As the 2022 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) assessment period approaches the Department for Education (DfE) want to provide teachers and school and Multi Academy Trust (MAT) leaders with important information and useful links on completing the EYFSP this year. This includes:

  • The purpose of the EYFSP
  • Guidance on administering the EYFSP
  • An update on the use of EYFSP data
  • Dispelling EYFSP and reception year myths

The purpose of the EYFSP

The main purpose of the EYFSP is to support a successful transition to Key Stage 1 (KS1) by informing the professional dialogue between EYFS and year 1 teachers.

Practitioners are expected to use their professional judgement to make these assessments, based on their knowledge and understanding of what the child knows, understands, and can do.

This should inform year 1 teachers about each child’s stage of development and learning needs and help them to plan the year 1 curriculum to meet the needs of all children. The EYFS profile is also used to inform parents about their child’s development.

Changes to the EYFSP have not impacted the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA), which is a distinct assessment that serves a different purpose. You can get more information on the RBA here.


Guidance on administering the EYFSP

Below is a series of relevant pieces of guidance and support that will be helpful reception teachers and leaders ahead of completing the EYFSP this year.

  1. In March, DfE published exemplification materials designed to help schools understand and use the new early learning goals (ELGs) and profile assessment under the 2021 EYFS framework. The videos show how practitioners can draw on their knowledge of each child and their own expert professional judgement to make an accurate summative assessment at the end of the year and include a combination of children who have met and not met the expected levels of development across the ELGs.
  2. To provide further support DfE have provided a short supporting information note which provides context for the videos and EYFSP assessment. They encourage reception teachers and leaders to use the exemplification materials in conjunction with this context note.
  3. A vodcast for schools, multi-academy trusts and local authorities was also published, which explains the changes to the EYFSP and what is different this year.
  4. DfE recommend that you take the time to look at the EYFSP handbook which sets out the statutory requirements for the EYFSP assessment in the 2021/22 academic year. The handbook also includes all the information you will need to submit your data to the local authority and by when.

Please use these resources and this information to ensure you are confident and well informed ahead of the assessment period.


An update on the use of EYFSP data

EYFSP data will continue to be published at national and local authority level via a statistical release to give an overall picture of child development. Pupil level EYFSP data will also continue to be made available within the Get Information About Pupil service (formally Key to Success).

However, following the reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and changes to the administration and moderation of EYFSP data, DfE has taken the decision that the EYFSP will no longer be included in Analyse School Performance (ASP). Ofsted have similarly decided to remove the EYFSP from its Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR). Further information on ASP and IDSR can be found here.

Following stakeholder engagement, DfE understand that the inclusion of the EYFSP in ASP has been contributing to its use as an accountability measure, for which it was not designed. As EYFSP data is no longer externally moderated by local authorities, the reforms are being taken as an opportunity to reset how the data is used.

Individual schools and academies, governors and LAs will still have access to their EYFSP data, so this information can continue to be used to support children’s transition to year 1 and plan appropriate interventions. However, DfE want to discourage the use of this data by LAs, school leadership and MATs for comparing individual schools or as a means for holding teachers or schools to account on their data.


Dispelling EYFSP and reception year myths

A myth busting page, for reception teachers and school and trust leaders, that aims to dispel some of the common misconceptions about the requirements of the EYFSP can be found here. These pages cover some of the most frequent myths the DfE hear from the sector and gives clarity on what is required from teachers and leaders.