1. Early Years Foundation Stage: Observation, Assessment and Planning

2. Timetable Observation- 50 minutes Record keeping- 30 minutes
Break – 15 minutes
Demonstrating progress- 20 minutes
Planning- 45 minutes
Summary &issues to take forward -10 minutes

3. An overview of observational assessment in the context of the EYFS
A Unique Child
Babies and young children are individuals first, with unique profiles of abilities. Schedules and routines flow with the child’s needs. All planning starts with observing children in order to understand and consider their current interests, development and learning.
Positive Relationships
Adults bring their own perspectives to an observation. Family circumstances and cultural contexts need to be considered in making assessments, particularly in Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

4. An overview of observational assessment in the context of the EYFS
Enabling Environments
When you are planning, remember that children learn from even things not planned for – such as a fall of snow.
Learning and Development
This covers all themes of EYFS: If children do not communicate freely with adults you may need to ‘think outside the box’ rather than make assumptions.

5. A description of the eight principles for early childhood observational assessment:
Assessment must have a purpose.
Ongoing observation of children participating in everyday activities is the most reliable way of building up an accurate picture of what children know, understand, feel, are interested in and can do.
Practitioners should both plan observations and be ready to capture the spontaneous but important moments.
Judgements of children’s development and learning must be based on skills, knowledge, understanding and behaviour that are demonstrated consistently and independently.

6. A description of the eight principles for early childhood observational assessment:
Effective assessment takes equal account of all aspects of the child’s development and learning.
Accurate assessments are reliant upon taking account of contributions from a range of perspectives.
Assessments must actively engage parents in developing an accurate picture of the child’s development.
Children must be fully involved in their own assessment.

7. Assessment must have a purpose…
to intervene, support and extend learning
to inform planning for next steps
to evaluate the effect of provision
Assessment for it’s own sake has no intrinsic value.
There really isn’t any point in collating huge amounts of observations only to store them away and not do anything with them.

8. Ongoing observation of children participating in everyday activities is the most reliable way of building up an accurate picture of what children know, understand, feel, are interested in and can do.
‘Observing helps you to get to know the children better’
‘It makes the job more interesting as you work out what to do next from what you’ve seen’
‘It helps you to develop your relationships with children’
‘It helps when you are talking with parents about their child’
It helps you to pick up on a child’s strenghts and to higlight any concerns you may have about a child’s development’
It helps you to review what you are doing is right for the children’

9. What it looks like… Systematic observations
Reflective interactions,which help us to understand each child’ achievement, interests and learning styles
A broad picture of children’s development and learning rather than narrow aspects
Observations made in a variety of contexts

10. Good observations are made when practitioners have…
A sound knowledge of child development and how of children learn
A sound knowledge of the curriculum and what the next steps in learning might be for individual children.

11. Practitioners should both plan observations and be ready to capture the spontaneous but important moments.
Observations are made when children are involved in…
Child initiated
Adult initiated
Adult led activities
Children are learning and changing all the time. We should be ready at any time within the daily routine to notice children displaying aspects of development which are significant to remember and to note.
Observations need to take place both indoors and in the outdoor learning environment,as many children achieve at their highest level outside.

12. Observations Incidental /anecdotal
When the practitioner notices something significant he or she is not involved in.
Participant
When the practitioner is involved in play with children and in adult led activities.
Focused/narrative
When the practitioner stands back to observe children in independent, child initiated, play based activities.

13. Observation opportunities are more likely to occur when…
Practitioners organise resources and their time so they can capture the planned and spontaneous
Staff especially the key person are deployed to carry out good quality observations
Staff realise every interaction with children is an opportunity to learn more about them
Everyday experiences and activities will provide an almost complete picture of the child’s learning,but Particular planning is needed to capture important aspects of learning that might not arise every day. Other opportunities may occur that are unplanned but nevertheless should not be missed

14. The reception class is looking carefully at cars and this provides a good insight into children’s understanding of how things work. The practitioners note and reflect on what they have seen and heard.

16. Are we drowning under a sea of post it notes?
It might seem like it sometimes, however only a few of the many observations that you make moment by moment as you work with children are ever written down – many are mental notes.

17. Assumptions and Inferences
One of the keys to being a good observer of children is the ability to remain objective and not to make assumptions about what might be happening.
e.g. If I was to ask 3 people what they think is happening here I might get 3 different answers. When really all we can say is ‘here is a child standing at the wall resting her head on her hands.’
We will have a more accurate picture when we know the context of the child’s behaviour and what may have led to it.

18. Objective anecdotes/incidental observations
Focus on what the child did and said
Be factual
Be specific
Be brief

19. Format for anecdotal/incidental
Date each anecdote
Identify when, where and who
Describe what he child did and said, use quotes to document the child’s language
When applicable state the outcome

20. Guidelines for Narrative/Focused Observations

21. Before the observation begins
Decide what you want to find out
Identify the child/ area
Identify the focus

22. During the observation…
Find a spot close enough to the child so that you can hear, but far enough away so that you are not intruding on the child’s actions
Write down an objective description of what the child actually does and say

23. During the observation…
Include the context
Include time markers
Develop your own shorthand

24. After the observation…
Link what you saw and heard to the focus
If you can, share the observation with your team
Identify the significant learning taking place and cross reference to other areas
Decide on support strategies and next steps

25. Judgements of children’s development and learning must be based on skills, knowledge , understanding and behaviour that are demonstrated consistently and independently
Assessments cannot be reliable or accurate if they are based on one off instances or information gleaned solely from adult led activities.

26. Observe children in adult directed and child initiated activities
Consider a range of evidence displayed in different contexts and across areas of learning
Observe children in adult directed and child initiated activities
The assessment made is the best description of the child’s achievement
The judgement made should represent your assessment of the child’s typical attainment, in the sense that while a child’s behaviour may vary from day to day and from context to context

27. Effective assessment takes equal account of all aspects of the child’s development and learning
Tuning in to different skills children are developing e.g linguistic, physical creative etc.
Reflecting on all the dimensions revealed by the normal activities in the setting.
An holistic approach to assessment is necessary in order to reflect accuratley the nature of children’s development

28. Accurate assessments are reliant upon taking account of contributions from a range of perspectives.
All adults who interact with the child,in the setting will contribute to the process
Practitioners
Understand all interactions with children influence their development and learning.
Respect the range of perspectives that adults in different roles will gain about children.

29. Assessments must actively engage parents in developing an accurate picture of the child’s development
Engage in a two way flow of information between family and setting, in order to meet the child’s needs and plan next steps together.
This works well when we acknowledge parents to be the prime and first educators of children, who have a wealth of knowledge and information about their child which you can tap into.for the benefit of the child.

30. Parent’s Involvement
Support parents in describing their child’s attainment
Talk with parents and involve them in reviews of their children's achievements, including those demonstrated at home.
An important point to remember when sharing anecdotes with parents is to keep it positive, sharing what the child can do rather than what he can’t. Thus raising the self esteem of parents rather than demoralising them

31. Children must be fully involved in their own assessment
Children are able to take ownership of their learning, when;
they are encouraged to ask questions, make comments and share their own judgements about their development.
This is demonstrated when……….

32. Adults and children are involved in conversations about learning, when they are involved in an activity. . .

33. ...and when they review outcomes together
There is no need for formal written success criteria
Because of the ways in which young children learn and the nature of effective pedagogy in the early years, assessment for learning in the Foundation stage looks different from assessment for learning with other age groups -” Given the open ended and play based nature of many of the learning experiences that children encounter within the FS, it may not always be appropriate to share learning objectives with children before they begin activities.”

34. Children ask their own questions, talk about their thoughts and how they want to tackle a problem.
Adults ask probing, yet open- ended questions that encourage children to consider quality and processes of work and what to do next.
There is no need for formal written success criteria

36. Record Keeping

37. Record Keeping
It involves noting the most important elements of practitioners’, children’s and parents’ growing knowledge of what children know, understand, are interested in, feel and can do.
This is a continuous process, the record keeping documentation needs to be regularly updated.
Developmental progress tracking sheet, nursery profile and eProfile

38. Record-keeping must be meaningful and have a purpose.
The task of keeping records must be manageable and sustainable.
Records must capture the range of children’s attainment, achievement and progress.
Record-keeping must be meaningful and have a purpose. ‘Records are about getting
to know the child and what the child needs.’ They should be shared and used to support the
growth and development of the child. They must be understandable to partners in the child’s
development including parents and other practitioners.
The task of keeping records must be manageable and sustainable. Practitioners
should be realistic about the amount of information they collect and the systems they create.
These need to be manageable as part of day-to-day practice.
These need to be useful for planning next steps
These need to be selective, record only what is significant
Records must capture the range of children’s attainment, achievement and
progress. They will show the starting points and development points across the areas of
Learning.They will identify gaps in information needed about the child.

39. My Journey through the Early Years Foundation Stage
Using ICT
My Journey through the Early Years Foundation Stage
Hyperlink
Using ICT to record the ‘child’s voice’
If practitioners used this method of recording the information in the records need to be referenced to the FSP
Further examples can be found on the standards site – foundation stage – case studies
Name: AR

40. Records should be shared with the child.
Records will reflect the individuality of every child and the diversity of their backgrounds.
All significant participants in children’s development and learning should contribute to the information-gathering.
Records should be shared with the child.
Records will reflect the individuality of every child and the diversity of their
backgrounds. Children have different capacities, interests and competencies and it is
necessary to reflect this diversity in the type of records kept. Greater detail will be evident for
one child in a particular aspect that is not necessary for another.
All significant participants in children’s development and learning should contribute
to the information-gathering. This will involve a wide range of people, including parents
and children.
Records should be shared with the child. This is a statutory requirement of the FSP and
will continue to be so for the EYFSP.

41. Children and practitioners recording together
Hyperlink
An example of children being involved in summative assessment, recording their own learning.
Children and practitioners recording together
Link outcomes with the areas of learning

42. Learning Journey using ICT
All information from observations process will feed into the record keeping documentation.
Learning Journey using ICT
Involving parents in the observation, assessment and record keeping process
Narratives incidental, photographs
Cameras, mobile phone cameras could be used to record significant moments, events.

43. Parents contributing to the record keeping process
Sharing their child’s experiences from home.
Sheets available to parents. Examples of completed sheets could be displayed.
What I would like to share.
You may consider developing a record of milestones that the children have achieved while they are in the setting to give to parents.

44. Demonstrating Progress

45. Four principles for demonstrating progress:
Effective practitioners will be able to identify how individuals and groups of children in their setting have developed and progressed in their learning.
Effective approaches to assessment will generate information or data that can be used for a range of purposes.

46. Four principles for demonstrating progress:
Children’s progress must be identified and analysed through a range of appropriate evidence, the majority of this will be drawn from observation of child-initiated activity.
The complexity of young children’s development requires practitioners and managers to be able to understand a range of information in order to draw conclusions about children’s progress and the effectiveness of their provision.

47. This is demonstrated when practitioners adopt these strategies:
Identify and record a child’s starting points in the areas of Learning and Development, provided by observations and information shared by parents and other settings at times of transfer, or settings that also currently support the child.
Continue to build up individual pictures of each child’s learning and development primarily through observational assessment.
Baseline needs to be completed on entry and entered into each child’s record

48. Review records regularly with the interested parties, including parents, to examine whether each child and group of children has made desirable progress.
Summarise records at times of transfer to describe attainment and to support appropriate planning for a child’s needs in the next setting.
Use the developmental progress tracking sheet,nursery profile summative sheet and eProfile to identify progress made during the year and to compare the rates of progress made in each area of learning and development.

49. Assessment, record-keeping and demonstrating progress in EYFS are not about assessing, recording and creating data sets designed to depress or enhance outcomes for ends such as improving added value.’ Creating the Picture pg.25

50. Information and data can be used to:
Reflect on assessments in order to support individual learning journeys.
Analyse their assessments to identify the needs of specific groups of learners.
E profile lists and print outs supports individual learning journeys, supports practitioners in planning a differentiated curriculum

51. KUW Nursery profile, E profile data- use to track entry and exit.
Need to collate a range of evidence from observations and numerical data to demonstrate progress.
Reflect on their assessment data to evaluate the effectiveness of their setting.
KUW
Effectiveness of provision
On entry data to reception from school nursery class shows low KUW scores.

52. Review and record changes in children’s attainment from starting points that capture the breadth of children’s involvement.
E profile provides graphs to show individual child progress, implications for year 1.

53. Developmental progress tracking sheet
Name P.S.E.Development - Birth to 11months
Developmental Matters
Disposition and Attitudes
Develop an understanding and awareness of themselves
Learn that they have influence on and are influenced by others.
Learn that experiences can be shared
Evidence
Anecdotal/incidental
Developmental progress tracking sheet to be used for children 0-36 months. Separate record sheet for each area of learning and broad stage of development.
Developmental progress tracking sheet
Highlight developmental matters when achieved using observations, photographs as evidence.

54. How do we ensure that individual children make desirable progress?
Practitioners need a knowledge of child development and the areas of learning in the EYFS.
Practitioners need to be able to use resources, environment and themselves to appropriately support the child.
Practitioners need to be able to identify why some children are not making desirable progress.

55. Remember….
Avoid tick lists and one-off tests as reliable demonstrations of progress.These do not create a well rounded picture of a child's attainment.
Judgements should be based on observation led evidence.

56. Four principles for planning:
Planning puts the principles of EYFS into practice and ensures that children are given a full range of experiences across all six areas of learning and development.
Planning provides an opportunity to clarify thinking for all practitioners within the team and to come to common understandings about a philosophy and approach to children’s learning and development.

57. Four principles for planning:
Planning should be firmly based on observation of what has gone before and maps out how each child’s learning and development will or might progress
Planning should be sufficiently flexible to keep a focus on children’s individual needs and interests- children also learn from things which have not been planned for.

58. Planning pro formas and guidance
Suggestions only- but they cover all requirements for good practice
Different pro formas for 0-36 and 36+ to reflect different needs of children
Each plan has accompanying guidance
Plans will be sent by to all schools and settings after they have attended training.

59. 0-36 months Short term continuous curriculum (resources/ environment)
Weekly Key person plan
Weekly Outdoor learning plan
Daily routine- no pro forma but guidance

60. 36-60+ months Long term ( annual overview)
Medium term (termly) one for each area of learning and development
Short term plans
weekly adult directed plan (for each area)
continuous curriculum (adult initiated and child initiated)
outdoor weekly
narrative observation weekly
Daily routine- no pro forma but guidance

61. Completed planning are NOT EXAMPLERS
Not to be used in practice
Planning pro formas are suggested formats
Planning formats:
Must identify outdoor learning
Must plan for CI & AI activities
Must plan for focussed observation
Must track children’s progress
Planning can be annotated and may be changed to respond to children’s interests.

62. Please take time to look at the planning pro formas and examples.
Questions and queries on post its

63. We will e mail: Copy of the presentation Planning pro formas
Developmental Record sheets

64. Future training October 3rd - 1-4 pm
Everything you need to know about the FSP
October 17th 9-12 am
Monitoring and Evaluating EYFS
October 31st pm
Developing CLL Area of Learning and Development
November 1st 1-4 pm
Creating an Outdoor Classroom
November 7th pm
Developing PSE Area of learning and Development