The Department for Education (DfE) has today, 14 July 2025, published the new version of the EYFS statutory framework for both childminders and group and school-based providers.
The new versions take effect from September 1, 2025. Until then, the current frameworks apply.
From September 2025 the EYFS safeguarding requirements will be strengthened. Below are some of the changes you need to be aware of for your settings:
- Amendments to promote safer recruitment, including: new expectations to provide references, requirements to obtain references and a requirement for safeguarding policies to include procedures to help ensure that only suitable individuals are recruited.
- New requirements for providers to follow up if a child is absent for a prolonged period of time and amendments to ensure providers hold additional emergency contact details.
- New requirements to ensure safer eating.
- Creation of a safeguarding training criteria annex and a requirement for safeguarding policies to include details of how safeguarding training is delivered, including how practitioners are supported to put it into place.
- Amendments to ensure that early years students and trainees are required to have paediatric first aid (PFA) training in order for them to be included in ratios at the level below their level of study.
- New requirements to support whistleblowing.
- Amendments to ensure that children’s privacy during nappy changing and toileting is considered and balanced with safeguarding considerations.
- A small number of other minor changes to the structure and wording of the safeguarding requirements to improve clarity.
Access your copy here: Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework
Find out more information here: Early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding – GOV.UK
Full summary of changes here: Summary-of-EYFS-changes-for-publication-PDF.pdf
