Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)? I think I would be surprised to find anyone who is not. After all, not only are there the endless pages of Development Matters, practice guidance and so on, but there is also a huge amount of information on the accompanying disc, as well as the fairly regular launches of new booklets, discs and online resources. While the overall principles and the big messages feel about right, I think there is little doubt that the EYFS poses a management problem for early years practitioners.
I think that the best way for practice to evolve and improve is from the ground up, rather than in response to central Government prescription and guidance. As a head teacher I spent time thinking with colleagues about the best way for us to develop our practice at Kate Greenaway taking the EYFS into account, rather than to see the framework as requiring a total overhaul of our approach, policies and procedures. However, it is apparent that many other settings and practitioners have taken a different approach, and this has caused problems.
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