Update 27/04:(EYFS) – temporary disapplications and modifications during COVID-19;Children’s Commisioner report

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) – temporary disapplications and modifications during COVID-19

Government have published guidance for early years providers about the temporary disapplications and modifications of certain elements of the EYFS statutory framework during COVID-19.

From 24 April 2020, the Government has temporarily disapplied and modified certain elements of the EYFS statutory framework for early years providers who remain open to vulnerable children and children of critical workers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This will allow providers greater flexibility to respond to changes in workforce availability and potential fluctuations in demand, while still providing care that is high quality and safe.

The temporary changes include:

• providers are not required to meet existing learning and development requirements, but instead should use reasonable endeavours to meet them during the COVID-19 period
•  providers are not required to undertake the EYFS profile assessment in 2019/20 academic year, and accordingly local authorities are not required to collect or moderate data on this
• providers are not required to undertake the 2 year progress check during the coronavirus (COVID-19) period
• exceptions are allowed to the qualifications that staff hold in order to be counted in ratio requirements
•  requirements around paediatric first aid (where children aged 2-5 years old are on-site). For those caring for children aged 2-5, providers must use their ‘best endeavours’ to ensure one person with a full PFA certificate is on-site at all times when children are present. If after using best endeavours they are still unable to secure a member of staff with PFA to be on site then they must carry out a written risk assessment and ensure that someone with a current First Aid at Work or emergency PFA certification is on site at all times children are on premises.
• There is no longer the requirement for new entrants to hold PFA certification to count in ratios during this period.

The term ‘best endeavours’ applies to the paediatric first aid requirements. This is a higher level requirement than ‘reasonable endeavours’. The guidance providers further information on this.

The rest of the EYFS remains in place. Please be aware that the requirement to have someone with full PFA certification on-site remains in place where children aged 0-24 months are on-site, due to the higher safety factors for babies and children in this youngest age bracket.

Early years providers and local authorities should familiarise themselves with the details of the changes, that can be found on the usual EYFS statutory framework webpage. Government will notify providers when these temporary changes will be lifted via usual government communications.

We have worked with Foundation Years to produce a video podcast for local authorities and providers to share the latest information on the EYFS disapplications.

Children’s Commisioner report

The Children’s Commissioner’s local area profiles of child vulnerability provide a way for councils to understand which groups of children are likely to be at risk under lockdown, and how many children in their area fall into those groups.

https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cco-were-all-in-this-together.pdf