The Early Learning Goals: A Guide for Parents

The level of development children are expected to attain by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is defined by the Early Learning Goals (ELGs).

These goals support our teachers in making a "holistic, best-fit" judgement about each child’s development and their readiness for Year 1. When forming these judgements at the end of the Reception year, teachers draw on their deep knowledge of the child and their own expert professional judgement.

Communication and Language

• Listening, Attention and Understanding: Children listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions and actions. They participate in back-and-forth exchanges with their teacher and peers, asking questions to clarify their understanding.
• Speaking: Children offer their own ideas using recently introduced vocabulary. They express their feelings and explain why things might happen using full sentences and various tenses.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

• Self-Regulation: Children show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others. They set and work towards simple goals, showing the ability to wait for what they want and follow complex instructions.
• Managing Self: Children show independence and resilience in the face of challenge. They understand the reasons for rules, manage their own basic hygiene, and understand the importance of healthy food choices.
• Building Relationships: Children work and play cooperatively, taking turns and forming positive friendships while showing sensitivity to the needs of others.

Physical Development

• Gross Motor Skills: Children move energetically—including running, jumping, and climbing—while negotiating space safely and demonstrating strength and coordination.
• Fine Motor Skills: Children hold a pencil effectively (using a tripod grip in almost all cases) and use a range of small tools, such as scissors and cutlery, with care.

Literacy

• Comprehension: Children demonstrate an understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives using their own words and new vocabulary.
• Word Reading: Children say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs. They read simple sentences and books consistent with their phonic knowledge.
• Writing: Children write recognisable letters and spell words by identifying the sounds within them. They can write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.

Mathematics

• Number: Children develop a deep understanding of numbers to 10. This includes "subitising" (recognising quantities without counting) and automatically recalling number bonds to 5 and 10.
• Numerical Patterns: Children count beyond 20 and recognise the patterns of the counting system. They compare quantities and explore evens, odds, and doubling.

Understanding the World

• Past and Present: Children talk about the lives of people around them and their roles in society. They understand the past through stories and settings encountered in class.
• People, Culture and Communities: Children describe their immediate environment and know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities.
• The Natural World: Children explore the world around them, making observations of animals and plants and understanding important processes like the changing seasons.

Expressive Arts and Design

• Creating with Materials: Children explore a variety of materials and techniques, sharing their creations and explaining the processes they have used.
• Being Imaginative and Expressive: Children invent and recount narratives with their peers. They sing well-known nursery rhymes and perform songs or stories in time with music.