A reflection on a project to promote high engagement in the Early Years curriculum

To provide students with the best opportunity to thrive throughout their education, the Early Years curriculum must be highly effective. The challenges experienced by some pupils entering Reception can limit their learning (EEF, 2017). Encouragingly, the EEF report that it is possible to narrow the attainment gap if schools can find ways to ‘effectively and efficiently use the resources they have… for maximum impact’ (p. 2). Concerning impact, Siraj-Blatchford and Sylva (2004) observe that learning via cognitive construction is ‘only achieved when the child is motivated and involved’ (p. 720). Our Reception cohorts present a profile that mirrors the challenges examined by the EEF: the local area is within the five per cent most deprived areas in the country, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) (Bolton Council, 2015), and four in five have English as an additional language. Since both of these factors can be barriers to learning, it became