Second-year student Kia explores early years education in Pistoia
4 April 2025
In 2024, Set 47 student Kia took part in a Norland study visit to the Italian city of Pistoia, led by Dr Rose Drury, Early Years Education Consultant and Honorary Associate at The Open University.
The group travelled to Pistoia in Tuscany to learn about the city’s pioneering educational approach to the early years and its emphasis on child-centric practices. Second year student Kia (Set 47) reflects on his learnings from the trip, and how the experience links to his learning at Norland so far.
“In April 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Pistoia, a charming city in Italy renowned for its innovative approaches to early childhood education. This got me excited and eager to experience the unique practices that make Pistoia’s educational settings stand out and understand how these insights could enrich my own learning.
“One of the first things that struck me about Pistoia’s educational settings was their child-centred philosophy. The classrooms are designed to be inviting and stimulating, with an emphasis on natural light, open spaces and accessible materials. This environment encourages children to explore and learn at their own pace, fostering a sense of autonomy and confidence. As part of the trip, we were able to explore a variety of settings and speak to the staff that worked there.
“It soon became apparent to us why Pistoia is known as the ‘children’s city’. Whilst exploring, we would often find children playing ball games out on the streets and we learned the schools in the city regularly take children out into the community. This stood out in contrast to the approaches that I had previously been aware of, and it prompted reflection about my own childhood and how this type of activity would benefit children. I began to think about ways in which I might incorporate some of these ideas into my own practice, by taking children to visit community hubs.
“One of my favourite activities I observed was when the children created their own ‘citizen cards’ and went to the town hall to get them ‘validated’. It was great to see the children being included in their communities, and it made me think about how adults take some of these things for granted!
“On one of my placements at Norland, I was involved in taking children to play at the local elderly care home. This was a really positive experience and, after going to Pistoia, I now understand the importance of community-led activities such as these. I felt inspired and hope to continue engaging children in their community as I go through my placement journey.
“One day, we went to visit the ‘Area Bambini Blu’. This was a centre for expressive arts which the children would regularly visit with their school or nursery settings. We saw them creating sculptures of the city. I found this trip particularly inspiring as the children clearly enjoyed these regular opportunities for creative play.
“Overall, our visit to Pistoia reinforced many of the concepts I’ve been studying in our degree course. The emphasis on a nurturing environment, the role of the teacher as a guide, and the importance of collaborative learning are all key components of effective early childhood education. Observing these principles in action has given me a richer, more practical understanding of how they can be implemented.
“For example, throughout my first year we learned about the importance of loving, child-centred relationships. In Pistoia, I observed this in practice when the nursery staff and parents engaged in a collaborative activity in which they reflected on their own childhood so that they could better put themselves in the children’s shoes. This approach is something that I would like to use when thinking about responding to children’s behaviour, as I can understand the importance of seeing things from their perspective, and how I could support my charges through this approach.
“Our reflective approach, which we implemented throughout the entire trip, was further emphasised by the daily discussions we had with our group lead, Dr Rose Drury. At the end of each day, we would sit as a group and talk about what we had observed and experienced, exploring different aspects of practice. I found these conversations invaluable to my learning, aiding me in realising the benefits of learning from others in a collaborative way.
“Overall, I found the trip to Pistoia to be both enlightening and inspiring. It highlighted the importance of creating a supportive and engaging learning environment for young children and the powerful impact of incorporating natural elements and collaborative projects into the curriculum. These insights will undoubtedly inform my future work and help me advocate for educational practices that truly benefit children’s development.”
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