All you need to know about the new EYFS Framework 2021.
From September the EYFS is changing. See what this means for your nursery, the options you have available, and what Blossom will be offering to support you.
As you all know, from September we have a new EYFS Statutory Framework, which has a number of very significant changes from what we are all used to.
In particular, there is a big shift away from meeting standardised criteria. At Blossom, we are big fans of this! Children are dynamic and learn in different ways at different rates, shifting this focus is a great move towards a better way of supporting children’s growth and development.
What you’ll find on this page
- 1
Introduction to the new guidance.
- 2
How to prepare for the changes.
- 3
What will change in Blossom?
- 4
How will the frameworks work on Blossom?
- 5
Resources and additional help.
Introduction to the new guidance
What are the new frameworks?
Two new frameworks are being introduced; Development Matters 2021 and Birth to 5 Matters. Development Matters is non-statutory government guidance, developed by Dr Julian Grenier as well as a range of other early years professionals. The framework uses broad age bands, recognising that children’s development is not strictly regimented. Monitoring and assessing are much more relaxed with far fewer development statements, putting a focus on professional judgement.
Birth to 5 Matters (or Birth to Five Matters) was created by sector experts and the Early Years Coalition. It maintains support for less experienced practitioners, keeping more of the EYFS 2012 development statements. This more rigid structure still cuts down on staff workload, recommending each child recieves 3 assessments each year.
While the two frameworks appear to be similar, when you look closer there are a few key differences. Check out the table below for an in-depth look into Birth to Five Matters and Development Matters 2021.
What does the new guidance focus on?
- The new guidance is trying to move the sector away from a ‘tick list’ culture.
- There is a huge emphasis on reducing staff working load.
- Not having to link Observations to ‘statements’ is prioritised, so there is no need to link to a framework at all.
- Cohort tracking is no longer compulsory.
- There is a large focus on key people knowing their children and having a deeper knowledge of child development.
- The Birth to five Matters and Development Matters 2021 documents are not ‘curriculums’; they are guidance to give you an idea of what children can achieve at different stages.
In summary, it’s all about spending more time with the children.
How to prepare for the changes
So - what does this mean for me, and what do I do?
In a nutshell, you have more freedom to choose how you deliver the new EYFS Framework 2021 come September. Here are some tips to help you along the way:
The new Birth to 5 Matters framework is most similar to the out-going Development Matters framework. Hence, it would provide the easiest transition and require the least training. However, Birth to Five Matters 2021 does not enable you to link children’s progress to statements as you would have done previously. Instead, practitioners can only make observation links to areas of learning.
- The new Birth to 5 Matters framework is most similar to the out-going Development Matters framework. Hence, it would provide the easiest transition and require the least training. However, Birth to Five Matters 2021 does not enable you to link children’s progress to statements as you would have done previously. Instead, practitioners can only make observation links to areas of learning.
- The new Dev Matters is a more streamlined framework with far fewer statements. The aim of this framework is to highlight key milestones at different developmental stages. The purpose of wider age bands is to highlight that learning is not linear. It is recommended to use Dev Matters observation checkpoints alongside the new Dev Matters as it will help to flag children that may need additional support.
What will change in Blossom?
What frameworks will we be supporting?
We are adding the following frameworks to the system:
Development Matters 2021
This is the updated version of the framework with which you will all be familiar. It’s now quite different; although there are the same 7 areas of learning, there are now no aspects. You will see that there are now far fewer statements, and there are broader age bands.
Development Matters 2021:
Observation Checkpoints
This framework provides guidance to help practitioners understand where children are, and to spot signs of developmental delay. It only focuses on PSED, C&L, and PD. This framework still has statements, but even fewer than Development Matters 2021. The age bands are still there. This is for internal use only and information is not shared with parents.
Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning
This is part of the new EYFS Development Matters 2021 guidance. This has the 3 original areas: Playing and Exploring, Active Learning Creating, and Thinking Critically (with some updated wording).
Birth to 5 Matters and the updated Characteristics of Effective Learning
This is a new framework, which is very similar to the current Development Matters with which we are familiar. It has the same 7 areas of learning and it retains the aspects (with a couple reworded). It doesn’t have age bands, but it does have six ‘ranges.’ The Characteristics of Effective Learning are almost identical to the CoEL.
Our Montessori framework with links to Development Matters 2021
Our Montessori framework with links to Development Matters 2021
The Old EYFS
We are also keeping the current EYFS, which will now be called ‘EYFS 2012.’ This means that if you are taking a transitory approach, you will be able to continue to use the ‘old’ Development Matters framework.
Development Matters 2021
This is the updated version of the framework with which you will all be familiar. It’s now quite different; although there are the same 7 areas of learning, there are now no aspects. You will see that there are now far fewer statements, and there are broader age bands.
Development Matters 2021:
Observation Checkpoints
This framework provides guidance to help practitioners understand where children are, and to spot signs of developmental delay. It only focuses on PSED, C&L, and PD. This framework still has statements, but even fewer than Development Matters 2021. The age bands are still there. This is for internal use only and information is not shared with parents.
Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning
This is part of the new EYFS Development Matters 2021 guidance. This has the 3 original areas: Playing and Exploring, Active Learning Creating, and Thinking Critically (with some updated wording).
Birth to 5 Matters and the updated Characteristics of Effective Learning
This is a new framework, which is very similar to the current Development Matters with which we are familiar. It has the same 7 areas of learning and it retains the aspects (with a couple reworded). It doesn’t have age bands, but it does have six ‘ranges.’ The Characteristics of Effective Learning are almost identical to the CoEL.
Our Montessori framework with links to Development Matters 2021
We have updated our Montessori framework which now includes links to Development Matters 2021.
The Old EYFS
We are also keeping the current EYFS, which will now be called ‘EYFS 2012.’ This means that if you are taking a transitory approach, you will be able to continue to use the ‘old’ Development Matters framework.
- Development Matters 2021 Guidance
- Development Matters 2021
- Development Matters Observation Checkpoints
- Characteristics of Effective Teaching & Learning
- Birth to 5 Guidance
- Birth to 5 Matters
- Characteristics of Effective Learning
How will each of the frameworks work on Blossom?
Development Matters
- We have added the new Dev Matters, Observation checkpoints, and CoETL.
- When making Observations you will continue to be able to link to the individual statements. However this is optional - it might be that linking to statements might be more useful for new or less experienced staff.
- Montessoris will have the option of suggested links to the Development Matters 2021 framework which we understand some Montessoris would still like to use as a staff training tool.
- You will continue to be able to use our professional opinion feature, which you are able to use for the Dev Matters and Dev Matters observation checkpoints.
Birth to 5 Matters
When making Observations you will not be able to link to the individual statements. Instead you will be able to link to Areas of Learning.
You will not be able to use your professional judgement to mark progress against any statements in the Birth to 5 Matters. This means that the framework page will be available only as a reference point.
Montessoris will not have any suggested links to the Birth to 5 Matters framework.
The observation tracker will now only be based on links to areas of learning.
Statements will not appear in the formative reports and you will now be able to select what range a child is in rather than age bands. You will still be able to select if a child is emerging, expected or exceeding – however, this is optional.
Although cohort tracking is not compulsory, we understand that some nurseries will continue to track progress. Blossom’s cohort tracking has always been based on practitioners’ judgement which is very much in line with the changes from September. Therefore there are no changes here.
Our Development Roadmap
EYFS 2021
Version 1
Releasing all the new EYFS frameworks to give your nursery time to transition.
Version 2
Additional settings to hide frameworks you don’t want to use.
Version 3
Working collaboratively with our customers to make improvements.
Resources and Additional Support
Useful Links
To read more guidance and advice about the upcoming changes, we recommend the sites below:
