I have very much enjoyed working with the magazine as a columnist, and a regular commentator and contributor. It was an opportunity not to be missed to chair the Flagship Debate: Where have we come from and where are we going? I was keen to consider if a century of progress in early years education and childcare had prepared us to meet the needs of children and families in the next 100 years?
I was joined by an excellent panel combining the curriculum and pedagogy insight of Jan Dubiel (programme director hey!), the practice and practitioner perspectives of Lucy Owen-Collins (Managing Director and Head of Adventures, Bee in the Woods Kindergartens) and Tom Richardson (Operations Director, Naturally Learning), and the spot-on approaches of Kirsty White (Headteacher West Meads School) who recently opened their school-based nursery.
Contributions immediately made the case that we should counter the effects of modern childhood and technology by promoting the importance of play, outdoor learning, and connections with the natural world.
There was a call for compulsory child development training for everyone, not just those working with children, or indeed parenting them. We asked what lens(es) and what language(s) our work should be considered through and described, given the multiple outcomes the sector delivers upon.
We considered the thematic and contextual landscape set out before us in terms of school-based nurseries, school-readiness, SEND, quality, inspection judgements, expanded entitlements, and all the economic factors. The ambitions were huge as we enter the next century, indeed Tom described it as being equivalent to a new industrial revolution. Why not, we agreed?
Over the past century, early years education and childcare have undergone a profound transformation. From informal care to structured, evidence-based learning environments, we’ve built a system grounded in child development, safeguarding, and inclusivity. The introduction of frameworks like the EYFS, the professionalisation of the workforce, and increased recognition of the early years as a critical foundation for lifelong learning all signal remarkable progress.
We’ve embraced neuroscience, play-based learning, and parental engagement. While challenges remain, the foundations we’ve laid - rooted in research, policy, and practice - equip us to adapt and innovate for the future. We are not starting from scratch; we are building on a century of meaningful progress.
Despite that century of effort, the early years sector needs and deserves more funding, and to have greater value. While frameworks and policies exist, they are often inconsistently applied and can do more to reflect the diverse needs of modern children and families.
We face new challenges - digital exposure, mental health, climate anxiety - which means our current system needs to be changed to be better equipped. If we are to truly meet the needs of the next century, we must acknowledge that incremental progress is not enough.
Childhood has changed and so should we. We stand on the shoulders of giants who have brought us to this pivotal point, for which we should be ever grateful. But we should be bold and brave and pass the baton to the next generation of educators and practitioners.
Are we better prepared for the future than we were 100 years ago? Yes, I think we are. Should we continue on our current path into the next century? No, we need bold, systemic change - not just a celebration of the past and a ‘make-do’ agenda.
Is the current early years education and childcare system fit for the future? Not quite. On our foundation, a fragile construction of disparate parts has been built, attached to various single-minded objectives. We have experienced very many incremental additions to policy, to funding, and to working requirements. Some is focused upon early education, some on closing the gap, some on childcare for working families. All great objectives, and equally valuable.
It is though, a complex jigsaw of inter-related and competing elements all jostling to achieve their stated ambitions. We are still tasked with holding it all together and reconciling targeted and universal provision as the solution to its imperfections.
Finally, should we radically rethink early years education and childcare for the next generation? Yes, it needn’t be like this. The whole system is too complicated and complex. It is not enough to make it easier; it must be simple and easy for children, families, and providers.
The system needs to seamlessly and effectively deliver universal services for all, and to do more for those in disadvantage, the effects of modern childhood, and where there is additional need.
