 The Department for Education (DfE) has significantly updated the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework. Taking effect from 1 September 2025, these reforms aim to enhance child safety, support workforce development, and ensure high-quality early education across all settings.
 The EYFS framework sets the standards for learning, development, and care for children from birth to five years old. Following extensive consultation with over 1,400 stakeholders - including childminders, nursery managers, teachers, and local authorities - the DfE is implementing changes that reflect best practices already adopted by many providers.
The reforms are designed to:
- Strengthen safeguarding protocols.
- Support the expansion of funded childcare entitlements.
- Improve recruitment and retention in the early years workforce.
- Clarify qualification requirements and operational procedures.
Here are the two separate versions of the framework, published on 14 July and effective from 1 September 2025:
 The most substantial updates focus on safeguarding, with new requirements aimed at creating safer environments for children:
Safer Recruitment
- Childminders/Leaders must obtain references for all new staff (including students and volunteers) before they are recruited. EYFS now provides clearer guidance regarding how to effectively gather references to check applicants suitability and safeguard children.
- DfE has provided a sample reference template. It includes questions about the applicant's role, safeguarding history, and suitability to work with children.
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Clear records must be kept of staff qualifications, identity checks, vetting processes and references, criminal records check reference numbers, dates and who carried them out.
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Safeguarding policy must include clear recruitment procedures for ensuring only suitable individuals are recruited.
Child Absence Monitoring
- Childminders/Leaders are required to follow up absences in a timely manner.
- If a child is absent for a prolonged period of time, or if a child is absent without notification from the child's parent or carer, attempts must be made to contact the child's parents and/or carers and alternative emergency contacts.
- If you have any concerns, you must refer to the Portsmouth Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and you can request a welfare check.
- Ensure you have additional emergency contact details and these are reviewed regularly.
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Update your attendance policy to include expectations for parents to report absences, procedures to follow when a child is unexpectedly absent such as contacting parents/carers, reaching out to emergency contacts, and following safeguarding procedures.
Whistleblowing
New guidance clarifies how and when to escalate safeguarding concerns, aiming to empower staff to act confidently. You must have a whistleblowing procedure which ensures all staff know how to raise a concern about poor or unsafe practice in your setting's safeguarding provision.
Your whistleblowing policy should be clear and accessible and makes sure all staff know:
- How to raise a concern.
- Who to go to with their concerns.
- That their concern will be managed confidentially and appropriately.
If a staff member doesn’t feel able to raise a concern or feel their concern hasn't been managed appropriately, they can contact the NSPCC whistleblowing advice line and/or complain directly to Ofsted.
Safer Eating Practices
All early years settings must implement procedures to manage allergies, choking risks, and weaning, ensuring children’s safety during mealtimes. Here's a reminder of what the EYFS expects:
- While children are eating there must always be a practitioner in the room with a valid paediatric first aid certificate.
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Information must be obtained about any special dietary requirements, preferences, food allergies, intolerances, and health requirements a child has.
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Information is shared with all staff involved in the preparing and handling of food. Staff are responsible for checking that food being provided meets all the requirements for each child.
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Allergy action plans are developed in discussion with parents/carers and health professionals where appropriate to manage any known allergies and intolerances. Information is kept up to date and shared with all staff.
- As per the EYFS, you must refer to the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
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Childminder/staff are aware of the symptoms and treatments for allergies and anaphylaxis, the differences between allergies and intolerances and that children can develop allergies at any time, especially during the introduction of solid foods.
- As per the EYFS, you must refer to the NHS advice on food allergies and treatment of anaphylaxis.
- Parents/carers participate in discussions about the stage their child is at regarding introducing solid foods. You must prepare food in a suitable way for each child's development needs, collaborating with parents to help the children move on to the next stage at a pace right for the child. Weaning - Start for Life - NHS
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All food is prepared in a way to prevent choking. Help for early years providers: Food safety
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Babies and young children are seated safely in a highchair or appropriately sized low chair while eating. Where possible there is a designated eating space where distractions are minimised.
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Children are always within sight and hearing of a PFA trained practitioner whilst eating. Where possible, Childminder/Staff sit facing children whilst they eat, so they can make sure children are eating in a way to prevent choking and so they can prevent food sharing and be aware of any unexpected allergic reactions.
- When a child experiences a choking incident that requires intervention, details are recorded of where and how the child choked and parents and/or carers are made aware. The records are reviewed periodically to identify if there are trends or common features of incidents that could be addressed to reduce the risk of choking. Appropriate action is taken to address any identified concerns.
- Everyone involved in preparing and handling food has received training in food hygiene.
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Ofsted is notified of any food poisoning affecting two or more children asap (within 14 days).
Paediatric First Aid (PFA)
Students (aged 17 or over), long-term volunteers and apprentices (aged 16 or over) can be counted in ratios at the level below their qualifications if they are:
- Deemed suitable, competent, and responsible.
- Hold a valid, current paediatric first aid qualification.
Toileting and intimate hygiene
Practice must balance children’s privacy during nappy changing and toileting with safeguarding needs. Children should be treated with dignity, respect and given as much privacy as it safely possible. Create an environment where children feel safe, supported, and respected and every day routines are warm, calm moments rather than clinical and rushed.
Sleeping arrangements
Sleeping children are frequently checked to ensure that they are safe. Ensure cots and bedding are in good condition and suited to the age of the child. Babies must always be placed down to sleep safely in line with NHS guidance.
Safeguarding Training Annex
A new annex outlines criteria for safeguarding training and how staff are supported to apply it in practice. All staff must be supported and feel confident to implement your safeguarding policy and procedures on an ongoing basis.
All practitioners, including Childminders and Leaders must renew their safeguarding training every two years. Childminders/Leaders can consider if their staff need to undertake annual refresher training to maintain their skills, keep their knowledge up to date or as a result of safeguarding concerns that occur in the setting.
Safeguarding training for all practitioners (including Childminders and Leaders) must cover the following:
- What is meant by the term safeguarding.
- The main categories of abuse, harm, and neglect.
- The factors, situation and actions that could lead or contribute to abuse, harm, or neglect.
- How to work in ways that safeguard children from abuse, harm, and neglect.
- How to identify signs of possible abuse, harm, and neglect at the earliest opportunity.
These may include:
- Significant changes in children's behaviour.
- A decline in children’s general well-being.
- Unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse or neglect.
- Concerning comments or behaviour from children.
- Inappropriate behaviour from practitioners, or any other person working with the children. This could include inappropriate sexual comments, excessive one-to-one attention beyond what is required through their role, or inappropriate sharing of images.
- Any reasons to suspect neglect or abuse outside the setting, for example in the child’s home or that a child may experience emotional abuse or physical abuse because of witnessing domestic abuse or coercive control or that a girl may have been subjected to (or is at risk of) female genital mutilation.
- How to respond, record and effectively refer concerns or allegations related to safeguarding in a timely and appropriate way.
- The setting’s safeguarding policy and procedures.
- Legislation, national policies, codes of conduct and professional practice in relation to safeguarding.
- Roles and responsibilities of practitioners and other relevant professionals involved in safeguarding.
Portsmouth Safeguarding Children's Partnership (PSCP) deliver a 3 hour Basic awareness of safeguarding children workshop for everyone working with children in Portsmouth. This course covers the above requirements and can be booked via their website or via the Early Years and Childcare Service training programme. The Early Years Quality and Sufficiency Officers can also deliver this workshop at your setting to your whole staff team at a mutually convenient time. Please enquire about availability and cost via eyworkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
We recommend that all practitioners attend the PSCP's Empowering professionals to effectively safeguard children from pre-birth to 3 years old. This 3 hour workshop raises an awareness of the vulnerabilities of infants, the unborn/newborn baby protocol, bruising protocol, safer sleep protocol, how ICON can be used in practice to safeguard infants and how a relational approach can empower you to have conversations with parents/carers about these critical safeguarding messages.
Designated safeguarding leads (DSLs)
In group and school-based settings, a practitioner must be designated to take the lead responsibility for safeguarding children. You should also consider having a Deputy DSL who can take the lead if the DSL is on leave. In childminder settings, the childminder is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). DSL's are responsible for consulting with the Portsmouth Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
DSLs should read: Child abuse concerns: guide for practitioners - GOV.UK
Training for DSLs must cover the elements listed below:
- How to build a safe organisational culture.
- How to ensure safe recruitment.
- How to develop and implement safeguarding policies and procedures.
- If applicable, how to support and work with assistants to safeguard children.
- Local child protection procedures and how to consult with local statutory children's services agencies and with the local safeguarding partners to safeguard children.
- How to refer and escalate concerns.
- How to manage and monitor allegations of abuse against other staff.
- How to ensure internet safety.
Portsmouth Safeguarding Children's Partnership (PSCP) delivers a variety of workshops that will cover the above elements, and we recommend the following for DSLs:
- Early help - Using the Family Support Plan - full day training.
- Child protection - full day training.
- Safeguarding supervision.
- Safer recruitment.
- Introduce to the Local Authority Designated Officer and the Advanced Level Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
- LIVE masterclasses for DSLs.
The PSCP charges for some training and you should contact the PSCP directly regarding charges, times, and dates for workshops. Please refer to their website or email pscptraining@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
We recognise that the current scheduling of some PSCP workshops may not be convenient for all Childminders and Group-Based Practitioners. In response, the PSCP is open to offering evening sessions or hosting a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training event on a Saturday, should there be sufficient interest.
To better understand the training needs and preferences of Portsmouth Early Years DSLs, we kindly ask providers to complete the survey linked below by Friday 10 October. The insights gathered will help us develop a clearer picture of our Portsmouth Early Years DSL community and tailor future training opportunities accordingly.
 The 2025 EYFS and safeguarding reforms mark a pivotal step in strengthening early years provision in England. By formalising best practices and introducing clearer, more robust requirements, the framework ensures that children receive safe, nurturing, and high-quality care during their formative years. Many providers already implement these practices, and the reforms aim to standardise them across all settings.
We encourage you to review the updated framework, revise your policies, and engage with support from our team to ensure full compliance. Please do not hesitate to raise any questions with our early years quality and sufficiency officers via Eydelivery@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
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