Early Years Foundation Stage & Birth to 5

The 2021 EYFS statutory framework no longer includes the old Development Matters age‑band statements. Instead, it sets out:

• Seven Areas of Learning
• Early Learning Goals (ELGs) as end‑of‑Reception outcomes

These are statutory — all settings must follow them.

Birth to 5

Birth to 5 Matters is non‑statutory guidance created by the Early Years Coalition. It provides:

• Detailed pathways of development from birth to age 5
• Observation examples
• Practice guidance
• Curriculum thinking and planning support

Many settings choose to use Birth to 5 Matters because it offers richer detail than the statutory framework alone.

🧩 How the two work together

Think of it like this:

• EYFS statutory framework = what you must follow
• Birth to 5 Matters = what you may use to support assessment, planning, and understanding child development

Birth to 5 Matters gives you the “statements” or “ranges” that help you interpret children’s learning journeys. These are not checklists but developmental guides.

🗂️ Birth to 5 Matters developmental ranges

Birth to 5 Matters uses six developmental ranges, each describing typical development:

1. Range 1 – Birth to 6 months
2. Range 2 – 6–18 months
3. Range 3 – 12–30 months
4. Range 4 – 24–48 months
5. Range 5 – 36–60 months
6. Range 6 – 48–72 months

Each range includes detailed statements across all EYFS areas. These help you:

• Observe learning
• Plan next steps
• Understand progression
• Support children with diverse developmental pathways

📝 Using Birth to 5 Matters for assessment

Settings often use Birth to 5 Matters to:

• Identify children’s developmental range
• Plan provision and interactions
• Track progress in a holistic, non‑tick‑box way

📥 Accessing the full guidance

You can download the complete Birth to 5 Matters document for free.