for Early Education, welcomed the move to give the Early Learning Goals statutory force, but pointed out that there would be challenges for some settings in providing quality outdoor play and learning. 'The statutory nature of this requirement means this issue cannot be ignored,' she said.
The QCA consultation found that 76 per cent of respondents believed the Early Learning Goals should be statutory, while 77 per cent said practitioners should be required to 'have regard to' the curriculum guidance. Many praised the guidance as a sound but flexible basis for good practice.
However, some felt particular goals were overly ambitious or insufficiently clear, while others expressed concern that making the goals statutory might lead to a restrictive curriculum. The consultation questionnaire was sent to all Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships as well as local education authorities and a ten per cent sample of settings in receipt of Government funding.
The full report on the consultation is available on www.qca.org.uk. The DfES draft order is on www.dfes.gov.uk/consultationsand all comments on it must be submitted to the DfES by 23 January 2003.
