Assessment Queries in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Assessment Queries in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for schools

This document is aimed to draw practitioners’ attention to where they can find the answers to many of their questions around assessment in the EYFS, particularly in relation to the EYFS Profile and some questions a school Ofsted inspector may raise. It cannot be used as a substitute for reading the detailed guidance provided by the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Handbook or a detailed knowledge of the requirements of the Statutory Framework of the EYFS.

How do I make a ‘best-fit’ judgement?

Best fit judgements will be used to make summative assessments at key points in time, for example ‘on entry’ assessments and the end of year EYFS Profile.

‘Development Matters… might be used… as a guide to making best-fit judgements about whether a child is showing typical development for their age, may be at risk of delay or is ahead for their age.’ (Development Matters pg 4)

‘Children develop at their own rates, and in their own ways. The development statements and their order should not be taken as necessary steps for individual children. They should not be used as checklists. The age/stage bands overlap because these are not fixed age boundaries but suggest a typical range of development.’ (Development Matters pg 7 to 47)

‘The majority of evidence… will come from the practitioner’s knowledge of the child gained from observation of the child’s self-initiated activities.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 10)

‘Much evidence will be gleaned from day to day interactions with children as practitioners build up their knowledge of what children know and can do.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 10)

‘Accurate assessment will depend on contributions from a range of perspectives including the child’s.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 10)

‘Practitioners must consider the entirety of each ELG and avoid splitting the descriptor into sections and ticking them off when making the decision [as to whether the child’s learning is expected, emerging or exceeding]. To create the most accurate picture of the child’s overall learning a holistic view of the descriptor should be taken.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 11)

‘Because children do not necessarily achieve uniformly, the practitioner should judge whether the description within the ELG best fits the child’s learning and development, taking into account their relative strengths and weaknesses. “Best fit” does not mean the child has equal mastery of all aspects of the ELG. Practitioners should look to the whole of the ELG description when making this summative judgement.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 11)

How do I judge attainment on entry?

See Ofsted Subsidiary guidance: Supporting the inspection of maintained schools and academies from January 2013. no 110166

·  Inspectors should discuss with the school the proportions of children working within the age-related bands of ‘Development Matters’ when making a professional judgement about children’s attainment when they start school.

·  There are no national data for attainment on entry and no prescribed methods of assessing children when they start school.

·  Inspectors should avoid using the terms ‘average’ and ‘standards’ as there is no ‘national average’ for 3 and 4 year olds on entry to nursery and reception.

·  In Nursery: attainment on entry at age 3 – most (1) children will be competent within the Development Matters band 22-36 months and working within band 30-50 months. This may be referred to as the age related expectation at the beginning of nursery. If a substantial (2) proportion of children in nursery have not demonstrated competence in the 22-36 month age band then attainment on entry is below age-related expectations.

·  In Reception: attainment on entry at age 4 – most children are likely to demonstrate some of the skills, knowledge and understanding described by the development statements in the Development Matters band 40-60+ months, in addition to those in the preceding band for 30-50 months. This may be referred to as the age-related expectation at the beginning of reception. If a substantial proportion of children in reception have not demonstrated competence in the 30-50 month band then attainment on entry is below age related expectations. The statutory early learning goals establish national expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Reception Year.

·  Entry to Year 1: For children assessed on the EYFSP prior to September 2012, school data should be compared with national results, rather than local results to evaluate attainment and all six areas of learning should be taken into account. Check how many children score 6 in all of the PSED and CLL scales. This indicates children working at a good level of development. Then check the data against the proportion of children scoring 6 or more in each of the assessment scales. Results very close to the national figures are likely to be described as broadly average. If results in any area fall below, but not close to, national figures, it is unlikely that attainment would be judged to be above average.

1 ‘Most’ means the majority of or nearly all children. Ofsted’s definition of ‘most’ is 80–96%.

2 ‘Substantial proportion’ means more than the 20% that might be outside the definition of ‘most’.

What is considered a ‘Good Level of Development’ from 2013?

‘From 2013, children will be defined as having reached a good level of development at the end of the EYFS if they achieve at least the expected level in:

·  the early learning goals in the prime areas of learning (personal, social and emotional development; physical development; and communication and language) and;

·  the early learning goals in the specific areas of mathematics and literacy.’ http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/a0068102/early-years-foundation-stage-eyfs

What information do I use when making assessments of children on entry to Nursery or Reception?

·  Information from parents/ carers

·  Information from the previous provider

·  My Learning Journey materials which may have been passed on

·  Observations made of children while they are engaged in self-initiated play over the first few weeks of their time in nursery/reception

What are the ongoing assessment requirements for the EYFS?

‘Ongoing assessment (also known as formative assessment) is an integral part of the learning and development process. It involves practitioners observing children to understand their level of achievement, interests and learning styles, and to then shape learning experiences for each child reflecting those observations.’ (Statutory Framework 2.1)

‘The Government does not prescribe how ongoing assessment should be undertaken. Early Years providers will find… (Development Matters)… useful in helping them to make judgements about the ongoing monitoring and assessment of children, prior to undertaking the EYFS Profile.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 5)

‘The EYFS Profile is not intended to be used for ongoing assessment or for entry level assessment for Early Years settings or Reception classes.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 5)

What evidence and documentation is required?

‘Practitioners should build their knowledge of what each child knows and can do over the course of the year, so that they can make an accurate end of year judgement. Settings may choose to record children’s learning in any way which suits their purposes.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 12)

‘There is no requirement that it should be formally recorded or documented; the extent to which the practitioner chooses to record information will depend on individual preference. Paperwork should be kept to the minimum that practitioners require to illustrate, support and recall their knowledge of the child’s attainment.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 12)

‘Practitioners may include the following to support their judgements:

·  knowledge of the child;

·  materials which illustrate the child’s learning journey, such as photographs;

·  observations of day to day interactions;

·  video/tape/electronic recordings;

·  the child’s view of his or her own learning;

·  information from parents and carers; and

·  information from other relevant adults.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 13)

Further considerations when deciding what to record could include how you will:

·  share significant moments with children and involved adults

·  provide examples for children to reflect on their own learning

·  aid practitioner’s memory

·  reflect on a child’s development over time

·  identify concerns in order to plan the earliest intervention

How do I gather a range of perspectives in the assessment process?

‘Practitioners should involve children fully in their own assessment by encouraging them to communicate about and review their own learning. Assessment should build on the insights of all adults who have significant interactions with the child. Adults with different roles will have different insights.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 10)

‘Accurate assessment requires a two-way flow of information between setting(s) and home. Reviews of the child’s achievements should include those demonstrated at home, as assessment without the parents’ contribution provides an incomplete picture of a child’s learning and development.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 11)

How do I measure progress through the EYFS?

‘Measuring progress involves comparing assessments of a child’s attainment at different points in time to determine whether that child has made gains in learning and development.’ (EYFSP Handbook Glossary pg49)

Your judgement should be based upon an evaluation of children’s learning and progress relative to their age and evidence of their starting points. It is important to refer to Development Matters where it states ‘Children develop at their own rates and in their own ways’.

‘The EYFS Profile is not intended to be used for ongoing assessment or for entry level assessment for Early Years settings or Reception classes.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 5)

It is possible to use the information within the Suffolk County Council My Learning Journey tracker sheets to create cohort/class monitoring sheets to show progress over shorter periods. Settings can look for ‘On entry data’ and ‘Monitoring Progress’ meetings on CPD Online.

Ofsted state that ‘Children’s progress should not be viewed as a ‘race to the goals’. For further guidance see sections 26, 27 and 28 of Conducting Early Years Inspections – Guidance for inspecting registered early years provision required to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. July 2012

‘Where children make progress from age-related expectations at the beginning of nursery, to age-related expectations at the beginning of reception and the end of reception (where levels of development can be compared with Early Years Foundation Stage Profile national figures) this is likely to represent expected progress during the Early Years Foundation Stage. Note that these bands overlap and children will not necessarily progress sequentially through each statement within them. It is important that inspectors take account of how children learn, their development in relation to their starting points and capabilities together with the proportions that make and exceed the progress expected. For example, children who meet all the Early Learning Goals but who started at a lower level of development than is typical for their age might be said to be making outstanding progress. However, for a child starting school at a higher level of development this might not be enough progress. Inspectors should consider how well prepared children are for the next stage in their education.’ Section 14: Ofsted Subsidiary Guidance -Supporting the inspection of maintained schools and academies. January 2013

What are the principles of EYFS Profile assessments?

‘Reliable and accurate assessment at the end of the EYFS is underpinned by the following principles:

·  Reliable and accurate assessment is based primarily on the practitioner’s knowledge of the child gained predominantly from observation and interaction in a range of daily activities and events.

·  Responsible pedagogy must be in place so that the provision enables each child to demonstrate their learning and development fully.

·  Embedded learning is identified by assessing what a child can do consistently and independently in a range of everyday situations.

·  An effective assessment presents a holistic view of a child’s learning and development.

·  Accurate assessments take account of contributions from a range of perspectives including the child, their parents and other relevant adults.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 8)

What is ‘responsible pedagogy’?

‘Responsible pedagogy must be in place so that the provision enables each child to demonstrate their learning and development fully.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 8)

‘It depends on the use of assessment information to plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child. Effective assessment can only take place when children have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding, learning and development in a range of contexts.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 9)

‘Children must have access to a rich learning environment which provides them with the opportunities and conditions in which to flourish in all aspects of their development. It should provide balance across the areas of learning. Integral to this is an ethos which respects each child as an individual and which values children’s efforts, interests and purposes as instrumental to successful learning.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 9)

Why is it important to observe children engaged in child initiated activity?

‘Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.’ (Statutory Framework 1.9)

‘Accurate assessment… depends on observing learning which children have initiated rather than only focussing on what they do when prompted.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 10)

‘A child’s embedded learning and secure development are demonstrated without the need for overt adult support. Where learning is secure it is likely that children often initiate the use of that learning. Judgements about this are made through observing behaviour that a child demonstrates consistently and independently in a range of situations… Skilful interactions with adults, and learning which is supported by them, are necessary on the journey to embedding skills and knowledge.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 10)

‘Practitioners must be alert to the general diversity of children’s interests, needs and inclinations. For instance, there may be children who are at an earlier stage of development than others in the cohort; some may have summer birthdays. These children and others may be highly active and more likely to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do in situations which are sympathetic to this inclination, often outdoors. Practitioners should reflect on their observations and ensure that the provision enables all children, regardless of their stage of development or interests, needs and inclinations, to demonstrate attainment in ways that are motivating to them.’ (EYFSP Handbook pg 16)