EYFS 2026: New Safeguarding Expectations

The Department for Education has now published the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework for Group and School-Based Providers, which comes into force from September 2026.

While much of the framework remains unchanged, the latest update introduces some of the most significant safeguarding developments seen in recent years, reinforcing the government's commitment to protecting children during the earliest stages of their education.

Rather than introducing a wholesale rewrite of the framework, the revisions strengthen several existing requirements while introducing new expectations in areas where research and national policy have continued to evolve. From safer sleep and children's screen use to recruitment practices and first aid, providers will need to ensure their policies, procedures and day-to-day practice are fully aligned before the new academic year begins.

Safer Sleep

One of the most notable developments is the substantial expansion of the guidance on safer sleep. What was previously a brief paragraph has become a detailed section dedicated to reducing the risks associated with babies sleeping in early years settings. The revised framework now provides a much clearer checklist of expectations for children under the age of two, reflecting the latest evidence around safe sleeping practices. Providers will need to ensure that staff understand not only how babies should be positioned and monitored while sleeping, but also how sleeping environments can be managed to minimise risk. For many settings, this will mean reviewing existing policies, refreshing staff training and ensuring consistent practice across the whole team.

Children’s Screen Use

Another entirely new area within the statutory framework is children's screen use. For the first time, providers are required to have regard to the Department for Education's guidance, published in July 2026. The guidance reflects growing evidence on the impact excessive screen exposure can have on young children's development. It recommends that children under the age of two should not routinely have screen time except in exceptional circumstances, such as video calls with parents or carers. Children aged two to five should have no more than one hour of screen time each day, with less exposure always being preferable. Although these recommendations relate to children's overall exposure rather than simply the time spent in an early years setting, they reinforce the importance of play-based learning, face-to-face interaction and communication as the foundations of early childhood development.

Banned Dog Breeds

The updated framework also introduces a completely new safeguarding requirement relating to banned dog breeds. From September, dogs prohibited under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, including XL Bully type dogs, must not be kept or be present on early years premises under any circumstances. Importantly, this prohibition applies even where the owner possesses a Certificate of Exemption. Providers operating from domestic premises will therefore need to review their arrangements carefully to ensure they remain compliant with the statutory framework.

Safer Recruitment

Perhaps the most far-reaching changes are those affecting safer recruitment. These amendments reflect wider legislative changes introduced through the Crime and Policing Act and significantly strengthen the recruitment and vetting arrangements expected of early years providers.

One of the biggest changes concerns Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. The previous distinction between supervised and unsupervised volunteers has now been removed. Instead, enhanced DBS and barred list checks are required, where eligible, for every person aged 16 or over who works or volunteers within the setting. This reflects the removal of the previous exemption for supervised unpaid activity, meaning that volunteers undertaking regulated activity frequently or over a sustained period are now treated in the same way as paid members of staff.

The framework also removes any ambiguity around when new staff or volunteers can begin working. Providers must now ensure that individuals do not start work until the appropriate enhanced DBS and barred list checks have been completed, where these checks are required. Alongside this, applicants are now expected to disclose arrests and charges, as well as convictions, cautions and other relevant criminal matters, ensuring providers have a fuller picture when making safer recruitment decisions.

Recruitment procedures have been strengthened in other ways, too. Providers must now obtain at least one written reference before appointing staff, and employers are expected to provide references not only for former employees but also for current employees when requested. These changes reinforce the importance of transparent recruitment processes and support the wider safeguarding culture across the education sector.

The framework also updates the rules surrounding disqualification. Throughout this section, the wording has been broadened from referring only to ‘a provider or practitioner’ to ‘any person’. It also introduces additional guidance relating to childcare provided on domestic premises where an individual lives with someone who is disqualified, together with the process for applying to Ofsted for a waiver where appropriate. In addition, cautions are now included alongside convictions and court orders as potential grounds for disqualification.

Providers operating from domestic premises should also be aware of a new notification duty. Any change involving a person aged 16 or over who lives or works on the premises from which childcare is provided must now be reported to Ofsted. This ensures that the regulator remains aware of changes that could potentially affect the suitability of the childcare environment.

Staff-to-child Ratios

Elsewhere, the framework provides useful clarification regarding staff-to-child ratios. It now makes explicit that statutory ratios apply across the whole provision rather than being calculated room by room. While many providers have always organised staffing in this way, the clarification removes any uncertainty and reinforces the expectation that staffing arrangements should be managed flexibly, whilst maintaining children's safety and effective supervision throughout the setting.

Paediatric First Aid

There is also an important amendment to the paediatric first aid requirements. Providers must now have regard to first aid requirements not only within the setting itself but also whenever children are taken on outings. In practical terms, this means ensuring that a member of staff with an appropriate paediatric first aid qualification accompanies children during off-site visits.

Safeguarding Training

The revised framework also places greater emphasis on safeguarding training in Annex C. Providers should be aware that there will be further information published over the coming months.

Finally, one seemingly small amendment neatly captures the overarching theme of the entire update. The framework no longer refers only to ‘all practitioners’ being alert to safeguarding concerns. Instead, it places this responsibility on every person looking after children. Although subtle, the revised wording reinforces a fundamental safeguarding principle: protecting children is everyone's responsibility, regardless of their role within the setting.

Taken together, these changes represent a significant strengthening of safeguarding expectations across the early years sector. Many providers will already have robust arrangements in place, but the revised framework should prompt leaders to move beyond awareness, to take practical steps now. Settings should review whether their written policies, staff training, recruitment checks and everyday routines reflect the new requirements and should ensure that all adults working with or around children understand what is changing and why it matters.

SSS Learning

11 August 2026