The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is part of the Government's wider scheme, laid out in the Children's Plan and Every Child Matters, to give all children the best possible start in life.
Introducing statutory standards for childcare for 0- to 5-year-olds gives every child the right, regardless of their background, to play, have fun and develop safely when they are looked after outside of their home. It means that parents can relax, safe in the knowledge that their children will get the same excellent standards of learning and care, regardless of the type of setting they attend.
At the heart of the EYFS is the principle that young children need to play in order to have fun, make friends and to begin to learn and understand the world around them. The EYFS is a play-based framework that acknowledges that every child is unique and that they learn and develop at different rates and in different ways.
The EYFS aims to provide the help that those working with young children - schools, nurseries and childminders - have told us they need. It has been carefully researched and put together with input from experts, both academics and those working with young children. The EYFS pulls together three existing sets of standards which nurseries and other childcare settings already follow, updates them and combines them into one set of standards for people working in all types of childcare.
This media pack provides full information on the EYFS, and includes case studies and detailed early learning goals.
