Hi everyone, Well we have broken the 6,000 mark and there's definitely a change coming! I recently told you about a report by the Teaching Schools Council, based on evidence from only 20 schools, which made some dangerous statements about Reception class teaching and recommended that Year One layouts and approaches be pushed down into our Reception classes in a response to the high expectations of Year One. The fact of the matter is this....the Year One expectations are fatally flawed...so why would it work to push this down into our Reception classes?? Surely we need to be pushing the EYs best practice up- we know it works! Well, they say every cloud has a silver lining and in this case, I have to agree. The Teaching Schools Reports Reception recommendations have been criticised widely by the early years experts (by this I mean organisations, consultants, leaders and practitioners)... in fact the very people they should have consulted in the first place, as their report featured the views of NO EARLY YEARS EXPERTS AT ALL! Can you imagine if I decided to write a report about Year 6 and didn't ask anyone who actually knows about Year 6? Would the Government be interested in what I had to say?? And yet they are looking at this report?! Anyhow, the report has been widely criticised and this week has seen something amazing happening. The Early Years sector has pulled together to challenge this ill informed report. Charity Early Education released this open letter, challenging the report and signed by a range of Early Years organisations and experts! https://www.early-education.org.uk/press-release/early-years-experts-challenge-recommendation-review-reception But thats not all....today Nursery World magazine shared this press release from Early Excellence who are launching the 100 review...a review into Reception teaching! Anyone interested in taking part in this extensive, national review (and far more than 20 schools) can register their interest by following the link in the press release. http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1159498/early-excellence-to-launch-reception-review Thank you everyone for supporting this campaign to give every child the best start. Your stories continue to inspire me to keep going. Keep sharing, keep talking, get involved.....this matters! Kindest regards Elaine