Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage
May 2008 Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for children from birth to five

STATUTORY FRAMEWORK

NON-STATUTORY GUIDANCE

Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage

Contents

Section 1 – Implementing the EYFS
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Introduction Putting the Principles into practice General points on provision of the EYFS Meeting the diverse needs of children Partnership working Flexible provision Play Quality improvement – a continuous process The characteristics of a continuously improving setting Transition, continuity and coherence Guidance from the end of the EYFS to Years 6 and 7

05 05 06 06 06 06 07 08 08 10 10

Section 2 –
There are lots of suggestions for activities that work, with issues raised about challenges and dilemmas practitioners may face in their work.

General points on provision of the EYFS
1.6 The rest of this section breaks down the key issues which are paramount to successful delivery of the EYFS and meeting children’s needs. There are strong links to the cards, and practitioners should think about how the information on the cards can influence their day-to-day work with children.
1.2 2.1

Meeting the diverse needs of children (Principles into Practice cards
1.7

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Meeting the individual needs of all children lies at the heart of the EYFS. Practitioners should deliver personalised learning, development and care to help children to get the best possible start in life. The EYFS CD-ROM provides some examples of ways in which you can achieve this. You must promote positive attitudes to diversity and difference within all children. In doing this you will help them to learn to value different aspects of their own and other people’s lives. This includes making sure that all children and families feel included, safe and valued; that all children and adults are treated as individuals and are not discriminated against; and that all children are listened to and respected. Practitioners must plan for the needs of children from black and other minority ethnic backgrounds, including those learning