“I can’t have 30 chairs in EYFS!”
“EYFS children still need to play!”

Since the Writing Framework was released in July 2025, many schools have voiced worries that it signals the end of play and the beginning of more formal, table-based learning for our youngest children. The idea of filling an EYFS classroom with rows of tables and chairs understandably feels at odds with everything we know about early years practice.  And schools are right to question it, because the Writing Framework never suggests this. In fact, it makes the opposite point.

Play Is Not Optional. It’s Essential.

The guidance is clear about the importance of movement, exploration and intentional play. It states:

“This does not mean children should be sitting at a table for the rest of the day: it is important that there is sufficient opportunity for physical activity and, particularly in reception, intentional play.”

Writing in EYFS is rooted in play. Through play, children strengthen their bodies, develop fine motor skills, and engage in language-rich interactions. They hear vocabulary modelled naturally, experiment with sounds and meaning, and begin to build an instinctive understanding of how language works.  And the Framework reinforces this:

“Activities such as threading, playing with water, using tweezers, and cutting with scissors, can also be beneficial for handwriting… Even encouraging children to pick up gravel stones can reinforce their ability to use a tripod grip.”

Play builds the physical foundations of writing and the linguistic ones too. When children compose sentences out loud, test out new words, use tone and expression, and learn how to make themselves understood, they are preparing to be confident writers. As educators, we want children to fall in love with language. Play is where that begins.

“But we’re no longer allowed to use whiteboards…”

“Children need to sit at tables all day…”

Both statements are incorrect.  Whiteboards, post-it notes, chalk on the playground, sand trays, easels, clipboards in the construction area etc are all valid and encouraged as meaningful ways for early mark-making and writing. They allow children to experience the joy of combining thinking, talk and writing as a means of communication. So where has the misconception come from?  A single line in the Framework:

“From the beginning, seating pupils at a table for handwriting will best support them…”

Let’s look at what this really means.  During explicit handwriting instruction, children should be supported to:

• sit in a stable writing position
• use a surface that keeps paper still and flat
• rest their arms properly
• develop the correct pencil grip
• control strokes with precision

The easiest way to ensure this is at a table. That’s all the guidance is saying.  The Framework even clarifies that if schools continue using whiteboards and pens, the pen simply needs to be similar in size to a standard pencil so that young hands aren’t overwhelmed.

This doesn’t mean:

• children must write at tables all day
• whiteboards must be thrown away
• EYFS spaces should have rows of tables and chairs

It means that handwriting leassons need structure and the appropriate tools for pupils to succeed.

“Our phonics scheme uses whiteboards… does this mean children must sit at tables?”

Again, no. Phonics and handwriting although both teach letter formation, have different purposes and therefore different practices:

• In phonics: the focus is on learning the alphabetic code. Children write the grapheme so they can make a connection between a sound and its code. It’s about pace, recognition and recall. Whiteboards work perfectly for this. Letters are taught in an sequential order to allow pupils to access reading as quickly as possible.
• In handwriting lessons: children learn how letters are formed, sized and oriented. They practise starting points, finishing points and directional flow. Using letter families for the order will support with these points. Children are taught writing positions and correct pencil grip too. These skills need close modelling and a consistently stable writing position, which is why tables help.

The Framework is clear that these are two different things. Schools can absolutely continue using whiteboards during phonics lessons.

So… should we throw the whiteboards in the bin…absolutely not.  Should EYFS children sit at tables all day? Also no.  Tables make a difference during explicit handwriting lessons.
Play is essential for everything else: oral composition, language development, motor skills, creativity, problem-solving, confidence and everything else that comes with EYFS curriculum.  If anything, the Writing Framework reinforces what EYFS practitioners have always known:  Children learn best when explicit teaching sits alongside rich, purposeful play.