Give children the space to express themselves and they’ll learn things that ‘structured learning’ cannot teach
In 2013, the then childcare minister, Liz Truss, talked about nurseries. She said: “Free-flow play is not compulsory, but there is a belief across lots of nurseries that it is. I have seen too many chaotic settings where children are running around. There’s no sense of purpose.
“This isn’t about two-year-olds doing academic work – it’s structured play which teaches children to be polite and considerate through activities which the teacher is clearly leading.