Early years toolkit
Useful resources to help develop your early years setting.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
- The EYFS in schools
- Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- OCC EYFS Audit Musts for group and school-based providers (docx format, 150 KB)
- Development Matters - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Help for early years providers - Department for Education
- What to expect in the EYFS: for parents
Qualifications
- Check an early years qualification - The Check an early years qualification service is designed for early years managers
- Early years qualification requirements and standards
- Early Years Qualification finder
- Qualifications that do not count towards the early years EYFS staff : child ratios
- Early years qualifications achieved in the United Kingdom
- Early years qualifications achieved outside the United Kingdom
- Early Years teachers' standards (pdf format, 190Kb)
Statutory assessment including EYFS Profile
- Early years foundation stage: exemplification materials - updated September 2025
- Early Years Foundation Stage Profile assessment - supporting information for case study videos - updated September 2025
- Progress check at age two
- Guidance for Early Learning Goals (pdf format, 959 KB)
- Early years foundation stage profile handbook
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)
- 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)
- First aid reminder statutory requirements (pdf format, 36KB)
- Safer sleep awareness: A guide for childminders, foster carers, nannies and nursery settings
Physical health and wellbeing
Children’s safeguarding and welfare
Attendance
- Why good attendance is important (pdf format, 837Kb)
- Parental engagement and attendance (pdf format, 362Kb)
- Attendance poster (pdf format, 300KB)
Information recording, retention and sharing
- Information sharing advice for practitioners
- Understanding and dealing with issues relating to parental responsibility
National Safeguarding documentation
- Ofsted Early Years and childcare enforcement policy
- Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings
- Protective security and preparedness for education settings
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