Early Childhood Education in Wales: Policy, Promises and Practice Realities

This article examines two critical aspects of the education policy-practice landscape for early years education (EYE) provision in Wales in 2024. First, it addresses the emblematic attention given to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in education and care policy contrasted with the inconsistencies in EYE practice. Second, it explores the increasing fragmentation of the educational experiences of three- to four-year-old children. The article outlines the robust policy framework that reflects Wales’s commitment to the UNCRC, tracing developments from the flagship, post-devolution Foundation Phase Curriculum Framework for Children aged three to seven years old to the diverse educational provision which is available for three- to four-year-olds in 2024. It critically examines the intention, purpose, and coherence of the collective educational offer for young children in Wales, considering the potential implications for children, particularly those facing additional structural and personal challenges. In a context where the emerging risks of large-scale disapplication of the curriculum offer for young children persists, despite the Curriculum for Wales being intended for children aged three to sixteen years, the article questions the extent to which the rhetorical policy commitment to ensuring all children experience their rights and a promising start to life through a consistent early years offer is genuinely meaningful. The analysis is supported by findings from two doctoral studies focusing on these issues in Wales (Stewart, 2024; MacDonald, forthcoming).