The author argues that the Plowden Report, though rarely read, underpinned the work and careers of many primary school teachers. He relates his own experiences of teaching in schools and expresses his pleasure at having rediscovered Plowden through his work in a further education college Child Studies department.

The Plowden Report encouraged the design of more compact and flexible school buildings to accommodate its vision of child-centred teaching. These schools came to be known as "open plan". By the late 1970s about 10% of schools were of open-plan design but researchers found serious weaknesses in the quality of their work. Plowden's ideals were not…

In this article, the authors discuss the importance of oral language formation as it relates to literacy and the development of children's skills, knowledge, and understanding with respect to reading and writing. Describing stories as the link between everyday language and literate forms of language, they explain why children need the experience…

When taking up her headship of a one-form entry primary school in "special measures" Alison Peacock's approach was to begin to rekindle joy amongst teachers in order to nurture and enhance the natural love of life and learning in children. She refused to label children by ability, preferring to value all individuals and celebrate success. Applying…

That young children need space seems an unsurprising statement. So unsurprising that it scarcely needs further examination, to say nothing of further thought. But what is really meant by "space" when considered in the context of young children in school and their developing needs? Various studies have mostly described the actual physical spaces…

In the past, there were no four-year-olds to be found in infant or primary schools. The statutory school age of five had been established in 1870, after a hurried and confused debate in the House of Commons; one hundred years later, it was a regulation still honoured in practice. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, children started school in the term…