In 2017 the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of the much misunderstood and maligned Plowden Report went unnoticed -- a pity for those sharing progressive values, needed much more now than in the 1960s. In this article the author argues that the spirit of the report and its underlying values need restating in the current climate.

The Ofsted report Bold Beginnings was met with virulent opposition from the early years community. It tried to foreclose, rather than open up, debate about the Reception year; its wording was particularly incendiary. Almost a year on, straws in the wind suggest that the community's reaction was justified and that a battle for the soul of Reception…

The year 2009 saw the publication of three major reports/reviews, each with important implications for policy and practice in curriculum and assessment in English primary education. The first was a so-called "independent" review of the primary curriculum set up by the government and conducted on its behalf by Sir Jim Rose (Rose 2009). The second…

The author reviews the 1978 report, "Primary Education in England: A Survey by HM Inspectors of Schools." (SJL)