Another draft version of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage was unleashed by the DfE on 18 February, with a month given for a consultation before the final version is published in the run-up to the September 2021 adoption.
There isn’t much scope for radical changes. It is made very clear that the early learning goals and educational programmes have been finalised and are not for commenting on, however much some may dislike them.
Instead, elements that can be responded to are marked in red and are mainly technical tweaks in the safeguarding and welfare section. There are a few aspects of learning and development and assessment highlighted that could be significant, however.
A paragraph on Development Matters has been added, stressing that it is non-statutory and Ofsted won’t have any regard to it. ‘It is up to providers to decide how they approach the curriculum; says the document. After all the fuss about Development Matters, it feels that it’s rather being consigned to a corner.
There’s a lot of enthusiastic red on the blurb about the ELGs too, where it says that they are not to be used as a curriculum and they are for assessing readiness for Year 1. This pops up in assessment too, although it isn’t clear to me how practitioners assessing younger children can engage in an ‘ongoing dialogue’ with Year 1 teachers!
One footnote added and one removed are of interest. A link to the Chief Medical Officer’s guidance on physical activity has been highlighted, whichs is positive, while that to Ofsted’s much-praised definition of teaching has been vanquished, which is a great shame.
The best way to make sense of the new EYFS is to read our new series on the Areas of Learning, significant changes and effective practice. Anne O’Connor starts with physical development on pp14-17.
