Over the past 10 years, the amount of paperwork Early Years teachers & practitioners are expected to complete has increased to a point nobody knows why they are doing it, who it is helping and whether it will be enough to please Ofsted.

The odd observation has been replaced by Learning Journals, the weekly planning sheet with child initiated/adult initiated/support plan/higher achiever/learning intention/age & stage.....and the list goes on.

Teachers spend hours completing paperwork and are not actually with the children.  If teachers are with them, especially those working with babies and toddlers; taking a photo, filling in a observation sheet, daily diary, communication board for parents etc is not possible at the same time as giving the child good quality interaction.

On a daily basis, teachers use social media sites to ask each other about what their planning sheet looks like, what observations are done, how the learning journals are going home, how they are writing down the comments of the parents etc. We hear of conflicting Ofsted views and reports, to the point that teachers and managers are in complete confusion as to what is actually expected. This causes unnecessary stress.

Schools in Finland and Reggio Emilia in Italy are following a topic/project based curriculum that follows children's interests. It is not based on learning intentions, developmental goals and target tracking. Let our teachers show the children outstanding interaction, inviting activities and deep and meaningful projects. Let us remember how old our children in the 0-5 age range really are. Let teachers be teachers.

If you are teaching or managing in the Early Years sign this petition to open up a dialogue with the Government. Let us all be included; not just those in large chains, large organisations or with louder voices. Let us demand the paperwork is reviewed and that we all know what is expected, no matter what inspector knocks at the door.

Teaching is not about having a highlighter/post it note pad or ipad in each hand; it is about reaching our hands out to the children, to invite them into a wondrous world of knowledge.