The head of a major childcare organisation has slammed government plans to take the Early Years Foundation Stage to the "next level" and incorporate it with the Key Stage 1 curriculum for primary school pupils.

While I am a huge advocate of educational play and giving children a solid start, I am very concerned with the scholastic direction of travel in the UK. I already believe children start school in a formalised context too young, and in the early years, progression varies dramatically. An early reader may attain low results in later years, and a late bloomer may become a surgeon. The early years move too quickly, and I am a firm believer in children being children. The early years should be focused on play, social interaction, exploration, citizenship and introducing formal academic elements in an engaging and fun way. The performance management route to primary education is not the best way forward imho.