CCLD 303

Outcome: 303.3
Factsheet - Birth to Three Matters (England and Wales)

Birth to Three Matters is a ‘Framework to Support Children in their Earliest Years’

produced by Sure Start (Department for Education and Skills) in 2002. It is a milestone in
recognising and valuing practitioners who work with children under three years of age.

It is important that the framework is considered within the context of the National
Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding (DFES 2001) together with the
Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (DFES/QCA 2001). The framework is not a
curriculum

The purpose of the Framework is to provide support, information, guidance and challenge
to early years practitioners working with children aged from birth to 3 years of age.

The Framework:
• Values and celebrates babies and children.
• Recognises their individuality, efforts and achievements
• Recognises that all children have from birth a need to develop, learning through
interaction with people and exploration of the world around them. For some children
this development may be at risk because of difficulties with communication and
interaction, cognition and learning, behavioural, emotional and social development
or sensory and physical development.
• Recognises the 'holistic' nature of development and learning.
• Acknowledges, values and supports the adults that work with babies and young
children.
• Provides opportunities for reflection on practice.
• Informs and develops practice whilst acknowledging that working with babies and
children is a complex, challenging and demanding task and that often there are no
easy answers.

The Framework takes as its focus The Child and steers away from subjects, specific areas
of experience and curriculum headings.

The Framework focuses on 4 Aspects

• A Strong Child
• A Skilful Communicator
• A Competent Learner
• A Healthy Child

MACTAC © 2007
Each Aspect is broken down into 4 Components

Aspect Component Component Component Component

A Strong Child Me, Myself and I Being Developing A Sense of
Acknowledged Self- Assurance Belonging
and Affirmed
A Skilful Being Together Finding a Voice Listening and Making Meaning
Communicator Responding
A Competent Making Being Being Creative Representing
Learner Connections Imaginative
A Healthy Child Emotional Growing and Keeping Safe Healthy Choices
Well-being Developing

The Framework uses headings to describe children at four developmental stages;

Four Broad Areas of development are;

Heads Up, Lookers Sitters, Standers Movers, Shakers Walkers, Talkers

& Communicators and Explores and Players and Pretenders
(0-8 months) (8-18 months) (18-24 months) (24-36 months)
During the first eight During the period From eighteen From twenty four to
months, young from eight to months to twenty- thirty six months,
babies react to eighteen months, four months young children’s
people and babies’ exploration children begin to competence at
situations with their of their environment show increasing moving, talking and
whole bodies. They becomes more independence and pretending is more
are also competent intentional. obvious pleasure in evident and they
in observing and Increasing mobility moving, show increasing
responding to their and language communicating and confidence in them
immediate development enable learning through selves and skill in
environment and them to find out and play. making
communicating with understand more relationships.
those around them about their world.

The Developmental Stages described in the Framework relate to significant shifts in

children’s growing and changing capacities to become social beings who are Healthy, Self
Aware, Skilful Communicators and Competent Learners.

The Framework is intended to use with all children including those with a special
educational need or disability. It is therefore, an 'entitlement curriculum', a range of
educational experience to which special needs children have as much right as other
children.

The Framework aims to improve, refine and enhance children's opportunities for
developmentally appropriate provision.

Birth to Three Matters is a milestone in government intervention in the area of childcare.

MACTAC © 2007