Make Play and Continuous Provision statutory in England's Key Stage 1 Curriculum

I’m not sure if you’re aware that there was a petition calling for play-based pedagogy to be a central requirement of the key stage one national curriculum in England, arguing:

• Children transitioning from reception class to year one “may experience a stark shift to formal teaching strategies”, which fail to “reflect how young children learn best”.

• A reformed curriculum would ensure provision was developmentally appropriate and adequately supported wellbeing, allowing for movement, communication and play.

This petition which has amassed some 106,000 signatures shows the level of importance adults place on the power of play within our children’s educational experiences.

Petition Debate 26 January 2026

This petition which has amassed some 106,000 signatures shows the level of importance adults place on the power of play within our children’s educational experiences.

The debate was thoughtful, passionate and anchored in evidence, with voices across parties calling for a curriculum that honours how young humans actually learn, not just what they must achieve on paper. The petition clearly struck a chord with parents, educators and MPs alike, and the discussion may shape future curriculum guidance and teacher training priorities.

Unplugged Tots got a mention

My local MP, Chris Hinchcliff, spoke about how play-based learning doesn’t have to be at odds with academic rigor. He pointed to Unplugged Tots as a powerful example of what high-quality, play-based education looks like in practice. He said Unplugged Tots supports children to be the problem solvers, inventors, engineers, scientists and technologists of tomorrow by equipping them with foundational skills through accessible, fun, engaging, screen-free activities.

“Today’s children are tomorrow’s future and equipping them for this rapidly changing future is essential. If we want to build capable citizens for tomorrow, we must take play in Key Stage 1 seriously… Play supports the whole child, providing an equitable starting point for all children, regardless of background. When play is integral to the curriculum, we raise standards by nurturing confident learners prepared for a rapidly changing world equipped with a lifelong love of learning.”

Why is this important?

Well it would help to set the scene. In England, most children step into formal education shortly after their fourth birthday, beginning in Reception. This is the threshold moment—where curiosity meets structure. The next two years, Years 1 and 2, form Key Stage One, typically covering ages five to seven. On paper, it’s a neat progression. In practice, it’s where tensions start to surface.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The Early Years Foundation Stage spans birth to the end of Reception and is grounded in a statutory framework that gets something fundamentally right: young children learn best through play. EYFS explicitly requires learning to be play-based, child-led, and sensitively guided by adults. It recognises that exploration, imagination, and human connection are not “extras” but the operating system. This framework applies to all early years providers in England and sets a strong, research-backed foundation for how learning should feel at the start of life.

Key Stage One and the national curriculum

The national curriculum formally begins at Key Stage One and runs through to GCSEs. At present, it applies only to maintained schools, though proposed changes in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would extend it to academies as well.

At this stage, children are expected to engage with a broad academic diet: English, maths, science, art and design, computing, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education. Schools must also provide religious education alongside relationships and health education.

What’s striking, and telling, is what’s missing.

Unlike EYFS, the national curriculum for Key Stage One makes no explicit reference to play-based learning or continuous provision.

The language shifts.

The pace accelerates.

The risk is that we move too quickly from nurturing HOW children think and connect, to measuring what they can produce and this is often before the foundations have properly set and become embedded.

The opportunity here isn’t to reject structure, but to modernise it: to carry forward the best of EYFS into Key Stage One, and beyond. Because when play, problem-spotting, and human understanding are sidelined early, we end up retrofitting those skills later—at far greater cost, and with far less joy. We want children to grow up with a love of learning and so lets make learning full of joy and fun! What better way to do that than through play!