The public funding of early years education and care in England has been transformed. Historically, local councils had the main responsibility for decisions regarding nursery education and child day care, but in 1996 the Conservative government introduced a nursery education voucher scheme. Parents of four-year-olds could exchange the voucher for three terms of part-time ‘preschool provision’ in a state maintained nursery or primary school, or in a private, voluntary or independent (PVI) provider of child day care; in 1998, the Labour (...) government replaced the voucher with an entitlement to free part-time ‘early education’. The entitlement was expanded progressively and in 2017 the Conservative government introduced 30 h per week free ‘childcare’ for some children, together with an Early Years National Funding Formula. Funding goals and policy have shifted over time, underpinned by the idea of ‘a level playing field’ between providers in maintained and PVI sectors. However, there is no statutory requirement for PVI settings to employ qualified teachers, militating against a genuine ‘level playing field’ and the integration of education and care. (shrink)

This article attempts to reconstruct the life and work of Roger Noel Armfelt with a particular emphasis on his role in watching the development and implementation of educational legislation relating to secondary education. Armfelt focussed on observing practice and steering secondary education reform in local communities during the 1920s and 1930s. He held significant posts whilst legislation was being developed. He has not been the subject of any biographies or peer reviewed articles. There are no extensive collections of his papers (...) held in archives accessible to researchers. A small selection of materials can be found in various archival collections and these have been drawn on for this study. This article is structured around three themes: monitoring the development of secondary education for all; think tanks, committees and reflecting on secondary educational reform in print; and media intersections with educational reform. The article revisits Armfelt’s circle of friends including publishers and broadcasting administrators. It reconstructs some aspects of the overlapping worlds of education and broadcasting, which shaped Armfelt’s struggles and opportunities. Alongside archival collections consulted, oral history interviews were also conducted, including discussions with Armfelt’s elder daughter Robinetta Gaze and granddaughter Harriet Gaze. (shrink)