As our youngest pupils emerge from almost a lifetime in lockdown, early years educators are turning to new holistic guidance to support their learning and development. Emily Jenkins reports. FROM 1 September 2021, the Department for Education’s new early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework became statutory in all early years (EY) settings. In anticipation of this, a group of 100 EY practitioners came together to create Birth to 5 Matters, a non-statutory guidance document and website designed to support EY practitioners in delivering the new framework. Their motto: guidance for the sector, by the sector. Donna Gaywood is an NEU member and Birth to 5 Matters project co-ordinator. “Birth to 5 Matters is a really important resource as it advocates for a holistic view of the child and of learning. It attempts to be relevant for the 21st century,” she says. Sharing knowledge and practice Donna initially became involved with the project in November 2020 when she was invited to be part of a team of EY leaders, practitioners and academics, and became part of the inclusion and equalities working group. “It was incredibly collaborative. We had such a range of EY experts and practitioners and we all worked together to share our knowledge and practice,” says Donna. Five months later, in March 2021, Birth to 5 Matters, supported by the NEU, was published (pictured right). The brainchild of the Early Years Coalition (EYC), which is composed of 16 EY sector organisations including the NEU, Birth to 5 Matters was created to provide an alternative to the Government’s own nonstatutory guidance Development Matters. A statement from the EYC explains it has been designed “to work with members’ many values, principles and aspirations”. It is a reference point for practitioners developing their practice, “rather than a how-to manual or tick list”.
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