Nursery World - Learning & Development: EYFS in Reception

Helen Moylett examines case studies from the Newham Reception Innovation Project on play

The Newham Reception Innovation Project was set up last summer by a group of early years leaders concerned about the extent to which play in Reception was undervalued or misunderstood. Much hard work later, the initiative has brought about significant improvements in practice, with the schools’ data suggesting that most children have made good progress as a result of the project. Although the initiative is officially at an end, the participants are committed to continuing to work collaboratively.

The quality of play-based provision in Reception is a national concern. Last year, Ofsted’s survey Teaching and play in the early years: A balancing act? aimed to ‘address the recurring myth that teaching and play are separate, disconnected endeavours in the early years’. Its definition of teaching within the School Inspection Handbook(2015) then made clear its expectation of seeing a holistic and play-based approach to early years teaching in Reception (see box, below).

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