What the 2025 Curriculum Review Means for EYFS

When big national reviews are released, it can feel like a tidal wave of new information.
But underneath the reports, the frameworks and the press releases… what really matters is how it lands in our classrooms.

So let’s break down what this year’s Curriculum and Assessment Review means for us in EYFS and KS1, without the jargon.

Strong Foundations

The review sets out a clear ambition: every child should leave the early and primary years with secure foundations in reading, writing, maths and talk.

Sound familiar? It should.
That’s what we do every single day.

For early years teachers, this isn’t a call to overhaul practice- it’s a reminder of why our work matters.
The foundations we build through play, talk, movement and connection are exactly what children need to thrive later on.

Depth, Not Just Breadth

One of the strongest messages from the review is the need for depth: fewer topics, more mastery, and time to revisit key ideas.

In EYFS, that means giving children space to return to experiences again and again: pouring, building, storytelling, problem-solving.
Those repeated, playful moments are where learning sticks.

Continuous provision does this beautifully.
It allows children to revisit concepts, practise skills in new ways, and make the connections that deepen understanding.

Oracy at the Heart

The review also highlights the importance of oracy — spoken communication in all its forms.
That includes chatter in the home corner, questions during tidy-up time, and the quiet confidence of a child explaining what they’ve built.

Talk is the bridge to everything else.
It builds vocabulary, social understanding and the confidence to express ideas — and that’s the foundation of literacy.

Early Number Matters

For Reception in particular, the review calls for a strong focus on number fluency — ensuring children are secure with quantity, pattern and relationships before moving into Year 1.

That doesn’t mean drilling or worksheets.
It means rich mathematical play: comparing towers, sharing snacks, spotting patterns in nature, and exploring number stories that make sense to children’s worlds.

A Broader View of the World

There’s also a clear push towards helping children make sense of the changing world by exploring nature, environment, technology and community from the very start.

It’s about more than knowledge; it’s about belonging.
When children see themselves as part of a wider world, they begin to care, connect and question, and that curiosity drives real learning.

Smoother Transitions

Perhaps most importantly for EYFS teachers, the review recognises the need for coherence between Reception and Year 1.

That means our approach to learning, hands-on, talk-rich, and child-centred, should continue to influence how we structure the early primary years.
A smooth transition isn’t about pushing Year 1 down into EYFS; it’s about building upwards from strong foundations.

What This Means for You

If you’re working in Nursery, Reception or Year 1, this review is less about change and more about clarity.

It validates what you already know:

• Play is not a luxury — it’s how young children learn best.
• Talk and vocabulary unlock every other subject.
• Repetition, depth and curiosity are the hallmarks of mastery.
• Inclusion and accessibility must underpin every environment.

Continuous provision, when done well, is curriculum and assessment in action.

Reflect

Next time you step into your classroom, ask yourself:

• Where are children talking, reasoning and explaining?
• Which areas encourage deeper exploration and connection?
• How are we helping them link learning across experiences?

Because that’s what a “world-class curriculum” really looks like- children learning with joy, purpose and play at its heart.

---

Created by Is It Time To Play?
Supporting teachers to build purposeful, playful learning from EYFS to KS1.

If you’d like to dig deeper, you can read the full Curriculum and Assessment Review: Building a World-Class Curriculum for All on the DfE website here.