EYFS

As you probably know, the Government has been holding a consultation exercise on a draft version of the EYFS framework.  The Government will review the feedback and draw up a final version of the framework. It will be published in March 2012 and become statutory guidance with effect from September 2012.

What’s the focus? The consultation has focused on 3 main areas: Learning and Development; Assessment; and Welfare. Learning and Development: The things that jump out at me include the following …  There’s quite a bit about school ‘readiness’ … which all seems a little too subjective.   Is the Reception year part of the EYFS or not?  This is not at all clear.  Whereas the current framework is quite specific about ages and stages, there are phrases like ‘the older age range’ that is all a bit vague (although that may be a good thing … there was a danger of getting really hung up about ages and stages). Obviously the big change is in the number of learning goals and the emphasis shifting to the prime areas (PSE, Physical Development, and Communication and Language). Those working with the Under 3s … it’s not really clear what their responsibilities are in the area of learning and development … well that’s how it came across to me. A bit puzzling. Assessment Paperwork … paperwork – formative (ongoing) assessment and how to keep it both manageable and useful. That’s what we at QEd Publications try and do. Early identification of special educational needs and support is highlighted. With regard to monitoring the progress children are making, what do you think about the use of terms like ‘emerging’, ‘expected’ and ‘exceeding’? For those of you working with children under 3, you will be expected to provide a written summary of sorts of each child’s development for parents/carers. Safeguarding and Welfare There’s a fair amount about qualifications and staff training although not as much emphasis as there was in the Tickell review … is that a good or a bad thing?   I must confess, I glossed over a lot of this as my interest is more in the learning and development and assessment side of things.

As ever, we will continue to watch how things develop and will keep you up-to-date as best we can.    As far as our Trackers are concerned, we will produce a new version after the Government publishes its final version in March.   Colin at QEd Publications

So what now with the EYFS?

I think we’d all hoped that we’d get some sort of steer from the Government around now about any changes to the EYFS following the Review. Well it seems that’s not the case. In an article in Who Minds magazine we are told that the Government has launched a consultation on the proposed changes made in the review. If you want to have your say go to http://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consultationId=1747&external=no&menu=1

The Government’s view is that:

• the EYFS has had a positive overall impact on children in early years settings
• the EYFS should be retained as a framework
• more needs to be done to identify children who need extra help
• some aspects of the EYFS are seen as burdensome and should be simplified

The closing date for the consultation is 30 September. The results of the consultation will be published in the autumn. The new version of the EYFS will be made available in Spring 2012 and will be implemented from September 2012.

So until then … it’s the status quo.

Colin at QEd Publications

EYFS review: what’s happening?

It would be nice to know what’s happening following the review … and when we are likely to know.

I’ve been browsing through the review documentation.  Although I have referred to some of these items  before, I include a few more snippets (I understand them a bit better).

The Areas of Learning are divided into Prime Areas and Specific Areas

Prime Areas – Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Communication and Language; Physical Development

Specific Areas - Literacy; Mathematics; Understanding the world; Expressive arts and design.

The idea is that these will link into the primary curriculum a bit better.

There are real concerns about communication and language – so many difficulties come from this …. not just poor literacy, but behaviour problems which in turn have an impact on so many areas of education.  So, I think we can expect a lot of focus on this … and quite right too.  I never quite grasped just how important this area was until I worked on some publications with some speech and language therapists (Active Listening for Active Learning, Helping Children Hang on to your Every Word, and Stories for Talking). Even though I come from a teaching background while working on these books I kept thinking “I wish I’d known that … I wish I’d tried that … what a difference it would make if every educator in the country was following this”.

And finally … there is likely to be reduced paperwork. Really???  We live in an age where we are required to record everything … it has become part of our psyche. So, we’ll see … sometime.

Colin at QEd Publications

EYFS Review

It’s big news … it even made the main morning news on BBC Breakfast. We’ve all been wondering what to expect, so here is a flavour of what I’ve picked up on.

Remember, these are recommendations.  The Government now has a look at these and will respond in the summer.  Any changes will come in Autumn 2012 at the earliest.

• Currently, there are 69 Early Learning Goals – they are going to be cut to 17.  This is because there is some overlap between the ELGs.
• There will be a focus on three main Areas of Learning: communication and language;  personal, social and emotional development;  physical development.  Communication and language seems to be highlighted.
• There will be another four Areas of Learning (so one more) – they are expressive arts and design, literacy, mathematics and understanding the world.
• The feeling is that the EYFS has been a success and they want it to remain mandatory.
• Early years practitioners will carry out a child development check with children between 24 and 36 months of age.  There will be a slimmed down EYFS Profile which will include a check against the Early Learning Goals, to see whether children’s development is emerging (below expectation);  expected (in line with where you would expect a child to be at the age of five);  or exceeding (working beyond the expected level).

As ever, the devil will be in the detail and we look forward to seeing that.

Will keep you posted.

Colin at QEd Publications

“EYFS effective in supporting children”

A report in a recent Nursery World magazine gave details of a NDNA survey of nursery owners. In short, the majority of nursery owners support the EYFS and don’t want to see any radical changes.

One change they do want to see is less paperwork (who doesn’t?)

83% of respondents believed that the EYFS was effective in supporting children. There was a strong feeling that the benefits include early intervention that enable practitioners to plan the next steps in children’s development.

There was also strong backing for a single framework for all childcare providers to meet the same standards.

Colin at QEd

Future of the EYFS

Well, don’t say you haven’t been asked … the Government wants to know what you think about the EYFS (how to respond is given at the bottom of this blog). 

It’s time to be constructive. Rather than having a general say about it, focus on particular issues such as:

1. What you think is good and what should be kept.
2. What doesn’t work so well and should be removed.
3. Is there anything missing? What should be added?
4. Is one single framework for all providers a good thing, or should there be a difference between what childminders have to do, for example, compared to nurseries?
5. Should there be formal assessment of any kind of young children? If so, when is a good time to start?

The time to start making comments is NOW. Although it all seems a long way off, they will start pulling together all your feedback from now on. You have the chance to shape what happens … so make sure you have your say. The response form can be found at www.education.gov.uk/consultations

The Government will publish a report in spring/summer 2011 and any changes will be brought in from September 2012.

Colin at QEd

Summer holidays

Most schools break up today or tomorrow for their summer hols.

From a business point of view this is always a strange time for me. The phone continues to ring … but it’s mainly people trying to sell me space in magazines, new and more expensive mobile phone contracts, stationery I don’t need … and so it goes on.

When I’m not getting irritating calls I spend my time tweaking our website, working on a new book by Hannah Mortimer that deals with Dyslexia and a couple of other new products.

I’ll also keep my eye on what’s happening (if anything) on the review of the EYFS and let you know what’s going on.

Colin at QEd Publications

EYFS Review

The review will cover four main areas:

• scope of regulation – whether there should be one single framework for all Early Years providers. I’m not sure I understand this … how many frameworks are there at the moment?
• learning and development – looking at the latest evidence about children’s development and what is needed to give them the best start at school.
• assessment – whether young children’s development should be formally assessed at a certain age, and what this should cover.
• welfare – the minimum standards to keep children safe and support their healthy development. 

We’ll keep an eye on this at QEd

A childminder’s view

Ann – an experienced childminder – has added the following interesting comments.

 

“I think they (the new Government) will change the EYFS. Lots of childminders still hate it and don’t understand it. It’s a shame because I much prefer it!

 

It is however a lot of work for childminders with all the care they do. A childminder is one person, the chef, the cleaner, the office manager, the teacher, the assistant, the list goes on.

 

I think they also will want to put their stamp on it and I’m not sure how interested they are in the early years as it seems to take a back seat.

 

It will cost a fortune whatever they decide! We could all have saved a lot of money.

 

I think that the childminders who have embraced the EYFS have developed in leaps and bounds and are probably succeeding better than nurseries or schools with it. I think it’s a fear thing really they don’t like or welcome change. The schools in my experience hate it! It’s alien to the teachers letting the reception children play all the time. The parents love it like all the extra info they get and seem to know where their child’s learning is at. I think they will definitely scrap it when  the child goes to school.

 

As everything in life seems to go around in a circle we will probably go back to what we had before!” Ann

 

If you’ve got a comment, let me know.

 

Colin

Changes to the EYFS on the way?

Did anyone else hear the report on the radio yesterday about possible changes on the way? There was a brief report on Radio 5 in which a childminder was interviewed saying that she thought it was far better for her to spend her time playing with the children than obsessing about the targets in the EYFS.

A parent was then interviewed and he said he really liked the feedback they were getting as parents based on the Development Matters statements.

The interviewer then indicated that the new coalition government was going to do a big review into how the EYFS is working. Any changes will be made around September 2012.

I am going to make a guess … I think they’ll relax the format of the EYFS for the birth to 2 or maybe 3. And then there will be the more formal EYFS for ages 4 and 5. Almost like the old curriculum guidance which covered 3-5 year-olds. What goes around … think how much money I could save the taxpayer. Because you can be sure this review is going to cost plenty.

I’ll be able to resurrect the old Trackers 3-5!