Changes to Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Safeguarding Requirements: September 2025
During the summer we informed you of the new changes to the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements taking place from the 1st September 2025. Please make sure that you take the time to read this article and relevant links, so these changes are understood and implemented in your setting - Thank you.
Changes to Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Safeguarding Requirements: September 2025
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework is mandatory for all early years settings. It sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well, and are kept healthy and safe.
Why the changes will be made
The Department for Education (DfE) continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings to ensure they are comprehensive and suitably robust to help providers keep children as safe as possible.
A consultation on proposals to strengthen the EYFS safeguarding requirements was held between 22 April and 17 June 2024, with 1470 responses received. There was strong support from respondents for all of the EYFS changes, with clear consensus that these will improve children’s safety and align with current best practice in early years settings.
The consultation showed that early years providers have excellent practices in place to keep children safe and many are already carrying out the upcoming changes in their settings. The safeguarding reforms will formalise existing best practice in the sector and ensure that all educators have the knowledge and support they need to deliver the safest, highest quality early education and childcare provision possible.
What you need to do
From 1 September 2025, all registered early years providers must follow the new EYFS framework. Whatever your role and type of setting you work in, you’ll need to be working to the new framework.
Please make sure you understand what is changing and how this might impact your practice.
The consultation outcome can be found on the Early years Foundation Stage (EYFS) safeguarding reforms page. This sets out the new EYFS wording and will help you understand the changes you will need to make.
The DfE have also created a Summary of EYFS changes and published a vodcast.
Communicate the changes
You can use the printable posters and information sheet to communicate the changes to your colleagues. You can download these by clicking on each of the links below.
Poster About The Changes
Information Sheet About The Changes
The introduction of the Annex C: Criteria for effective safeguarding training sets out the minimum requirements for effective safeguarding training, helping providers know what they must be looking for in a safeguarding course and also what information a course must contain.
CoramPACEY have developed two new courses that meet the criteria for effective safeguarding training outlined in Annex C of the EYFS safeguarding reforms (effective 1 September 2025):
Safeguarding children for Designated Safeguarding Leads
Designed for DSLs. Meets all the criteria for effective safeguarding training outlined in Annex C of the EYFS safeguarding reforms (effective 1 September 2025). In every setting, a practitioner must be designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children. In childminding settings, the childminder is the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Safeguarding children for staff
Designed for staff (childminder assistants, nursery workers, nannies etc.). Fulfils part one and two of the criteria for effective safeguarding training outlined in Annex C of the EYFS safeguarding reforms (effective 1 September 2025).
Both courses are available online at a low cost. To find out more and book courses Safeguarding Children Training - Coram PACEY
Remember that we are here to support you, so please do email us at early.years@lewisham.gov.uk if you need any help regarding these changes.