Assessment in Early Years
“Assessment is not about where the child should be, it is about where the child is now and the developmental journey needed to make progress.”
In Early Years, we use an observation-based assessment system to collect evidence on individual children's learning and development. Evidence in the form of photographs, videos, paper-based samples and written observation is collected across the day on all children in a variety of situations: child-initiated activities; adult-directed learning; outside learning sessions; inside play experiences and group sessions. The evidence collected is then collated into two separate 'Learning Journeys': one is a paper-based scrap book, showing their paper-based creations, and the other is an online system which collects the videos and photographic evidence.
All the evidence is then used to build a holistic picture of a child's ability and allow us to see progress, over time, in all areas of learning and development. All evidence is used to inform our ongoing assessment of the individual's child's development linked to key skills and learning dispositions. Our school-based assessment system uses developmental statements from the three key EYFS documents and guidance. These are:
The statements from all three of the above documents inform staff of the typical milestones for children, based on age and stage of development, enabling staff to make secure and accurate judgements of children's attainment and track progress over time.
When children join our setting, we carry out a home visit to gather parent views and knowledge on a child's pre-school developmental milestones and any existing concerns or health professionals who may be involved. For children who have been in a previous setting, we will carry out a pre-setting visit or liaise with the keyworker to gather their professional judgements on the child's current attainment and progress as well as their individual next steps. All of this information is crucial to ensure we have an accurate picture before the child transitions to our setting.
During the first 6 weeks of starting at Hillcross, staff interact, observe and support each child so they are familiar, happy and comfortable in our setting. During these first few weeks, we complete our own school baseline assessment which allows us to make informed judgements on a child's development across all areas on entry to our setting and provides a way for staff to plan appropriate learning tasks that will ensure every child has the support they need to make progress over time. Alongside our own assessments , within the first 6 weeks of a child starting in Reception, we complete the Government's Statutory Reception Baseline assessment.
Throughout each term, we use daily observations, small-group work, 1:1 activities, and whole-class sessions to format ongoing assessments for every child. This data allows us to track individual progress against their baseline and share their development with you. Crucially, it helps our team plan and adapt teaching tailored to each child, supporting them all to achieve their Early Learning Goals by the end of Reception.
Attainment and progress is shared with parents at parent consultation meetings, Progress Celebration events and the end-of-year school written report.
At times, some children may need extra help and support to close gaps and focus on key skills. Early help and support is crucial in the early stages of school and staff will approach parents individually as and when there is anything they need to discuss. We also value parents sharing any concerns they have about their child's learning and would encourage families to speak directly to their child's key workers as soon as they can.
Our goal is to ensure all children leave our setting ready for their transition into the National Curriculum and that they have made progress from their baseline starting point. In addition to this, we support and aim for children to have secured as many of the 17 Early Learning Goals (statutory end of EYFS attainment judgements) as possible so they are equipped and ready for their next stage of learning.
