ABSTRACT
So here we are, Autumn 1994. A new term has begun and I have just finished the first week. What have we got in my class for the next 4 months? Who are these children that I am supposed to teach according to their needs and interests, taking into account the individual experience they bring to school? When I say ‘I’, I don’t mean ‘I’ alone. Actually, there are quite a few others involved in the ‘delivery of the curriculum, providing a safe, happy and stimulating environment for all our pupils’ (to quote OFSTED). There is Jean, the Nursery Nurse, and two Primary Helpers, who cover for our breaks. There is the lunchtime helper, our Section 11 teacher (unfortunately, we only enjoy her company for one term. Next term, she will take our transferring children up to the summer reception class which now starts after Christmas.) There is also my co-teacher who takes the class 1 day a week – I work 4 days per week. The headteacher comes to read a story once a week and we always have a number of students/visitors. Therefore ‘I’ am the leading member of quite a large team, which is trying to deliver our Early Years Curriculum. We all have different viewpoints, different strengths and values, different levels of awareness, different educational backgrounds (and different salaries!). Our teaching staff is entirely female, which most certainly has a limiting effect on some of our pupils, since we are able to offer no male role models. In 1982 in inner London, there were 12 male nursery teachers out of a total of 600. We may express our aims differently. I might say,
‘I try to ensure that each child has equal access to all areas of the curriculum. I know the forces and pressures of racism, sexism, class bias, able-bodiedism, ageism – and possibly other oppressive systems based on prejudice – might have a negative effect on our pupils’ learning and wellbeing and may hold them back from fulfilling their whole potential’.
