Early Years Leads’ Forum

1. Early Years Leads’ Forum Wednesday 2nd July 2014

2. Key topics • New EYFS Framework from 1st Sept 14 • DfE proposals for Baseline Assessment • HMI Early Years Ofsted report • Future Ofsted inspections • Two year olds in schools • Items of interest

3. New EYFS framework • Revised for September 2014 • No major changes for schools- see handout • https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/299391/DFE-00337-2014.pdf

4. Baseline Assessment in the EYFS • Reforming assessment and accountability for primary schools March 2014 outlines changes: • EYFS Profile statutory until September 2016 • Reception Baseline to replace EYFS Profile in September 2016- sole progress measure • Reception Baseline available from September 2015 4

5. Reception Baseline • “a short reception baseline that will sit within the assessments that teachers make of children during reception” • “We will use a reception baseline as the starting point from which to measure a school’s progress.” • “We want teachers to choose from a range of assessment approaches but most are likely to be administered by the reception teaching staff”. • “ will sit within teachers’ broader assessments of children’s development – which we know go wider than any single baseline assessment can accurately capture”. • “We will work with experts to create criteria for the baselines which will count for the progress measure. Assessments will be sought with evidence that they are strong predictors of key stage 1 and key stage 2 attainment, whilst reflecting the age and abilities of children in reception. A list of assessments that meet the criteria will be published”. 5

6. Criteria for the new Baseline • https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/313856/Baseline_criteria.pdf • Assessments must be 'age-appropriate' and 'clearly linked' to the EYFS's learning and development requirements in communication and language, literacy and mathematics. • Once on the list, suppliers must show that at least 10 per cent of primary schools will use their baseline, and that their 'baselines' link to Key Stage 1 assessments. When children reach the end of Year 2, this will be reviewed and suppliers could be removed from the list.

7. Recommendations • Continue to assess entry into school in the nursery- where applicable • Continue to assess children as they start in reception “within the first few weeks” using current assessment milestones • Ofsted “Early Years Outcomes” most common assessment benchmark and links to EYFS • Continue to assess for EYFS Profile • Information will be provided for schools when list of approved assessments available 7

8. Discussion • What do you think of the proposed new Baseline Assessment? • What might be the issues for your school?

9. HMI Annual Report 12/13 • http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/annual-reports/o/Ofsted%20Early%20Years%20Annual%20Report%20201213.pdf • Ofsted eager to have a standardised baseline assessment and externally marked EYFSP and KS1

10. Discussion • HMI would like there to be a single framework for early years across all sectors. What do you think? • HMI would like there to be some way of assessing practice before the baseline assessment. What do you think?

11. Future Ofsted inspections Early school years • We know that the earliest years of childhood are critical in children’s personal and intellectual development and in their preparation for Key Stage 1. In an increasingly competitive world, it is imperative that we ensure that our children have the best possible start to their education. • Given the importance of Nursery and Reception classes (which together make up what is referred to as the Early Years Foundation Stage or EYFS) in a child’s development, the significant resources involved, and the distinctive nature of that stage of education, we propose introducing a separate graded judgement about the overall effectiveness of Nursery and Reception classes in the inspection framework for maintained schools and academies. We would also require inspectors to write a discrete paragraph evaluating this provision. These changes would assist parents in making better-informed choices when deciding on the first steps in their children’s education. • We propose developing a separate set of brief evaluation criteria, which will be published in the School inspection handbook, to support inspectors reaching a judgement on this stage and to help schools’ self-evaluation. These criteria would encompass: • achievement • the quality of the teaching • behaviour and safety • leadership and management. • Inspectors would take account of this separate judgement when making their judgement on the overall effectiveness of the school.

12. Two year olds in schools • A study by the NCB and DfE to look at approaches in 49 schools this academic year • https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/307281/RR348_-_Two_year_olds_in_schools_baseline_survey.pdf

13. Discussion • What do you think about having two year olds in your school?

14. Items of interest • IPPR calls for all families to receive help with childcare costs • http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jun/29/ippr-childcare-costs-all-families-report • Schools should take children as young as two • http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/nov/04/schools-admit-children-age-two-three-ofsted-chief?CMP=twt_fd • Pupil premium for early years • The Early Years Pupil Premium will provide nurseries, schools and other providers of government funded early education with extra funding for each eligible child.  It will give disadvantaged three and four year old children better access to early education and improve the quality of provision which evidence shows can have a major impact on their school readiness. • The public consultation runs until 22 August and is available at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-pupil-premium-and-funding-for-2-year-olds