JOURNAL ARTICLE

Author: Natalie Macdonald

Year: 2018

Summary:

Non formal early year’s preschool education and care provision continues to be a separated entity from education within Welsh Government policy, curriculum and professional development. Despite international research evidence depicting the importance and benefits of combining the early year’s elements with formal education the division within Wales remains. This article discusses the opportunity provided by the implementation of educational reform in Wales through ‘Successful Futures’ and ‘Prosperity for All’ to unite the care and education systems for young children and the potential benefits of doing so, sifting through robust evidence of the importance and long term attainment benefits of a quality early years’ provision, historical missed opportunities and the prospects for change.