Early Years Foundation Stage Profile

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a framework which was launched on 13 March 2007 and comes into force in September 2008. It is the new regulatory and quality framework for the provision of learning, development and care for children between birth and the academic year in which they turn five (0-5).

From September 2008 the Foundation Stage Profile will be renamed the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile but the content should remain the same. Practitioners should use the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Handbook, published in July 2008. All registered early years providers will be required to use the EYFS framework from September 2008 and to complete an EYFS profile for each child at the end of the academic year in which they reach the age of five.

The primary purpose of the EYFS profile is to provide year 1 teachers and parents with reliable and accurate information about each child's level of development as they reach the end of the EYFS. This will enable the teacher to plan an effective, responsive and appropriate curriculum that will meet all children's needs, to support their continued achievement more fully.

Each child's development should be recorded against 13 assessment scales, based on the early learning goals and divided between the six areas of learning and development. Judgements against these scales should be made from observation of consistent and independent behaviour, predominantly from children's self-initiated activities. The 13 assessment scales can be found on page 24 of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile handbook. A summary listing of all scale points can be found on the separate Assessment scales reference sheet poster.

Several documents and web-based resources have been created to assist practitioners in formulating EYFS profiles. These tools can be found in the QCA EYFS profile (link opens in new window) and they are at their most effective when they are used together in an integrated manner and we would urge users to do so.