@article{discovery10082971, note = {This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.}, month = {July}, year = {2019}, title = {School readiness, governance and early years ability grouping}, journal = {Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood}, issn = {1463-9491}, keywords = {School readiness, governance, ability grouping}, abstract = {Compliance to government-prescribed national 'school-readiness' performance measures, particularly in early numeracy and literacy, readies and governs early years children for primary schools' test-based culture. Performance measures, such as the Early Learning Goals and the Phonics Screening Check, govern and steer early years teachers towards inappropriate ability-grouping practices to obtain required outputs and results. This research draws on the findings of an English nationwide survey of early years and primary Key Stage 1 teachers (n = 1373), four focus groups and four case study schools with 12 in-depth interviews. Early years teachers' attempts to meet nationally imposed school-readiness performance measures are analysed as Foucauldian governance. Finally, the article examines ability-labelling and ability-grouping impacts on children's well-being and aspirations.}, author = {Roberts-Holmes, G}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/1463949119863128} }