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Assessment in the early years

Information for parents/carers and practitioners to support assessment

Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers, and practitioners: 

  • recognise children’s progress 
  • understand their needs 
  • plan activities and support  

This section sets out the assessment requirements group and school-based providers must meet. It also provides guidance on assessment.  

  • Assessment should not involve long breaks from interaction with children.  
  • There is no need for lots of paperwork.  
  • Practitioners should use their knowledge of the child and their professional judgement.  
  • Proof does not need to be given through physical evidence.  

Practitioners should keep parents and/or carers up to date with all progress and development. Practitioners should address any learning and development needs. This should be with parents and/or carers, and relevant professionals. Information from assessment should be shared between practitioners and year 1 teachers. This supports a successful transition to Key Stage 1. 

Ongoing assessment 

Ongoing assessment (also known as formative assessment) is an integral part of the learning and development process. It involves practitioners understanding children’s  interests and what they know and can do. They can then shape teaching and learning experiences for each child reflecting that knowledge. In their interactions with  children, practitioners should make and act on their own day-to-day observations  about children’s progress and observations that parents and carers share. However, there is no requirement to keep written records in relation to this. 

Early Years Development Pathway

Where possible, the two-year-old progress check and the health review at 2.3 years should help both services and families understand a child’s health and development.

Torbay’s local approach supports teamwork between health and education professionals. This helps identify a child’s strengths and any developmental delays early on. It also helps find support for the child and their family, which is discussed at the review meeting.

Below shows the pathway for children who are currently attending settings.

Torbay Early Years Development Pathway for settings

Process:

  • At the beginning of each half term early years settings (nurseries, preschools, childminders, schools with 2-year-olds) email 0-19 Torbay publichealthnursing.torbay@nhs.net with a list (name and DOB) of children due for their progress check within the coming half term. Setting obtains parental consent to share information prior to sending Children who are causing concern are flagged.
  • Information gets listed on child’s PARIS record by 0-19 Torbay highlighting children causing concern.
  • 0 to 19 Torbay practitioner completes ASQ and ELIM for child and shares any concerns with setting via email.
  • Early years setting complete progress check and if child is causing concern shares this with 0-19 Torbay via email address above.
  • Via email /teams/phone conversation 0-19 Torbay and setting agree actions to support, review period and date for review, setting and 0-19 Torbay complete interventions.
  • Setting and Torbay 0-19 meet for review meeting virtually or over the phone and complete Early Years Development Pathway (EYPD) review proforma
  • 0-19 Torbay will store the review format on PARIS

Follow Up

Universal: Areas of development are within age related expectations.

Signposting to universal offer e.g.

  • Family Hubs website
  • Libraries
  • Online information 
  • Chat, Play, Read
  • Tiny Happy People Speech and Language UK (formerly ICAN offer interventions) - Hungry Little Minds
  • Big Little Moments - National Literacy Trust
  • Universal: Areas of development are within age related expectations.

    Signposting to universal offer e.g.

    • Family Hubs website
    • Libraries
    • Online information 
    • Chat, Play, Read
    • Tiny Happy People Speech and Language UK (formerly ICAN offer interventions) - Hungry Little Minds
    • Big Little Moments - National Literacy Trust
  • Targeted: Assessments show below age-related expectations for one or more areas of development. All areas within the grey.

    • 0-19 Torbay staff members and early years practitioners communicate via email
    • Plan for support and intervention agreed and by whom. Setting to implement completion of the Early Communication and Language Monitoring Tool. Setting to implement targeted speech, language and communication intervention (see list below) and/or refer to Action for Children ‘Let’sTalk and Play’ (LT&P)
    • Timescales agreed for intervention and date set for a review meeting (via Teams or phone)
    • For children not attending an early years setting support could be offered via the home learning environment outreach worker linked to Family Hubs
  • Specialist: The observations show they are significantly below age related expectations for one or more areas of development. ASQ 2.3 score some or all areas within the black

    • Professional discussion between 0-19 Torbay staff members and early years staff members.
    • Referral made to relevant specialist service, if required (Portage, Speech and Language, Pediatrics)
    • Continue to plan for support and intervention and agree by whom. Setting to implement completion of the Early Communication and Language Monitoring Tool. In setting targeted SLC intervention (Chatter Matter cards etc) or refer to Action for children Let’s Talk and Play.
    • Timescales agreed for a review of progress and follow up review call.
    • 0-19 Torbay staff make Section 23 notification to Local Authority.
    • For children not attending an early years setting support could be offered via the home learning environment outreach worker linked to Family Hubs

Review meeting via Teams or phone call:

0-19 Torbay and Early Years setting attend review meeting and share impact of interventions. Action for Children share feedback from LT&P with 0-19 Torbay. Parents should be invited to this meeting if they wish to attend. The EYDP Review format is used during the meeting to update on progress made via planned interventions. This is held by 0-19 Torbay

Progress made - no further action:

  • The review identified progress has been made and the child has now reached or is near age-related expectations. Advice and signposting provided from universal level – please see above.

No or little progress made – causing concern:

  • If the review identifies no or little progress with children who are not working within age related expectations, targeted work continues, and referral/s made to specialist services as required.
  • 0-19 Torbay staff make Section 23 notification to local authority.

At the beginning of each half term early years settings (nurseries, preschools, childminders, schools with 2-year-olds) should email 0-19 Torbay publichealthnursing.torbay@nhs.net with a list (name and DOB) of children due for their progress check within the coming half term – document available below . The setting should obtain parental consent to share information prior to sending – document available below. Children who are causing concern are flagged and support offered through an intervention – document available below.

Progress check at age two 

The statutory requirements of the progress check at age two explain what early years practitioners must do. These actions are legally required and are set out in the statutory framework for the EYFS. 

Early years foundation stage statutory framework

In addition, there are actions which we should take. These actions are not legally required but we must be mindful of what we should do. We should only take another course of action if there is good reason for doing so.  

Practitioners must provide parents with a short-written summary of their child’s development in: 

  • communication and language 
  • personal, social and emotional development 
  • physical development 

Practitioners must: 

  • discuss with parents how the summary can be used to support learning and development at home 
  • describe the activities and strategies they intend to adopt in their setting to address any issues or concerns 

Beyond these points, practitioners must decide what the written summary document could include.) 

Assessment at the start of the reception year – the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) 

When a child begins reception year a short assessment will be done within the first six weeks. 

Assessment at the end of the EYFS – the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) 

The EYFS Profile must be completed for each child: 

  • in the final term of the year in which the child reaches age five 
  • no later than 30 June in that term 

This gives parents and carers, practitioners and teachers a well-rounded picture of a child’s:  

  • knowledge, understanding and abilities 
  • progress against expected levels 
  • readiness for Year 1 

The Profile must reflect:  

  • ongoing observation 
  • all relevant records held by the setting 
  • discussions with parents and carers 
  • any other adults whom the teacher, parent or carer judges can offer a useful contribution 
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