A team of academics and childcare experts, including Toxic Childhood author Sue Palmer, have said the curriculum for children from birth to five has been introduced by stealth. They said it would make children unnecessarily anxious and distort the natural learning process. But Steve Alexander, chief executive of the Pre-School Learning Alliance, said: "Far from being "prescriptive, severe, or overly cognitive", the foundation stage is a play-based framework. There are no set attainment targets for children under...