How local authorities should submit data from early years providers to complete the early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP) return.

In 2021, the early years foundation stage (EYFS) profile is not mandatory. Practitioners should use their best endeavours to complete it and provide the information to year 1 teachers and parents, if this is possible. Schools that complete the EYFS profile will not be subject to statutory external moderation.

There is no requirement to submit data to the local authority or to confirm whether you have completed it to the Department for Education.

The early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP) return is a statutory data collection of EYFSP assessments. Local authorities must complete statutory data collections by law unless there’s a good reason not to.

The EYFSP is an assessment of children’s development and learning at the end of the reception year.

To submit the EYFSP return, you must send assessments for all children getting early education at a state-funded early years setting, including:

  • settings that are part of a local-authority-maintained school
  • settings that are part of an academy or free school
  • all private, voluntary and independent organisations that offer education for children aged under 5, including nurseries and childminders

Early years settings are organisations that offer education for children aged under 5.

Important dates

Dates for the 2021 return:

  • collection opens: 1 June 2021
  • deadline for submitting data: 30 July 2021

Submit your data

You’ll need to:

  • register and log in with DfE Sign-in
  • use COLLECT to submit your data

Please contact your school or local authority approver, if:

  • you want to request a DfE Sign-in username or password so you can access COLLECT
  • EYFSP is not on the list of collections you can see in COLLECT

Get help using DfE Sign-in

If you do not know who your approver is, please use the DfE Sign-in request form.

If you’ve forgotten your password, use DfE Sign-in to reset it. You will need to click ‘Start now’ and then the ‘I’ve forgotten my password’ link.

Note that we’ll only be able to change the status of your data submission to ‘authorised’ once you’ve cleared all errors in the data in COLLECT.

Return documents

The following documents will help you complete the return:

Do you need help?

Submitting data

Please use the service request form if you have any questions about your data. We aim to answer your question within 5 working days.

Feedback

Please use the feedback form if you have any comments about our data collection service, including COLLECT and the helpdesk service.

Published 25 March 2014
Last updated 25 January 2021 + show all updates

  1. Added information about the early years foundation stage profile as it is no longer mandatory in 2021.

  2. Updated Important dates and added link to EYFSP return 2021: technical specification.

  3. Updated the deadline for submitting data.

  4. Updated page for 2020

  5. Added link to ‘Early years foundation stage profile return: guide’.

  6. Updated ‘Submit your data section’ and DfE Sign-in help links.

  7. Added link to 2019 technical specification and important dates for the 2019 return.

  8. Updated COLLECT link from secure access to DfE sign in.

  9. Added link to the ‘Early years foundation stage profile return: guide’ under ‘Return documents’.

  10. Changed the deadline for submitting data.

  11. Updated dates for the 2018 return and added the 2018 technical specification.

  12. Added link to 2017 EYFSP return guide

  13. Updated dates for the 2017 return and added the 2017 technical specification.

  14. Added a link to the provisional list of providers that local authotities need to check before the retrun opens on 6 June 2016.

  15. Added links to the 2016 local authority guide and COLLECT guide.

  16. Updated dates for the 2016 return and added the 2016 technical specification.

  17. Added ‘EYFSP return 2015: COLLECT guide’ link.

  18. Added a link to ‘Early years foundation stage profile return 2015: guide’.

  19. Updated the important dates for 2015. Added a link to the 2015 technical specification.

  20. Updated to include link to ‘EYFSP return 2014: guide’.

  21. Added a link to ‘EYFSP return 2014: COLLECT guide’.

  22. First published.

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