Bridging pedagogical discontinuity: to what extent can play-based learning besustained beyond children’s transition to Year 1?

As children make the transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 1 they must negotiate pedagogical and curriculum discontinuities. Previous research has identified an absence of bridging between these two phases of education resulting in children being exposed to developmentally inappropriate practice. This study explores the feasibility of sustaining play into Year 1 in a small rural Lincolnshire school. Data were collected through interviews with both the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Year 1 teacher. A questionnaire with Year 1 children (n = 23) provided supplementary data. Findings suggest that the constraints of the National Curriculum make it difficult to bridge pedagogical discontinuity through play in Year 1 as the bridging process is occurring before children enter Year 1. This project is of particular interest to Early Years Foundation Stage educators as pressure to align competing discourses in their pedagogical space intensifies.