Abstract
This paper explores the views of early years teachers who were ‘early adopters’ of a revised assessment framework for children aged 4–5 years in England (2020–21). Based on interviews with four teachers and a survey involving 58 early adopters (part of a larger sample), the paper examines how these teachers have adapted their practice in mathematics in response to the reforms. It is argued that existing frames of understanding of good practice, drawn from external maths schemes and previous guidance, guide the enactment of the revised framework, suggesting a layering-over of new and past policies. This policy sedimentation, as we describe it, reduces the significance of the reforms, assuaging to some extent the concerns raised by maths specialists relating to the impact on children’s mathematical and spatial development. These findings provide further insights into the enactment of policy among early childhood educators.
