“I Left Teaching to Save My Son from It”

Mum’s Mission to Bring Play Back into Schools

I’m Ruth Lue-Quee, AKA My Mummy Teacher, Educational Consultant, founder of MMT Play, ex-Deputy Headteacher, and mum of two. My mission in education has always been simple, for children to be taught in a way that is developmentally appropriate, places them at the centre and prioritises learning through play at the core.

But right now, I’m deeply concerned about the direction of education in England. Recently, there have been calls for four-year-olds to “sit still” as part of a vision for reception. On the very same day those comments were made, my petition was launched calling for the opposite: for learning through play to be made statutory in Key Stage 1. Within 48 hours, it had surpassed 35,000 signatures. That response told me one thing very clearly: parents, teachers and professionals are united. Children need less sitting still – and far more learning through play.

The petition can be signed here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/729440

I began this campaign because, as a teacher, I’d seen first-hand the consequences of pushing children too soon. I’ve watched joy drain from classrooms, seen children struggle because they didn’t fit into a rigid, one-size-fits-all model, and felt the strain on teachers forced to deliver lessons that go against everything we know about child development. Too many children are being let down by a system that values tests and conformity over creativity, curiosity, and movement.

Through my business, MMT Play, and my online platform, My Mummy Teacher, I’ve spent the past five years supporting families and educators with play-based approaches rooted in research and real-world practice. Every day, I hear from parents who see their children come alive when given the chance to explore, move, and learn through play. These aren’t isolated stories – they reflect what the science already tells us.

Because play isn’t a luxury. It isn’t “just fun.” It is how children learn best. Decades of research show that play builds cognitive skills, supports wellbeing, and develops social and emotional resilience. Yet in England, we pull the rug from under our youngest learners the moment they leave the Early Years Foundation Stage. In contrast, children of the same age in Wales and Scotland continue to benefit from play-based provision, protected in policy.

This isn’t about lowering standards or holding children back. It’s about creating the right foundation. When we force children into formal learning before they are ready, we see the fallout later: disengagement, poor wellbeing, attendance problems, and teacher burnout. When we protect play, we give children the skills, curiosity and confidence to thrive long-term.

That’s why I launched this petition – and why I won’t stop speaking up. I’m campaigning for every child in our schools in Key Stage 1. It’s too late for my own son, which breaks my heart, but I don’t want another cohort to be taught in a way that doesn’t align with what we know about how children learn best. The thousands who signed the petition have shown there is an appetite for change. What’s needed now is the courage to reimagine what education looks like for our youngest learners.

At its heart, this campaign is about giving children back their childhood – protecting their right to learn in the way nature intended: through play. I’m determined to be their voice, and to ensure our education system honours who they are, not who we want them to be too soon.

Our children deserve an education that grows with them, not one that fast-forwards them into adulthood before they are ready. Play is not the enemy of learning – it is the foundation of it.

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