EYFS

Updates

Reception improvement offer

The Department for Education (DfE) offers a range of online and in-person school support and professional development for improving teaching and leadership of reception

Early years education recovery programme: supporting the sector

The government is providing a package of up to £180 million for workforce training, qualifications and support and guidance for the early years sector to help address the impact of the pandemic on the youngest and most disadvantaged children.

Early Years Qualification check Service

Find out if a person’s qualifications allow them to work in an early years setting, and if you can include them in staff:child ratios.

Early Years Foundation Stage safeguarding reforms

Government consultation response

Ofsted: Early Years Blog

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted's National Director Regulation and Social Care; Gill Jones, Deputy Director, Schools and Early Education; and Alex Magloire, our Deputy Director, Early Years Regulatory Practice, launch Ofsted's new early years blog.

Strong foundations in the first years of school

This report examines how schools secure the foundational knowledge and skills that every child needs by the end of key stage 1 to give them the best chance of educational success. Schools are facing significant challenges in dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children currently in Reception and key stage 1.

Reception quality webinar series: autumn 2025

Series of webinars on RISE reception quality in schools led by senior education sector experts.

From:
Department for Education -Published 7 January 2026
During the 2025 autumn term, the Department for Education (DfE) delivered a series of 6 regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) webinars on reception quality led by sector experts, including the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), Ofsted and English Hubs.

The aim of these free webinars is to support schools, trusts and local authority leaders to increase the number of children who achieve a good level of development (GLD) at the end of their first year in school.

Reception quality webinar series: autumn 2025

Embedding a language rich environment and supporting early writing

01:00:16

Establishing strong attendance routines in reception

53:01

The importance of reception and the data available to support leaders

57:39

The importance of early maths

59:00

Session 1: The importance of reception and the data available to support leaders
In this session from September 2025 we hear from DfE experts:

Susie Owen, Director of Early Years, Childcare and Families, who outlines the government’s plans to strengthen family services and improve quality in early years, as set out in Giving every child the best start in life
Amy Finch, Head of Reception Policy, who introduces the new good level of development tool, now available on the View your education data (VYED) platform, demonstrating how it supports schools and responsible bodies to analyse reception outcomes and identify priorities for improvement
Narinder Gill, Director of Leadership and Transformation (Inspiring Generations) and DfE RISE advisor, an experienced school and trust leader who shares how leaders can use the GLD tool to drive meaningful conversations, celebrate strengths and target support effectively

In this webinar, schools were guided to use their GLD data to:

reflect on what is working well
identify priorities for development
collaborate in order to learn

Session 2: Strategic leadership of the early years in school: EEF shares the evidence
In this session from September 2025 we hear from Julian Grenier from the Education Endowment Foundation who explains:

why a child’s early years are crucial for long-term success
how school leaders can turn evidence into action
why strategic leadership is key to driving quality and improving outcomes

Session 3: Key messages from Ofsted’s research on strong foundations
In this session from October 2025, Kirsty Godfrey, a Senior His Majesty’s Inspector at Ofsted, shares findings from Ofsted’s Strong foundations in the first years of school research.

The session explores how schools can:

build firm foundations in early reading, writing and language
support children’s executive function
adapt teaching for those who need the most help
This session references the Padlet board Strategic leadership of the Early Years in Schools: RISE Summer 2025.

Session 4: Embedding a language-rich environment and supporting early writing
Adam Harris, Head of Great Heights English Hub, and Joshua Callaghan, Hub Lead at the Arch English Hub, share how strong communication and language foundations drive later attainment, relationships and wellbeing.

The session from October 2025:

introduces practical approaches for creating language-rich classrooms through high-quality adult and child interactions
discusses explicit vocabulary teaching and dialogic reading
shows how these approaches lay the groundwork for confident early writers through oral composition, transcription and executive function

The English Hubs Early Language Audit is referenced throughout this webinar.

Session 5: Promoting good attendance routines in reception
In this session from October 2025, Molly Devlin, Director of Early Years at Ark Start, and Swabra Lloyd, Executive Headteacher at Forest Academy, share how strong attendance habits start in reception through clear routines, strong relationships and a shared culture of belonging.

Drawing on Ark’s six pillars, the session highlights practical strategies and shows how strong leadership, clear expectations and early engagement build strong foundations for good attendance.

Session 6: The importance of early maths
Debbie Morgan, Primary Director at National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, and Debbie Sullivan, Assistant Headteacher at St Thomas More Primary, draw on national evidence and classroom practice, highlighting how high-quality early maths teaching focused on number, pattern and spatial reasoning can close disadvantage gaps and support all children to secure strong foundations.

Best start in life: a research review for early years

(Part 1)

This series of research reviews is focused on the pre-school age range, from birth to 4 years. Its purpose is to support early years practitioners to raise the quality of early years education.

Best start in life part 1: setting the scene

Last update -September 2023

Best start in life: a research review for early years

(Part 3)

This report is part of our series of curriculum research reviews. Its purpose is to help early years practitioners to raise the quality of early years education. The report is the third in a 3-part review:

Last update -October 2024

Best start in life: a research review for early years

(Part 2)

This report is part of our series of subject-based curriculum research reviews. Its purpose is to support early years practitioners in raising the quality of early years education.

Best start in life part 2: the 3 prime areas of learning

Last update -September 2023

Progress check at age two

Guidance to provide support for early years practitioners when completing the early years foundation stage (EYFS) progress check at age 2.

Department for Education early years vodcast: Progress check at age two

This vodcast explains the new guidance on the EYFS progress check at age two to early years practitioners.

May 2022

Spread the Happiness - Shonette Bason

Shonette Bason is a dynamic and inspirational educator, speaker, and author celebrated for her innovative teaching methods. Specialising in early childhood education, she is renowned for designing activities that foster fine motor skills, creativity, and emotional well-being in young learners. Click "Read More" to explore three engaging videos produced by Shonette for ForgeCPD, introducing Dough Disco, Squiggle While You Wiggle, and Movement. These activities aim to develop fine and gross motor skills while addressing the increasing prevalence of global and developmental delays in schools.

Early Years in Mind Network A free online network for early years practitioners

For under fives

The Early Years & Prevention department is a multi-disciplinary team of mental health professionals.

Working with families facing challenges

Advice and guidance for early years practitioners on working with and supporting parents and carers of under fives who may have experienced mental health difficulties or challenges thems...

Common difficulties in the early years

Exploring a range of difficulties children can experience.

Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Sad: An Early Years in Mind story and guide

This free digital book aims to help educators, parents and carers have important discussions about mental health with young children

Expert advice and guidance videos for nursery staff

This series of films, featuring some of Anna Freud's child mental health experts, aim to provide help and guidance to nursery staff on how to manage a range of different issues.

A guide to neurodiversity in the early years

Best ways to support children who have developmental differences

The DfE has published exemplification materials to provide support for schools when completing the Early Years

Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) assessment for children at the end of reception year. These are a collection of case study videos that demonstrate teachers and leaders having professional discussions about individual children’s development and their EYFSP judgements. A vodcast for schools, multi-academy trusts and local authorities has also been published alongside the videos to explain the changes and what is different this year.