October — Curiosity, Change & New Adventures
Education Update — England
September and October have brought several changes and developments in education. Some affect families immediately, while others are still developing. Here are a few worth knowing about.
🌱 New SEND and Inclusion Training for Schools
New training materials have been introduced to help teachers and teaching assistants in mainstream schools develop their understanding of SEND and inclusive teaching.
The training focuses on practical ways of supporting children with different needs in the classroom, with further materials due to be added over the coming months.
For families of children with SEND, this is an area we will continue to follow as the wider SEND reforms develop.
🏠 EOTAS Consultation Has Now Closed
The consultation on Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) closed on 18 September.
EOTAS is not the same as elective home education. It relates to children and young people whose special educational provision is arranged outside a school or college, usually as part of their education, health and care arrangements.
No changes have been made as a result of this consultation yet. We will watch for the Government's response and explain any developments that may affect families.
👕 Changes to School Uniform Rules
New rules introduced in September limit the number of compulsory branded uniform and PE items that schools can require.
The aim is to reduce costs for families and make school uniform more affordable. Schools are also expected to make second-hand uniform available.
🍎 Free School Meals Expanded
From the beginning of this academic year, children in England whose households receive Universal Credit are now entitled to free school meals.
This is a significant expansion of the previous eligibility arrangements and may mean that some families who did not qualify before are now eligible.
A consultation has also taken place on a proposed new GCSE in Natural History.
The proposed course would give young people opportunities to study plants, animals and their relationships with the environment, including learning through observation and field study.
At Why Play Learning, the idea that looking closely at the world around us can become meaningful learning is one we know rather well!
🌿 Want to know more?
Education changes can sound complicated when they appear in headlines. On our Education Updates page, we explain developments in plain language, what they may mean for families, and — just as importantly — whether there is actually anything parents need to do.
🍂 Now for the Fun Bits...
Education news may be important, but learning is about much more than policies, consultations and changes in schools.
October has arrived — bringing crunchy leaves, darker evenings, changing colours and plenty of excuses to investigate, create, make a mess and ask questions.
And at Why Play Learning, we've been rather busy too!
📅 October's FREE Activity Calendar
Our FREE October Activity Calendar is ready, with another month of ideas to dip into whenever something catches your child's interest.
As always, the dates are suggestions, not deadlines. If an activity marked for Tuesday doesn't happen until Saturday — or three weeks later — nobody is going to come and check!
Choose what interests you, ignore what doesn't, and let one idea lead somewhere completely unexpected.
📖 The October Why Play Learning Magazine
If something on the calendar sparks an interest, the October Magazine gives you even more to explore.
This month we're discovering some wonderfully varied things — from white canes and okapis to camouflage, tiny worlds, autumn patterns and making pictures move.
And, of course, October wouldn't be October without a little exploration of All Hallows' Eve, with a look at the colourful traditions of the Day of the Dead too.
There are opportunities to observe, investigate, create, talk, move, imagine and problem-solve throughout.
💬 Something Familiar Is Getting a Fresh Start...
Some of our earlier Why Play Learning resources have been getting another look recently.
And one little book called Let's Talk has had quite a transformation.
The idea behind it remains wonderfully simple: helping children communicate doesn't always mean sitting them down and asking them to practise communication.
Sometimes it starts with a picture.
A silly voice.
A question.
A memory.
Or simply someone taking the time to listen.
Let's Talk is the first in our refreshed communication series, with Tell Me More currently being worked on.
There is plenty more to come from this series — but one conversation at a time. ❤️
The Tiny World Beneath Our Feet
October is a wonderful month for looking down as well as looking around.
Fallen leaves are beginning to gather, the ground is damper, and all sorts of tiny worlds are hiding beneath our feet.
Next time you're outside, stop somewhere for just a few minutes and take a closer look. Gently lift a fallen leaf, look around the bottom of a tree, examine an old wall or peer underneath a log.
What can you find?
Perhaps a woodlouse hurrying into the darkness, a snail tucked into a damp corner, tiny fungi appearing amongst the leaves, or a spider's web covered in droplets. You might discover something none of you can name.
That's where the fun begins.
You don't need to know the answer.
Take a photograph. Draw what you found. Count its legs. Notice its colours. Wonder where it lives or what it eats. Look it up together when you get home — or simply leave with a new question to think about.
One tiny discovery might lead to insects, habitats, weather, food chains, photography, drawing, measurement or a completely unexpected conversation.
That's the lovely thing about curiosity.
You never quite know where it's going to take you. 🔎🍂
💭 October's Question
What has your child noticed recently that you nearly walked straight past?
It might be something tiny, ordinary or seemingly unimportant.
Sometimes the best learning doesn't begin with something we've planned to teach.
It begins when a child says:
“What's that?”
And I think that's enough. No worksheet, no prescribed learning outcome and no ten-step activity. It demonstrates the Why Play Learning philosophy rather than explaining it.
🌼 Until Next Month...
October doesn't need to be packed with plans.
Perhaps this month we can simply notice a little more, follow a few unexpected questions, try something new and see where curiosity takes us.
Whether you've come to Why Play Learning for an activity, a resource, some education news, or simply a little reassurance that learning doesn't have to look the same for every child — we're very glad you're here.
Thank you for being part of our growing Why Play Learning community.
Here's to a month of curiosity, creativity and plenty of unexpected discoveries. 🍂🔎
See you in November!
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