January 2024 Parenta magazine_website

Childcare news
and views
New EYFS statutory framework
On 11th December 2023, The Department
for Education published the two versions of
the EYFS statutory framework which apply
from 4th January 2024:
EYFS statutory framework for
childminders
EYFS statutory framework for group
and school-based providers
These incorporate the changes set out
in the Government’s response to its
consultation on the proposed changes.
The main changes for group-based
providers include:
A change from “must” to “may” in
relation to “take reasonable steps to
provide opportunities for children to
develop and use their home language
in play and learning, supporting their
language development at home.”
Removing the requirement for staff
to have a Level 2 Maths qualification
alongside a full and relevant Level
3 qualification to count in ratios (NB
Level 2 English will still be required).
Setting managers employed on or
after 4th January 2024 must hold a
Level 2 Maths qualification, or they
must achieve one within 2 years of
starting in the position.
The flexibility for “Suitable students on
long-term placements and volunteers
(aged 17 or over) and staff working as
apprentices in early education (aged
16 or over) may be included in the
ratios at the level below their level of
study if the provider is satisfied that
they are competent and responsible.”
“No change over unqualified staff” – DfE
confirms.
The Department for Education (DfE) has
clarified that unqualified staff in early years
can maintain their regular work in early
years settings. This clarification comes in
response to confusion within the sector
regarding a new qualifications guidance
document.
The new early years qualification
requirements and standards states that:
“To be included in the staff:child ratios
at Level 2, Level 3 or Level 6, staff must
hold a qualification that is recognised
by the Department for Education as full
and relevant at the appropriate level. Any
individual that does not hold a full and
relevant qualification can only work as an
unqualified member of staff in an early
years setting and therefore cannot count in
the staff: child ratios”, meaning that under
the revised Early Years Foundation Stage
(EYFS), unqualified staff could no longer
work in early years settings.
DfE has confirmed that there have been no
changes to the rules on unqualified staff
and that this guidance does not mean
that unqualified educators are unable to
work in early years settings – only that they
cannot be counted in Level 2, 3 or 6 ratios,
as is currently the case.
The DfE has stated that this document “is
a technical change that puts the existing
information about qualifications that is
currently held on various GOV.uk pages
into one easily accessible document” and
that it “does not introduce any new policy
or requirements, other than the changes to
the Level 2 Maths requirement and use of
students and apprentices in ratios, which
the Department is bringing in following the
consultation.”
The full story, as reported by the Early
Years Alliance can be found here: https://
www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2023/12/
dfe-confirms-no-change-over-unqualifiedstaff-rules
EYFS profile results 2022-23
The annual statistics on early years
foundation stage profile assessments in
England relating to the 7 areas of learning
and the 17 early learning goals have been
released by the DfE.
These statistics report on teacher
assessments of children’s development
at the end of the early years foundation
stage, specifically the end of the academic
year in which a child turns 5. They cover
the following at national and subnational
levels, including breakdowns by child
characteristics of:
the percentage of children assessed
to be at the ‘emerging’ or ‘expected’
level in the 17 early learning goals
across the 7 areas of learning
the percentage of children with a
good level of development
the average number of early learning
goals for which children are at the
expected level
Headline facts and figures;
The percentages of children with
a good level of development and
at the expected level across all 17
early learning goals have increased
by around 2 percentage points in
2022/23
The increases seen may be
attributable to gradual recovery from
disruption caused by the COVID-19
pandemic (rises were also seen
over the same period in the most
recent phonics and key stage 1
statistics release) and practitioners
having greater familiarisation with
the new assessment framework. For
example, there was also a sharp rise
in assessment outcomes between
2012/13 and 2013/14 following the
EYFS Profile being previously revised at
the start of the 2012/13 academic year
In 2022/23, the average number of
early learning goals at the expected
level remained at 14.1 per child
Physical development was still the
area of learning with the highest
percentage of children at the expected
level (85.2%) in 2022/23, whilst
literacy was still the lowest (69.7%).
Gross motor skills was still the early
learning goal (ELG) with the highest
percentage of children at the expected
level (92.1%), whilst writing was still
the lowest (71.0%)
Compared with a year earlier, all
areas of learning and most ELGs
increased at least slightly
The full results can be found here: https://
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-
years-foundation-stage-profile-results-
2022-to-2023
A round-up of some news stories that
have caught our eye over the month
Do you have an early years news story you’d like to see featured in the Parenta Magazine?
Send one in today to marketing@parenta.com to be featured in next month’s edition!
We can’t wait to read all about it!
Almost 4 million children not
physically active for at least an
hour a day
Fewer than 1/2 of children are meeting
the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of
taking part in an average of 60 minutes
or more of sport & physical activity a day.
www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news
What is the plan for 30 hours of
free childcare and how will
it work?
The government has announced more
details about the extra help with childcare
costs which it promised in the Spring
budget.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/education
Young children’s understanding
of language nearly back to prepandemic
levels
A new study suggests that young
children’s understanding of language
is nearly back to pre-pandemic norms,
despite ‘pressures on today’s families’.
www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news
8 January 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | January 2024 9