EYFS to get new format

format after consultation with the sector revealed that many practitioners found the document's layout difficult to understand and the accompanying guidance confusing.

The Government's response to the consultation on the Early Years Foundation Stage, published today, highlights concerns about its 'language, length and layout'. More than one third (34 per cent) of respondents to the EYFS consultation found the statutory requirements, guidance and good practice were unclear.

In an exclusive interview with Nursery World, children's minister Beverly Hughes, said, 'We're certainly going to change the format. One of the difficulties we had in the consultation was just to put everything in one place so we could issue one clear document that had everything in it. But we realised even as we did that, that it wasn't the most helpful format, either to make it clear to providers and others what has got to be implemented, and secondly as a working document for people on a day-to-day basis.'

Ms Hughes also confirmed that Ruth Pimentel, national director of the Foundation Stage, has been working with her team on a series of 'practice-based' materials to make the document more accessible, including a series of cards and CD-Roms, based on feedback from the sector.

'There's going to be a range of interesting materials. It won't just be one rather impenetrable document now. It will be segmented into things people find easy to use.'

The document's grid system, which many in the sector feared could lead to tick-boxes and checklists, will also be made more 'user-friendly'.

Ms Hughes said, 'People need some exemplification of what requirements will be in practice around different parts of the Foundation Stage for different levels of development. The exemplification that the grid is trying to achieve is important, but I appreciate that pages of grids are not necessarily easy to access.'

Ms Hughes added that the new format would be 'road-tested' with certain groups but there would not be another widespread consultation.

* Read our interview with Beverley Hughes and Ruth Pimentel on page 9 and the special report on page ten.