The Early Years Development Pathway
The Early Years Development Pathway
A gentle, practical and reflective 135 page toolkit for observing, evidencing and supporting children’s development in real early years practice.
Created by a childminder, former teacher and SEND practitioner, this is not another overwhelming tick sheet document designed to create more paperwork.
The Early Years Development Pathway has been carefully designed to help early years practitioners confidently notice children’s development through real play, routines, relationships and everyday experiences, without turning assessment into a box ticking exercise.
Whether you are a childminder, nursery practitioner, preschool educator, EYFS teacher, SENDCO or home educator, this resource gives you a clear, flexible and professional framework for understanding children as individuals, planning meaningful next steps and recording evidence in a way that actually feels manageable.
This is the resource many practitioners wish they had years ago.
What makes this resource different?
Unlike traditional assessment trackers, this pathway:
🌿 focuses on the whole child🌿 supports professional judgement rather than replacing it🌿 links naturally to real observations and meaningful next steps🌿 encourages reflective practice instead of excessive paperwork🌿 supports inclusion, SEND awareness and early identification🌿 works across mixed ages and stages🌿 helps practitioners evidence learning clearly for parents, reviews and Ofsted conversations🌿 is designed to be used flexibly, take what you need and leave what you do not
This resource recognises that children do not develop in neat checklists. Development is layered, individual and deeply connected to relationships, communication, routines, confidence and environment.
Inside this 135 page resource you will find:
✔ Welcome and guidance pages✔ Step by step instructions for using the pathway✔ Professional judgement and age and stage guidance✔ Observation confidence scales✔ Child overview and reflection pages✔ Development pathway pages across the 7 areas of learning✔ Speech, language and communication support pathways✔ SEND concern and support planning tools✔ Observation templates✔ Learning journey evidence pages✔ Parent and carer discussion pages✔ Review and reflection tools✔ Blank adaptable templates for bespoke observations and planning
Areas of learning included:
🌿 Communication and Language🌿 Personal, Social and Emotional Development🌿 Physical Development🌿 Literacy🌿 Mathematics🌿 Understanding the World🌿 Expressive Arts and Design
PLUS an enhanced:
🗣 Speech, Language and Communication Support Pathway💛 SEND Concern and Support Section
Designed for REAL early years settings
This resource has been intentionally created for:
✔ childminders✔ nurseries✔ preschools✔ reception classrooms✔ SEND support work✔ mixed age settings✔ home educators✔ practitioners wanting a calmer, more meaningful approach to assessment
It supports everyday practice beautifully alongside:
Development Matters
Birth to 5 Matters
EYFS Statutory Framework
SEND support and graduated response approaches
A must have for practitioners who feel overwhelmed by paperwork
If you have ever felt:
overwhelmed by tracking systems,
unsure how to link observations to next steps,
frustrated by disconnected paperwork,
worried about evidencing progress clearly,
or simply exhausted by endless assessment expectations...
…this resource was made for you.
The Early Years Development Pathway helps you:✨ simplify your thinking✨ notice development more clearly✨ reflect more meaningfully✨ evidence learning lightly✨ support children intentionally
Without losing the joy of early years practice.
Beautifully designed and easy to use
Featuring a calming botanical aesthetic and clear, professional layouts throughout, this resource has been designed to feel supportive rather than clinical.
It is suitable for printing, binding, digital completion or selecting individual pages as needed within your setting.
Use it:📌 termly📌 during transitions📌 for SEND monitoring📌 for parent meetings📌 for learning journeys📌 for reflective practice📌 alongside observations and next step planning📌 as part of Ofsted preparation and curriculum discussions
Digital Download Information
📥 Instant digital download📄 135 professionally designed pages🖨 Suitable for home or professional printing📚 Ideal for binding into a reusable working document🚫 Individual licence only, not for redistribution or resale
Created by The Early Years Edit
Designed by a practicing childminder and former teacher, rooted in real life early years practice, inclusion, relationships and child led learning.
Because assessment should help us understand children, not distract us from them. 🌿
