- The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) defines the legal requirements and standards for promoting the care, learning and development of children from birth to five years in Ofsted registered childcare provision. The EYFS requirements include: The Learning and Development Requirements which shape the activities and experiences that childcare providers offer children.
- The Assessment Requirements which detail how childcare providers monitor and plan for children’s progress.
- The Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements which ensure children are kept safe and have their welfare promoted.
Learning and Development Requirements
The Learning and Development Requirements include three prime areas – communication and language, physical development, and personal,social and emotional development - which are particularly crucial for children’s learning and development and four specific areas – literacy, mathematics, understanding of the world and expressive arts and design — through which the prime areas are strengthened. The areas are connected, with learning and development in each area contributing towards that of the others.
Assessment Requirements
In order to identify and plan for children’s successful learning and development, childcare providers observe children throughout the day to identify their interests, how they learn, and their progress in each area of learning and development. In addition, two progress reviews must be carried out for each child and shared with their parents – the progress check at age two, which is a summary of a child's development in the prime areas of learning when they are aged between two and three years, and the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, which provides a review of your child’s progress as they come to the end of the EYFS.
Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements
The Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements cover ten areas which relate to the safety and wellbeing of children — child protection; suitable people; staff qualifications, training, support and skills; key person; staff to child ratios; health; managing behaviour; safety and suitability of premises, environment and equipment; equal opportunities; and information and records. Each area is supported by specific requirements and guidance to direct providers’ policies, procedures and practices.
Policies and procedures
Policies and procedures help to provide a good quality provision by giving clear information to staff and parents on what the provision wants to achieve and how this is put into practice. The Early Years Foundation Stage requires that providers must have written copies of certain policies and procedures.
