I am receiving lots of pms at the moment from worried forum members about the revised Eyfs.
So I have written some answers to frequently asked questions which I hope will help as we will be able to signpost members to the thread.
When will the new EYFS be published?
It is due out in spring 2012 but might be delayed so don’t hold your breath.
It will not be used until September so there’s plenty of time to get your head around any changes.
Do not implement any changes until September – if you have an inspection your inspector will want to see you using the current EYFS until then.
What changes will I have to make?
We do not know yet.
We believe there will be some changes to the requirements, the development matters document, risk assessments, outside play requirements, policies and procedures and other paperwork.
BUT until the revised EYFS is published we will not know exactly what needs to be done.
Will the SEF change?
There is some evidence to suggest the SEF will change to reflect the new requirements but this has not been confirmed.
Will inspections change?
Inspection procedures are being reviewed to reflect the revisions to the EYFS – Ofsted are carrying out trial inspections at the moment.
Early evidence from members who have had revised inspections such as Penny1959 (thank you Penny for all your feedback) suggests that the focus of inspections will be more on outcomes for the child and less on paperwork.
What guidance will be available?
We have been told that there will be lots of guidance –
• EYFS Profile information
• New ‘Development Matters’ guidance for new ages and stages to help you with your observations, assessments and planning
• A summary of what the EYFS means to parents
• 2 year old progress check help on what to say and the things we need to be looking for including case studies
• A checklist highlighting the differences between the 2008 Framework and the revised 2012 version
Will there be hard copies?
No, it has recently been confirmed that the revised EYFS will only be available online on the Department for Education website.
What is the focus of the revised EYFS?
There are lots of views on this one, however the documents coming out at the moment appear to focus on the need for us to…
• Have a better awareness of child development
• Strong working partnerships with parents and families
• Understand the need for early intervention
• Improve interactions with children so early language and critical thinking skills are promoted
• A 2 – 3 year check for all children
• Improve progress made by and outcomes for children – evidence of how children’s starting points (when they first start in your care) are improved through the facilities, resources, activities etc that you provide and through working in partnership.
There will also be requirements for keeping children safe, healthy etc as now.
Will the areas of learning and development change?
Yes they will change. Information suggests that there will be 7 areas, instead of the current 6 –
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication and language
• Physical development – these 3 will be the focus areas, known as prime areas
The other 4 will be known as specific areas and will be mostly used for over 3s, while the focus areas will be for all children at all ages of development –
• Literacy (reading and writing has been separated from communication and language)
• Mathematics (instead of problem solving, reasoning and numeracy)
• Understanding the world (knowledge has disappeared)
• Expressive arts and design.
Some of the current areas of learning will be moved around, for example learning about ‘time’ will be linked with mathematical development instead of knowledge and understanding of the world.
Again, we will know more when we get the revised EYFS later this year.
Is there any support?
Yes, there is lots of support including a dedicated website –
http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/
You will also find lots of support from other childminders here of course!!
If you have any other questions please ask and between us we will see if we can find the answer for you!
Hth
Bookmarks