Review of Literature. Background and changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage. The Early Years Foundation Stage was first introduced in September 2008. The Early Years Foundation Stage was made compulsory for all Ofsted registered schools and early years settings providing care for children aged between birth and the end of the academic year in which the child turns five. The Early Years Foundation Phase has been developed to bring together all the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Phase. This includes birth in three matters and national standards for day care and childcare for children under eight. (DCSF, 2007) The introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage has been welcomed by both practitioners and children's families as it now gives families recognition of their education and shows how important the early years of a child's life are. The Early Years Foundation Stage is described by the Department for Children, Schools and Families as “a comprehensive framework that sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five”. (Palaiologou, page 3) While the Early Years Foundation Stage provides a well-developed framework to help promote children's development and to support practitioners and families in doing this, it has also been subject to close scrutiny in many areas, one of which is the required documentation. The Early Years Foundation Phase was further developed and a new revised version was implemented in September 2012. These changes were influenced by the 2011 Tickell review. The reforms aimed to: – Reduce bureaucracy Strengthen the partnership between practitioners and parents or guardians of children Focus on three main areas and four ... ... in the middle of the paper ... between the child and the practitioner, and the parent or guardian and the professional. It also states that practitioners should have a learning diary readily available to the child's parents to assist them in discussions about the child's development and progress. (Hutchin, 2013) This idea will help to promote communication between staff members and parents, however time constraints in settings such as an extracurricular club may prevent this from being possible due to parents picking up their children in the evening after work and I'm in a hurry to get home. This problem can be overcome by using forms of electronic communication such as emails, websites and social media pages. While this form of communication is effective in conveying information to the parent or caregiver, it is less personal and may seem generic. Leadership and management.