Childcare Bill

That comment probably does reflect my concerns. As I said in Committee, the word ““taught””, whatever the dictionary definition, has connotations: it implies a group of young people, children or adults receiving instruction, rather than learning by experience at the right level. The anecdote that I want to mention came from a former inspector of early years, who, on looking through some Ofsted inspection reports, noted that the early years report said that worksheets were not being used. The provider in question responded by providing worksheets, but generally speaking, they are not appropriate at that level. The danger is that we will make this incredibly important stage of learning far too formalised. We will not achieve what we could achieve through this Government’s vast investment in early years provision unless we ensure that there is the right environment and culture. What we really need to do is to add depth and richness to children’s lives. They need to have plenty of opportunities to explore the world, and plenty of experiences that they can choose from for themselves. Such learning must not be so prescriptive that we stunt—