[1] Pham Thi Kieu Oanh & Ngo Thi Bich Ngoc (2014). ENGLISH FOR STUDENTS OF NURSERY EDUCATION (in-house course)

There has been a growing tension between UK government representatives and a group of Early Years (0–5 years old) practitioners and academics. The debates include starting age of formal schooling, the balance of child-directed versus adult- directed play activities, and the function of nursery to prepare children for ‘school readiness’. By understanding how a nursery balanced their child-centred ethos with curriculum’s needs, the purpose of this study is to explore how child-centred ethos permeates through the way routines and rituals are structured in an English nursery setting, particularly in their Preschool room. An ethnographic case study was employed to investigate and interpret the unique ‘case’ through observations, interviews, and participant validation to reveal the intricacy of a nursery culture and its interwoven ecosystem. The findings suggested that beyond school readiness, the nursery practitioners are also preparing children for life readiness and change (i.e. transitions) by establishing safe boundaries for them to practise learning. The See- saw model illustrates that balancing children’s needs with the curriculum’s is made possible due to the Four Pillars of child-centred leadership: policy aims and procedures, physical infrastructure, practice, and children’s activities. The children’s ‘educational rite of passage’ at this nursery revolve around these five modes of routines/rituals transitions: (1) Home and Nursery; (2) Between play activities; (3) Play time and Non-play time; (4) Between physical space; and (5) Nursery to Reception. Some routines are considered rituals by individual practitioners as they carry deeper meaning to deliver informal life lessons, including those connecting to the curriculum. This study suggests that routines/rituals are neutral and their hidden power, whether to strengthen “school spirit” or for “cultural monopoly”, lies in how their symbolic values are perceived and performed in different settings, by different practitioners in accordance to the school’s culture and ethos.