What Constitutes High Quality Education for Early Years provision?

What constitutes high quality early years provision?
In consideration of this question the assignment will critically reflect upon statutory descriptors of quality early years provision. It will analyse current policies and legislation drawing historical and international references for comparison and contradiction.

When first considering the need for state provision of early years childcare the importance of the home was highlighted in the statement;
"The home affords advantages for the early stages of education which cannot be reproduced by any school or public institution."
Acland report (1908)

It was further recognised however that home was not always the best place for young children to develop. Serious concerns were highlighted surrounding the options to state offered provision. Children could be left unattended or in the hands of a neighbour or professional 'minder'. Both options were considered unsatisfactory and it was decided that good quality state provision could be achieved with commitment in four categories; The premises, curriculum, apparatus and staff.
The Premises:
The exigency of both indoor and outside areas, each offering safe play environments were stated for premises with the purpose for this being observed in the optimal curriculum.
The curriculum for preschool children sought for learning to take place through play and exploration. "Formal lessons in reading, writing, and arithmetic should be rigidly excluded, and no inspection or examination of results in such subjects allowed." Acland (1908). The significance of not formally assessing preschool age children was further stipulated over eighty years later;
"educators should guard against pressures which might lead them to overconcentration on formal...

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...g against inspection of children's attainment in the formal areas of mathematics and English have passed. Viewing the Early Years Foundation stage (EYFS) (2012) the position that assessment is a fundamental to early years practice can be supported. Set criteria are in place to standardise children's abilities. Standardised and universal summative assessment is described as narrowed down but necessary on a National level to identify any areas for improvement. As a measure, "each child’s learning and development is ‘emerging’, ‘expected’, or ‘exceeding’ against the descriptors for each goal". The goals described are wide and far reaching. From the National Strategies programme Social and Emotional Aspects of Development (SEAD), measuring Self-confidence and self-awareness; Managing feelings and behaviour; and Making relationships and understanding others.