What is Cultural capital in the EYFS?

In the most recent Early Years inspection framework, the grade descriptor for a ‘Good’ setting, in the ‘Quality of education’ section, says:

“Leaders adopt or construct a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give children, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life,” explaining that cultural capital is “the essential knowledge that children need to be educated citizens.”

If you’re like me, you might be asking, ‘Who decides what knowledge is essential? Is there only one correct way to be an educated citizen and why is it so vague?’

It might feel a little hard to see how this definition applies to your day-to-day practice. So to explain the idea of cultural capital in the EYFS, and see how it unfolds in real life, we’ve broken it down for you in this article. Or if you prefer, we even made a video to help you out.

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What is Cultural Capital?

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Ofsted didn't invent ‘cultural capital’. 

Cultural capital is a sociological term coined by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu that refers to the social and cultural advantages some people have, often (but not always) linked to having more money.

Traditional examples of cultural capital include visiting different countries, participating in expensive extracurricular activities, learning musical instruments, wearing nice clothes, or speaking in a "proper" way. However, when Ofsted says ‘cultural capital’, they define it as the ‘knowledge children need to prepare them for their future success’ and be ‘educated citizens’.

For example, for an adult, this definition of cultural capital might look like:

• Knowing how to use a bank.
• How to access the news.
• Knowing when an offer is too good to be true. 

This is the kind of knowledge you probably didn't learn in school. It could be considered similar to ‘street smarts’ or even 'common sense'.  In the Early Years, this definition of cultural capital might mean things like:

•  Knowing how a library works.
• Having the opportunity to visit a museum. 

It could also include less concrete things that help us live in a community, such as: 

• Knowing how to apologise to others. 
• Being good at taking turns.

Whose culture is it then?

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Cultural capital looks different to different children and families. 

Children come into Early Years settings with the knowledge they’ve learned about the world from their home, and that knowledge and experience contribute to their cultural capital too. That means as you incorporate cultural capital into your setting, you should include and celebrate this cultural knowledge.

For example, if your toy sushi is mostly packed away in a box labelled 'multi-cultural food,' and only brought out for a special 'let's learn about Japanese culture' day, what message does that send to the children who eat that food every day at home? Instead, children's experiences should be reflected and built on continually. Put the toy sushi in the play kitchen with the other food for children to see and learn about in a more general context. 

The same applies if you only acknowledge different cultures or faiths at special times, like easily ‘Early-Years-ifiable’ festivals or events. For example, only working to include and celebrate your LBGTQIA+ families during Pride celebrations, because it’s easy to paint a rainbow.

British values

In the Early Years Inspection Framework, Ofsted tells us that, in a ‘Good’ setting, “Practitioners value and promote equality and diversity and prepare children for life in modern Britain.” According to Ofsted, practitioners do this by “developing children’s understanding of fundamental British values.”

 However, this shouldn’t mean promoting stereotypical British culture, especially at the exclusion of other cultures. It’s quite the opposite in fact.

The ‘British values’ Ofsted refers to are:

• Democracy

Democracy is where we make decisions together. Like many other British values, it’s also about making sure that everyone has equal rights and is treated equally. 

• The rule of law

The Rule of law is about understanding that rules matter in our society and are to be followed for a reason. For kids, it’s about helping them understand that actions have consequences and understanding the difference between right and wrong.

• Individual liberty

Individual liberty focuses on freedom for everyone. The main point developmentally is to give children a positive sense of themselves.

• Mutual respect and tolerance

Mutual respect and tolerance is about creating a welcoming environment that embraces all beliefs, cultures, races, and perspectives, while also recognising and celebrating our unique qualities.

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Having a board up with a Union Jack Flag isn’t necessary either. These values should be shared with children through fair, inclusive, and respectful practice. Check out our article on British values for ideas on how to implement them at your setting. It’s important that we don’t use cultural capital to try to enforce specific cultural norms onto children. Teaching and supporting children's cultural capital is not teaching children how to be Western and middle class, like Piaget thought.

For example, some children come from a home where eating with their hands is the norm and a valuable skill, so it’s not our place to tell them that using cutlery is the ‘right’ way to eat. It’s not about suddenly playing only classical music, because that’s stereotypically the most ‘cultured’. Instead, it’s about playing a variety of types of music, from all over the world. That way, children might hear some they’re familiar with (and take delight in hearing that in their setting, and sharing it with their peers) or hear some music that’s completely new to them.

You don’t need to try to decide which music is the ‘best’. 

How do I deliver cultural capital?

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Cultural capital is something you should share and teach in your everyday practice. The good news is, you’re probably already doing it!

For example, when a child has a birthday in your setting, you might sing Happy Birthday, share a sweet treat, and celebrate with a party. If that child does something different at home, you incorporate those traditions too. 

Ofsted can't tell you what the unique group of children at your setting needs because you know them best. With your expertise, you're in the perfect position to decide how to provide them with a mix of familiar and new experiences. That's why the description of cultural capital is so vague, and that’s why we can’t give you specific tips on how to deliver it in your setting.

After all, that’s the essence of designing a curriculum. You don’t assess children when they start at your setting and leave it at that. Instead, you plan experiences for them to support their development, where and when you’ve observed they need it.

In short, include, celebrate, and build on children’s knowledge, experiences, and interests. At the same time, introduce new opportunities and experiences to challenge them and help them grow. By weaving cultural capital into your daily activities, you create an inclusive environment that values each child's unique background and sets them up for future success.

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