Rethinking Curriculum: Play-based learning and continuous provision toolkit
This article has been published as part of the Rethinking Curriculum project, kindly funded by The Helen Hamlyn Trust.
The importance of play
In England, the importance of play-based learning is often recognised as an essential part of the Early Years education of children. Yogman et al. (2018) state that it is the main mechanism in which young children learn, and this is recognised within the EYFS framework (DfEDepartment for Education - a ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England, 2023) and EYFS OfstedThe Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills – a non-ministerial department responsible for inspecting and regulating services that care for children and young people, and services providing education and skills inspection handbook (2024), where play is acknowledged as good practice.
However, as children transition into Key Stage 1, the emphasis on learning through play often shifts towards a more structured, traditional approach to learning, where children sit at tables and complete activities after teacher input. This more traditional approach is often criticised for overlooking the research evidence around child development and neuroscience, which demonstrates the profound benefits that play-based learning can have beyond the Early Years. Paatsch et al. (2024) state that ‘embedding play into classrooms within the school context is critical… pretend play is thinking play and provides a rich and authentic context for supporting children’s cognitive, academic, physical, social and emotional abilities.’ (p. 9)
References
Department for EducationThe ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England (DfE) (2023) Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework: For group and school-based providers. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65aa5e42ed27ca001327b2c7/EYFS_statutory_framework_for_group_and_school_based_providers.pdf (accessed 19 September 2024).
Ofsted (2024) Early Years inspection handbook. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif/early-years-inspection-handbook-for-ofsted-registered-provision-for-september-2023 (accessed 19 September 2024).
Paatsch L, Casey S, Green A et al. (2024) Learning Through Play in Primary School: The Why and the How for Teachers and School Leaders. London: Routledge.
Yogman M, Garner A, Hutchinson J et al. (2018) The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics 142(3): e20182058.
Tools and resources
As part of the Rethinking Curriculum project, we have created a number of bespoke resources to develop your understanding of a play-centred curriculum. These resources are designed to explore the research evidence underpinning this approach, understand what this could look like in practice and make informed decisions about whether this might be appropriate for your school and students.
We encourage you to engage with the following:
Read our research review
This review summarises some of the research evidence around a play-based curriculum, specifically exploring the impact and implications for primary school practice. If you are keen to learn more about the current landscape of play-based education in England, we invite you to read this additional article.
Learn about the types of play
When designing a play-based curriculum, it is important to consider the type(s) of play you think would be most suitable for your school or classroom. We invite you to use this document to develop your understanding of the different types of play available.
Read these case studies
Ellen Parker shares her school’s journey in implementing a play-based curriculum in Year 1.
Sylvie Newman shares her school’s approach in implementing continuous provision.
Sarah Seleznyov shares her school’s approach in implementing a focus on play in their setting.
These case studies could be used to understand the process further but are not intended to be replicated as we strongly believe that all schools should be delivering for their community and circumstances.
Watch this webinar
We hosted a webinar with school leaders, expert practitioners and consultants – Ellen Parker, Jo Gray and Kath Bransby – to share insights and experiences about implementing a play-based curriculum.This recording could be re-watched with your school leadership or teaching teams to begin to explore the purpose and application of play-centred curriculum. To support with this, we have prepared a range of reflective questions to facilitate discussion and consider actions forward.
Use this evaluation tool
We have created an evaluation tool to be used with your school leadership teams to develop understanding of where your current curriculum is in terms of introducing and embedding a play-based approach. The aim of using this tool is to celebrate and acknowledge the work you are already doing but also to refine actions going forward.
This tool could help with reviewing the curriculum at a whole school level, ensuring that expectations of experiences within the curriculum are relevant and catered for effectively. It could also support teacher development in the planning and application of the delivery methods.
This tool is intended to be used alongside the Rethinking Curriculum Evaluation Framework to be launched in December 2024. Click here for further information.
Use this document to explore how this approach aligns with the National Curriculum
As part of this project, schools asked for a tool to map how specific curriculum approaches aligned with the current National Curriculum. We invite you to use this document to further develop and refine your curriculum vision.
Go further with our reading and resources list
We have created a list of further reading and resources to deepen your understanding of developing a play-based curriculum. These include academic research, case studies and webinars. We have ensured that all resources are open access or available to members of The Chartered College of Teaching.
