Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. Ofsted inspects and regulates services which care for children and young people from 0-18 years of age. All nurseries have to be registered and approved by Ofsted before they can begin to look after children.
In October 2019, DfE launched a public consultation seeking views on changes to the statutory framework for the EYFS. The consultation includes proposed changes to the educational programmes, the early learning goals and the EYFS profile assessment.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. All schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers must follow the EYFS, including childminders, preschools, nurseries and school reception classes.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework supports an integrated approach to early learning and care. It gives all professionals a set of common principles and commitments to deliver quality early education and childcare experiences to all children.
As well as being the core document for all professionals working in the foundation years, the EYFS framework gives mums and dads confidence that regardless of where they choose for their child's early education, they can be assured that the same statutory commitments and principles will underpin their child's learning and development experience.