Episode 13: In conversation with Professor Tina Bruce

A special edition of the Froebel Trust podcast bringing together two highly respected champions of the Early Years sector - Liz Roberts (former Editor-in-Chief, Nursery World) in conversation with Professor Tina Bruce CBE.

This episode was recorded in the week leading up to the 2024 UK General Election. During their conversation, they discuss the state of early childhood education today and hopes for the future.

"The thing I care about most is that if children are going to be in group settings, they need to be with nurturing, knowledgeable adults." 

Prof. Tina Bruce CBE

A transcript of this episode is available at: froebel.org.uk/training-and-resources/podcast

Guests appearing in this episode:

Professor Tina Bruce is considered a world-leading Froebelian educator. She has written or edited over 30 books about early childhood education and is perhaps best known for the 'ten principles of early childhood education' first published in 1987 in her book Early Childhood Education.

Many know Tina for her writing and extensive work about young children’s play – introducing the idea of 'free flow play' and championing the need for children to be given time and opportunity to play in schools and early years settings.

In the 1990s and into the 2000s she worked with successive Ministers for Children - as Coordinator of the Early Years Advisory Group. During her career, Tina has worked with a freelance portfolio with CPD and consultancy across a variety of early childhood context.

She co-founded the Centre for Early Childhood Studies (which later became the Early Childhood Research Centre at Roehampton University) - and as an educator she is guided by Froebelian principles, being known for her ability to interweave theory and practice in creative and challenging ways.

In 2008, she was made a CBE for Services to early years education and in 2014 was given the Nursery World Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tina, with a group of Froebelian colleagues, helped to re-establish the Froebel Certificate courses in Scotland and at the University of Roehampton. She led the group who subsequently developed these into a format for the Froebel Trust Short Courses. These introduced Froebel’s main ideas and educational approach. They are designed for everyone who works with babies and young children in early years settings and schools today. In the past year alone, the Froebel Trust offered over 1,500 training places for educators in the UK, allowing them to take part in the Short Courses designed by Tina.

Liz Roberts is a consultant, editor and writer. She started working at Nursery World in 1996 leading its editorial operations for many years. Liz stepped down as editor-in-chief in 2023.

She frequently chairs early years events, as well as commenting on the early years sector for national TV, radio and newspapers. During her career Liz has been a member of several early years sector working groups and think-tanks. She is also a trustee of CREC, the Centre for Research in Early Childhood.

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During Episode 13 guests, Liz Roberts and Prof. Tina Bruce, refer to the following research, policies, organisations, courses and resources for educators:

EPPE - The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project: Final Report: A Longitudinal Study Funded by the DfES 1997-2004. Sylva, Kathy; Melhuish, Edward; Sammons, Pam; Siraj-Blatchford, Iram; Taggart, Brenda; (2004) Institute of Education, University of London/ Department for Education and Skills/Sure Start: London.

QTS - Qualified Teacher Status

The Plowden Report (1967)

Froebel Trust Short Courses

NNEB - National Nursery Examination Board qualification

Usha Goswami How rhythm and tone are key for the early language-learning brain. Nursery World: March 2024. 

Dominic Wyse and Alice Bradbury Reading wars or reading reconciliation? A critical examination of robust research evidence, curriculum policy and teachers' practices for teaching phonics and reading (2022)

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) Report - The short- and medium-term impacts of Sure Start on educational outcomes (2024)

HMI - His Majesty's Inspector (HMI). Ofsted inspectors visit, inspect and report on the quality of places of education and learning in England. Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. Ofsted is a non-ministerial department.

Peter Mortimore - Ofsted: The case for reform (2023)

Peter McKellar - Imagination and Thinking: A Psychological Analysis (1957)