Nursery World - Ofsted’s Reception report ‘narrow and political’

The publication of Ofsted’s Reception year report ‘Bold Beginnings’ has been met with dismay by some teachers and early years experts, particularly those concerned about the push of more formal learning from Key Stage 1 into the EYFS.

The report’s recommendations for schools (see box), including making sure children are taught ‘correct pencil grip and how to sit correctly at a table’, as well as a focus on synthetic phonics and ‘direct teaching of reading, writing and mathematics’, have been viewed by some commentators as part of a politically driven agenda towards more formal teaching of four- and five-year-olds.

While asserting that ‘a good early education’ is ‘the foundation for later success’, the report is largely critical of Reception class teaching, stating that for too many children the year is ‘a false start’ and ‘a missed opportunity’ that could lead to some ‘falling behind their peers’.

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