Leading early years organisation, the Early Years Alliance has
today published a wide-ranging essay collection, titled ‘No child
left behind', which explores the ways in which we can build and
sustain an early years sector where all children are given the
best possible start in life.
Featuring contributions from a wide range of early years experts,
including Nobel-Prize winning academic James Heckman and Dame
Cathy Nutbrown, the collection reflects on current sector
challenges and outlines the long-term vision of a system
underpinned by fairness and equality. The essays span a variety
of topics, including supporting children with SEND, embedding
anti-racist practice in settings, family support, digital
literacy and supporting the early years workforce.
The collection is free to download at www.eyalliance.org.uk/no-child-left-behind-essay-collection.
Commenting, Neil Leitch CEO of the Early
Years Alliance, said:
“At the heart of the Early Years Alliance is the belief that all
children, regardless of background or circumstance, should be
given the best possible start in life. And yet we know that
despite positive rhetoric on the power of early intervention over
the years, the gap between those children in need of support and
their peers continues to widen.
“At a time when there is so much political focus on breaking down
barriers to opportunity, this essay collection provides a hopeful
and unashamedly ambitious vision of how this could be achieved in
practice. We are grateful to each and every one of the
contributors for sharing their thoughts, ideas and reflections on
this vital topic, and hope that this collection will be the start
of many important discussions to come.”
The collection includes the following essays:
-
What needs to change in England's early years sector
for all children to get the best possible start in
life? – Abby Jitendra, Principal Policy Adviser
at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
-
Play as a focal point for effective early childhood
education – Andreas Rasch-Christensen Ph.D,
Director of Research at VIA University College,
Denmark
-
Making sure every child with SEND gets their early
years place – Catherine McLeod MBE, CEO,
Dingley's Promise
-
England's early years workforce: what is broken can be
mended – Dame Cathy Nutbrown, Professor Emeritus,
The University of Sheffield; Honorary President, Early
Education
-
Growing up digital: why early years media literacy
matters – Cliff Manning, Research and Development
Director, Parent Zone
-
The power of evidence-based parenting support:
unlocking better outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged
children – Donna Molloy OBE, Deputy Chief
Executive, Foundations
-
Investing in early childhood: lessons from lifelong
evidence – James J. Heckman, Henry Schultz
Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, and director of
the Center for the Economics of Human Development, University
of Chicago; and Alison Baulos, Executive Director of the Center
for the Economics of Human Development, University of
Chicago
-
Reflections on anti-racism in the early years
– Liz Pemberton, Anti-racism Trainer and
Consultant
-
Home is where we start from – Professor
Peter Hurley, Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria
University, Australia
-
Mathematics: those who start behind, stay behind, but
the early years can make a difference – Sue
Gifford, Chair of the Early Childhood Maths Group and Emeritus
Fellow at the University of Roehampton
-
Adverse childhood experiences: it has never been more
important to prioritise children's mental health
– Dr Trudi Seneviratne OBE, Registrar of the
Royal College of Psychiatrists
