Cambridge, the world’s largest provider of international education programmes, is launching its first early years education programme which will help support early childhood schooling in Nigeria in children as young as 3.
The new play-based programme, which has been developed following a
successful roll out in India, has been expertly designed to give children aged
3 to 6 the best start in life, helping them meet key early milestones and
thrive in and out of school.
Cambridge Early Years will form the first stage in the Cambridge
Pathway, a high-quality and joined-up path for educational success for children
aged 3 to 19.
Multiple studies confirm that education during early years is
crucial. Research from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development’s (OECD) International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study
shows that, among other benefits, a high-quality early childhood education
and care (ECEC), compared to an average one, can double the growth in
children’s verbal comprehension.
The decision to expand its education pathway will see Cambridge help
schools in Nigeria and around the world strengthen their early years education
provision, something it believes will reap dividends for parents and teachers
as children progress through their school careers.
Rod Smith, Group Managing Director for International Education at
Cambridge commented:
“We all know that the early years of a child’s life are crucial to
their development. Research shows that the better we support children at this
stage, the more positive impact we can have on their future. Our new Cambridge
Early Years programme draws on Cambridge’s unrivalled expertise in high-quality
education to help schools in Nigeria give children as many exciting and
stimulating learning experiences as possible – making the most of this key
phase of brain development and getting children off to a good start in life.”
Play-based learning that supports the transition to primary school
The Cambridge
Early Years programme draws on Cambridge’s worldwide research on curriculum
principles from high-performing education systems, as well as analysis of best
practice in early years education and the characteristics that have most
impact.
The research resulted in 12 key principles that underpin the
programme. The principles were developed in collaboration with world-class
scholars, researchers and practitioners in early years education. The
importance of play-based learning, and the need to move children gradually
towards more formal teaching in readiness for primary education, are two of the
principles that guided the development of every element of the programme. The
principles ensure that children not only acquire knowledge from a young age but
also the essential skills to navigate and adapt to a rapidly changing world.
The Cambridge Early Years programme provides a flexible structure
to support each child’s progress and can be adapted to the needs of different
schools in Nigeria, providing a bespoke teaching package.
Specially created classroom resources and assessments will help
teachers understand each child’s progress while fostering their all-round
development far beyond the classroom.
Juan
Visser, Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa for International Education at
Cambridge, added: “We know that good early years education can benefit a
child’s whole academic career and so I’m thrilled that we are adding this new
stage to the Cambridge Pathway – it’s what schools have been asking for. Our
Cambridge Early Years programme brings together the best approaches from around
the world with extensive teacher support. We want to help schools in Nigeria support
children’s long-term development and help them be ready for the world.”
Providing coherence to early years education
Cambridge’s research with schools around the world found that
early years provision can be fragmented, drawn from a mix of different
resources, curricula, assessment and training. This can make it hard to
understand how children are progressing or to determine what approaches have
the best impact on their development.
By ensuring all the different elements work well together,
Cambridge helps schools give their learners a comprehensive and high-quality
early years education.
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