“I think that we underrate how good early education is in England all of the time...we undersell ourselves too often.”

Influential nursery head Julian Grenier is proud of how our early education system is regarded around the world, but he’s also honest about its shortcomings - both past and present.

Mr Grenier recently found himself in the early education spotlight when he authored the controversial new version of the Development Matters guidance to accompany the revised Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

Interview: 10 questions with...Julian Grenier

EYFS: Why are we still so under-appreciated?

Julian Grenier: How coronavirus changed my year

He currently heads up Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre in Newham, east London, and co-leads the East London Research School.

Faced with Tes’ 10 questions, designed to draw back the curtain on the person behind the profession, he spoke candidly of how he hopes for a future where all children go into settings with “ample space for outdoor play, and a real focus on physical development and movement, and health more generally”.

So, what else did Mr Grenier have to say when asked about his school days, his career highlights and regrets, and his dream staff room?

Find out here: