What is ‘Good Level of Development’?
A ‘Good Level of Development’, or GLD, is a performance measure used by the Department for Education to monitor the achievement of Reception children.
To achieve a GLD, children are expected to reach the Early Learning Goal across 12 separate areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile.
How can I help at home?
Early Learning Goal – Communication & Language
- Play a treasure hunt game where your child needs to listen to instructions
- Use adventurous vocabulary with your child and help them to understand what it means
- Ask your child questions when reading stories to them – give them time to make predictions and explain their ideas
- Encourage your child to speak in full sentences
Early Learning Goal – Physical Development
- Mark make outside with chalk or water
- Encourage your child to use the climbing equipment at the park
- Do lots of activites such as threading, playdough, using tweezers, building with LEGO and using stencils to develop strength in your child’s hands
- Use scissors to snip and cut paper
Early Learning Goal – Personal, Social & Emotional Development
- Help your child to understand that sometimes they must wait for their turn
- Play games that encourage turn taking
- Help them to become a problem solver
- Encourage your child to dress independently, even if it takes them a while at first
- Help them to think of ways to regulate their behaviour and emotions, for example, deep breathing or counting to 10
Early Learning Goal – Literacy
- Encourage them to re-tell stories in their own words or in role play
- Praise them when they use new, ambitious vocabulary
- Give them opportunities to write for a purpose, e.g. a shopping list, cards and letters
Early Learning Goal – Mathmatics
- Play counting games – how many dogs can you see?
- When setting the table, ask ‘how many more spoons do we need?’
- Play card and board games that involve number questions
- Encourage them to recognise numbers in the environment, for example door numbers or bus numbers
Top tips!
Many ELGs are language based so get talking and encourage questions. Each ELG is based on a range of evidence over tome – you can contribute to this too!
You will receive a written report at the end of the school year letting you know which of the ELGs your child has met and if they have achieved a GLD.
GLD in 2026
Our GLD in 2026 was 54%.
🌟 Strengths
Several EYFS curriculum areas remain strong:
✅ Communication & Language
- Listening, Attention & Understanding: 88% (National 81%)
- Speaking: 88% (National 82%)
✅ Physical Development
- Gross Motor Skills: 100% (National 90%)
✅ Mathematics
- Number: 83% (National 77%)
These areas demonstrate consistently effective provision in our Early Years provision.
⚠️ Areas for Development
The areas we will be focussing on this year are:
- 📖 Word Reading – 67% (National 75%)
- ✍️ Writing – 67% (National 71%)
- 🌍 Understanding the World
- Past & Present: 71% (National 81%)
- People, Culture & Communities: 63% (National 80%)
