EYFS 2026

How Will My Child Be Learning?

The EYFS framework identifies the essential role of play in your child’s development. It is through both child-led play and play guided by an adult that your child will develop confidence and relationships with others. Through play, EYFS practitioners will help your child to extend their vocabulary and develop their communication skills.

The EYFS framework identifies three characteristics of effective teaching and learning:

A combined focus on teaching specific skills will occur as your child progresses from the Nursery to Reception year, which will help them to prepare for year one.

How Will I Know How My Child Is Doing?

Each child is allocated a key person who will work in partnership with you, sharing information about your child and their key achievements. The primary role of the key person is to establish a secure attachment with your child to support with their smooth transition to nursery. 

EYFS practitioners use their professional knowledge to understand your child’s level of development. If they have any concerns about your child's progress, they will discuss these with you.

Three formal assessments take place during the EYFS:

• Entering Nursery Baseline Assessment ( 6 weeks after starting at the nursery )

• Two-Year Progress Check (this will happen between the ages of 24 to 36 months)

• Reception Baseline Assessment (at the start of the reception year)

• Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (at the end of the EYFS - just before year 1)

Your child’s EYFS Learning Profile will be shared with you. This will inform you of your child’s progress and whether they have met or are continuing to work towards their early learning goals (ELGs). There are 17 ELGs your child is expected to achieve by the end of the EYFS (before year 1).

There are some elements of the EYFS that have not significantly changed and some that have. Below are some of the key points from the new EYFS reforms that include relevant changes which parents, carers and children may notice or experience:

• Staff will be spending less time on large amounts of written observations and assessments for evidence collection. This means they can spend more time supporting and engaging with the children and their learning and development needs.

• Children will no longer be assessed against statements from an age band category. Instead, staff will use their experience and knowledge to monitor if a child’s learning and development is on track for their age.

• The early learning goals at the end of reception have been changed to become more clear and easier to understand. Staff will use their judgements to assess if the children have met these goals at the end of the EYFS and inform parents and carers.

• There is an emphasis on improving children’s language and vocabulary through increasing opportunities for conversations, reading a wide range of books and holding discussions around activities in other areas of learning.

• Literacy and numeracy skills focused on in the EYFS have been adapted to better match up with the national curriculum that starts in year 1. 

• Literacy will include a stronger emphasis on pre-reception literacy learning, and the link between language comprehension and later reading and writing.

• Mathematics will include greater detail on the importance of shapes, spatial reasoning and measure as part of early maths learning, and how children can foster a love of maths.

• There is no longer an assessment at the end of reception. Children will instead be challenged to have a greater depth and understanding of ideas.

• Safeguarding and welfare of children is still a priority, with the added mention of teaching children about the importance of good oral health and how to keep teeth clean and healthy.

• PSED will include additional information on self-care and healthy eating.

• Physical Development will be strengthened to include a greater focus on development from birth to reception and on the link between gross and fine motor skills.

• Understanding the World includes providing wider experiences for children.

• Expressive Arts and Design will include a wider variety of ways children can develop their creative skills and engage with different arts.