Download Assessment in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) FAQs and more Schemes and Mind Maps Advanced Education in PDF only on Docsity!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about
assessment in the Early Years Foundation
Stage (EYFS)
Contents Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) ........ 1
Assessing childrenâs progress ................................................................................................................. 2 Do I need to print a copy of Development Matters statements out for every child? ........................ 2 I am making âbest fitâ judgements for the childâs age and stage of development, but some monitoring tools divide the stage into three bands (emerging, strengthening, secure). How do I decide where a child is within these three bands? ............................................................................ 2 How do I show progress when I child stays within one band for a long time? .................................. 3 I have a child who is secure in 8-20 months, but emerging in 16-26 months, which stage do I put them into? .......................................................................................................................................... 3 I have some children who are working within the Early Learning Goals, how do I show their achievements using the tool? ............................................................................................................. 3 I also have a child who has Downâs Syndrome and is using an Early Support Developmental Journal specifically for his condition. This Learning Journal is not like the others?........................................ 3 Learning journals .................................................................................................................................... 3 What records of childrenâs attainment do I need to record in the Learning Journal? ....................... 3 How do we involve parents in using the Learning Journal? ............................................................... 4 Do I need to get parents to comment on the Next Steps plans? ....................................................... 4 Should we use the âCharacteristics of Effective Learningâ box in the Next Steps Plans to reflect on how the child is currently demonstrating these or to plan for how to further support and develop them? .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Do all settings, including childminders, have to complete the Group Progress Review? .................. 5 Two-year-old progress checks ................................................................................................................ 5 Can I have further guidance on what should be included in the 2 Year Progress Review? ............... 5 If a child does not attend a setting or access provision until they are 3 years old will there still be a requirement for the progress check to be completed for them? ...................................................... 5 School Readiness Integrated Reviews .................................................................................................... 6 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) ......................................................................................... 6 Where can I find information about the new Early Years Foundation Stage Profile?........................ 6
Assessing childrenâs progress
Do I need to print a copy of Development Matters statements out for every child?
No. The EYFS clearly states that the statements should not be used as a checklist and they are a guide to the types of things that children might be doing at particular ages and stages of development. It is your professional judgement on the âbest fitâ for each child and whether or not a child is working at an age- expected level that is central to monitoring their progress, through the Individual Progress Review sheet. For further information please refer to Learning Journal: Guidance Notes.
I am making âbest fitâ judgements for the childâs age and stage of development, but some monitoring tools divide the stage into three bands (emerging, strengthening, secure). How do I decide where a child is within these three bands?
The statements contained within the EYFS are not to be used as a checklist. They provide a few statements illustrating some of the things that a child may be doing at this particular stage as guidance to support practitioners making their judgements on childrenâs stage of development.
Many practitioners will want to record a âbest fitâ judgement and record the progress children make through the next steps plans and review in the Learning Journal.
Some settings may wish to be able to show the steps children make in development whilst still in one band as the best fit. The guidance below may provide more clarity for settings when making these decisions.
- Emerging (.1) - When this is the best fit stage for a child but there are elements where the child is still working in the stage below.
- (^) Strengthening (.2) - When this is the best fit stage for a child, they are becoming very confident at this level but have not yet begun to move into the next stage.
- Secure (.3) - When this is the best fit stage for a child, they are confident at this level and you are starting look to the next stage to plan their next steps.
It is not appropriate to use these statements in relation to the number of statements the child has achieved within each stage. These bands do not relate to the number of times that a child has been recorded within this stage of development.
of childrenâs recorded work can support your assessments and create a celebration of childrenâs achievements to share with the child and their family. For further information please refer to Learning Journal: Guidance Notes pages.
How do we involve parents in using the Learning Journal?
Practitioners using the Learning Journal have a good opportunity for engaging with families by sharing the records they keep and encouraging parents to contribute their views. This can be done by encouraging parents to share news, photos and updates on their childâs interests and new skills that they attain. It is important to work with parents in genuine partnership to support childrenâs learning and development. Practitioners should share their views about the child and listen to the parentsâ views and then work together to plan for the childâs next steps. Ideally this is done through discussion with parents, but practitioners will need to understand the needs of the families and find the most appropriate way to communicate with them on a regular basis.
Do I need to get parents to comment on the Next Steps plans?
Parental involvement in learning is essential to supporting childrenâs progress and outcomes. Ideally, practitioners would meet with the parents and plan next steps together but, however information is shared, it is important that parents are aware of your assessment of their childâs progress and how you are continuing to support their learning, as well as what they can do to support their child at home. The Next Steps Plans can be used as a tool to keep as a record of these discussions. For further information please refer to Learning Journal: Guidance Notes pages.
Should we use the âCharacteristics of Effective Learningâ box in the Next Steps Plans to reflect on how the child is currently demonstrating these or to plan for how to further support and develop them?
Comments within this box should reflect how children currently engage with learning opportunities throughout the setting. As the Characteristics of Effective Learning are not progressive, practitioners should reflect on how the wider experiences on offer every day and their own interactions support children to demonstrate and further develop these Characteristics.
For example, it is not possible to plan for a child to become more motivated (as this is an inherent trait in all children). However, it is possible to ensure that experiences are open-ended and relate to a childâs interests which will allow them to demonstrate their motivation.
Recording information about the Characteristics of Effective Learning is helpful to show how an individual child learns in addition to what they are learning. Supporting children using their learning styles is important to enable them to be life-long motivated learners and reflects the importance of the learning process over the outcomes of learning.
Do all settings, including childminders, have to complete the Group Progress Review?
It is important that settings have an overview of the progress of children within their setting so that they can monitor progress of individuals and specific groups of children. Reviewing the overall progress of children within the setting can help to identify strengths and areas where practice can be developed to improve outcomes for children.
All formats within the Learning Journal are recommendations made by WSCC and fulfil the assessment requirements set out within the EYFS. However, as stated within the Early Assessment Guidance, you are free to select processes that meet your specific requirements. It is important for individual providers to determine whether this format or another process will enable them to most effectively identify and reflect on the progress of a range of children within the setting.
Two-year-old progress checks
Can I have further guidance on what should be included in the 2 Year Progress Review?
Refer to our website for full information.
If a child does not attend a setting or access provision until they are 3 years old will there still be a requirement for the progress check to be completed for them?
Practitioners are expected to regularly update information about childrenâs progress in whatever form they keep these records. The requirement to complete a 24-36 month progress check only falls upon settings when children are attending an early years setting at the age of two.
The two year integrated review is an opportunity, for children aged between 24 and 30 months, to share information with the family and a Healthy Child Programme practitioner to celebrate a childâs progress and to identify any potential delays in childrenâs development. For two year olds not receiving an integrated review, setting should complete their two year assessment and share it with the childâs family. This assessment can be shared, by the family, with the Healthy Child Programme practitioner.
If a child does not access a setting until after their third birthday, there will be no requirement for a progress check to take place, but practitioners should still monitor childrenâs progress and liaise with other professionals where appropriate â particularly if they have concerns about a childâs development.
