Excellence in Reception Teaching? Reflecting on the DfE's New Content Framework

By RCTN coordinators Eleanor Milligan, Viki Veale, Janet Morris and Lorna Williams

The recent publication of the Department for Education's Excellence in Reception Teaching Content Framework (DfE, 2026) represents a significant development in the professional landscape of Reception education in England. The framework, which underpins a new national professional development programme for Reception teachers, seeks to articulate the knowledge, skills and practices associated with high-quality teaching in the Reception year. While many practitioners will welcome the recognition that Reception teaching requires specialist expertise, the framework also raises important questions about professional autonomy, the nature of evidence-informed practice, and who gets to define excellence in early childhood education. 

The framework places welcome emphasis on understanding child development, communication and language, physical development, formative assessment through observation, and supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (DfE, 2026). These areas align with many of the principles that underpin effective early childhood education and reflect longstanding priorities within the EYFS. There is also a clear acknowledgement of the principles and characteristics of effective learning in the preamble to this document. 

However, the publication of the framework also invites critical reflection. One key question concerns the centralisation of professional expertise. By defining what constitutes "excellent" Reception teaching, the framework inevitably privileges particular interpretations of quality practice. While all professional frameworks require some degree of specification, there remains a risk that complex and context-dependent aspects of teaching become reduced to a prescribed set of competencies. 

Research consistently demonstrates that effective early childhood pedagogy relies on professional judgement, responsiveness, and the ability to adapt practice to the unique needs of children and communities (Siraj-Blatchford et al., 2002; Bertram and Pascal, 2016). Excellence, therefore, cannot simply be understood as fidelity to a predetermined model. Rather, it emerges through the relational, contextual and ethical decisions teachers make on a daily basis.  

A second area of concern relates to the framework's characterisation of Reception as a "bridge" between the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the National Curriculum. This language echoes that used in Ofsted's Bold Beginnings report (Ofsted, 2017), which described Reception as a transitional phase preparing children for the demands of Year 1. While few would dispute the importance of supporting successful transitions, framing Reception primarily as a bridge risks positioning it as a stepping stone to the National Curriculum rather than recognising it as an integral part of the EYFS in its own right. The statutory EYFS framework is clear that Reception sits firmly within the EYFS phase, sharing its underpinning principles of play, active learning, child development and holistic growth (DfE, 2025).

Consequently, there is a danger that the metaphor of a bridge may inadvertently reinforce the longstanding ‘schoolification’ of Reception, encouraging educators and policymakers to judge practice by how effectively it prepares children for the next stage, rather than by how well it meets children's developmental needs in the present.  

The framework also foregrounds the concept of evidence-informed practice. While this commitment is important, we need to acknowledge that the evidence base within early childhood education is not always straightforward or uncontested. Debates continue regarding the balance between play and direct instruction, the role of assessment, and the purposes of early education itself (Whitebread et al., 2012; Moyles, 2015, Sproule et al., 2019). Consequently, any discussion of evidence must remain open to multiple perspectives and ongoing professional dialogue. 

Although the new framework contains positive references to child development and evidence-informed practice, some practitioners may question whether its implementation will strengthen developmentally appropriate pedagogy or further reinforce a performance-oriented culture. The answer will depend not only on the framework itself but also on how it is interpreted by training providers, school leaders, inspectors and policymakers. At the Reception Class Teacher Network (RCTN), we believe that Reception teachers should play a central role in shaping discussions about excellence. Professional expertise resides not only in policy documents and research studies but also in the lived experiences of practitioners working daily with children, families and communities. As the sector begins to engage with the new framework, there is an opportunity to foster meaningful conversations about what excellence in Reception teaching truly means and how it can be realised in ways that remain faithful to the principles of child development, play, wellbeing and inclusion.  

https://www.uea.ac.uk/groups-and-centres/projects/joyce-morris-early-years-literacies-forum/reception-class-teachers-network

References 

·        Bertram, T. and Pascal, C.  (2016) Early Childhood Policies and Systems in Eight Countries: Findings from IEA's Early Childhood Education Study. Cham: Springer. 

·        Department for Education (2025) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DfE. 

·        Department for Education (2026) Excellence in Reception Teaching Content Framework. London: Department for Education. 

·        Moyles, J. (2015) The Excellence of Play. 4th edn. Maidenhead: Open University Press. 

·        Ofsted (2017) Bold Beginnings: The Reception Curriculum in a Sample of Good and Outstanding Primary Schools. Manchester: Ofsted 

·        Siraj-Blatchford, I., Sylva, K., Muttock, S., Gilden, R. and Bell, D. (2002) Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years. London: Department for Education and Skills. 

·        Sproule, L., Walsh, G., & McGuinness, C. (2019) More than ‘just play’: picking out three dimensions of a balanced early years pedagogy. International Journal of Early Years Education, 27(4), pp. 409–422.  

·        Whitebread, D., Basilio, M., Kuvalja, M. and Verma, M. (2012) The Importance of Play. Brussels: Toy Industries of Europe.