Early years education and inspection: guidance, tools, and research
This suite of resources supports early years providers and inspectors in delivering high-quality care and education from November 2025.
It includes updated inspection frameworks, practical guidance for curriculum planning, and research insights to ensure every child gets the best start in life.
- Early years inspection information: for use from November 2025 Early years inspection information: for use from November 2025 – GOV.UK
- Early years inspection operating guide for inspectors: for use from November 2025 Early years inspection operating guide for inspectors: for use from November 2025 – GOV.UK
- Early years inspection toolkit Early years inspection toolkit
- Ofsted news on YouTube Ofstednews – YouTube – contains lots of short videos on the inspection/toolkit/report card changes, including for different provider types, as well as other useful information, e.g. around SEND, communication and language (check the ‘videos’ tab if you can’t find something in particular)
- DfE guidance on curriculum planning Help for early years providers : Curriculum planning
- Research and analysis – Getting it right from the start: how early years practitioners work with babies and toddlers Getting it right from the start: how early years practitioners work with babies and toddlers – GOV.UK
- Research and analysis – Best start in life: a research review for early years Best start in life: a research review for early years – GOV.UK