Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old.

The EYFS framework:

• Sets the standards that all Early Years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well
• Ensures children are kept healthy and safe
• Promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’.

Guidance documents to support implementation of the EYFS learning and development requirements.

• Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (external link)
• Development Matters - GOV.UK (external link)
• Birth To 5 Matters - Guidance by the sector, for the sector (external link)
• Early years outcomes

EYFS 2021 Reforms

From September 2021 EYFS reforms will come into action. Please see below for further advice and guidance on implementing the changes within your setting. Training courses are available to book via the Services for Schools portal.

Please be aware that Covid disapplication’s to the EYFS end on 31st August 2021.

• Early Years Foundation Stage: Principles into Practice Guidance book

EYFS 2021 Vodcasts

We recommend that you view the vodcasts as an essential starting point to plan for your implementation of the EYFS reforms in the new academic year.

• Watch Foundation Years vodcast: Understanding the revised EYFS - PVIs & childminders (external link)
• Watch Foundation Years vodcast: Understanding the revised EYFS - Headteachers & senior leadership (external link)
• Watch Foundation Years vodcast: Implementing the new EYFS in primary schools (external link)

Greater Manchester Combined Authority Q&A with Dr Julian Grenier

Greater Manchester Combined Authority hosted a Questions and Answers with Dr Julian Grenier to support the early years sector with adapting to the new EYFS. Headteachers and Teachers from early adopter networks across Greater Manchester, posed questions to Julian around adapting to the new reforms and the Development Matters guidance.​

The full recording of the webinar can be viewed here (external link). The full recording lasts 2 hours, so has been split into four shorter sections covering the following themes:​

• Introduction and Continued Professional Development (CPD)​
• Progressive Curriculum​
• Tracking​
• Accountability​.

Learn, Explore, Debate 

Take a look at Implementing the revised EYFS webpage (external link) for more information on the following:

• Reducing workload: data, tracking and assessment
• Ofsted and the EYFS reforms
• Understanding the revised EYFS and Development Matters – Dr Julian Grenier
  • Watch what’s at the heart of the new Development Matters and busting some data myths (external link).
• Self-regulation in the early years.
  • Watch the Development Matters vodcast: From pregnancy to children aged 5 (external link).

Safeguarding and Welfare

Documents and templates to support settings in meeting the EYFS Statutory Safeguarding and Welfare requirements and tools to develop policies and procedures.

• Bruising in non-mobile children - Protocol Pathway Summary
• EYFS Parents Guide
• Guidance for safer working practice for adults who work with children and young people (external link)
• Health protection in schools and other childcare facilities (external link)
• Infection control guidance (external link)
• Information Sharing: Guidance for practitioners and managers (external link)
• Keeping children safe in education (external link)
• LADO notification form
• NSPCC Bruises on children (external link)
• NSPCC Emotional neglect and emotional abuse in pre-school children (external link)
• NSPCC Fractures in children (external link)
• NSPCC Head and spinal injuries in children (external link)
• NSPCC Oral injuries and bites (external link)
• NSPCC Thermal injuries (external link)
• Preventing or controlling ill health from animal contact at visitor attractions or open farms (external link)
• Professional referrals - for children
• Risk assessment (external link)
• Safeguarding audit
• Safeguarding Children's Board
• Safer Recruitment Consortium (external link)
• Signs of Safety (external link)
• Signs of Safety practice model
• Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (external link)
• The Lullaby Trust (external link)
• Thresholds of Need (external link)
• What to do if you're worried a child is being abused (external link)
• Working Together to safeguard children (external link)
• WSCB (external link).

Safer recruitment

• Safer Recruitment Consortium (external link).