Birth to 5 Matters guidance - have your say

The second draft of ‘Birth to 5 Matters – Guidance by the sector, for the sector’ has been published along with another consultation survey seeking feedback from practitioners.

Following the first draft of the document, there was deliberation around the best way to represent children’s age and stage of development. This latest draft includes what is hoped to be a solution to showing typical progression in development and learning, while not setting out expectations for individual children at certain ages.

Six broad ranges from birth to 72 months are outlined to support knowledge of a general pattern of child development. It is suggested that practitioners identify a range that most closely describes the individual child’s development and learning and then considers the suggestions for adults within that range, or earlier ranges, to plan to support continued progress.

The second draft contains some new sections, including care, self-regulation, and summative assessment. The guidance has also been adjusted to provide greater support for practitioners working with babies and children under three-years-old.

The non-statutory guidance is produced by the Early Years Coalition, a group of 16 major early years organisations, and aims to support practitioners as they implement the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage. 

‘Nearly 100 people have been working hard in specialist working groups to develop the guidance,’ said project lead Nancy Stewart. ‘The level of enthusiasm and commitment to working together is inspiring. The content reflects the expertise of practitioners working in all kinds of settings as well as researchers and consultants.’

Beatrice Merrick, chief executive of Early Education and chair of the Early Years Coalition said, ‘This draft guidance is a testament to the enthusiasm of the sector for doing what is best for children. 

‘We want to thank all the people have given their time and expertise for free to develop the guidance, building on what has gone before.  By giving us further feedback, colleagues right across the sector can help us shape the final version to meet their needs. 

‘We want to hear from practitioners and leaders in all kinds of setting, working with children at all ages from birth to five, whether they are new to early years or seasoned practitioners.  We want all views to be heard and taken into account as we develop the final version of the resource.’

The online consultation will run until 26 February after which the guidance will be revised in response to the feedback before publication of the final guidance at the end of March. The launch will include a downloadable version, an interactive online version, and supplementary resources available online.

• To download the second draft of Birth to 5 Matters and take part in the survey, go to https://www.birthto5matters.org.uk/ .