Upstart has been campaigning for nigh on 10 years for play based pedagogy and ultimately for a #KindergartenStage for our 3-7 year olds.

In that time, the Scottish Government have recognised the need for Fair Funding for all our children who are not yet 5 on the school starting date giving them access to another year of Early Learning and Childcare before moving into the school system.

Realising the Ambition has also been published. The guidance document for 0-6 year olds and in some cases on to Primary 2. This document has been embraced by many settings and schools with further training and qualifications supporting high quality play.

Outdoor nurseries are become a choice for many parents and carers as with the support of the Government and Thrive Outdoors the evidence for this provision and how it supports all children is there.

HMIE and Education Scotland are now highlighting best practice around play pedagogy and providing CPD for staff in Early Level.

But there are difficulties in putting play policies into practice when the ratio jumps from 1:8 to 1:25 as children enter Primary 1.

We still have testing/ assessment of Literacy and Numeracy during this first year of school even although our Parliament voted to abolish the Scottish National Standardised Assessments for P1. This focus skews the curriculum towards these areas at school and even in some early learning centres.

Upstart wants all children to love learning and a kindergarten stage will be the beginning of most children’s experience of funded education and childcare. By providing highly qualified staff and an appropriate curriculum where the children have space and time to play while being challenged by their educators to become critical creative thinkers a Kindergarten Stage will give all our children the opportunity to develop the skills and attributes needed to thrive in the 21st century.

For further info please look at Upstart Scotland’s website www.upstart.scot.