1. March/ April 2014 Gerry Flaherty, Margaret Gun and Kathryn McChrystal
Using SIMs to Track Progress Through EYFS in Schools
March/ April 2014
Gerry Flaherty, Margaret Gun and
Kathryn McChrystal

2. House Keeping
Start the evaluation sheet. Give out Development Matters to refer to

3. Objectives
To explore the purpose of tracking children’s progress in EYFS in schools in relation to EYFS and Ofsted expectations
How to use the SIMs Salford Tracker.

4. Key Documents Ofsted School Inspection Handbook September 2013
Subsidiary Guidance Ref September v3
Statutory Framework for the EYFS
DfE Early Years Outcomes September 2013 (EY Outcomes)
EYFSP Handbook 2014 STA
Development matters can help practitioners to support children’s learning and development, by closely matching what they provide to a child’s current needs.

5. As with other key stages, the evaluation of the achievement of an individual child or a cohort in EYFS is based on consideration of their attainment and progress.
Attainment can be evaluated in relation to ‘typical development age bands’ as described in DfE Early Years Outcomes. This document supports ongoing assessment (or formative assessment) of pupils in the EYFS. The Early Years Outcomes document includes age-band descriptors for 0-11 months, 8-20 months, months, months, months and months. (The descriptors are the same as listed under the unique child statements in Development Matters).

6. • Observe children as they act and interact in their play, everyday activities and planned activities, and learn from parents about what
On-going formative assessment is at the heart of effective early years practice. Practitioners can:
the child does at home (observation).
• Consider the examples of development in the columns headed ‘Unique Child: observing what children can do’ to help identify where the child may be in their own developmental pathway (assessment).
• Consider ways to support the child to strengthen and deepen their current learning and development, reflecting on guidance in columns headed ‘Positive Relationships’ and ‘Enabling Environments’
(planning). These columns contain some examples of what practitioners might do to support learning. Practitioners will develop many other approaches in response to the children with whom they work.
• Where appropriate, use the development statements to identify possible areas in which to challenge and extend the child’s current learning and development (planning).
This way of teaching is particularly appropriate to support learning in early years
settings.
Summative assessment
The EYFS requires early years practitioners to review children’s progress and share a summary with parents at two points:
• in the prime areas between the ages of 24 and 36 months
• and at the end of the EYFS in the EYFS Profile. Development Matters might be used by early years settings throughout the EYFS 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. Summative assessment supports information sharing

7. Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP)
At the end of the Reception Year summative judgements must be made using the statutory EYFS Profile (EYFSP). These are the attainment outcomes that are submitted to the DfE via the local authority (LA) to compile the national data against which schools are benchmarked.

8. Evaluating Progress through the EYOs
When evaluating progress it is still helpful to consider three steps in each of the Early Years Outcomes typical development age bands. In Salford we advise practitioners to assess whether pupils are just within into the band, working within within the band, or secure the band. (These terms are explained further later)

9. The Key is Progress not attainment
Progress must always be measured from the child’s individual starting point. It is possible that a child with high attainment may not have made the expected amount of progress. Conversely a child may have made good progress whilst their development is still typical of a band lower than their age.

10. Is the child just within (J), working within (W) or secure (S) within an age-band?
We advise practitioners to consider:
Is the child demonstrating a few / some of the elements of this band (having shown competence in the previous band)?
- If the answer is yes, this child is just within.
- If competence in the previous band has not been demonstrated the child is secure in the previous band even if they show some elements of the next.
Is the child demonstrating many of the elements of this band? If the answer is yes, this child is working within.
Is the child demonstrating most of the elements of this band?
- If the answer is yes, this child is secure.

11. Remember every child is Unique
It must be remembered that children do not all progress in the same way – there is no set order or pattern in which different skills will be acquired. Therefore, children might sometimes be showing elements across different age-bands. Judgements made using the Early Years Outcomes age-band criteria will always, therefore, be a ‘best fit’, looking at the range of skills children are demonstrating. Evidence from a higher band must not over-ride evidence of significant gaps from the previous band. So, for example, even if a child demonstrates some elements of the band, if there are significant gaps in the band the child can, at best, be described as secure at not just within
As stated in the EY Outcomes document on page 3, ‘best fit’ principles should be applied to make the judgement about whether a child is showing typical development for their age, may be at risk of delay or is ahead for their age.
The importance of home learning
The quality of the home learning environment (activities with children providing learning opportunities e.g. teaching songs and nursery rhymes) promoted intellectual and social development in all children.
Although parent’s social class and levels of education were related to child outcomes, the home learning environment was more important. The effects of a good quality home learning environment persist at age 7. The home learning environment is only moderately associated with social class. What parents do is more important than
who they are. There is evidence that overall parenting styles vary for girls and boys. Parents were more likely to engage in specific kinds of learning activities with girls.

12. Attainment on Entry to the EYFS
Ofsted Subsidiary guidance September 2013v3 says: p8 Para 17
‘There is no national data for attainment on entry to nursery and reception and no prescribed methods of assessing children when they start school. The age bands describe the ‘typical development’ for children at that age but schools do not have to use these and may have other ways of assessing………..’

13. ….. However
School leaders should be able to discuss how they measure children’s starting points and the proportions of children that demonstrate development that is typical for their age.
The ‘typical age band on entry for
Nursery will be months
Reception will be months
Opportunity to share with parents

14. Identifying starting points
Ofsted Subsidiary guidance September 2013v3 Para 18:
Schools should have clear systems to:
Make an assessment of children's starting points (baseline)
Plan next steps that challenge children sufficiently
Track the progress of individuals, groups of children and cohorts across the EYFS and into KS1
Identify how much progress is made by individuals as well as groups of children and the cohort

15. Most children’s journey, at age related expectations, will be:
From - Entry to Nursery just within
Exit (June-July) secure / just within
(Taking into account age and time in school)
Entry to Reception (September) just within
Exit ELGs - EYFSP-Expected level

16. Assessing Cohort Progress in the EYFS
Ofsted Subsidiary guidance September 2013 v3 p10 Para 29
‘consider the proportions that have made typical or better progress taking account of staggered entry, attendance and the length of time children have been at the school’
‘consider the achievement of different groups especially those who are vulnerable to underachievement’

17. Typical Progress in the EYFS
Ofsted Subsidiary guidance September 2013 v3 p11 Para 30
‘Where children progress steadily against what is a typical level of development for their age, they can be said to have made typical progress’
However
If children start at a lower level of development and meet all the ELGs they may be said to be making rapid progress
If a child starts at a higher level of development and meets all the ELGs but exceeds none of them this unlikely to be enough progress
Let them choose an area

18. Progress measures from the end of Reception
Ofsted Subsidiary guidance September 2013 v3 p11 para31
ELGs do not translate precisely to NC levels
However……
‘Children who reach a good level of development at the end of Reception ought to be reaching at least Level 2b by the end of KS1’
‘Children exceeding the ELGs ought to be reaching Level 2a as a minimum but more likely Level 3’

19. On what basis might you evaluate cohort achievement as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’?
There are no national data for progress across EYFS. However the Ofsted expectation is that most pupils will make expected progress in EYFS. The current Ofsted Handbook (September 2013 update) states:
Good achievement – “From each different starting point, the proportions of pupils making expected progress, and the proportions exceeding expected progress are close to or above national figures.”
Outstanding achievement – “From each different starting point, the proportions of pupils making expected progress, and the proportions exceeding expected progress are high compared with national figures.”