Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) space requirements consultation launch

As we get more children ready for school at age 5, we are exploring new ways to help providers offer more high-quality childcare places for families, that include access to outdoor space.

Evidence shows the huge benefits of outdoor play to children from improved problem solving to mental and physical health. Yet currently, the government’s early years framework requires provision of outdoor play but only formally recognises indoor space in its requirements for how many children nurseries and childcare providers can take on at any one time.

On 12 May, the government launched its “space requirements in early years childcare settings” consultation, which runs until 11 July and is available at: Space requirements in early years childcare settings in England – GOV.UK

The consultation is seeking views on whether to introduce flexibility into the EYFS that will allow free-flow outdoor space to be included in the indoor space requirements, with a possible cap on the number of additional places that can be offered. The government is also seeking feedback on the proposed definition of “free-flow”.

This consultation has been launched because early years providers expressed a desire for these rules to be updated. To meet forecasted demands for the expanded entitlements, we estimate an additional 60,000 new places are required between September 2024 and September 2025, and one of the barriers to expanding childcare is physical space. In the department’s Pulse surveys of childcare and early years providers, November 2023, 70% of providers who responded said they would make better use of their outdoor space if more flexibility was introduced.