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34 - How do we educate children to achieve and be human - sparkearlyyears.com

In this sparkDEBATE, I’m joined by David Wright to explore a question that sits right at the heart of early years: how do we educate children to achieve and still be fully human? We start with the EYFS principles of the unique child and positive relationships, then move into the tension between what’s easy to measure and what really matters, like connection, joy, curiosity, creativity and character. David challenges the language we use, and together we dig into what “achievement” actually means, for children, families and the people they become. ❓If you could change one thing about how early years is measured or talked about, what would it be? Feel free to 📣 - comment below and add your own ideas 👍 -like it 🙏 - subscribe ❇️ - message on WhatsApp: +44 7909 78 55 68 📧 – email; info@sparkearlyyears.co.uk ℹ️ - www.sparkearlyyears.co.uk #EarlyYears, #EYFS, #LearningThroughPlay, #ChildDevelopment KEY MOMENTS *** *** *** 2:21 Topic set: how we educate children to achieve and be human, and what “achievement” and “education” mean. 3:04 Story begins: babies are loved unconditionally, with no achievement expectations at the start. 4:13 Link to EYFS principles: unique child and positive relationships, grounded in attachment. 4:47 Early years focus: emotional safety first so children can learn and develop, including “professional love”. 5:27 Your point: child development sits alongside relationships; you can’t separate them. 6:22 Environment reframed: the emotional environment matters as much as (or more than) the physical layout. 7:12 Warning about conditional acceptance: expectations can shift care and nurture; this is where the debate begins. 7:44 End-of-life lens: funerals remember who people were, not exam results. 9:32 Your point: qualifications may get an interview, but people skills get the job. 11:42 Challenge the term “soft skills”; they’re vital, especially in an AI economy, and words matter. 14:12 Measurement and politics: national target for GLD; concerns about what’s being measured and how. 16:01 Loss of the “unique child”: GLD influenced by age, gender, language and SEND; risk of labelling. 18:15 Transition into school: ratios, full curriculum, pace, less time to practise; joy can be stripped out. 20:34 Core summary: we’re getting the balance wrong between “achievement” and humanity. 21:05 Your staff point: qualifications don’t necessarily predict who children connect with. 22:33 Children develop naturally with the right conditions; reading and writing can come later when there’s purpose and interest. 24:47 Role of early years with parents: help families understand child development amid modern pressures. 26:02 “Three A’s”: awareness, attunement, attachment; relational adults are the ones children gravitate to. 29:03 Critique of cognitive science used badly: treating the brain like a hard drive misses emotion and complexity. 31:22 Purposeful learning without formal teaching: set up learning with intent without worksheets-led teaching. 32:37 Parent expectations and practitioner role: support parents to understand developmentally appropriate practice. 34:32 Partnership with parents can become lip service; practical ways to offer opportunities anyway. 36:01 Baby rooms: trust and attachment are crucial; baby-room staff are undervalued. 38:56 Your personal school story: weak relationship with secondary school; school didn’t value your child’s strengths. 40:19 Nursery-to-school insight: children like “play” not “work”; confidence can be criticised. 43:19 The work/play split criticised; “purposeful play” with outcomes isn’t really play. 45:18 China anecdote: practitioners couldn’t recall childhood memories; sadness about lost play and joy. 47:33 Joy, fun and laughter aren’t in EYFS wording; critique of a joyless ethic. 49:19 Question to David: was joy and fun explicitly included in his training? 51:16 Ofsted inconsistency; interpretation varies by inspector; Montessori example shows labels don’t equal practice. 55:19 Practical concerns about school-based early years expansion: staffing and suitable environments. 58:14 Return to unique child: different timescales; confidence in knowing children and communicating next steps. 1:00:18 Resourcing reality: part-time patterns and high key-child loads make knowledge hard to transfer. 1:02:22 Vocation vs professionalisation: risk of gatekeeping good practitioners via qualifications alone. 1:07:28 Chat example: “I can make play-dough” got the job; your interview question about childhood play. 1:09:08 Sector reflection: early years is fragmented and “too nice”; protect early years principles. 1:11:15 Closing thanks and context about knowing David (Play Iceland), then intro to a video segment.