EYFS Safeguarding and Welfare Checklist

his EYFS Safeguarding and Welfare Checklist is ideal for any EYFS leader who’s looking to explore safeguarding and child welfare in their setting. It’s suitable for EYFS leaders in both school-based settings as well as group-based providers such as nurseries and preschools, and is built from all of the safeguarding and welfare requirements in section 3 of the EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers (and therefore isn’t applicable to childminders).

The checklist walks you through different criteria about welfare and safeguarding in the EYFS, allowing you to identify your current strengths and make a plan for any areas of development. The following broad areas are included in the checklist:

• Child Protection
• Recruitment
• Training and Qualifications
• Staff Ratios
• Child Health
• Behaviour
• Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)
• Premises and Equipment
• Record Keeping
• Each section can help you to critically reflect on your safeguarding procedures and processes, allowing you to keep every child safe as well as ensuring compliance with safeguarding requirements in the EYFS.

Every early years leader should ensure they’re aware of their setting’s strengths and levels of compliance when it comes to safeguarding as well as ensuring any weaknesses are addressed quickly. This information should be regularly reviewed so it’s ideal to keep copies and records together, such as in an EYFS leader folder. For further support with creating, building and organising an effective early years leader folder, this template along with many more, are also included in our EYFS Leader Folder Pack.

Further EYFS leadership resources can be found on our website, honeyguide-sls.co.uk