ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we consider barriers to adopting a play-based pedagogy in Year 1. Many school leaders are anxious to ensure pupils are “ready” for external assessments such as the Year 1 phonics screening check and the KS1 SATS assessments in Year 2 and feel pressurised into adopting a more formal approach to learning. Some school leaders have voiced concerns about perceptions that they will be adversely judged by Ofsted and we discuss how Ofsted’s publication Bold Beginnings (Ofsted 2017) may have strengthened these perceptions. We also consider parental expectations and issues of resourcing and managing time in a subject-based curriculum. We explore the uncertainty faced by Year 1 teachers on how best to deliver the Year 1 curriculum to ensure that, by the end of the year, children are able to meet the more demanding requirements of the new curriculum and are well prepared to enter Year 2.
