Early years sector coalition launches survey to develop alternative EYFS guidance

The revised Development Matters guidance has been criticised by some in the sector for presenting a ‘narrow and limited view of how children learn and develop’ and for having a focus on Reception children.

An online survey has been launched by the Early Years Coalition (EYC), a group of sector representative bodies, to find what practitioners want from non-statutory guidance.

The alternative guidance, to be known as ‘Birth to 5 Matters – early years guidance by the sector, for the sector’, is being developed by the  EYC after it was vocal in accusing the Department for Education of not consulting with early years practitioners widely enough in the production of the revised non-statutory guidance.

The survey is the first step in a process to identify what aspects of the original 2012 Development Matters document practitioners would like to see updated and improved to reflect current challenges. Over the next several months the EYC plan to provide opportunities for comment on successive drafts of the new guidance.

Beatrice Merrick, chief executive of Early Education who is chairing the EYC, said, ‘We will be working with the sector to build on existing guidance and develop an evidence-informed document for our times, reflecting key concerns raised by the pandemic and longer-standing debates around how to create strong foundations for children from birth to five. It will address practitioners’ needs and concerns about doing what is best for children.

‘The process of developing the guidance will give practitioners opportunities for active involvement in producing guidance and resources that support practice, that reflect their pedagogic principles and that bring together research and practice knowledge.’

Birth to 5 Matters is a collaborative project by the coalition’s 15 early years sector organisations. The EYC has appointed two members of staff to coordinate the project and ensure wide participation from across the sector, gathering input from a range of expert working groups and from public opportunities to respond to drafts as the guidance develops. Nancy Stewart, project lead, and Sharon Colilles, project assistant, will be advised and supported by the EYC Steering Group.

Ms Stewart said that the current Development Matters is a ‘much valued resource’. ‘The goal is to maintain what is best and change only what updated evidence shows will improve the guidance,’ she said. 

‘There will also be expanded guidance in central aspects of practice, with priorities likely to include children’s wellbeing and key skills and knowledge for every child growing up in the 21^st century such as digital literacy, sustainability and citizenship. There will be a downloadable document that will minimise workload by looking familiar to practitioners, and we are also planning an interactive online version that will be backed up with additional resources to support practitioners as they want to go more deeply into an area of practice.’

Each organisation in the coalition will be contacting its members to invite them to participate in the survey via an organisation-specific link. Practitioners who are not members of EYC organisations are also encouraged to take part in the survey using: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BirthTo5Matters

The coalition members include:  

• British Early Childhood Education Research Association (BECERA)/Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC) 
• Early Education 
• Early Childhood Forum (ECF) 
• Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network (ECSDN) 
• Early Years Alliance 
• Froebel Trust 
• Keeping Early Years Unique (KEYU) 
• LGBTQIA Early Years 
• Montessori St Nicholas 
• National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) 
• National Education Union 
• OMEP UK 
• Sector Endorsed Foundation Degrees in the Early Years (SEFDEY) 
• Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship 
• TACTYC: the Association for Professional Development in the Early Years