What is the Early Years Profile? What are Early Learning Goals?

The following information is taken from the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Handbook (Updated September 2025)

'The EYFS profile is a statutory assessment of children’s development at the end of the EYFS, usually the end of the academic year in which the child turns 5 (reception year). Each child’s level of development is assessed against 17 early learning goals (ELGs) across all 7 areas of learning in the EYFS statutory framework. For each ELG, teachers must assess whether a child is meeting the level of development expected at the end of the EYFS, or if they are not yet reaching this level and should be assessed as ‘emerging’. The profile is intended to provide a reliable and accurate summative assessment of each child’s development at the end of the EYFS, in order to support children’s successful transitions to year 1. Children are defined as having reached a good level of development (GLD) at the end of the EYFS, if they have achieved the expected level for the ELGs in the prime areas of learning, which are:

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Devlopment
• Physical Development

Plus the specific areas of:

• Mathematics
• Literacy

This helps to understand broadly what a child can do in relation to national expectations. Teachers are expected to use their professional judgement to make EYFS profile assessments, using their knowledge and understanding of what a child knows, understands, and can do.'