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Briefing for settings on the revised Early Years Foundation Stage

(EYFS) 2012

Setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five

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Aims of the briefing:

• to develop awareness of the new documentation for the revised EYFS

• to explore and identify key changes and implications for the childcare you provide

• to provide an opportunity to reflect upon and develop current good practice within the EYFS more broadly

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Background and context:

• Families in the Foundation Years (DfE, 2011) • Child poverty (Frank Field, December 2010)

• Early Intervention: (Graham Allen, Jan. 2011)

• Munro Review of Child Protection (May 2011)

• Nutbrown Review into Early Education and Childcare Qualifications (March 2011)

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The Early Years: Foundations for Life, Health and Learning (Tickell March 2011)

An independent review of the EYFS to consider how it could be less bureaucratic and more focused on supporting children’s early learning.

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www.foundationyears.org.uk

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The documents:

Statutory Framework Development

Matters in the EYFS

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The documents: • Overall Reforms to the 2012 EYFS

Framework (DfE)

• A Know How Guide The EYFS progress check at age 2 (ncb)

• Birth to 3 Matters

Continuing good practice…

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Documents not yet published:

• The parents guide to revised EYFS • The EYFS Profile and exemplification

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Overall revisions to the EYFS Framework • focus on the three prime areas of learning most

essential for children’s readiness for future learning and healthy development

• strengthen partnerships between parents and professionals

• simplify assessment at age five

• early intervention where necessary, through a progress check at age two.

• reduce paper work and bureaucracy

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Statutory Framework for the EYFS

This document sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.

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Building on good practice…

• effective learning via play, exploration, creative learning and critical thinking

• early identification and intervention involving all parents and carers

• focus on raising attainment and narrowing the gap

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The EYFS promotes: • flexible play based learning • child-centred planning • appropriately qualified staff

working with parents and other agencies

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The importance of play

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Summary of Changes to the Learning and Development Requirements

Three prime areas: • Communication and Language • Physical Development • Personal Social, Emotional Development

Four specific areas • Literacy • Mathematics • Understanding the World • Expressive Arts and Design

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What do the new prime areas mean for you?

Opportunities? Challenges?

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The Characteristics of Learning

• playing and exploring

• active learning

• creating and thinking critically

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Wrap around and holiday providers

‘Wrap around and holiday providers should

be guided by, but do not necessarily need to meet, all the learning and development requirements.’

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Individual needs:

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English as an additional language: For children whose home language is not

English, providers must take reasonable steps to provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning, supporting language development at home.

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How will all these changes

affect your planning?

Opportunities?

Challenges?

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Assessment:

On-going assessment hasn’t changed and still needs to involve practitioners/ parents and carers observing children and reflecting on those observations.

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Using assessment to inform planning and provision

How do you use observation and

assessment to plan for individual children?

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‘Know your 2 year old’

• the progress check at age 2 is setting led • Oxfordshire’s Healthy Child Programme is

health visitor led using ‘Ages and Stages’

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Principles of the progress check

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The link between assessment and planning

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Example of progress report

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Example of progress report

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The EYFS Profile:

• completed for each child at the end of the

academic year they turn 5

• based on observation, assessment, discussions with children, parents / carers and other adults

• to build a picture of a child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities, their progress against expected levels and their readiness for Year 1

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The Profile

‘Each child’s level of development must be assessed against the early learning goals’

Now 17 ELGs compared to the previous 117

• Emerging – attainment below the ELGs

• Expected – within the ELGs

• Exceeding – beyond the ELGs

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Safeguarding and Welfare: Changes include:

• added - examples of adults’ behaviour which may be signs of abuse and neglect

• added - policies must cover the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting

• simplified - requirements for providers to check the suitability of managers

• new requirement for staff induction, supervision, training and support

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What are the training implications for your setting?

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Moving Forward Summer 2012

• 4Children publish parent/carer guidance

Autumn 2012

• release of new core purpose and statutory framework for children centres

• release of EYFS Profile documentation

• training begins to support revised EYFS

Spring Term 2013

• moderation activities support revised EYFS

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Summary and conclusion

Next steps: • sharing information with other staff • staff meeting / inset • book onto revised EYFS training • action planning • implementation from Sept 2012

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Babies, children and their families are at the heart of the EYFS.