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Early years expert Lynn McNair explores the possible impact of raising the school starting age in Scotland

A research project by Nesta has uncovered startling data showing that some regions are doing great work closing the disadvantage gap – and that could help other areas to follow suit, as two researchers on the project explain

Finland has 9 children per teacher in pre-primary education – in Scotland, it’s 130. If we want to emulate the Nordic countries ‘kindergarten stage’ it’s going to take massive investment, writes Emma Seith

If Scotland wants a successful ‘play-based kindergarten stage’ the key will be highly trained staff – and plenty of them

New data betrays the extent of the problem facing all types of early years settings – from funding to places. That’s something that should worry all in education, including the government, given that it has just set out ambitious learning goals for 2030

In the final piece of a series on how Covid has hit education, academics behind a major research report turn their attention to school staff and the widespread wellbeing issues that lockdown created

Ahead of the launch of the new National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership, Cat Scutt, from the Chartered College of Teaching, outlines why the drive for more professional development in EYFS should be welcomed

While the current focus is on academic ‘catch-up’ after the pandemic, we need to bear in mind how the Covid lockdowns affected EYFS pupils’ physical development, too, say these academics

Academics behind a major study into the pandemic’s impact on early years pupils consider how those with English as an Additional Language were particularly affected – and how settings can help tackle the problem

The authors of a report detailing the impact of Covid lockdowns on early years education outline what the effect could be on future cohorts if more support for the sector is not forthcoming

Guidance for early years settings on the value of the two-year-old progress check and how to conduct it was issued recently by the government. Here, Dr Lesley Curtis explains the key insights

As new data reveals the impact of the pandemic on pupils in early years, education and policy expert Claudine Bowyer-Crane says the numbers make clear the extent of the damage done – and why it must be fixed