My Early Years Blog: In the Beginning



My Early Years Blog: In the Beginning


So, this is it, the blogging journey begins! It is pretty quiet in the world of School right now, and although that brings welcome and beautiful benefits, playing with my own child for one, it also gives me some time to try out this blogging game, so here we are!


An adventure into the unknown....




Early years is my ‘thing’, my passion, and my privilege to work in (well when we are not in lock down anyway) and right now there is so much to share, develop and discuss. Who knows maybe even change.

So, lets start at the very heart of it all shall we?

What makes for good Early Years education then? There are so many notions of this; being outdoors, focused teaching sessions, ‘In the Moment Teaching’, play through ‘provocations’ and ‘invitations’ the list goes on, and most will find something to hang their hat on, draw on or adapt, but what is truly at the heart? The beating, pulsing centre of it all….

For me, it will always involve the child as the leader. Having spent a long time in Early Years my practice has evolved and developed alongside the children I have taught, and this is the single most significant change for me. The child as central is not new, its not big or clever, it is not a life changing revelation, it will not challenge your practice. However, the child as The Leader might.

I truly realised this idea whilst completing my Forest School training. The experience of being told, not just to put the child at the centre of what we do, but to follow them entirely was so liberating, and the more I reflected and applied this, the more joyful my teaching became. I noticed how, prior to this, despite promoting a child led approach, I had been practicing this in a box, its walls made up of Phonics Sessions, data and progress, the dreaded and spine-chilling phrase ‘School Readiness’ and, not far behind that, ‘High Expectations’. This is not to knock any of these things entirely, however I feel about the system we are in, the devil is in the detail and application, being brave enough to satisfy these ideas but still do best by the children will be a commonly used, interpreted and applied theory to most. That said, it was a humbling and career changing moment. Since then I have worked hard to promote and develop this approach myself, with colleagues, parents and actually with anyone who will listen!

Despite my revelation moment in this true child led approach, I still see confusion and constraints within Early Years. The real trick in following the children, and gaining a classroom full of magic and mayhem, is to let go of the view of the traditional teacher, and place the children in the driving seat. Are you brave enough?


I am an Early Years Teacher with nearly 20 years experience working with young children. I am a firm believer in the beauty and value of play. Real, messy, child led play which inspires magic and mayhem!

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