Nursery World - Row breaks out between critics of the revised early years curriculum and DfE

The dispute between a group of early years experts and teachers and the Department for Education over the Government’s planned reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage has ramped up this week.

Critics of the EYFS reforms say that Reception class teachers are under 'huge pressure' to ensure that all children achieve the Early Learning Goals at the age of five

Following the launch of a petition against the planned changes to the revised EYFS last week by Right from the Start, the DfE published a blog in response strongly refuting the group’s claims.

‘We are aware of a petition on Change.org that makes significant misleading claims about our reforms to the early years foundation stage (EYFS),’ the DfE said.
‘The petition suggests that children will be deemed as failing if they do not reach particular milestones at ages four and five. This is untrue.’

The petition launched last Thursday (16 July) called for the revised EYFS to be abandoned and has so far been signed by more than 4,100 people. Today, Right from the Start has hit back at the DfE’s claims and set out its responses.

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