Following feedback from providers we have revised the Levels of Development Reference Tool. There are now two versions:

Levels of Development Reference Tool by age

Levels of Development Reference Tool by area of learning

You can use this with the guidance to support assessments and the individual progress tracker to record assessments and monitor progress:

Guidance for using the Levels of Development Reference Tool

Individual Progress Tracker

DfE are seeking views on the proposed changes to requirements in the early years foundation stage (EYFS)

The EYFS framework sets the standards early years providers must meet to ensure that children:

• learn
• develop well
• are kept healthy and safe

DfE is proposing changes to the framework to make it more practical for different types of EYFS providers, which aims to:

• offer providers more flexibility
• reduce known burdens
• enable practitioners to provide high-quality early education
• make it easier for practitioners to join the workforce and progress their careers

This consultation is intended to help manage the expansion of childcare entitlements at part of the Budget announcement.

The announcement is also accompanied by a pledge to undertake a recruitment campaign in the new year and consideration of how to introduce new, accelerated apprenticeship and degree apprenticeship routes.

Early years foundation stage (EYFS): regulatory changes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The full consultation document should be read before submitting your response 

Nearly a quarter of 5-year-olds in England have tooth decay – but this is largely preventable. 

New oral health guidance from the Department for Education is now available on the Help for Early Years Providers website.  

The guidance: 

• explains the importance of good oral health for early years children
• helps practitioners to meet the oral health requirement in the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework
• includes practical tips and activities to use in early years settings
• links to further reading and resources

For more guidance on supporting children in the early years, visit the Help for Early Years Providers website. 

Increasing levels of wellbeing in the first five years of a child’s life is key to their future mental health. The National Day Nurseries Association has created a range of free wellbeing resources that early years practitioners can read, download and use at their settings for the benefit of their children. Visit the website to access:

• Free children’s wellbeing policy template
• Free factsheet with top tips on supporting children’s emotional wellbeing
• Free wellbeing training course
• Free children's wellbeing guide e-book

The Outdoor Kids Sun Safety Code by the Melanoma Fund is a FREE resource designed for outdoor groups and clubs to actively improve the provision of sun protection, helping create better habits at a young age.

To get accredited, providers simply need so sign up at www.melanoma-fund.co.uk/OK-sun-safety-code/ and use downloadable materials within sessions. A quiz is also available - Sun-Sorted Quiz - Melanoma Fund UK (melanoma-fund.co.uk) to support a child’s understanding of sun protection.

A recent survey revealed 67 per cent of parents admit they would use sunscreen more if it was cheaper, compounding the issue.

To support providers in their mission to keep ALL children sun safe in summer activities, the Melanoma Fund is offering you discounted sunscreen support, in the form of dispensers and 100ml tubes of SPF30.

For further details visit https://www.melanoma-fund.co.uk/ok-sun-safety-code/sunscreen-support/.

Standard advice is to cook food until it has reached a core temperature of 70°C for 2 minutes

Hot foods must be stored above 63°C to prevent the excessive growth of bacteria. Hot foods can be kept below this temperature for a maximum of two hours before being used, returned to above 63°C or chilled.

Whilst there is no direct advice for what temperature you should serve the food to children, we have sought advice from food safety at Hounslow Council who have provided the following guidance;

• Transfer food from the cooking tray into a different bowl to help cool items quicker
• Transfer foods to smaller bowls for children to self-serve. Plastic material recommended as it doesn’t conduct heat
• Cooked foods can be stored, uncovered in the kitchen area for up to 2 hours before it must be either heated above 75°C or cooled to 5°C and refrigerated.
• Consider taking the temperature of the food when you plan to serve it to the children
• Consider an adult testing the food temperature by taste to decide if it is warm or too hot for children to eat

This is based upon Safer Food, Better Business guidance from the food standards agency which can be found here

Are you thinking about how to support your staff’s professional development?  If so, the Education Endowment Fund have published a new guide to understand components of effective professional development in the early years. It focuses on four key areas:  

1. Building knowledge
2. Motivating staff to adopt and maintain changes to their practice
3. Developing specific techniques
4. Embedding new approaches.

The guide also includes insights from early years professionals who share how they’ve refined their professional development provision.

The Department for Education has added an additional module to their Early years child development training which is an online programme that is free to access. It has been designed by early years professionals to help practitioners working with children 0-4 years strengthen their knowledge and understanding of child development.

Module 5: Supporting physical development in the early years is now available, along with four other modules on child and brain development, personal, social and emotional development (PSED) and communication and language.

This new module covers:

• the typical stages of physical development in the Early Years
• potential factors that can affect physical development
• how physical skills impact on learning, development and behaviour
• the importance of curriculum, environment and relationships for promoting physical development

To access this module, you will need to have completed modules 1-3 of the training. Access My modules page to check your individual status.

Further modules will be added during 2023. If you haven’t yet accessed the training, and would like to learn more and register, please visit Early years child development