Shippen, Sue (2026) School Readiness for Very Young Children: A Case Study Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives and Practices in One Northeastern Nursery Centre: Valuing Community, Shared Pedagogy, and Celebrating Authenticity: Including the Voices of Children, Parents, Educators, Managers, Teachers, and Health Visitors. Doctoral thesis, York St John University.
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Text (Doctoral thesis)
School Readiness for Very Young Children - A Case Study Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives and Practices in One Northeastern Nursery Centre.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives. | Preview |
Abstract
Global economic pressures and the link between school attainment and employability have renewed interest in school readiness (SR). The underlying premise is that children who enter school “ready” achieve more and ultimately contribute more to economic prosperity. However, SR remains a multi-faceted, complex and contested construct and is neither fully understood nor consistently practised.
This study advances understanding of SR by exploring how it is enacted within a local context in Northeast England. It examines stakeholders’ perceptions, emotions and experiences involved in supporting children’s transition from a “Ready for School” centre to a school nursery and reception class.
While existing research conceptually outlines what constitutes SR, often highlighting relational pedagogy, economic outcomes and academic achievement, little research integrates the perspectives of all relevant stakeholders into a local process. This study addresses this gap by bringing together the views of managers, health professionals, early years educators, family workers, parents, children and schools into an inclusive approach.
Adopting a two-stage case study design, stage one involved listening, observing and engaging with 56 stakeholders to identify how SR was perceived and practised. Stage two responded to these findings through inquiry-based stakeholder partnerships that acted as catalysts for change. Data were collected over three years, with the period extended due to COVID-19 restrictions, and were analysed thematically. The analysis drew on established frameworks, including Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory and Illeris’s (2007) learning triangle.
SR was perceived as mechanical, holistic and political, intersecting with family circumstances, power relations and pedagogical practices. Key contributions highlight conceptual, political, practical and methodological recommendations, including advancing the idea that a “child’s readiness” should be understood through relational and personal attributes, foregrounding the child rather than the school, recognising the professionalism of early years educators, strengthening transition practices and evidencing an inquiry-catalyst approach to support system-wide change.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Subjects: | L Education > L Education (General) L Education > LB Theory and practice of education |
| School/Department: | School of Education, Language and Psychology |
| URI: | https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/15874 |
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