�黨Ӱ��

by Jess Gibson

A high-quality early years curriculum is important as not all children get the same start in life, Ofsted has stated in a new report.  

The third and final part of its Best Start in Life research, centred around early years education and published on 8 October 2024, focuses on what progress for pre-school-aged children should look like in four specific areas of learning: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design. 

highlights how “the four specific areas of learning give breadth and richness to the early years curriculum, and show how early learning is connected”. 

The report continued to say: “A strong foundation in literacy and mathematics gives children lifelong benefits and is crucial to their future success. Early literacy development helps with children’s language and vocabulary and can support their emotional understanding.  

It adds that effective early mathematical learning and encouraging positive attitudes to numbers and maths “are crucial to children’s later achievement”; expressive arts “provide children with opportunities to learn new skills and be creative”; and understanding the world “is a broad area and, for babies and young children, learning needs to be connected so they can build on their pre-existing knowledge to learn new ideas in the familiar contexts around them”. 

The report goes on: “To deliver a high-quality early years curriculum, practitioners need to understand how children develop and learn, so they can plan the next steps in their learning. Teaching in the specific areas should also offer children opportunities to develop their executive function skills, which are one of the best predictors of a child’s later success.” 

Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said: “A high-quality early education benefits all children, particularly the most vulnerable, and is far too important to be left to chance. Learning in the early years is fundamental to providing children with the tools they need to thrive throughout their education, and beyond. That is all the more important for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. If we get early education right for our most vulnerable children, we’ll get it right for all children. 

“Early years practitioners deserve our gratitude for their hard work in making sure that every child gets off to the best start in life. I hope that this research series helps them to consider what an excellent early years curriculum for all children might look like.” 

The final stage of research builds on the first two – and - and aims to help practitioners raise the quality of early years education.