Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

About the themes and principles

Find out about the principles of the four themes of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Child development overview

Find out about the six phases of child development from birth to five years across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). You can use these to identify children’s development, monitor their progress and plan activities for your Early Years settings.

Statutory framework for the EYFS

This resource provides the statutory framework for setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five years in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). You can use the framework to lay secure foundations in your Early Years setting and to help you plan around the individual needs and interests of each child.

Practice for the EYFS

Find out about setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five years. See how you can meet the requirements of the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework and find useful advice and detailed information on supporting children’s learning and development and welfare.

Early Years Foundation Stage poster

You can display this colourful poster showing the four principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in your Early Years setting as a useful reference point.

Principles into practice cards

You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.

1.1 Child development

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding child development across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

1.2 Inclusive practice

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding inclusive practice across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• What is inclusive practice?

1.3 Keeping safe

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in keeping safe across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

1.4 Health and well-being

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding health and well-being across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• What health and well-being means

Principles into practice cards

You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.

2.1 Respecting each other

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding 'respecting each other' across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• What respecting each other means

2.2 Parents as partners

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in working with parents as partners across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• Why parents as partners is important

• Case studies: Liaising with parents

• Learning together

• How does your setting involve parents in partnership?

2.3 Supporting learning

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in supporting learning across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• What supporting learning means

2.4 Key person

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding the role of the 'key person' across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• What the key person role means

• Why the key person is important

• Case study: Graham's story

• Striking a balance in the key person role

• Feedback and the key person role

• Case study: Joseph's story

• Case study: Developing the key person approach

• The key person approach and three- to five-year-olds

Principles into practice cards

You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.

3.1 Observation, assessment and planning

Observation, assessment and planning all support children's development and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Planning starts with observing children in order to understand and consider their current interests, development and learning. This focus area is structured to help you carry out this process effectively with clear directions, definitions and case studies.

• Observation

• Assessment

• Planning

• Case studies: Observation, assessment and planning in action

• Notes for childminders

3.2 Supporting every child

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in supporting every child across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• Why supporting every child is important

• Children's needs

• Effective practice in relation to supporting every child

3.3 The learning environment

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding the learning environment across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• Why the learning environment is important

3.4 The wider context

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding the impact of the wider context across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• What the wider context means

• Why the wider context is important

• Effective practice in relation to the wider context

Principles into practice cards

You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.

4.1 Play and exploration

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding play and exploration across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• What play and exploration means

• Why play and exploration is important

• Effective practice in relation to play and exploration

• Further information

4.2 Active learning

This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding active learning across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

• Why active learning is important

• Effective practice in relation to active learning

4.3 Creativity and critical thinking

Improve your understanding of creativity and critical thinking in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This focus area is structured to help you plan, deliver and monitor your support with clear development pathways and definitions.

• Why creativity and critical thinking is important

• Effective practice in relation to creativity and critical thinking

4.4 Areas of learning and development

This list explains how learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is divided into six areas: personal development, communication skills, numeracy, understanding the world, physical development and creative development. Supporting all of these will help you give the children in your care the best start in life.

• Personal, social and emotional development

• Communication, language and literacy

• Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy

• Knowledge and understanding of the world

• Physical development

• Creative development

Principles into practice cards

You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.