Early years toolkit
Useful resources to help develop your early years setting.
EYFS
- The EYFS in schools
- Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- OCC EYFS Audit MUSTs 2022-2023 (docx format, 156Kb)
- Development Matters - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Help for early years providers - Department for Education
- Ofsted EIF inspections and the EYES
- What to expect in the EYFS: for parents
- A Celebratory Approach to Working with Children with SEND
- Implementing the early years foundation stage reforms
School readiness
- What is school readiness?
- Early years and schools resources The Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity for potty and toilet training advice
- Toileting and Personal Care Guidance for Schools and Early Years Settings in Oxfordshire July 2021 (pdf format, 350Kb)
Health and Wellbeing
Health Protection in education and childcare settings
- A practical guide for staff on managing cases of infectious diseases in education and childcare settings (GOV.UK).
- First aid in schools, early years and further education - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Health and safety: responsibilities and duties for schools - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Using emergency adrenaline auto-injectors in schools - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Unintentional injuries: prevention in children under 5 years - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Allergen guidance for food businesses | Food Standards Agency
- Looking after children and those in early years settings during heatwaves: for teachers and professionals - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Sunscreen and sun safety - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- firstaidreminderstatutoryrequirements.pdf (oxfordshire.gov.uk)
Physical Health and Wellbeing
- Eye tests for children - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Childhood obesity: a plan for action - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- The Eatwell Guide - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Example menus for early years settings in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Physical activity guidelines for children (under 5 years) (www.nhs.uk)
- Physical activity for children and young people: 5 to 18 years (www.gov.uk)
- Physical activity guidelines for disabled children and disabled young people: methodology (www.gov.uk)
Mental and Emotional Health and Wellbeing
- Early Years toolkit - Promoting wellbeing | Oxfordshire County Council
- Early Years Practictioner Guidance | Babies, Young Children Mental Health & Wellbeing | Early Years In Mind | Anna Freud Centre
Mental health and behaviour in schools (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Children’s safeguarding and welfare
Allegations
Attendance
- Why good attendance is important (pdf format, 837Kb)
- Parental engagement and attendance (pdf format, 362Kb)
- School Attendance Guidance
- Attendance poster (pdf format, 300KB)
Child Protection
- Reporting Concerns
- Child abuse concerns: guide for practitioners
- OAC (oxfordagainstcutting.org)
- FGM Home Office Training
- Criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: county lines
Early Help and LCSS
Information recording, retention and sharing
- Information sharing advice for practitioners
- Record keeping guidance(docx format, 117Kb)
- Understanding and dealing with issues relating to parental responsibility
National Safeguarding Documentation
- Child abuse concerns: guide for practitioners
- Keeping Children safe in Education
- Working together to safeguard children
- Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings
- Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings
Neglect
Online safety
Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety considerations for:
- Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety considerations for managers
- Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety guidance for practitioners
- CEOP Education (thinkuknow.co.uk)
- Teaching online safety in schools
- Teaching your child about internet and online safety
- Online safety in schools and colleges: Questions from the Governing Board (2022)
Prevent
- Protecting children from radicalisation: the prevent duty
- Prevent Duty e-learning training
- Early education poster - The Prevent Duty (pdf format, 141Kb)
- Early education poster - Fundermental British Values (pdf format, 107Kb)
- Early education poster - Spotting signs (pdf format, 117Kb)
- Early education poster - Radicalisation - Talking to children (pdf format, 114Kb)
- The Prevent duty: safeguarding learners vulnerable to radicalisation
Policies
- Early years sample social media policy (docx format, 70Kb)
- Sample Code of Conduct for parents/ carers and visitors (docx format, 20Kb)
- Early Years Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy (for settings) 2022 (docx format, 68KB)
- Childminder Early Years safeguarding and child protection policy 2022-23 (doc format, 133KB)
Safer recruitment and safer working
- Safer recruitment Consortium
- Criminal records checks for overseas applicants
- Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006
- Recruiting and managing early years staff
- Regulated Activity
- EY 3
- Personal file checklist (docx format, 22Kb)
- Barring - making a referral
- Criminal records checks for overseas applicants
- Apply to join a nursery or other daycare organisation (EY2)
Safeguarding resources
Children’s learning and development
The home learning environment
- Home learning ideas 1 (pdf format, 40Kb) and 2 (pdf format, 40Kb) and maths and science (pdf format, 40Kb)
- Resources for schools and parents (pdf format, 216Kb)
- Information and internet safety for families (pdf format, 50Kb)
- The home environment (pdf format, 40Kb)
- Working from home tips (pdf format, 280Kb)
- Coronavirus: Advice and wellbeing - supporting children (pdf format, 50Kb)
- Virtual school (VSLAC) - guide to home learning (pdf format, 50Kb)
- 10 wishes for being stuck at home - Creative Star website
Play
Working with Birth to Threes
Curriculum
Communication and language
- Dialogic book talk guide (pdf format, 25Kb)
- Dialogic book talk plan (doc format, 26Kb)
- BRISC Surveillance sheet (docx format, 1.2Mb)
- IDP - Supporting children with speech, language and communication difficulties (pdf format, 1.3Mb)
- IDP - Supporting Children on the Autistic Spectrum (pdf format, 1.2Mb)
- Communication and Interaction Support poster (pdf format, 442Kb)
- Improving the Home Learning Environment
- National Literacy Trust’s website - Words for life
- Talk-friendly learning environment audit (docx format, 126Kb)
Literacy
- Bookstart
- Gateway to writing: The crucial role of the Early Years practitioner (pdf format,114Kb)
- Writing resources: Beyond A4 white paper and pencils! (pdf format, 52Kb)
- Understanding key elements of narrative writing (pdf format, 87Kb)
- Writing booklet, for schools (pdf format, 977Kb)
- Preparing for Literacy EEF Guidance Report
- Preparing for Literacy EEF Poster
- National Literacy Trust’s website - Words for life
- The reading framework: teaching the foundations of literacy (GOV.UK)
- Research review series: English (for schools)
Maths
- Maths in the EYFS Enabling Environments (pdf format, 7.1Mb)
- BBO Maths Hub
- GLOW Maths Hub
- NRICH
- Foundation Years Maths resources
Physical development
Leadership and management
Strategic Leadership of EYFS – Guidance for Headteachers
- Guidance for strategic leadership (docx format, 350Kb)
- Adult-led staff practice observation template (docx format, 969Kb)
- Child-led staff practice observation template (docx format, 967Kb)
- Data analysis good practice in the early years in schools (docx format, 99Kb)
- EYFS Learning Walk template (docx format, 92Kb)
- Governor monitoring of Early Years Foundation Stage (docx format, 967Kb)
- Quality interactions observation template (docx format, 971Kb)
- Quality provision for 2-year-olds (docx format, 173Kb)
- Schools Ofsted EY grade descriptor audit Good and Outstanding (docx format, 158Kb)
- Talk friendly learning environment audit (docx format, 131Kb)
- Guidance for developing an action plan (docx format, 198Kb)
Ofsted information
Business
- Business, financial, and legal aspects of managing early years settings
- Early years business sustainability
- Opening a new day nursery
EYDT Data management tool
Qualifications
- Early Years teachers' standards (pdf format, 190Kb)
- Link to GOV.UK tools on checking qualifications - early years qualification finder
- Guide to qualifications
Data Protection
- Information Commissioner's office and GDPR
- Data protection: privacy notice model documents - GOV.UK
- Findings from ICO advisory visits to nurseries
- Data Protection Act 2018
- Data protection toolkit for schools - GOV.UK
EYFS Profile
Early education funding
Family Information Service
Out of School clubs
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Special educational needs and disability
- SEN support for providers
- Early years SEN toolkit
- The local offer for SEN and Disability (SEND) brings together information about education, health and care services for children and young people from 0 to 25 with SEND.
- Early years guide to the SEND Code of Practice
- Early years SEN guidance (pdf format, 1Mb)
- SEN Inclusion Funding Guidance (pdf format, 825Kb)
English as an additional language (EAL)
- EAL support audit (doc format, 320Kb)
- Guidance for Early Years practitioners on supporting children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). (pdf format, 457Kb)
- The importance of home languages (pdf format, 68Kb)
- Google translate - online text translation
- Welcoming refugee children in Oxfordshire Toolkit (pdf format, 2MB)
Equality and diversity
- Equality act 2010: guidance
- Getting Started Celebrating Difference and challenging Gender stereotypes in the Early years Foundation Stage
- Creating Inclusive Environments audit (docx format, 377Kb)
- Anti-Racist Art Education Action Group
The voice of the child
Narrowing the gap - diminishing difference
Key documents
- Supporting the attainment of disadvantaged pupils briefing for school leaders
- Ofsted: Unknown children – destined for disadvantage?
- Improving the home learning environment
- Metacognition and self-regulated learning
Supportive materials
- Pupil groups Venn diagram (docx format, 24Kb)
- Education Endowment Foundation early Years Toolkit
- Early Intervention Foundation
- Education Endowment Foundation Guidance reports
Funded two-year-olds
- Information on the two-year-old entitlement for providers
- Quality provision for two-year-olds audit (doc format, 75Kb) A useful self-assessment tool.
- Supporting Two Year Olds (pdf format, 550KB)
Early Years Pupil Premium
The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) gives providers of early education and childcare extra funding to support eligible three and four-year-olds.
Providers are paid a pupil premium at the rate of 53p per hour for three and four-year-old children. Funding can be claimed for eligible children attending up to 15 hours per week (the pupil premium cannot be applied to the extended entitlement hours).
The Early Years team have developed a comprehensive toolkit of resources to support busy leaders and practitioners in early years settings and schools. The toolkit can be accessed via our dedicated website on an annual subscription basis.