The Rose Review of the Primary Curriculum is available, with an invitation to respond by 28 February. Those working with children aged from birth to five may not see this as relevant to their own work, but I would argue differently and urge a response. I offer one 'positive' and one 'negative'.
Whatever the ethos and content of the primary curriculum, there is always a 'backwash' on to the curriculum content of birth to five. One key feature is the promotion of 'challenging subject teaching alongside equally challenging cross-curricular studies'. Rose has strongly refuted the view that this advocates the loss of subjects. This aspect could have a potentially positive impact on both the primary curriculum and the Foundation Stage. The six areas of cross-curricular learning dovetail with the EYFS framework.
Jim Rose was tasked by Ed Balls with addressing the difficulties of summer-born children who, being the youngest in school, are least likely to do well in SATS. The solution is self-evident - stop testing. Rose has recommended a single entry point to reception in the September following the child's fourth birthday subject to 'informed discussions with parents'.
We saw massive early entry to formal, teacher-led reception classes back in the 1990s when budgets were devolved to schools, and we saw its highly negative impact on four-year-olds, especially the emergence of the 'failing boy'.
Under the 1944 Education Act, children do not have to be in school until the beginning of the term after their fifth birthday - why change this? Rose does advocate the benefits of play but pays little attention to the pedagogical challenge of getting the right balance in relation to child-initiated and teacher-directed activity.
The review acknowledges the need to consider how to support practitioners in providing play-based learning (Recommendation 11). To bring this about requires a huge shift in initial and in-service training for all early years practitioners. This may be the last chance for a while of protecting the rights of our youngest children in school. Let's not fail them.
Pat Broadhead is Professor of Playful Learning, Leeds Metropolitan University and Chair of TACTYC (www.TACTYC.org.uk)
