Dr Julian Grenier, who led on the revision of the non-statutory Development Matters, said he was planning further support to help practitioners and managers to become familiar with the new document.
The further guidance, called the Curriculum Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage, will expand on the seven best-practice strands within the revised Development Matters and will be published independently.
Dr Grenier, lead of the East London Research School and head teacher of Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre, told Nursery World, ‘The new Development Matters remains non-statutory – it’s there to help everyone in the early years to plan a suitable and ambitious curriculum for their children and to check that every child is getting the support they need to make progress in their learning.
'By “curriculum”, I mean the whole range of experiences a child has in their early years setting – including high-quality care, self-chosen play inside and outdoors, adult support to extend their play, and adult-guided learning with direct teaching when that’s appropriate.
‘Over the year ahead, I’ll be working with organisations including the Foundation Years, the Foundation Stage Forum, PACEY, I CAN (the communication charity) and Nursery World to roll out the new guidance.’
Dr Grenier said that this guidance was specifically intended to help managers and leaders to plan effective professional development for their teams.
‘It also gives more information about the thinking and research that underpins Development Matters. It’s intended to support childminders and staff working in early years settings and schools,' he added.
It can also be used by early adopter schools.
Curriculum Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage will be available as a free PDF to download, or to buy as a printed book at www.development-matters.org.uk
‘Development Matters was commissioned by the DFE to be a brief, practical document that guides, but does not replace practitioners’ professional development,’ he added. ‘This guidance is not part of the DfE commission. I hope that practitioners will find it valuable.’
Commenting on the forthcoming Curriculum Guidance, Iram Siraj, professor of child development and education, Oxford University, said, ‘This guidance is strong, evidence-based and most importantly prioritises disadvantaged children. The equalities and SEND sections are particularly important. I know that teachers and early years practitioners will welcome it.’
In a statement, the DfE added, ‘We have taken the opportunity to refocus Development Matters on curriculum so that teachers and practitioners can focus on teaching and curriculum rather than evidence gathering and recording progress, and maximise the time they spend engaging with children in rich activities. This non-statutory curriculum guidance has been developed by Dr Julian Grenier with extensive input from early years practitioners and sector experts and is grounded in evidence of child development and improving outcomes – a key objective of the reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage.
‘We cannot afford for the youngest children to miss out at this vital time for their development, which is why we have introduced these reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage and why so many schools are eager to make these important changes from this term.’
The revised Development Matters, published last week, comprises a brief overview of the seven key features of effective practice, with the rest of the document devoted to developmental tables covering the Prime and Specific areas of the learning and the three Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning.
The seven best-practice strands outlined in the document are:
- the best for every child
- high-quality care
- curriculum
- pedagogy
- assessment
- self-regulation and executive function
- partnership with parents
Among the topics to be developed in the Curriculum Guidance document are:
- equality and diversity
- how to scaffold learning
- key features of a high-quality curriculum
- supporting children with SEND
- transitions, and
- professional development.
More information
The Curriculum Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage will be available soon as a free PDF to download, or to buy as a printed book at www.development-matters.org.uk
The revised Development Matters is available here