Dr Abigail Hackett and Professor Maggie MacLure, Manchester Metropolitan University

Introduction

Young children’s language development has long been the focus of policy anxiety and intervention, regarded as evidence of the “proper” development of the child and a predictor of future educational and economic success. But are we looking in the right place for the early signs of language development? In nurseries and other early years settings, the focus tends to be on the acquisition of vocabulary, on the ability to name things, and on being able to take part in simple interactions with adults. Children as young as two years old…

Professor Aoife Nolan, Professor of International Human Rights Law, University of Nottingham

Introduction

Sustainable development — development ‘that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’[i] — is a pressing issue for policymakers, civil society and academics whose work focuses on children. This includes the international children’s rights sector. The key global framework is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015.

References to children abound in that agenda, with ‘almost all of the Sustainable Development Goals proper [having] targets that refer explicitly…

In summer 2020, Ofqual, the body responsible for regulating the award of general qualifications in England, put in place arrangements to enable grades for GCSEs, A levels and BTECs to be awarded in the absence of the normal end-of-course exams being able to take place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The outcomes of this process, which relied heavily on the infamous algorithm or statistical model, led to much confusion and distress as pupils received grades sometimes many levels below those they had anticipated. …

This blog draws on a discussion held on 21 September 2020, jointly hosted by the Royal Society’s Living Landscapes programme and the British Academy, as part of a new programme of work on environmental sustainability, Where We Live Next. The discussion covered some of the key challenges around changing rural land use in the UK and considered which stakeholders and decision-making structures, both locally and nationally, are necessary for a just transition.

The local is not confined to immediate surroundings. It is the arena of belonging, of feeling alive and in touch, and of caring and sharing with neighbours. The…

A new sustainability blog series from the British Academy

“Places matter to people. They shape the way we live our lives, feel about ourselves and the relationships we have with others. Moreover places — not least because of their history, character and physical form — contribute significantly to personal and societal wellbeing.”

– from the British Academy Where we live now report

The UK has the potential to be a global leader on environmental sustainability, having set ambitious targets for net zero carbon emissions. …

Professor Susan Golombok FBA

Introduction

“What I’d like other people to know about my family is that we’re a happy family — we’re all really happy and joyful.” Mike, 9, child of a transgender parent.

New family forms, made possible by advances in assisted reproduction and changing social attitudes, have challenged popular myths and assumptions about the superiority of the traditional family in fostering children’s psychological adjustment. …

This blog post draws on a discussion held on 21 September 2020, jointly hosted by the Royal Society’s Living Landscapes programme and the British Academy, as part of a new programme of work on environmental sustainability, Where We Live Next. The discussion covered some of the key challenges around changing rural land use in the UK and considered which stakeholders and decision-making structures, both locally and nationally, are necessary for a just transition.

Someone as unconventional as the flamenco and Morris-dancing Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, a self-made Black farming millionaire, is not so much a role model as a flamboyant exception in…

Dr Aude Le Guennec, Assistant Professor in Design studies / Fashion Anthropology, Heriot-Watt University, School of Textiles and Design

Introduction

In one corner of the classroom stands a rail where fancy dresses are hanging. Their shiny, glittery materials appeal to the sparkly eyes of the dreamy pupils. Suddenly, all the stories to be imagined jump to their constantly stimulated minds. Learning through play invites itself into the classrooms. The creative child, as modelled by Maria Montessori[i] is constantly interacting with everyday material culture. Children manipulate, create, dream and, through their activities and games, reveal their spontaneous approach to the world. …