Embedded Files
These exemplification materials have been created to support practitioners when making Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) judgements for each of the 17 areas of Learning and Development. EYFSP judgements are to be based on a ‘best fit’ model, using practitioner knowledge of each child, as to whether they are independently and consistently applying their learnt knowledge in a variety of situations. Practitioners will use this information to assess if a child is ‘meeting’ or ‘not meeting’ the expected level of development by the end of the reception year.
The Department for Education (DfE) have produced a selection of case study videos (Early Years Foundation Stage: Exemplification materials - Case Study 1 - Bing video) in which practitioners are engaging in professional conversations about children, to help support making accurate EYFSP judgements.
These resources are intended to offer further support, by using annotated examples of what the Early Learning Goals may look like ‘in action’, across all 17 areas of Learning and Development. Children have been observed independently applying their learning, in a range of contexts, across the whole curriculum. The ‘key evidence’ has been highlighted in red, which then directly links to each ELG to make the examples explicit and clear. In addition, the enclosed exemplification captures a range of children for each area, rather than a single case study. This was purposefully considered due to the new guidance highlighting a reduction of the ‘physical evidence’ required for each child when assessing against the 17 Early Learning Goals.
Changes to the EYFSP following the EYFS reforms
Extract from: EYFS supporting information for case study videos (publishing.service.gov.uk)
One of the main aims of the EYFS reforms was to reset the approach to making EYFS assessments.
This included:
Cementing the EYFSP as a short and ‘low stakes’ assessment carried out at the end of the reception year to support children’s successful transition into year 1 and enable teachers to carefully plan ‘next steps’ in learning, whilst also sharing important information with parents and carers. These assessments should inform year 1 teachers about each child’s stage of learning and development, whilst also helping them to plan for the year 1 curriculum ensuring ALL learning needs are met.
Making all 17 Early Learning Goals (ELGs) that make up the EYFSP clearer, more specific and easier for teachers to make accurate and consistent judgements against.
Strengthening the important message that practitioners should not record physical evidence as proof of a child’s level of development. Instead, practitioner judgements should be based on whether a child has learnt what has been taught and if that can then be applied independently and consistently.
Assessing against the new ELGs
Following the EYFS reforms, teachers are no longer required to assess whether or not a child is ‘exceeding’ the ELGs. Instead, practitioners should decide whether each ELG description ‘best fits’ the child’s learning and development and decide whether a child is ‘meeting’ or ‘not yet meeting’ the expected level of development by the end of the reception year. This process does not require the ongoing tracking of progress towards each ELG or recording judgements throughout the academic year.
The best-fit model requires practitioners to consider the whole of each ELG description when making judgements. ‘Best fit’ does not mean that the child has equal mastery of all aspects of the ELG. Practitioners should not ‘tick off’ the bullet points, but should use their professional judgement to determine whether each ELG in its totality ‘best fits’ the child’s learning and development.
Moderation
Following the EYFS reforms, external local authority moderation of the EYFSP is no longer statutory. Local authorities must ensure that a full and complete set of data is submitted to the Department for Education (DfE) in each area of learning, however local authorities are not required to ensure the accuracy of practitioners professional judgement. It is for individual schools to decide their own approach to moderation of EYFS profile assessments. Moderation should be a collaborative process with fellow practitioners, for example discussing what they know about a sample of children’s development with other EYFS practitioners or year 1 teachers. This does not require collecting or recording unnecessary evidence or tracking children against the ELGs throughout the academic year.
Use of EYFSP data
The purpose of the EYFSP is to form a professional dialogue between Reception and Year 1 teachers about an individual child. It is also intended to inform parents of their own child’s development. Leaders should not use the EYFSP as an accountability measure for schools, or for teachers and it should not be used to provide a baseline for progress measures. Schools will not be held to account on their EYFSP data by Ofsted. At national level, the EYFSP dataset will continue to give an overall picture of development areas and needs.
This guidance has been written by;
Erica Mason (Headteacher at Whitefield Infant School)
Jenny Hutchinson (EYFS Leader/ Reception teacher at Whitefield Infant School)
Rebecca Burns (Nursery Leader/ Nursery teacher at Whitefield Infant School)
©Whitefield2022
Personal, Social and Emotional
Personal, Social and Emotional
Page updated
Report abuse