Early years foundation stage profile results
Academic year 2025/26

Description

This guidance describes the data included in the underlying data sets of the 2025/26 Accredited official statistics release ‘ Early years foundation stage profile results (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results)’.

This data is released under the terms of the  Open Government Licence (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) and is intended to meet at least 3 stars for  Open Data (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-government-transparency-and-accountability/2010-to-2015-government-policy-government-transparency-and-accountability#appendix-3-releasing-data-in-open-and-anonymised-formats).

The  methodology (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-methodology) page should be referenced alongside this data.

Coverage

These annual statistics report on teacher assessments of children’s development at the end of the early years foundation stage (EYFS), typically the summer term of the academic year in which a child turns 5 (reception year). The assessment framework, or EYFS Profile, consists of 17 early learning goals (ELGs) across 7 areas of learning.

Data is collected from local authorities covering state-funded schools and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers as part of the  EYFS Profile return (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-return-how-to-submit-data). This data is then matched to other data sources, including the school and early years censuses, to obtain information on child characteristics.

The underlying data sets include national, regional, local authority-level, and local authority district-level information for England for 2021/22 to 2025/26.

File formats and conventions

Rounding and suppression

Percentages and averages are unrounded in the underlying datasets. However, percentages are presented to one decimal place and averages are presented to two decimal places when using the table tool in Explore Education Statistics.

Suppression has not been applied to the underlying data sets.

Symbology

The following symbols are used in the underlying data sets as follows:

     z      not applicable

     x      data not available

     u      low reliability

     b      break in time series

Where any number is shown as zero, the original figure submitted was zero.

Data files

1 Headline measures by child characteristics

Filename: 1_eyfsp_headline_measures_2022_2026.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; Local authority district; National; Regional
Time period: 2021/22 to 2025/26
Content summary: Headline measures by various child characteristics. Sub-national breakdowns are based on the location of the child’s school or provider.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                            |  Variable description
---------------------------------------  |  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
all_elgs_expected_children_count         |  Number of children at expected level across all early learning goals
all_elgs_expected_children_percent       |  Percentage of children at expected level across all early learning goals
breakdown                                |  Child characteristics breakdown
children_count                           |  Number of children
comm_lang_lit_expected_children_count    |  Number of children at expected level in Communication & Language and Literacy areas of learning
comm_lang_lit_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children at expected level in Communication & Language and Literacy areas of learning
elgs_expected_average                    |  Average number of early learning goals at expected level per child
gld_children_count                       |  Number of children with a good level of development
gld_children_percent                     |  Percentage of children with a good level of development
sex                                      |  Sex
zero_elgs_all_expected_children_count    |  Number of children with zero early learning goals at the expected level
zero_elgs_all_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children with zero early learning goals at the expected level
zero_elgs_gld_expected_children_count    |  Number of children with zero ELGs (of those contributing to GLD) at the expected level
zero_elgs_gld_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children with zero ELGs (of those contributing to GLD) at the expected level

Footnotes:

1. Please note that Down Syndrome was collected for the first time in 2024/25. Therefore, it is likely that some children recorded with a primary need of Down Syndrome in 2024/25 and 2025/26 would have been recorded as having a different primary need in earlier years.


2 Early learning goals and areas of learning by child characteristics

Filename: 2_eyfsp_early_learning_goals_areas_of_learning_2022_2026.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; Local authority district; National; Regional
Time period: 2021/22 to 2025/26
Content summary: Early learning goals and areas of learning by various child characteristics.
Sub-national breakdowns are based on the location of the child’s school or provider.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name              |  Variable description
-------------------------  |  ----------------------------------------
breakdown                  |  Child characteristics breakdown
children_count             |  Number of children
early_learning_goal        |  Early learning goal
emerging_children_count    |  Number of children at emerging level
emerging_children_percent  |  Percentage of children at emerging level
expected_children_count    |  Number of children at expected level
expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children at expected level

Footnotes:

1. Please note that Down Syndrome was collected for the first time in 2024/25. Therefore, it is likely that some children recorded with a primary need of Down Syndrome in 2024/25 and 2025/26 would have been recorded as having a different primary need in earlier years.


3 Headline measures by multiple child characteristics (national only)

Filename: 3_eyfsp_headline_measures_multiple_characteristics_2022_2026.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2021/22 to 2025/26
Content summary: Headline measures by multiple characteristics.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                            |  Variable description
---------------------------------------  |  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
all_elgs_expected_children_count         |  Number of children at expected level across all early learning goals
all_elgs_expected_children_percent       |  Percentage of children at expected level across all early learning goals
children_count                           |  Number of children
children_percent                         |  Percentage of children
comm_lang_lit_expected_children_count    |  Number of children at expected level in Communication & Language and Literacy areas of learning
comm_lang_lit_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children at expected level in Communication & Language and Literacy areas of learning
elgs_expected_average                    |  Average number of early learning goals at expected level per child
ethnicity_minor                          |  Ethnicity minor
first_language                           |  First language
fsm_eligibility                          |  Free school meal eligibility
gld_children_count                       |  Number of children with a good level of development
gld_children_percent                     |  Percentage of children with a good level of development
sen_provision                            |  SEN provision
sex                                      |  Sex
term_of_birth                            |  Term of birth
zero_elgs_all_expected_children_count    |  Number of children with zero early learning goals at the expected level
zero_elgs_all_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children with zero early learning goals at the expected level
zero_elgs_gld_expected_children_count    |  Number of children with zero ELGs (of those contributing to GLD) at the expected level
zero_elgs_gld_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children with zero ELGs (of those contributing to GLD) at the expected level


4 Headline measures by deprivation

Filename: 4_eyfsp_headline_measures_deprivation_2022_2026.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority district; National; Regional
Time period: 2021/22 to 2025/26
Content summary: Headline measures by income deprivation affecting children index (IDACI 2025) decile and sex.
Sub-national breakdowns are based on the location of the child’s residence.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                            |  Variable description
---------------------------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
all_elgs_expected_children_count         |  Number of children at expected level across all early learning goals
all_elgs_expected_children_percent       |  Percentage of children at expected level across all early learning goals
children_count                           |  Number of children
comm_lang_lit_expected_children_count    |  Number of children at expected level in Communication & Language and Literacy areas of learning
comm_lang_lit_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children at expected level in Communication & Language and Literacy areas of learning
elgs_expected_average                    |  Average number of early learning goals at expected level per child
gld_children_count                       |  Number of children with a good level of development
gld_children_percent                     |  Percentage of children with a good level of development
idaci_decile                             |  Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) decile - 1 = 10% most deprived, 10 = 10% least deprived
sex                                      |  Sex
zero_elgs_all_expected_children_count    |  Number of children with zero early learning goals at the expected level
zero_elgs_all_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children with zero early learning goals at the expected level
zero_elgs_gld_expected_children_count    |  Number of children with zero ELGs (of those contributing to GLD) at the expected level
zero_elgs_gld_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children with zero ELGs (of those contributing to GLD) at the expected level

Footnotes:

1. Sub-national breakdowns are based on the location of the child’s residence.


5 Headline measures timeseries (national only)

Filename: 5_eyfsp_headline_measures_national_2013_2026.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2012/13 to 2025/26
Content summary: Headline measures, including historical time series data.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                       |  Variable description
----------------------------------  |  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
all_elgs_expected_children_count    |  Number of children at expected level across all early learning goals
all_elgs_expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children at expected level across all early learning goals
children_count                      |  Number of children
gld_children_count                  |  Number of children with a good level of development
gld_children_percent                |  Percentage of children with a good level of development

Footnotes:

1. The early years foundation stage profile was significantly revised in September 2021. It is therefore not possible to directly compare assessment outcomes since 2021/22 with earlier years. See the methodology page for more information.
2. The 2019/20 and 2020/21 data collections were cancelled due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
3. In 2018/19, 23 schools piloted the revised set of early learning goals and the revised approach to assessment and moderation. These schools are excluded from the results for 2019. In 2018, the pupils in these 23 schools represented 0.2% of the national cohort of children.


6 Number of early learning goals at expected level by headline measure (national only)

Filename: 6_eyfsp_number_early_learning_goals_expected_level_national_2022_2026.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2021/22 to 2025/26
Content summary: Number of early learning goals (at the expected level) across all 17 early learning goals and across all 12 early learning goals contributing to a good level of development.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  ----------------------------------------------------------
children_count           |  Number of children
children_percent         |  Percentage of children
children_percent_change  |  Annual (percentage point) change in percentage of children
elgs_expected_number     |  Number of ELGs at the expected level


7 Early learning goal combinations for a good level of development (national only)

Filename: 7_eyfsp_good_level_of_development_early_learning_goal_combinations_national_2022_2026.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2021/22 to 2025/26
Content summary: Early learning goal combinations (at the expected level) across all 12 early learning goals contributing to a good level of development.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                            |  Variable description
---------------------------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
elg_building_relationships               |  Building relationships ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_combination_children_count           |  Number of children with these ELGs (contributing to GLD)
elg_combination_number_children_percent  |  Percentage of children with these ELGs (contributing to GLD), of those with this number of ELGs
elg_comprehension                        |  Comprehension ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_fine_motor_skills                    |  Fine motor skills ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_gross_motor_skills                   |  Gross motor skills ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_listening_attention_understanding    |  Listening, attention and understanding ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_managing_self                        |  Managing self ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_number                               |  Number ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_number_children_count                |  Number of children with this number of ELGs (contributing to GLD)
elg_numerical_patterns                   |  Numerical patterns ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_self_regulation                      |  Self-regulation ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_speaking                             |  Speaking ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_word_reading                         |  Word reading ELG at emerging or expected level
elg_writing                              |  Writing ELG at emerging or expected level
elgs_expected_number                     |  Number of ELGs (contributing to GLD)


Commentary analysis - areas of learning (national only)

Filename: commentary_eyfsp_areas_of_learning_national_2022_2026.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2021/22 to 2025/26
Content summary: Underlying data for Figure 2: Percentage of children at the expected level by area of learning, 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name              |  Variable description
-------------------------  |  ----------------------------------------
area_of_learning           |  Area of learning
children_count             |  Number of children
emerging_children_count    |  Number of children at emerging level
emerging_children_percent  |  Percentage of children at emerging level
expected_children_count    |  Number of children at expected level
expected_children_percent  |  Percentage of children at expected level
