Ratios and medicines are two areas addressed.
It is now specified that in maintained schools, ratios do not need to be adjusted to accommodate periods such as break-times, when teachers are not in the same room as the children. While the required number of staff need to be on the premises at all times, practice guidance now supports those occasions when staff may not be working directly with children.
Guidance on how providers should organise medicines now includes keeping written records on all medicines administered to children, whether prescribed or not. In response to concerns raised by providers, the flexibility to give non-prescribed medication (as outlined in the existing National Standards for Day Care and Childminding) is maintained.
To reinforce the fact that the EYFS is a play-based framework for early learning and care, the word curriculum has been replaced by 'practice' in the introductory section of the Statutory Framework. Elsewhere the curriculum is now referred to as the 'whole curriculum' to underline the fact it is not part of the National Curriculum.
Further clarification on child-initiated and adult-led activities is included in the Practice Guidance, defining the role of the practitioner and enabling environments.
The importance of high-quality phonics work is now included in the Communication, Language and Literacy section with signposting to the Government's resource, Letters and Sounds.
The revised publications and table of clarifications can be downloaded at www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/eyfs.
