One of the most enjoyable things about art is how subjective it is. No two opinions on a piece of artwork will be the same. Teachers often talk of Reading for Pleasure. I am a strong advocate of Viewing Art for Pleasure. Responding to art is one of life’s great joys. The key here is discussion. Discussions around artworks need to be planned well within a broader curriculum that emphasizes vocabulary, language, and the value of talk. In its simplest form, this could just be as simple as a pupil saying what they can see in front of them but with careful modelling and the right school culture, it can lead to powerful discourse in the classroom. 

Early Years Foundation Stage can seem overwhelming to those on the outside looking in. It’s a complex series of documents that places the child at the centre. All schools and Early Years providers who are Ofsted registered follow the EYFS. It is important to remember that EYFS applies specifically to England. To truly understand the complexities it needs to be understood that the entire foundation stage has been informed by some essential principles that are reflected throughout the framework.

Continuous provision is essentially all of the resources in the environment that have been provided by practitioners to extend the learning of the children in their care. Children are able to access these resources independently and safely, and use them to explore. They are chosen carefully and mindfully by the practitioner so that even in the absence of an adult the children are able to build upon learning.