Another consultation… This time, it’s space

This time it’s about space, equally important and not to be overlooked. The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a two-month consultation on floorspace requirements including whether outdoor space can be included in the calculation for children aged two and over in early years settings. Currently, the EYFS space requirements are:

3.5 m² per child under two

2.5 m² for two-year-olds

2.3 m² for three- to five-year-olds

No one seems to know how this was calculated, there are speculations that it was to fit cots and large prams, but the DfE is keen to respond to the sector’s wish to rethink space. But before we accept space as simply as a square footage measure, let’s explore the philosophical view of space as not merely physical but imbued with meaning through experience where children’s identities, memories, and relationships are formed and enacted. It is not only a site of learning but a place of belonging, safety, and imaginative possibility. Space shapes relationships, learning, and wellbeing.