ABSTRACT
Considering the benefits of taking a risk within an educational framework is often challenging
and can contribute to the stress felt by adults working with children. This chapter explores
the worries raised by a group of educators and considers some of the background issues to
their concerns. It highlights a ‘common-sense’ approach to risk that considers the benefits
for children who are allowed to engage in risk-taking activities while emphasising the impor-
tance of dealing with any significant risk to children’s well-being and safety. The need to
protect and safeguard children is established as a ‘non-negotiable’ part of early years prac-
tice, and some of the problems associated with rising poverty are explored. The case studies
used to illustrate this chapter have been collected from focus groups across Kent, comprising
practitioners, teachers and students.
