The Department for Education has published the updated Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile handbook to support teachers and practitioners to complete EYFS Profile assessments in line with statutory requirements. The EYFS Profile is an important statutory assessment of children’s development at the end of the EYFS.
The EYFS Profile must be completed for each child and submitted to the local authority no later than 30 June. Local authorities must submit EYFS Profile data to DfE by 31 July.
The DfE are pleased to announce that this update includes a change to allow a child’s established or preferred mode of communication (including non-speaking communication, such as signing) to be used for all of the early learning goals (ELGs), including the Speaking ELG.
In order to be judged as expected, children must demonstrate the criteria of the ELG. The mode of communication is the way a child chooses to communicate, not the language a child communicates in. Therefore, when using any mode of communication, the ELGs for the communication and language and literacy areas of learning must still be assessed in relation to the child’s competency in English, or competency in British Sign Language.
