In our Early Years department, assessment is predominantly made up of ongoing observations throughout every school day. Meaningful learning opportunities provide scope for our staff to monitor and record children’s contributions across all 7 areas of the EYFS framework, whilst also helping them to plan the next steps for individual children. Throughout the school, our aim is for assessment procedures to be used as a tool to help guide future learning and ensure our children are challenged, supported and encouraged.

How children are assessed:

The EYFS is broken down into four age bands, called Development Matters bands: 16-26 months, 22-36 months, 30-50 months and 40-60 months.

For each age band, and each area of learning, there is a series of statements relating to a child’s development: for example, ‘notices simple shapes and patterns in pictures’. Teachers will tick off these developmental statements as they see your child demonstrating them, throughout the school year. This information is reported to parents throughout the school year in line with our primary reporting timetable.

Three separate achievement levels will be reported on upon leaving Reception, for each of the 7 areas of learning:

  • Emerging: your child is working towards the expected level
  • Expected: your child is working at the level expected level
  • Exceeding: your child is working above the expected level

Tapestry

As a school, we implement the use of the online learning journal ‘Tapestry’. This programme supports staff with recording children’s achievements and assessing their learning through continual observations of each child’s learning, through group activities, pieces of work, conversation and engagement in play.

Each staff member has their own log in details, and throughout the day will take photos and recordings of the students, then linking this as evidence to the appropriate area of learning. This enables us to record key moments in your child’s development.

At the end of each academic year, you will receive a full copy of your child’s learning journal. This has been extremely well received by parents each year as it provides a record of your child’s learning throughout the year with photographs, teacher comments and linked assessment statements