ABSTRACT
Sport Education in its fullest form has certain expectations of students and teachers and demands that attention is directed towards fulfilment of specific learning outcomes, including team affiliation, developing a sense of belonging, supporting and cooperating with others, developing independence and taking responsibility. While we are of the view that young students are unlikely to be able to engage pedagogically with ‘full’ versions of Sport Education, it seems evident from recent documentation relating to the Foundation Stage that the expectations and intended outcomes of Sport Education are nevertheless at the heart of the learning and development at this stage. Building early learning of Sport Education as a ‘foundation’ around the notion of routines, sustained team affiliation and grouping, and having responsibility has been quite successful. A window of opportunity now exists for other early years teachers to develop this flexible and broad foundation in order to promote a more holistic emphasis to their instruction across the curriculum at this stage of the education process.
