From January 2024, all early years providers will have a revised EYFS. This is following a DfE consultation to which 405 childminders responded (2659 total responses received).
These are the changes that all early years providers (including childminders) will see in the EYFS –
**To help providers ‘focus on the acquisition of English’, there will no longer be a requirement to use the child’s home language – the wording will be changed from ‘must’ to ‘may’ support children’s home language.
**Wording used around assessment record keeping will be changed to further strengthen DfE’s commitment to reduce workload. However, there are no changes to the requirement to write / type a progress check at 2 when the child is between the ages of 2 and 3 years.
**Child protection / safeguarding will be updated to add ‘other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities’ to the mobile phone and camera section.
Note – this will mean the Mobile Phone and Camera Policy will need updating to include, for example, smart watches.
**There will be a new statutory document on qualification criteria – this will not be relevant to childminders who do not need specific qualifications but will be helpful for group providers and any childminders making the transition to a group setting.
The following changes are for childminders only from January 2024 cover the following areas –
**To make the EYFS ‘easier to navigate and implement’ DfE will produce a separate, pared down childminder version.
**To ‘help clarify expectations around assessments for childminders’ and because very few childminders are required to complete the EYFS profile (it’s for reception teachers in school) DfE will remove the early learning goals from the childminder version of the EYFS.
**When childminders work together, ‘each childminder’ will be responsible for safeguarding / child protection in the setting rather than there being a lead practitioner.
Note - this will mean that if a childminder works with another childminder, the Safeguarding / Child Protection Policy will need to be updated to state each practitioner has equal responsibility for safeguarding children.
**The wording around whistleblowing in the safeguarding / child protection policy when 2 childminders work together will need to be reviewed to clarify that, ‘each childminder also has a responsibility to refer any concerns where another childminder does not continually meet the requirements of their registration’.
Note – this will mean that, when 2 childminders work together, the Whistleblowing Policy will need to be updated.
**Suitability wording will be strengthened in the updated childminder version of the EYFS 2024 to further clarify Ofsted’s role in checking childminder, assistants and family members suitability.
**New childminder applicants will no longer be required to do training on the EYFS, but they will still have to ‘demonstrate knowledge and understanding’ of the EYFS ... in a way that best suits their needs’. This means the EYFS will make it clear that courses are not needed if applicants already have experience using the EYFS – for example, if they have previously worked in a nursery. This has been an Ofsted statement for some time, so it’s good to see it clarified in the revised EYFS.
**The wording around displaying the paediatric first aid certificate will be changed to make it clearer that childminders do not need to display it in their homes. Childminders will be able to, for example, make the certificate available to parents electronically.
**Childminder assistants will be allowed to be key person to children in the revised EYFS. I am not sure why this has been added given it already happens and is an expectation from most Ofsted inspectors but it’s good to see it will be in legislation because it will ensure childminder assistants are given the status they deserve. How it will work in practice for part-time assistants remains to be seen. It will still be the childminder’s responsibility to assess the assistant’s suitability for the key person role.
**Kitchens will be included in a childminder’s floor space. If childminders intend using kitchen as floor space, they might need to re-calculate floor space measurements and will need update the kitchen risk assessment to ensure child safety.
**The way the EYFS is worded in relation to making an area available to talk to parents is, DfE have finally accepted, a ‘potentially unreasonable requirement’ for childminders. The wording will be changed to better reflect that childminders work from a home environment.
**Childminders will no longer have to display their Ofsted registration certificate. This means they can, if they wish, make it available to parents electronically. However, it must still be made available on request so childminders will need to store a copy of the physical certificate safely.
Note – do not make changes yet – you must wait until the EYFS is in legislation.
You can read the full response to the consultation here - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/653a7a0ee6c9680014aa9bc6/Early_years_foundation_stage_regulatory_changes_-_consultation_response.pdf
I hope this helps. Sarah.