Pedagogy Guidance (Birth–5)
A professional guidance document supporting confident, consistent EYFS pedagogy from birth to five.
(Available Now with Professional Membership)
What this document is
This Pedagogy Guidance (Birth–5) is a comprehensive professional document that defines what high-quality teaching and learning looks like across the Early Years, from babies through to Reception.
Grounded in the EYFS Statutory Framework, developmental theory and established UK best practice, it provides a clear, shared understanding of effective pedagogy, including adult interactions, play-based learning, environment design and inclusive practice.
The document is designed to support practitioners and leaders to understand, articulate and apply strong EYFS pedagogy consistently across age groups and roles.
It is intended to support professional judgement, not replace statutory guidance.
Who this is for
Early years practitioners working with children from birth to five
EYFS leaders, managers and room leads
Reception teachers within school-based EYFS
Childminders seeking a clear pedagogical framework
Settings supporting students, trainees or newly qualified staff
What this document helps you do
Establish a shared, consistent approach to pedagogy across your setting
Clarify the adult role in play, interactions, modelling and scaffolding
Strengthen language-rich, play-based learning grounded in research
Support staff confidence and consistency across rooms and age phases
Articulate pedagogical decisions clearly to colleagues, families and inspectors
Embed inclusive, equitable practice for children with SEND, EAL and diverse backgrounds
Balance child-led and adult-led learning in developmentally appropriate ways
Use assessment to inform teaching without over-burdening staff
How this fits within our Birth–5 framework
This document forms part of our wider Birth–5 Curriculum & Pedagogy framework, designed to support coherent, high-quality practice across the Early Years.
This document is part of our EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Membership (Professional), which provides full access to age-specific curriculum frameworks, planning guidance, assessment tools and leadership support.
(Available Now with Professional Membership)
Related documents include:
Additional Whole-Setting Guidance | for Professional Members
Explore our whole-setting guidance below, including overarching curriculum and pedagogy documents, early years schemas and EYFS setting policies.
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Early Years Schemas - Practitioner Toolkit | EYFS Birth-5
↪ Schema Cards (definition, behaviours, age-related examples, enabling resources)
↪ Schema Observation & Responsive Provision Planning Template
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EYFS Group Setting Policies Pack
↪ x 22 Policy Documents
↪ Policy Sign-Off and Confirmation Document
↪ EYFS Setting Policy Folder Contents List
Childminder Setting Policies Pack
↪ x 22 Policy Documents
↪ Childminder Assistant or Volunteer Policy Sign-Off and Confirmation Document
↪ Childminder Policy Folder Contents List
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↪ Clear, practitioner-friendly explanations of key curriculum and pedagogy terms used throughout our guidance.
Age-Specific Guidance For Children Within Your Care
Select the ages relevant for the children you work with. You do not need to use everything. (Many practitioners use more than one pathway.)
What is Professional Membership?
Find our more about our Professional guidance for confident, reflective EYFS practice (Birth–5)
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Stay informed, get expert advice, and find inspiration from our collection of articles and useful external resources, tailored specifically for EYFS practitioners. We regularly publish in-depth articles to support you with current best practices, regulatory changes, and fresh ideas.
