Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) safeguarding reforms from September 2025
The Department for Education (DfE) has published its response to the consultation on proposals to strengthen EYFS safeguarding requirements, which ran from 22 April to 17 June 2024.
Based on consultation responses DfE will proceed with implementing all of the proposals consulted on, including for: safer recruitment, child absences, safer eating, safeguarding training and paediatric first aid training.
Additionally, there are 2 new proposals on providing employment references and to support whistleblowing.
DfE intends to implement the EYFS safeguarding reforms from 1st September 2025.
Early Years Qualifications achieved in the United Kingdom
The lists of qualifications that meet DfE’s criteria for counting in the early years foundation stage framework staff: child ratios has been updated with newly approved qualifications, and updated wording around qualification dates:
If there are any queries around qualifications the Ecctis website can provide further advice:
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework Updates
Clarification has been made to the EYFS Statutory Framework for Childminders, which applies to childminders both with, and without, domestic premises. Confirmation has also been made that childminders who are registered without domestic premises need to inform parents and carers that they cannot provide any provision from domestic premises (unless they hold a separate domestic premises registration for the specific premises).
Clarification has been made to the EYFS Statutory Framework for group and school-based providers around the qualification requirements for staff counting in the level 6 staff:child ratios in early years settings.
Minor changes to both frameworks include clarifications to existing policy, spelling and grammar.
Information for eligible schools about the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant (SBN Capital Grant) 2024 to 2025
As part of the government’s long-term plan to make early years education and childcare more widely available, from the 17 October, state-funded primary-phase schools will be able to apply to the DfE for up to £150,000 through the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant. The funding can be used to upgrade spare space to create or expand on-site nurseries. These nurseries can be school-run or delivered by private and voluntary providers or childminders on the school’s site.
Schools proposing to submit a bid should register their expression of interest with Cheshire East Council prior to submitting an application to the DfE to assess the need for nursery provision in the area, the extent of the spare space and future statutory education needs for that space.
Expressions of interest:
Please click on the button below for more information and how to apply.
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