EYFS Profile and Moderation

There is no external moderation of the EYFS profile. The EYFS Handbook states ‘Moderation of EYFS profile assessments should be a collaborative process with colleagues. This supports the quality assurance of teacher assessment judgements and provides a valuable opportunity for professional development.’

Schools must share their EYFS profile data with the local authority. More information

Local authorities and early years education providers and education professionals with responsibility for assessing, reporting or moderating the early years foundation stage (EYFS) profile should use the EYFSP handbook.

The handbook gives guidance to help professionals complete and moderate EYFS profile judgements, so outcomes are accurate and consistent across all early years settings.

All of the necessary documents needed to complete and moderate EYFS profile judgements can be downloaded on the links below: 

What EYFS Profile is used for

  1. Inform parents about their child's development against Early Learning Goals (ELGs) and the Characteristics of their Learning.
  2. Support a smooth transition to Key Stage 1 by informing the professional dialogue between EYFS and KS1 teachers.
  3. Help Year 1 teachers plan an effective, responsive and appropriate curriculum that will meet the needs of all children.

 

Submission of Data

Local authorities collect and report the results for all funded children at the end of the early years foundation stage in both maintained schools (including academies) and private, voluntary, and independent settings (PVIs). 

Results for children in private, voluntary, and independent settings (PVIs) are only required where the child is receiving early years education that is funded by the Department for Education (DfE). 

The children still eligible for funding in private, voluntary, and independent settings (PVIs) will be born between 1 April 2021 and 31 August 2021.

The statutory collection does not require data to be submitted for unfunded children.

EYFS Profile data should be submitted to the local authority's Business Intelligence Team by TBC.

  • PVIs must complete and submit the 2026 Department for Education (DfE) spreadsheet (TBC) using the DfE guidance (TBC)                                 
  • Local authority guidance (TBC) provides general information about the statutory return, and steps to follow to submit the return securely to the local authority via Mimecast. 
  • The DfE Early years foundation stage profile handbook helps teachers and other early years practitioners to complete the EYFS profile assessment in line with the statutory requirements in the EYFS framework.
  • The EYFS Profile must be completed for all children registered, unless: 
  • An exemption has been granted for the setting (reserved for independent schools or schools with established principles in conflict with the EYFS). 
  • An exemption has been granted for an individual child (reserved only for cases where a child’s family has religious or philosophical beliefs that contradict the EYFS).
  • The child is continuing in EYFS provision beyond the year in which they turn five. In these exceptional cases, assessment should continue throughout the child’s time within EYFS provision and the Profile should be completed once only, at the end of the year before the child moves into year 1. The setting should discuss their intention to defer the child’s statutory assessment with the local authority (earlyyears@walthamforest.gov.uk). This will ensure the child’s data is not considered missing when the provider submits EYFSP outcomes for the current cohort.

If an exemption has been granted from the profile, use code ‘A’ for the early learning goals the child is exempt from. 

Further information about exemptions is at Exemptions from the EYFS for providers and individual children - GOV.UK

Contact edu.performance@walthamforest.gov.uk for further information about the statutory return.

 

Headteachers and Managers Responsibilities

Headteachers and Managers must:

  • ensure an EYFS profile is completed for all eligible children and data is quality assured 
  • ensure provision is made to meet the requirements of all children with special educational needs
  • take responsibility for the reliability of their EYFS profile outcomes and ensure that the data accurately reflects the level of development of the current cohort of children
  • ensure EYFS profile data is returned to their LA in accordance with the table in section 4.2
  • provide EYFS profile assessments to their school’s governing body to enable it to comply with national data submission requirements and report to parents
  • ensure the statutory requirements for the transfer of records between providers are fulfilled, including the completion of the common transfer file (CTF) 

Headteachers must ensure parents are provided with a written report of the child’s development against the ELGs and have the opportunity to discuss the EYFS profile.   
 

Guidance to Develop Accurate Judgements

When finalising judgements for the EYFSP, practitioners must draw upon evidence that is predominantly from activities initiated by the pupil, as well as behaviour that children demonstrate consistently, independently and in a range of situations.

Evidence is collected as an ongoing process through:

  • the practitioner's knowledge of the child
  • the child's view of his or her own learning
  • information from a range of contributors, parents/carers and other significant adults
  • any material or representations from the child
  • a collection of anecdotal and significant moments
  • observations.

Practitioners must assess all early learning goals. The DfE’s exemplification materials are to support teachers in assessing children’s development at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Vodcast for schools and multi academy trusts explaining changes

This will ensure judgements are reliable and valid and in line with national standards.

Practitioners should judge whether the description in the ELG 'best fits' the child's learning and development, and refer to the Profile exemplification materials for the 'expected' level of attainment.

Children are judged as either:

  • meeting the level of development expected at the end of the EYFS (expected);

or

  • not yet reaching this level (emerging)

EYFSP Moderation

Moderation of EYFS profile assessments should be a collaborative process with colleagues. This supports the quality assurance of teacher assessment judgements and provides a valuable opportunity for professional development. Schools may wish to work together so that teachers can share experiences and develop their assessment skills.

 

EYFSP Headlines 2024 to 2025

From a cohort of 3,234 pupils in Waltham Forest being assessed using the early years foundation stage profile, 75.0% are achieving a good level of development (GLD), a total of 2,424 pupils.

The average total points score, for your LA, in all GLD goals is 22.1 out of a possible 24.

Waltham Forest’s EYFSP good level of development has increased by 0.8% from 74.2% in 2023/24 to 75.0% in 2024/25.

This is equivalent to approximately 24 more pupils achieving a good level of development in 2024/25 compared to 2023/24.

Waltham Forest’s average GLD for the last three academic year(s) is 74.5%.

75.0% achieved a good level of development in Waltham Forest, 6.7% higher than the National average of 68.3%.

This is the equivalent of 215 more pupils in Waltham Forest achieving a good level of development compared to the National average.

Waltham Forest has been above the National average three times in the last three academic year(s).

While Waltham Forest average for achieving a good level of development has increased by 0.8%, from 74.2% in 2023/24 to 75.0% in 2024/25, the National average increased by 0.6%, from 67.7% in 2023/24 to 68.3% in 2024/25.

Waltham Forest is in percentile seven when compared to all LAs nationally for a good level of development.

Get in touch

For more information and questions get in touch with Early Years Training.

Last update: Tuesday 16th of September 2025 09:17:24 AM