The EYFS profile for headteachers and other school leaders
Why leadership matters
Headteachers and other school leaders play a vital role in ensuring the EYFS profile is robust, consistent and inclusive. You should actively engage in the EYFS profile assessment, as it provides an important summary of each child’s attainment and supports effective transition to year 1.
All school leaders should understand that the EYFS profile only assesses the early learning goals (ELGs) and does not reflect the whole taught curriculum. As with all learning, a child’s development in one area supports their development in another. This is particularly true in early years, where physical development happens alongside cognitive development. Therefore, while the ELGs for a child should be assessed separately, they are often interconnected and mutually reinforcing.
You should ensure that EYFS assessment and practice is inclusive and responsive to children’s different developmental pathways. This includes making sure that:
- children with SEND or developmental differences are assessed accurately
- EYFS profile judgements reflect what children can do with any reasonable adjustments they routinely use
You should support teachers to assess children fairly, drawing on adaptations and strategies that enable access and participation.
You should make sure that effective approaches from reception, such as targeted teaching and practice, are shared and built on in year 1 so that teaching and support remain consistent. Clear planning for this transition helps year 1 teachers continue inclusive practice and ensures continuity for all children.
How to lead the EYFS profile with confidence
Leading the EYFS profile effectively requires clarity, collaboration and a strong understanding of its purpose. As a headteacher or senior leader, your role is important in ensuring assessment processes are accurate, inclusive, and support children’s next steps. You should actively build your own understanding of the EYFS statutory framework and its purpose.
Here’s how to lead with confidence:
Champion the purpose
To make the most of the EYFS profile, you should:
- ensure all staff understand that the EYFS profile is a summative assessment against the 17 early learning goals (ELGs) for the purpose of supporting transitions to year 1 and helping parents and carers to understand broadly what a child can do in relation to national expectations
- reinforce that the assessment does not require lots of documented evidence and teachers must use their professional judgement when making judgements
- remember that the ELGs are not intended to act as a curriculum and they outline the expected outcomes, not the day-to-day teaching content
- recognise that teachers can assess children while they engage in high-quality play, child-led experiences, or adult-led instruction, as observing children in a range of environments helps build a fuller picture
Build leadership knowledge
You should develop a clear understanding of the EYFS profile by:
- knowing what each ELG describes and how judgements can be used to support learning in year 1
- familiarising yourself and your team with the EYFS profile handbook to maintain accuracy and consistency
- engaging in professional dialogue with teachers about the EYFS profile to support sense-checking and ensure judgements are informed by multiple perspectives
- continuing to develop your own early years knowledge and expertise through relevant continued professional development
Create time and space for collaboration
Make sure teachers can collaborate by:
- allocating sufficient time and resources for teachers to make judgements and to discuss and review each other’s judgements, particularly with teachers outside your setting
- facilitating discussions between reception and year 1 teachers to share EYFS profile judgements and any strategies for supporting transitions
Support consistency
Keep provision consistent by:
- actively engaging in internal and any potential external processes to support reliability and confidence in judgements
- using EYFS profile data to inform provision and transition planning
Embed inclusion and SEND strategies
Ensure that year 1 teachers receive information about EYFS profile judgements that:
- enables them to understand the most urgent gaps in knowledge
- captures the nuances of each child’s development
- informs what techniques and teaching strategies can support them best
- uses a strengths-based approach
Plan for effective transition
Support the transition process by:
- using EYFS profile outcomes to shape year 1 targeted teaching and practice so successful approaches continue beyond reception
- setting aside enough time for transition discussions
- involving appropriate teachers and specialists when required
This video illustrates examples of assessment practice. While it features real children in real school settings, their actual developmental levels may differ from what is shown, and some scenes include acting for demonstration purposes.