Learning and Development

The Department for Education: Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory framework (effective 1st November 2024), sets out the standard requirements for delivering quality early education and childcare for all children, from birth to five years old.

Please refer to the 'learning and development requirements', section 1.

All schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers must follow the EYFS, including childminders, pre-schools, nurseries and school reception classes.

The three prime areas are:

Personal, Social and Emotional
Communication and Language
Physical Development

The four specific areas are:

Literacy
Mathematics
Expressive Arts and Design
Understanding the world

Useful links

Department for Education: Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework
Mandatory for all early years providers in England.

Early Years Coalition: Birth to 5 Matters
Developed by the sector, for the sector, provides non-statutiory guidance on the EYFS,

Department for Education: Development Matters
document is a non-statutory curriculum guide for the EYFS.