Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum - the content on Victorian toys (changes beyond living memory) is no longer relevant. In the last few years, opportunities for play in Key Stage 1 classrooms have been considerably reduced. Play is now often regulated to Friday afternoons and filling in activities when...

Please note: this article was written before the the 2014 National Curriculum and some content is now outdated. All teachers working within the foundation stage will, at some time, be using nursery rhymes in their classrooms. Their importance to early language development has long been acknowledged, particularly the way in which they contribute to...

History plays an important role in the development of young children’s understanding of their world. It can broaden children’s experiences beyond the immediate present, to a time in the past, which might be only a few years ago or which might extend much further back in time. ‘Tell me about...

Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum. Early in July of this year I was involved in a meeting at BECTA in which a lively discussion took place about whether ICT should be a requirement, or not, in the teaching of history at KS1. As those participating included representatives...