Apparently this is not to be used as a rigid straitjacket:

Beverley Hughes, the minister for children, insisted that it was not a
"tick-box" curriculum and that she would be "horrified" if people used
it to mark babies on a grid from birth. "It is about getting people to
think sensibly about the needs of the children they work with," she
said.

Really?

The document, which has the force of law,

Force of law hmmm. Wonder what will happen to those who don’t follow it?

Parents using Steiner nurseries and others not complying with the more
formal approach to early-years education will lose state subsidy for
their three- and four-year-olds.

So, if you don’t use it then you’ll face competition from state subsidised people who do. Fairly powerful that.

The rules are here.

22-36 months

Take pleasure in personal hygiene.

Look! Look, I dunna poo poo! Anna wee!

Might I suggest that parents and nurseries across the land gather the evidence that their beloved young ones are indeed on course to meet their 36 month guidelines? The address is:

Beverley Hughes MP.

Department for Education and Skills
  Sanctuary Buildings
  Great Smith Street
  London
  SW1P 3BT