This information is brought to you by Slough Borough Council's Early Years team, on behalf of the Department for Education, for the attention of all Early Years settings.
Updated EYFS frameworks for childminders and group and school-based providers were published in July 2026. Those updated EYFS frameworks come into force today, 1 September 2026. From this date both frameworks:
- Bring explicit wording on the safer sleep requirements into the main body of the EYFS, so that providers do not need to refer out to separate guidance.
- Prohibit the provision of registered childcare from any premises where a banned dog breed is kept or present.
- Require providers to inform Ofsted or their childminder agency (CMA) of allegations of ‘harm’ (instead of ‘serious harm’) by anyone living, working, or looking after children at the premises.
- Require enhanced criminal records and children’s barred list checks for volunteers (including those who are supervised) and prevent new employees from commencing employment before receiving their check and letter of suitability (if relevant).
- Amend the requirements for what providers must tell staff they have to disclose as part of information that may affect their suitability to work with children - such as arrests, charges, convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands and warnings (whether received before or during their employment at the setting).
- The group and school-based version also requires providers of childcare on domestic premises to notify Ofsted or their CMA of changes to persons aged 16 or over living or working at the premises. This aligns with existing requirements for childminders.
Children’s screen use in early years settings
Both frameworks also require providers to have regard to screen use guidance for early years settings published in July 2026. The screen use guidance builds on the guidance for parents published in March 2026 and has been produced with contributions from sector experts including the Digital Standards Early Years Action Group and Early Years Screen Time Advisory Group.
Other changes to the EYFS
Other minor clarificatory changes have been made to both new frameworks. These are mainly to make the existing requirements clearer for providers.
A summary of the EYFS changes can also be found on Help for Early Years Providers.
Changes to registration requirements - in relation to banned dog breeds
In addition to the changes to the EYFS frameworks outlined above, the department has also updated registration requirements for early years settings as follows:
- Nannies will be prohibited from taking a banned dog breed onto a premises where they are providing childcare and will be required to take reasonable steps to avoid banned dog breeds being present.
- All other voluntarily registered, Early Years and Later Years providers will be prohibited from providing registered childcare from any premises where a banned dog breed is kept or present.
Early Years Qualifications Requirements and Standards
The Early Years Qualifications Requirements and Standards document has also been updated from 1 September 2026, to clarify the Level 2 English requirements.