Development Matters

This document is a non-statutory guide to support practitioners and inspectors to help in their understanding of child development through the early years. It can be used by childminders, nurseries and others, such as OFSTED, throughout the early years as a guide to making best-fit judgements about whether a child is showing typical development for their age, may be at risk of delay or is ahead for their age. It is a guide to a typical development while recognising that children develop at their own rates and in their own ways.