Note: most recent first

New! 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 the 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'.