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2013 Open Letter

Open Letter to the Telegraph
12th September, 2013

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the impact of the government’s early years policies on the health and wellbeing of our youngest children. The early years of life are when children establish the values and mindsets that underpin their sense of self, their attitude to later learning, and their communicative skills and natural creativity. 

Though early childhood is recognised world-wide as a crucial stage in its own right, Ministers in England persist in viewing it simply as a preparation for school. The term ‘school readiness’ is now dominating policy pronouncements, despite considerable criticism from the sector.

The role of play is being down-valued in England's nurseries. For many children today, nursery education provides their only opportunity for the active, creative and outdoor play which is recognised by psychologists as vital for physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. However, two key qualifications currently being drawn up for nursery teachers and child carers no longer require training in how children learn through play. Indeed current policy suggestions would mean that the tests and targets which dominate primary education will soon be foisted upon 4 year olds.

Research does not support an early start to testing and quasi-formal teaching, but provides considerable evidence to challenge it. Very few countries have a school starting age as young as 4, as we do in England. Children who enter school at 6 or 7 – after several years of high quality nursery education – consistently achieve better educational results as well as higher levels of wellbeing. The success of Scandinavian systems suggests that many intractable problems in English education – such as the widening gap in achievement between rich and poor, problems with boys’ literacy, and the ‘summerborns’ issue – could be addressed by fundamentally re-thinking our early years policies. 

Instead of pursuing an enlightened approach informed by global best practice, successive Ministers have prescribed an ever-earlier start to formal learning. This can only cause profound damage to the self-image and learning dispositions of a generation of children. We as a sector are now uniting to demand a stop to such inappropriate intervention and that early years policy-making be put in the hands of those who truly understand the developmental needs and potential of young children. 

The Save Childhood Movement (SCM) Early Years Education Advisory Group


LETTER SIGNATORIES (128)

Wendy Ellyatt, Chief Executive, Save Childhood Movement

Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green, former first Children's Commissioner for England, Professor Emeritus of Child Health University College London

Prof. Lord Richard Layard, Director, Well-Being Programme, Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics

Professor Guy Claxton, Co-Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning and Professor of the Learning Sciences, at the University of Winchester.

John Freeman CBE, Past Joint President, Association of Directors of Children's Services

Dr David Whitebread, Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology and Early Education, University of Cambridge

Barry Sheerman, MP, Chair of The Skills Commission; Chair, Labour Party Commission on School to Work; Co Chair, All-Party Group on Bullying; Co-Chair, Westminster Children's Commission

Penelope Leach, Psychologist and Director, Mindful Policy Group

Susie Orbach, Psychoanalyst, writer and social critic

Christine Blower, General Secretary, National Union of Teachers (NUT)

Dr Mary Bousted: General Secretary, Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Chris Keates, General Secretary, NASUWT


Deborah Lawson, General Secretary, VOICE, The Union for Education Professionals

Ben Thomas, National Officer, UNISON Children’s Services

Brian Strutton, General Secretary, GMB Union

Neal Lawson, Chair of Compass

Melian Mansfield, Chair, Early Childhood Forum (ECF)

Sue Palmer, independent writer, consultant and presenter

Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive, National Day Nurseries Association

Neil Leitch, Chief Executive, Pre-School Learning Alliance

Liz Bayram, Chief Executive, PACEY

Wendy Scott - President, TACTYC

Margaret Morrissey, Founder, Parents Outloud

Emeritus Professor Philip Gammage PhD, D Phil, FRSA, former Chair TACTYC; former President BAECE; Foundation de Lissa Chair in EC, South Australia, former Dean University of Nottingham)

Professor Emerita Janet Moyles, Early Years Consultant

Dr Richard House – Senior Lecturer in Education (Early Childhood), University of Winchester and Chair, Early Childhood Action (ECA)

Annette Brooke, MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Children, Young People and Families 2004 – 2010

Melanie Gill, Founder of the Mindful Policy Group

Patrick Holford, CEO, Food for the Brain Foundation

Professor Kevin J. Brehony, Froebel Professor of Early Childhood Studies, Froebel College, Roehampton University

Ben Hasan, Chair of the National Campaign for Real Nursery Education (NCRNE)

Adrian Voce - Independent writer and consultant, Founder of Play England

Catherine Prisk, Director, Play England

Marguerite Hunter Blair, Chief Executive, Play Scotland

Mike Greenaway, Director, Play Wales

Professor Michael Patte, Co-editor, The International Journal of Play

David Lorimer, Chief Executive, Character Scotland

Tanith Carey, parenting journalist, author of Where Has My Little Girl Gone? How to Protect Your Daughter from Growing Up Too Soon

Margaret Edgington, Independent Early Years Education Consultant

Janni Nicol - Early Childhood Representative for Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship UK

Kim Simpson, Nursery Head Teacher and Founding Director, Save Childhood Movement

Penny Webb - Childminder, Founder of the One Voice Site 

June O’Sullivan MBE, CEO, London Early Years Foundation

Titus Alexander - Convenor, Democracy Matters 

Sally Goddard Blythe MSc, Director, The Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology (INPP Ltd)

Professor Barry Carpenter O.B.E., PhD, Professor, Early Childhood Intervention, University of Worcester

Professor Colin Richards HMI (retired) Emeritus Professor University of Cumbria

Dr Barbara Taylor - General Secretary, National Association for Small Schools

Grethe Hooper-Hansen – Independent Consultant

Anne Nelson, early years specialist, former chief executive of the British Association for Early Childhood Education (BAECE)

Professor J. David Ingleby, Centre for Social Science and Global Health, University of Amsterdam

Professor Rita Jordan, BSc.MSc.MA.PhD.C.Psychol.AFBPsS.OBE, Emeritus Professor in Autism Studies, University of Birmingham

Dr Ana Marjanovic-Shane, Professor, Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, USA

Richard Masters, Manager, Hermes Trust

Tobin Hart, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of West Georgia, USA

Jane Joyce 

Dr Jennifer Patterson, Senior Lecturer in Education, Principle Investigator Natural Learning and Environments, University of Greenwich

Pat Petrie, Professor Emeritus, Institute of Education, University of London

Dr Bronwen Rees, former Director, Centre for Transformational Management Practice, Anglia Ruskin University

Professor Andrew Samuels 

Pippa Smith, Co-Chairman, Safermedia

Miranda Suit, Co-Chairman, Safermedia

Brian Thorne, Emeritus Professor, University of East Anglia (Norwich)

Annie Davy - Early Years Adviser, Author and Consultant

Jo White - Head of Portman Early Childhood Centre


Dr. Carolyn Morris - Senior Lecturer Early childhood Studies,          Middlesex University

Laura Henry – Managing Director, Childcare Consultancy, UK representative for the World Forum in Early Care and Education

Edwina Mitchell – Independent Researcher

Elizabeth Jarman - Managing Director, The Elizabeth Jarman® Group

Maggie Fisher - representative for Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association (CPHVA)

Juno Hollyhock - Executive Director, Learning through Landscapes

Barbara Isaacs, DIrector of National Strategies, Montessori St. Nicholas Charity

Pauline Trudell - Vice President, The National Campaign for Real Nursery Education

Dr Carole Ulanowsky - Social Researcher

Dr Helen Prochazka, Director, the Montessori Partnership

Lydia Keyte - Chair, What about the Children

Leigh-Anne Stradeski - CEO, Eureka National Children’s Museum

Marie Peacock - EYPS, Mothers At Home Matter

Helen Ruffles - Head teacher/Head of Centre, Netherton Park Nursery School and Children's Centre


Barbara Patterson, author of "Beyond the Rainbow Bridge - nurturing our children from birth to seven years"

Fiona Carnie, Vice President, European Forum for Freedom in Education

Gabriel Millar, Teacher and Therapist

Professor Fraser Brown PhD, Playwork Team, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences

Leeds Metropolitan University

Adrian Ramsay, Green Party Home Affairs spokesperson

Rod Parker-Rees, Coordinator of Early Childhood Studies. Plymouth University

Mary Macomber Leue, MA, Founder and Director-emeritus of The Albany Free School, NY

Vincent Nolan, ex Trustee, Synectics Education Initiative

Sue Cox, Senior Lecturer, School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of East Anglia

Julie Fisher, Independent Early Years Adviser & Visiting Professor Early Childhood Education at Oxford Brooke's University

Rosa Collins, Early Years Consultant

Marie-Louise Charlton, Early Years Education Consultant

Aonghus Gordon, Founder and Executive Chair, Ruskin Mill Trust

Catriona Nason, Managing Director, Daycare Doctor

Elizabeth Steinthal, Head Teacher, Educare Small School

Shirley Brooks, Senior Lecturer in Early Years Care & Education, University of Winchester

Professor Del Loewenthal, University of Roehampton

Dr Simon Boxley, Undergraduate Programme Leader, Dept Education Studies, University of Winchester

Derek Bunyard, Senior Lecturer in Education Studies & Liberal Arts, University of Winchester

Jess Edwards, Charter for Primary Education coordinator and Lambeth National Union of Teachers

Dr Bridget Egan,
Senior Lecturer, Education, Health and Social Care, University of Winchester

Dr Richard Eke, School of Education, University of the West of England

Sue Gerhardt, author of Why Love Matters 

Dr Gillian Proctor, Clinical Psychologist and author

Dr Sebastian Suggate, lecturer in education, University of Regensburg

Kathryn Solly, Early Years Specialist, Former maintained nursery school head, a member of ECF, NET, NCRNE, Early Education, and NAHT

Barbara Bedingfield, Founding Director, Suncoast School, Florida

Nancy Blanning, Early Childhood Developmental specialist, Denver, Col., USA

Richard Brinton, Educator, former Principal, Hawkwood College, Stroud

Katharine Brown, Early Childhood Educator, Middleton, Mass., USA

Dr Julia Cayne, Psychotherapist and Visiting Lecturer, Centre for Therapeutic Education, University of Roehampton

Peggy Day-Hakker B.A., M.Ed., Lead Writer, Australian Steiner Curriculum Preschool Director, Sydney, Australia

Betty Jane Enno, WECAN (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America) Regional Representative

Eric Gidseg, Ph.D., Department of Elementary Education, State University of New York

Lavinia Gomez, MA (Cantab), MA (Essex), writer and researcher

Sherry Jennings, early childhood educator

Yvonne LaMontagne, RN, early childhood educator

Dr Jane Payler, Senior Lecturer in Early Years Education, University of Winchester

Dawn McCoy, former Waldorf kindergarten assistant, Potomac Crescent School, Arlington, Virg., USA

Pearse B. O Shiel, MA in Ed., Ireland

Heidi Anne Porter, Waldorf Kindergarten Teacher

Sylvie Hétu, Early years educator, international Trainer for IAIM and MISA

Rosemeire Laviano, Maiana Educacional - Brazil

Denise Sachs, Davina Muse Simplicity Parenting

David Adams, Ph.D., Sierra College, Grass Valley, Calif, USA

Vicki Kingsbury, Early Childhood Teacher, Pewaukee, WI

Manali Mehta, Director, Shrishti Pre-Kindergarten, Mumbai. India

Margaret Shams, M.Sc.(Steiner Educ.), Italy    
We have tried to ensure that all the information on this site is as accurate as possible. Please let us know if you spot any errors.

A Save Childhood Movement Initiative
www.savechildhood.net

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