Tuff Trays in Key Stage 1 - Do They Work? - By Dr Alistair Bryce-Clegg

By Dr. Alistair Bryce-Clegg

Happy Saturday, PLAY People!

As the July PLAYlist fast approaches (keep an eye on your inbox next week!), I thought I’d follow up on the article I wrote earlier this month, all about Tuff Trays!

If you read the original article on whether we should have tuff trays in Early Years (read it here), you’ll know I wasn’t arguing for or against the tray itself.

What matters is how it’s used. And now, more and more, the same question is cropping up in Year One and Two - can we still use tuff tray-based provision once we’re into the National Curriculum? And if we do, do they need a labelled objective stuck on the side to be worthwhile?

The pressure to cover and prove National Curriculum objectives in KS1 is real. There’s often a sense that as soon as children leave Reception, the play has to stop, and the ‘real’ learning begins. I’ve walked into so many Year One classrooms where tuff trays are still being used, but not for open-ended exploration. Instead, they’ve become task trays. Same tray, different purpose. A mini worksheet, really.

You get your chalk-penned instructions or a laminated sign saying, “We are learning to…” and the whole thing starts to feel more like a tick-box than an invitation to play.

So, what is the alternative?

The Myth of the Labelled Objective

Just because an objective isn’t stuck to the side of a tray doesn’t mean it’s not happening. In fact, it is very much the opposite. When children are given space, time and meaningful materials, they engage in deeper, more authentic learning. The problem with slapping a learning objective on the tray is that it turns it into a task. And the moment you prescribe the outcome; it stops being play.

That doesn’t mean we ignore the National Curriculum. But it does mean we think differently about how we meet it. Instead of using ‘play’ activities to tick off objectives, we plan provision that invites the skills, knowledge and concepts to emerge. And then, crucially, we’re present. Observing. Interacting. Extending. Documenting. The adult role becomes one of facilitator and co-learner, not deliverer of predetermined tasks.

Continuous Provision Isn’t Just for EYFS

If you’re using continuous provision in KS1, you’re already halfway there. But keeping continuous provision going in Year One and Two takes bravery. You might be surrounded by pressure to formalise, to move on from play, to show progress in more traditional ways. But children don’t change how they learn just because they’ve moved into a new key stage. They’re still wired to explore, create, collaborate, and discover.

We don’t need to throw out what works in EYFS… we need to build on it, acknowledging that when continuous provision is well planned, it absolutely supports the National Curriculum.

But, just like in Early Years, if it needs an adult to facilitate the learning, then it isn’t continuous provision, and an objective-led tuff tray is just an adult-led activity – without the adult!

The Role of the Adult

This is where the magic can really happen. Continuous provision without skilled adults becomes continuous activity. It’s our observations, questions, and interactions that elevate the experience. If I step into a tuff tray world and ask, ‘I wonder what would happen if…?’, I’m inviting deeper thinking. If I notice a child constructing something symmetrical and ask them to describe their process, I’m pulling out vocabulary, pattern recognition, and reflective thinking.

None of that requires me to announce, ‘Today we are learning to…’. But it does require me to know the curriculum, know the children, and know how to make the most of what I see.

Across the Curriculum

We can use tuff trays (or any open-ended play spaces) across all areas of the curriculum. Literacy, maths, science, geography, art, PSHE – they’re all there in continuous provision if we set it up with thought and purpose.

• A storytelling tray with natural materials invites oral composition, sequencing, and new vocabulary.

• A tray with magnets and mixed materials sparks exploration, prediction, and investigation.

• A tray of buttons, beads, and mirrors can lead to sorting, patterning, symmetry and even basic geometry.

The difference is that we see the learning because we know what we’re looking for. The children don’t need the label – we do.

---

From Early Years to KS1 – Don’t Break the Bridge

One of the most successful things we can do for children in Key Stage One is not to make the jump too quickly. Keep the principles of Early Years alive: curiosity, independence, real-life experiences, and play.

The National Curriculum might be more content-driven, but that doesn’t mean children learn it best through more worksheets. They learn it best when they’re engaged.

So, do we need tuff trays in KS1? Not necessarily. But if you’ve got them, use them well. Let them be invitations, not instructions. Let them be flexible, responsive, and exciting. Most of all, let them belong to the children.

Because if we design our environments with intention, observe with curiosity, and interact with skill, then the curriculum takes care of itself, no laminated labels required.

Alistair.

---

Here are some books and articles around effective provision in Year One and Two that you might find useful… (of course I start with mine!)

Effective Transition into Key Stage One – Alistair Bryce-Clegg

I wrote this one because I could see how many schools were struggling to keep play alive once children moved out of Reception. It’s full of practical ideas, examples, and research to help you make that transition smoother, for staff and children. You might find it handy if you’re looking to keep continuous provision going in Year One while still meeting curriculum objectives.

Interacting or Interfering? – Julie Fisher

This is one of those books that completely shifts how you see your role in the classroom. I found it so helpful for thinking about when to step into play and when to step back. It’s especially good if you want to improve your interactions during continuous provision and make your observations more meaningful.

Co-operative Play and Learning from Nursery to Year One – Pat Broadhead (in Moyles’ Thinking About Play)

What I love about this chapter is how clearly it shows the tension between play and formal teaching in Year One. It talks about the difficulties children face when play disappears too quickly, and it gives you some really useful thinking around how to keep that co-operative, playful spirit alive in KS1.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programmes serving children from birth through Age 8

This one is great if you’re trying to argue the case for keeping play going beyond EYFS. It talks about what’s appropriate for five- and six-year-olds and how to align practice with their developmental needs. A good one to wave under the nose of anyone asking why they’re ‘still playing' in Year One.

School Readiness: A Critical Review of Perspectives and Evidence – Whitebread & Bingham
This review challenges the idea that getting ready for school means more sitting down and getting on with formal tasks. I found it helpful for reframing what readiness actually looks like, and how play is part of that, not a distraction from it.

The impact of children's perception of an activity as play rather than not play on emotional well-being (NIH)

I love this research because it backs up what we see in classrooms all the time, children engage more deeply when they think they’re playing, not “doing work.” It’s a brilliant piece to refer to if you're building a case for playful pedagogy in Year One or Two.

Recovery During a Pandemic – NFER
This one came out in response to Covid, but its message is still really relevant. It highlights how play-based learning supports wellbeing and academic recovery, something to keep in mind when children come in with gaps, especially in lower KS1.

The Early Years: Foundations for Life, Health and Learning – Tickell Review
This 2011report is a good reminder that what happens in Reception shouldn’t suddenly stop in Year One. I found it particularly helpful for showing that continued use of play and real experiences is recommended practice, not just a nice extra.

Key Stage One: Engagement with the National Curriculum – DfE
Not always the most thrilling read, but useful! It makes clear that schools do have flexibility in how they deliver the curriculum, and that learning through play can absolutely be part of that. Worth quoting if someone insists it all must look formal from Year One onwards.

The Right to Play – Brooker & Woodhead
This is more of a global perspective, but it’s a brilliant reminder that play isn’t just an educational tool, it’s a right. It’s a good one to dip into if you’re thinking about the wider purpose of education and how we respect children as learners.

Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years – Miller & Devereux
This book offers loads on how to plan environments and interactions that support independent learning. I found it really helpful when thinking about how to make continuous provision purposeful in Key Stage One without it turning into a free-for-all.

---