Olivia Bailey

Olivia Bailey

Labour — Reading West and Mid Berkshire

Speaking in the House of Commons on 26 January 2026

Debate

Key Stage 1 Curriculum

Contribution

I thank my hon. Friend for her last-minute intervention and I can reassure her that we in the Department are immersed and engrossed in the evidence. Our view is that play can be a very important way of helping children to learn. However, we do not think that it is right to mandate it at key stage 1, because we believe that it is important for teachers to have flexibility themselves. Nevertheless, as my hon. Friend knows—and as her sister, a fantastic superhero working in early years, will know—play is embedded as part of the EYFS curriculum. Mrs Barker, I will leave it there.

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