It seems that 2005 is going out with a bang rather than a whimper, with the news that Lesley Staggs is leaving her post as national director of the Foundation Stage (see News, page 4). The sound of alarm bells, instead of Christmas bells, can be heard throughout the early years sector at the loss of such a respected, trusted and strong figure at this crucial point in the development of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, it appears that a combination of political pressure to include recommendations such as those on synthetic phonics in the Jim Rose review, and...