Strong Starts for Every Child

Lived experience of early years and rethinking the conditions shaping school readiness in children.

As part of our FED National Education Futures Projects on Inclusion, we want to hear from those who know the early years best – families and practitioners. This interactive online session will create space to share lived experience, reflect together on the realities facing young children today, and consider what changes could make the biggest difference. By bringing together diverse voices, we aim to rethink the conditions that shape children’s early development and build momentum for stronger starts for every child.

Objective(s):

1. To explore the lived experience of early years, especially that of families, practitioners and leaders.
2. To understand what is currently getting in the way of children having a strong start and what would need to change in the system for that to be different.

Key questions:

1. If children’s school readiness is shaped by the conditions around them, what conditions are we currently accepting and which ones should no longer be tolerated? (causality)
2. If one part of the early years system were redesigned to better support children and families, what should it be and why? (redesign)

Speaker:  Sarah Gordon – Sheffield Hallam University

Chair: David Marsh, Executive Headteacher at Maritime Academy Trust