1. Countdown to EYFS profile 2013

2. The EYFS Profile How should we assess children in the meantime?
The EYFS Profile is the summative assessment which practitioners should complete during the summer term in which a child turns 5. It is not intended to be used for ongoing assessment, or, for example, for entry level assessment to early years setting or reception classes. The Government does not prescribe how ongoing assessment should be undertaken. An updated version of Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage was published alongside the EYFS in March 2012, which early years providers we hope will find useful in helping them to make judgements about ongoing monitoring and assessment of children, prior to undertaking the EYFS Profile
New FAQ’s
New Frequently Asked Questions
by 4Children Early Years Team  |  on September 14th, 2012  |  0 comments
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When will the EYFS Profile guidance be available?
 The Standards and Testing Agency (STA), an executive agency of the Department for Education, will be publishing the guidance for the new EYFS Profile this autumn. This will include new Profile Handbook, exemplification materials and guidance on moderation. The full suite of guidance was trialled over the summer with 19 local authorities and the Department is currently refining it in the light of feedback received. The guidance will be available from the Department’s website and also accessible via the Foundation Years website.  The Department will communicate widely to stakeholders when the guidance is available. There will also be an sent out to everyone who receives the foundation years newsletter alerting them to the publications.
How should we assess children in the meantime?
The EYFS Profile is the summative assessment which practitioners should complete during the summer term in which a child turns 5. It is not intended to be used for ongoing assessment, or, for example, for entry level assessment to early years setting or reception classes. The Government does not prescribe how ongoing assessment should be undertaken. An updated version of Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage was published alongside the EYFS in March 2012, which early years providers we hope will find useful in helping them to make judgements about ongoing monitoring and assessment of children, prior to undertaking the EYFS Profile.

3. Objectives Practitioners will:
Understand the assessment requirements within the revised EYFS
Consider ways to record assessments
Share materials for tracking progress

4. Assessment requirements
“Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs, and to plan activities and support.
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.
2.2 Assessment should not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children, nor require excessive paperwork. Paperwork should be limited to that which is absolutely necessary to promote children’s successful learning and development. Parents and/or carers should be kept up-to-date with their child’s progress and development. Practitioners should address any learning and development needs in partnership with parents and/or carers, and any relevant professionals. Notes include points in para 2.2

5. In their interactions with children, practitioners should respond to their own day-to-day observations about children’s progress, and observations that parents and carers share.”
Statutory framework p.10 para 2.1

6. Good assessment practice.....
Includes the child’s perspective and the views of those who know the child.
Is based on holistic observations of the child by adults who can tune into the variety of ways a child demonstrates knowledge skills and understanding.
Is accurate and reliable when based on child initiated/independent activity in a variety of contexts.
Need copies of learning journals
Ben’s profile
Contributors to this information – transition ??? Induction???
Ideas for including parents in contributing to children’s profiles – parent Wednesday?
Sharing ideas of strategies used.
Creating picture principles on quality assessment and recording

7. Good observational assessment will:
Make learning visible to enable
effective interpretation of the
child’s knowledge, skills and
understanding and inform
provision.
Enable tracking of children’s progress.
Support effective dialogue about learning with the child, parents, colleagues, senior managers.
Demonstrate how well the school is meeting needs and supporting attainment.
Creating the picture – ten principles for good quality assessment (Marie-Anne)
Principles for progress
***********COFFEE****************

8. Characteristics of effective learning
What are they....
Playing and exploring (engagement)
Active learning (motivation)
Creating and thinking critically (thinking)
How will they influence provision....
Threaded through entire curriculum
Requirements....
– short commentary to accompany
EYFSP passed on to Y1 teacher
Can use different assessment criteria e.g. engagement and involvement levels,
Schemas, starry night protocol
Thinking skills or Dispositiions and attitudes.
Include talk of approaches to teaching which foster Characteristics of effective learning eg mantle of the expert
Thinking skills and Assessment for learning supported by involving children and parents in creation of and dialogue about learning journey.
NEED to have a supply of ‘taster materials’ see below
Leuven scales – copies of criteria (Marie-Anne has a summary from Penn Green), Karen to find her example.
Possible link between motivation and schemas? Tapping into children’s cognitive explorations.
Activitiy – for practitioners to come up with own possiblities of ‘recording progress against the C of E L.
Leuven scales? How might these relate to the C of E L?
How might these be recorded and impact assessed and measured?

9. Quote from letter to children at an outstanding school
“You told us that you like school and we could see why, particularly when we saw the interesting lessons you have and the exciting activities you have outside. … Teaching is excellent and all the adults care about you a great deal and work hard on your behalf.
We could see that your attainment is above average and you make outstanding progress because teachers and teaching assistants keep a close eye on how well you are getting on.
Your head teacher and teachers provide excellent leadership and are always working hard to make your school such an exciting place to be.”
You told us that you like school and we could see why, particularly when we saw the interesting lessons you have and the exciting activities you have outside. We enjoyed visiting your Mother’s Day tea parties and your parents and carers told us how much they liked your school too. You told us that they best things about your school are the teachers and all the new outside opportunities. Teaching is excellent and all the adults care about you a great deal and work hard on your behalf.
We could see that your attainment is above average and you make outstanding progress because teachers and teaching assistants keep a close eye on how well you are getting on.
Your headteacher and teachers provide excellent leadership and are always working hard to make your school such an exciting place to be. I have asked them to do one thing to make your school even better:

10. Data!!!! Why collect data? What do you want it to show?
Examples - ways of collecting including target tracker.
Why data? discussion
What do you want it to show?
Ofsted expectations?
LA expectations??????? Need to have this agreed through discussion with Liz and Alison??? (see notes from Karen – Osfted an EYFS) on G drive
Flip chart discussion
Examples – Bens spreadsheet, Ruth’s tracking, paper tracking sheets and TT.

11. Tracking and demonstrating progress
Progress in EYFS will be judged as a cumulative result and impact of the following factors:
Outcomes at the end of EYFS in relation to the Early Learning Goals
End of EYFS profile data in relation to children’s starting points. This will be particularly important to determine accelerated progress of any individuals or groups of children including EAL, SEN, More Able, Boys etc
for those schools where children are aged three and four years old and move to primary school before any nationally comparable assessments are made, the judgement should be based on an evaluation of children’s learning and progress relative to their age and evidence of their starting points

12. Progress will also be based on…
Observations of lessons/sessions or other experiences and learning activities including that supported through the indoor and outdoor environments over time as a result of rich continuous provision and effective interaction and partnership from supportive adults.
Any evidence – material or anecdotal ie. learning Journeys, photographs, dialogue, parental comments and information etc.. will demonstrate progress and the quality of teaching and learning. This is particularly important for the lowest attaining children
Discussion with parents and other significant adults working with the children
Discussion with the children – ‘Explore and Explain’ Mantra from Nursery Class September 2012.
Children’s progress in EYFS in the last three years – noting trends in performance significantly above or below national, particularly for CLA, SEN, Boys etc..
the proportions meeting and exceeding expected progress from different starting points compared with national figures
Achievement and attainment are now seen as inextricably linked. Schools need to be able to show…see next slide
Explore and Explain – Bentfield PS - This is Aileen Smith who is lovely and attending on 18th September at Harlow. Will let her know are quoting her!

13. How schools are judged- achievement
Achievement has an increased focus on…
The proportions of children in comparison with national figures (yet to be released!) who, from each starting point,
Make expected progress
Make more than expected progress
Starting points from expected national / age related DMs to ELGs.