Childcare Act 2006

41 The learning and development requirements

(1) The learning and development requirements must cover the areas of learning and development specified in subsection (3).

(2) The learning and development requirements may specify in relation to each of the areas of learning and development—

(a) the knowledge, skills and understanding which young children of different abilities and maturities are expected to have before the 1st September next following the day on which they attain the age of five (“early learning goals”);

(b) the matters, skills and processes which are required to be taught to young children of different abilities and maturities (“educational programmes”), and

(c) the arrangements which are required for assessing children for the purpose of ascertaining what they have achieved in relation to the early learning goals (“assessment arrangements”).

(3) The areas of learning and development are as follows—

(a) personal, social and emotional development,

(b) communication, language and literacy,

(c) problem solving, reasoning and numeracy,

(d) knowledge and understanding of the world,

(e) physical development, and

(f) creative development.

(4) The Secretary of State may by order amend subsection (3).

(5) A learning and development order may not require—

(a) the allocation of any particular period or periods of time to the teaching of any educational programme or any matter, skill or process forming part of it, or

(b) the making in the timetables of any early years provider of provision of any particular kind for the periods to be allocated to such teaching.

(6) In this section “a learning and development order” means an order under section 39(1)(a).