This page is about schools in England. It does not cover Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Which EYFS framework is in force?
Use the EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers, dated 13 July 2026, effective 1 September 2026. It covers school-based early years provision, including maintained schools, academies, free schools and independent schools, as well as registered group-based provision. Childminders have a separate framework (cover and ‘Who is this framework for?’).
The framework has three sections: learning and development; assessment; and safeguarding and welfare. Must means a mandatory requirement. Should means providers must take the guidance into account and should follow it unless there is a good reason not to (framework, ‘About this statutory framework’).
Reception baseline assessment and the EYFS profile have different purposes and reporting arrangements. Use the 2026 reception baseline assessment: assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) for the 2026 to 2027 academic year, and the EYFS profile handbook, updated 17 September 2026, alongside Section 2 of the framework. The handbook is non-statutory guidance which identifies legal requirements with must (‘Statutory requirements’).
What changed from September 2026
DfE’s changes from 1 September 2026 explains the strengthened safeguarding and welfare requirements and the new requirement to have regard to screen-use guidance. In the current group and school-based framework:
- Recruitment: paragraph 3.15 includes volunteers in the criminal records checking requirements it sets out. Paragraph 3.17 requires providers to tell staff and prospective staff to disclose information that may affect their suitability, including arrests and charges; protected convictions and cautions are excluded (footnote 22). Individuals must not begin work or volunteering until the provider has received their enhanced criminal records and barred list check. The exception is supervised volunteers who only help occasionally, such as parents or carers helping on a trip, but not overnight or when providing personal care (footnotes 20 and 23).
- Allegations: paragraph 3.10 requires registered providers to notify Ofsted, or the childminder agency with which a provider of childcare on domestic premises is registered, of allegations of harm or abuse by anyone living, working or looking after children at the premises, whether the alleged incident happened there or elsewhere, and of the action taken. Notification must be as soon as reasonably practicable and within 14 days of the allegations being made. Concerns about a child’s safety or welfare must also be reported immediately to local authority children’s social care and, in emergencies, the police (paragraph 3.9).
- Premises and sleeping: paragraph 3.82 prohibits banned dog breeds on the premises at any time. Paragraph 3.86 sets out safe-sleep requirements, including detailed requirements for children under two.
- Screen use: providers must have regard to the guidance on children’s screen use in early years settings (paragraph 3.94).
Learning and development: areas and early learning goals
The framework sets out seven areas of learning and development (paragraphs 1.4–1.6):
- Three prime areas: communication and language; physical development; personal, social and emotional development.
- Four specific areas: literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; expressive arts and design.
All areas are important and interconnected. Providers must support children in the specific areas as well as the prime areas. The educational programmes describe the curriculum at a high level and must involve activities and experiences that enable children to learn and develop across the areas (paragraphs 1.4–1.6 and ‘Educational Programmes’).
The 17 early learning goals (ELGs) describe expected development at the end of the EYFS. Read the full goals in the framework’s Section 1, ‘Early Learning Goals’; the profile handbook’s ‘The EYFS profile’ explains their assessment across the seven areas. The ELGs should not be used as a curriculum or limit children’s experiences. They should support a holistic, best-fit judgement at the end of the EYFS (paragraphs 1.7–1.11).
Recorded, written or photographic evidence is not required to support those judgements. Assessment should not require excessive paperwork or long breaks from interaction with children (paragraphs 1.11 and 2.2).
Progress check at age two
For provision caring for children aged between two and three, practitioners must review progress and give parents or carers a short written summary of development in the prime areas (paragraph 2.6). The summary must identify strengths, areas needing additional support, concerns about possible developmental delay and the activities and strategies the provider intends to use (paragraph 2.8). Practitioners must discuss how the summary can support learning at home and agree with parents or carers when it will be most useful. Parental consent is required before sharing information directly with other relevant professionals (paragraphs 2.9–2.10). This is separate from reception baseline assessment and the EYFS profile.
Reception baseline assessment: who takes it and when?
The RBA assesses early mathematics and early literacy, communication and language. It is delivered in English. The ARA applies to maintained schools, academies including free schools, special schools and Defence Children Services schools and settings with a reception cohort (ARA, sections 1 and 3.1).
Practitioners must administer the assessment within the first six weeks of a participating pupil entering reception. This applies throughout the academic year to pupils joining reception who have not already participated, rather than only to the autumn intake (ARA, section 7.2; framework, paragraphs 2.11–2.12).
Schools must register all enrolled reception pupils, including pupils unable to access the assessment. Headteachers make the final participation decision. In exceptional circumstances a pupil may be unable to access it even with appropriate adaptations; the headteacher should discuss the pupil’s needs with parents and teachers and consult the SENCO or other specialists if appropriate. Schools must record the relevant non-participation status (ARA, sections 6.1–6.3). Read the SEND guide for the wider SEN support responsibilities.
Dates for the 2026 to 2027 academic year
The ARA gives these dates in sections 2.1, 4.1–4.2, 5.1 and 8:
- 24 August 2026: the RBA 2026 activity opens in both assessment services for uploading the new cohort and administering assessments; practitioners can also complete training and preview the assessment.
- Start of the autumn term: schools must upload pupil data and provide a status for pupils not participating. The six-week assessment requirement runs from each pupil’s reception start.
- 21 September 2026: narrative statements become available for pupils who have completed both assessment components.
- 6 November 2026: headteachers must submit the headteacher’s declaration form.
- 23 July 2027: the RBA 2026 activity closes in both services for the academic year. Schools should ensure they have downloaded pupils’ narrative statements; this is also the end of the statement download period.
The service’s opening and closing dates do not replace the individual pupil’s six-week assessment window (ARA, sections 2.1, 4 and 7.2).
What baseline results are reported?
Schools receive narrative statements, covering performance across both assessment components. They do not receive numerical scores for their pupils. DfE uses the assessment data only to calculate primary progress measures from reception to the end of key stage 2 (ARA, sections 3.1 and 8).
The RBA is not used to judge current or past early years provision. Its data should not be used for purposes other than primary progress measures. Numerical scores are not shared with schools, teachers, pupils or parents and are not published; children cannot pass or fail (framework, Annex B, paragraphs 2–4). Teachers should not use the RBA assessment framework to guide teaching and learning (ARA, section 3.2).
EYFS profile: completion and submission dates
The profile assesses each child against the 17 ELGs, recording expected or emerging for each. It is completed in the final term of the academic year in which the child reaches age five, no later than 30 June, subject to the framework’s exceptional arrangements for children remaining in EYFS provision (paragraphs 2.13–2.20).
The profile handbook’s ‘Important dates’ and ‘When to complete the EYFS profile’ require schools to complete the profile and submit the data to the local authority by 30 June of that academic year. Local authorities must return final approved data to DfE by 31 July. Schools submit to their LA, rather than directly to DfE (handbook, ‘Data collection and submission’).
The framework requires providers to report profile results to the LA upon request (paragraph 2.21). The handbook explains the submission timetable and method. The profile must include children with SEND, with reasonable adjustments to the assessment process as appropriate (paragraph 2.20).
Where a child exceptionally remains in EYFS beyond the year they turn five, paragraph 2.18 sets out when the profile should be completed and submitted. If the decision is made after a profile has already been completed, a new assessment will need to be made and submitted the following year. The school should discuss its intention to defer statutory assessment with the LA (paragraph 2.19).
Sharing the profile with parents and Year 1 teachers
- Parents and carers: providers must share the profile results and explain when and how they can discuss them with the practitioner who completed it (paragraph 2.17). The handbook’s ‘Reporting to parents or carers’ says teachers must provide the results at the end of the EYFS and offer that discussion.
- Year 1 teachers: they must receive a copy of the profile report (paragraph 2.16). Teachers may choose to add a short commentary on the child’s characteristics of effective teaching and learning; it is not a compulsory extra report. The handbook’s ‘Reporting to the year 1 teacher’ says no written reports beyond the basic requirements are required or expected.
- Transition discussion: assessment should inform ongoing dialogue with Year 1 teachers about each child’s learning and development (paragraph 2.4). Where outcomes are emerging, teachers should provide additional information about barriers, successful strategies and any SEND assessment and provision (handbook, ‘Reporting to the year 1 teacher’).
For the wider use of school performance and inspection information, see the school data guide.
Reception staff:child ratios
Reception classes in maintained schools and academies are limited to 30 pupils per school teacher during an ordinary teaching session, subject to permitted exceptions (paragraph 3.55; School Admissions (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 2012, regulation 4). Teaching assistants, higher level teaching assistants and other support staff do not count as school teachers for this purpose.
Independent schools follow the relevant requirements in paragraphs 3.52–3.53. Where an appropriately qualified person listed in paragraph 3.52 is working directly with children and the majority of the class will reach age five or older within the school year, there must be at least one member of staff for every 30 children, with at least one other member of staff holding an approved level 3 qualification or approved experience-based route status. Where no person listed there is working directly with the children, paragraph 3.53 requires at least one member of staff for every eight children, at least one approved level 3 member of staff or approved experience-based route equivalent, and at least half of other staff with an approved level 2 qualification.
Staffing must meet all children’s needs and ensure safety (paragraph 3.43). Where reception is mixed with younger children, schools must determine ratios guided by all relevant ratio requirements and individual needs, while complying with compulsory-school-age and infant-class-size requirements (paragraph 3.56).
Safeguarding and welfare in school EYFS provision
Section 3 sets out the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Providers must take all necessary steps to keep children safe and well, including safeguarding, suitability of people, health, behaviour, records, policies and procedures (paragraphs 3.2–3.3).
A practitioner must be designated to lead safeguarding. Providers must have and implement the required policies and procedures; schools do not need separate EYFS policies where existing policies already meet the requirements. The framework says policies and procedures should be recorded in writing (paragraphs 3.4–3.6).
All practitioners must receive safeguarding training consistent with Annex C, and the DSL must attend a course consistent with its criteria. Training must be renewed every two years (paragraphs 3.31–3.33). Each child must have a key person (paragraph 3.42). These are framework requirements; read the safeguarding guide alongside them for the school’s wider safeguarding responsibilities.
At least one person with a current paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate must be on the premises and available whenever children are present, and must accompany children on outings. The certificate must cover a full course consistent with Annex A; training must be renewed every three years (paragraph 3.37). Providers should consider the number of children and staff and the premises layout so a paediatric first aider can respond quickly (paragraph 3.38). While children are eating, there should always be a member of staff in the room with a valid full-course PFA certificate (paragraph 3.64).
Paragraph 3.39 also sets PFA conditions for counting staff in qualified ratios. Staff who obtained a level 2 or level 3 qualification since 30 June 2016 must obtain PFA within three months of starting work to count at those levels. Staff completing the experience-based route must obtain PFA before counting at level 3. Renewal is every three years. Footnote 33 provides an exception where disability prevents the staff member gaining a PFA certificate; staff qualified before 30 June 2016 are not subject to this qualification-linked condition, but the setting’s PFA cover requirements still apply (footnote 34).
Roles and interview preparation
Use the EYFS lead role page, headteacher role page and assessment lead role page for the responsibilities around this work. Prepare for appointment with the early years lead interview guide.