Hi and welcome to the December child care blog!
We’ve been waiting for some time, but this month has seen the publication of the EYFS Profile Handbook and EYFS Profile exemplification materials by the Department for Education. If you haven’t downloaded them yet, you can do so at www.foundationyears.org.uk
Since the early learning goals were slimmed down considerably to just 17 in the recent revision of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the EYFS Profile has been able to follow suit. As a result, we certainly seem to have a much improved process by which to assess children’s attainment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
However, as tends to be the case, there is a lot of new information to get your head around at first, accompanied by plenty of new terminology to get used to. At this moment I’m thinking of the “sets of exemplification descriptors” – not the easiest term for any of us to remember, not least students and new practitioners being introduced to the EYFS Profile for the first time.
To help ease the way a little, we’ve provided an accessible Assessment within the EYFS Factsheet on Planet Vocational, which includes information about the Progress Check at age two and the EYFS Profile. It’s ideal to read as an introduction before embarking on the full EYFS Profile Handbook and exemplification materials, either in the classroom or the workplace.
If you’ve read my book A Practical Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage, do please also download the overview – the EYFS Profile was published after the book, and so this is the additional free material you were promised on page 240!
If you haven’t yet registered for free access to Planet Vocational, do sign up – you’ll be able to access factsheets and other handy resources over the coming months, which will also compliment the content of the new book.
Next month, we will be looking at the big topic of assessment and observation once again. We will be providing some practical examples of practitioners undertaking the assessment required within the EYFS with children throughout the age range.
As soon as they’re available, we’ll also focus on the 2013 EYFS Assessment and Reporting Arrangements (ARA), which are due to be published shortly. This will set out the assessment and reporting requirements for the EYFS Profile, as well as providing guidance on completing the EYFS Profile, moderating the EYFS Profile and reporting and using results.
In the meantime, you’ve got the first term of the revised EYFS under your belt, so have a lovely, well-earned Christmas break. Don’t forget to save all that shiny wrapping paper for the art supplies cupboard! And you never know, you could be building those long awaited snowmen with the children by the New Year…
Miranda
