Note: most recent first

BERA BITES 14. (April, 2026). Rethinking primary education through pedagogical innovation and wellbeing.

        The educational imperatives of our time have led to major curriculum reviews in all four nations of theUK. Common themes across these curriculum reforms include a shift in focus from knowledge to skills, restoring the humane character of education and strengthening teacher professionalism. 

And one of the many excellent chapters is: 

Manyukhina, Y. ((April 2026). Structured freedom: Supporting children's agency in primary education, (p.26).

Seleznyov, S. (2025). We need a revolution in the primary curriculum for England, not an evolution. BERA Blogs.

Surely now is the time to consider an educational revolution? [...] We have removed teacher agency from curriculum design, basically taking the fun out of the job. In the process, we have crushed the curiosity, creativity and independent thinking which four-year-olds bring to school and which we would also like our teachers to possess.

Jones, A. B. (2024). Rethinking Evidence-Based Practice in Education: A Critical Literature Review of the ‘What Works’ Approach. International Journal of Educational Researchers, 15(2), 37-51.

This is 'an invitation to treat evidence critically, contextually and ethically.  Instead of asking only what works, we should also ask: 'What matters? What do we value? And who gets to decide? In reclaiming these questions, we move toward a more humane, reflective and truly enlightened vision of education – one that honours both the insights of research and the irreducible complexity of human experience.

Carruthers, E. and Worthington, M. (2025). "Who is listening to children's mathematics?" BECERA conference, Birmingham, February 17th, 2025.

'There needs to be a crucial focus in early mathematics teaching which concentrates on the wealth of mathematical knowledge children bring to nursery and school. However, in early childhood curricula the beginnings of ‘written’ mathematics are seldom addressed. Children have their own ways of communicating their mathematical thinking. A significant factor is the extent to which children have agency to communicate their mathematical thinking in their own ways, in contexts that are personally meaningful'.

Carruthers, E. (2024). "Are we aware of babies' scientific and  mathematical thinking?" Bristol & Beyond: Stranger Practice Hub.

"Babies and toddlers have a natural urge to explore the scientific and  mathematical phenomena of their world.

Adults working with very young children, therefore, play a very important role in ‘intellectually bonding’ with them'.

Kay, L. (April 2024). Identifying tensions between school readiness policy and teacher beliefs, knowledge and practice in early childhood education. BERA Blog.

'School readiness has become a dominant discourse in early childhood education (ECE) policy frameworks at a global level […] The policy push to ready children for school has led to a focus on more formal outcomes – such as Mathematics, Literacy and Phonics (OECD, 2017), resulting in a shift from play, child-led and adult-led activities, to formal approaches with teacher-led activities (Ofsted, 2017)’. 

Carruthers, E. & Worthington, M. (May 2022). Playful, play and children’s mathematics? Education Journal 486, 14. Please scroll down.

'Some researchers, in an effort to combine play and mathematics, have opted for a focus on what is termed ‘playful mathematics’, which appears to refer largely to adult-led mathematical activities that appeal to young children. [...] Children’s impetus to play freely is a natural and fundamental drive, and whilst lack of free play may not damage children physically, it can dampen the spirit and stunt mental growth. Our own research underscores the importance of play that belongs to children, that is self-initiated, owned and led by them'.

Gunning, C.(2022). Teaching Maths in Early Years. Early Education.

'I wanted to explore graphical representation using an open maths concept, so I tried it out during a day teaching nursery children. […] I was fascinated by the children’s graphical representation, their knowledge of number, their excitement and ability and their interest [...] If you are less confident in maths and need inspiration, I encourage you to try it yourself'.

Manyukhina, Y., & Wyse, D. (May, 2021). Children’s agency: What is it, and what should be done? BERA Blog.

'Building on our previous work on agency and the curriculum (Manyukhina & Wyse, 2019) we have started work on a new research project, Children’s Agency in the National Curriculum (CHANT), funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The first phase is a critical discourse analysis [...] to reveal whether and to what extent England’s curriculum texts are conducive to creating affordances for children’s agency'.

Carruthers, W. (2017). Open mathematics, open minds. Community Playthings.

'Open Mathematics considers children’s own emerging mathematics, which has no right or wrong answers. Children analyse, hypothesise and experiment and their own thinking is supported, nurtured and developed. This open culture supports a spirit of freedom where children feel free to cross out (for example) their mathematical notation, change their minds and develop their own strategies. [...] Open Mathematics is not neat and tidy but it involves deep-level learning and sometimes the chaos of thinking, refining and finding new mathematical ideas.

Wood, E., & Chesworth, L. (May, 2017). Play and pedagogy. BERA Blog.

'The research indicates that, despite powerful claims for its importance in all areas of children’s learning and development, play in Early Childhood Education is particularly vulnerable to being marginalized or sidelined. For example, in England the school readiness discourse takes priority during the Reception year, and privileges formal approaches. The apparent certainties of adult-led activities may be favoured over the uncertainties and complexities of where play leads children'.