Clarification on child observation age range for Unit R059
10 July 2025
Cambridge National in Child Development J809
Following feedback from teachers, we would like to clarify the age of children being observed for Unit R059: Understand the development of a child from one to five years.
If the assignment says to observe a child ‘aged 2–3’, this means the child observed could be a 2-year-old or a 3-year-old. The same applies for a child ‘aged 3–4’; the child observed could be a 3-year-old or a 4-year-old, and so on.
The age range in the assignment changes each year and the age of the child being observed should reflect the live assignment you are working with. There is no change to our guidance on how the observation takes place.
We hope this clarification makes observing a child more accessible for students. You can read more in our FAQs.
Please note, we’ve not made any changes to the assessment guidance in the specification or to the wording of the assignment, tasks or criteria. You can continue to teach and assess in your normal way.
If you have any queries about this update, please call our Customer Support Centre on 01223 553998 or email support@ocr.org.uk.
Qualification