ECaT Audit Part 3

Early Language Lead Practitioner audit of language provision within setting:

Enabling Environments

3.1 Observation, Assessment and Planning / Examples of evidence / Evidence identified / What is successful and why? / What improvements are needed?
Continuing professional development needed?
Does planning promote a balanced approach of adult-directed and freely
chosen activities?
How do you ensure
that your planning includes:
• EYFS Principles?
• flexibility to respond to spontaneous events (such as snowfall)?
• daily observations and analysis?
• regular update of learning records?
• opportunities to record parents’ views
and contributions? / Continuous provision planning
Routine/ongoing planning
Planning for focus activities/experiences
Individual learning diaries
3.2 Supporting Every Child
3.3 The Learning Environment / Examples of evidence / Evidence identified / What is successful and why? / What improvements are needed?
Continuing professional development needed?
Does the setting provide learning environments (indoors and outdoors) which support children’s
speech, language and communication
development and include:
  • resources that are
available for free play and easily reached by the children or easily within their line of vision?
  • equipment that is
available in boxes
clearly labelled with a picture or symbol?
  • an environment with
well-defined areas?
  • quiet areas or areas
used for story time
that are less visually distracting?
  • outdoor play with
imaginative role play
some of the time? / VSSR term 1 learning environment audit
Observation of practice – peer on peer observation of practice
Video/photographic evidence
Planning
Observations – ie tracking observations
Staff meeting minutes/discussions
Views of practitioners, parents, children
3.4 The Wider Context / Examples of evidence / Evidence identified / What is successful and why? / What improvements are needed?
Continuing professional development needed?
Describe the systems that the setting has
in place to share information with:
  • other settings that a
child may also be
attending
  • parents/carers
  • other professionals
working with the child and family
  • settings that a child
will transfer to / Long term plans
Children’s individual learning diaries
Records of multi-agency meetings and team around the child meetings etc.
Evidence of collaborative working/projects/materials
Individual play plans
Home/setting liason records
Communication passports – ‘All about me’ information
‘And so to school’ forms / transfer records

Learning and Development

4.1 Play and Exploration / Examples of evidence / Evidence identified / What is successful and why? / What improvements are needed?
Continuing professional development needed?
Do practitioners regularly provide play activities to support children’s
speech, language and communication
development by providing
opportunities to:
  • extend and develop
play through stimulating resources?
  • observe play and listen
carefully before intervening?
  • read and re-read
favourite stories
to children?
  • make time to say
rhymes as well as
sing with groups of children?
  • frequently support
songs and stories
with actions, objects or puppets?
  • use appropriate
methods to introduce
new concepts and vocabulary?
  • repeat and reinforce new vocabulary?
  • link children’s spoken
language with
written language?
  • give regular support to
those who struggle to understand, and check
children have understood instructions?
  • accept non-verbal
communication as
well as verbal?
  • ensure that all children
(including the least verbal or non-verbal) have a turn
at expressing themselves in a group? / Planned observation of practice (including peer on peer observation)
4.2 Active Learning
4.3 Creative and Critical Thinking
4.4 Areas of Learning and Development / Examples of evidence / Evidence identified / What is successful and why? / What improvements are needed?
Continuing professional development needed?
Describe how practitioners identify and create plans for learning related to each child which:
  • allow children some
control over their learning
  • help them feel secure
and confident
  • generate realistic aims
and objectives
  • recognise that each
child’s learning journey and needs are unique
  • ensure parents’ views
are included
  • ensure that aspects of
the six Areas of Learning and Development are included / Learning diaries including children’s and parent’s voices are represented
Individual Play Plans
Team around the child meetings
Planning