Foundation Years Webinar: - PowerPoint Presentation

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Foundation Years Webinar:

Early Years Foundation Stage Reforms

16

th January 2020, 5pm

ncb.org.uk

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IntroductionChair: Ellie Suggate-Francis, Early Childhood Unit, NCB

Webinar Overview

Brief introduction to the Foundation Years programmeDfE Presentation: EYFS Reforms: Henna Jawaid, EYFS Reforms Team Leader,

DfE Feedback from the reforms Pilot: Hannah Piggott, Senior Researcher, NatCen Opportunities for questionsOther Learn, Explore, Debate opportunities through Foundation Years

ncb.org.uk

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Foundation Years: DfE

Early Years Stakeholder Engagement Partner

Aims: Improve practitioner knowledge and understanding

Improve the confidence of early years settingsFacilitate a

healthy debate

between

DfE

and the early years sector for policy & practice

improvementThrough

:

Foundation Years website

– 57,000 individual users per monthFoundation Years mailing list – 27,000 subscribersWebinars throughout the yearRegional LED Events taking place January 2020

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Early Years Foundation Stage EYFS reforms

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EYFSP reform: Context and update

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Our reforms were announced in June 2018 and they underpin two key objectives:

reducing teacher workload

and

improving outcomes-

particularly in early language for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Revising the Early Learning Goals so that they:

Focus on strengthening language and vocabulary development to help close the ‘word gap’

Strengthen literacy and numeracy outcomes at the end of reception year

Better prepare children for Key Stage 1 – by better aligning with Year 1

Are based on the latest evidence in childhood development – and the strongest predictors of future attainment

Are clearer for teachers to interpret – making the EYFSP assessment more straightforward

Streamlining assessment guidance and reviewing the moderation process to:

Reduce teacher workload and strongly encourage teachers to use their professional judgement and

reduce reliance on recording

unnecessary evidence

Make clear that the ELGs

are not the curriculum

– they are an end point measure of what a child should be demonstrating by the end of the EYFS.

The draft revised ELGs and EYFSP handbook were piloted in 24 schools during academic year 2018/19.

 

The EEF and

NatCen

published their findings from the evaluation of the pilot in October 2019.

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-pilot/

A full public consultation on our EYFS proposals on the ELGs, educational programmes and assessment process was launched on 24 October 2019 and is due to close on 31 January 2020.

Statutory roll out of the reforms are expected in AY 2021/22, with plans for voluntary opt-in for AY 2020/21.

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The EYFS statutory framework is mandatory in all early years settings. It sets the standards that schools and early years providers must meet to ensure that children are taught and develop well and are kept healthy and safe in all early years settings from birth to age 5.

The EYFS was first introduced in 2008. In 2012, following an independent review of evidence and practice (the Tickell Report, 2011

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), the learning and development requirements were revised to create three prime areas of learning and four specific areas of learning, rather than the previous six areas of learning. It also introduced three characteristics of effective teaching and learning.

Sections 1 and 2 of the EYFS framework set out the learning and development and assessment requirements and include the educational programmes early years providers are required to follow across the seven areas of learning

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. All early years practitioners and teachers are required to pursue rich daily activities in supporting each child’s educational development under these areas.

The EYFS framework does not prescribe a particular teaching approach. It recognises that effective teaching in the early years requires skilled use of a teaching practice repertoire which responds appropriately to the age and needs of the children being taught. In recognition of this, the revised EYFS framework will include the definition of teaching currently included in Ofsted’s Early Years Inspection Handbook

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The EYFS framework: a quick recap

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EYFS reforms consultation

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In Scope

Out of Scope

Prime and Specific Areas of Learning:-

these terms will remain – as will the areas of learning sitting underneath. All the areas of learning are inter-connected and complement one another.

Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning

– will remain central to the EYFS, in supporting the workforce to deliver effective practice.

Good Level of Development (GLD) metric

:- all children will continue to be assessed as having reached a ‘good level of development’ by the end of reception year –if they have attained ‘expected’ level of development across the ELGs under the 3 prime areas of learning and ELGs under the maths and literacy areas of learning.

The

progress check at age 2

is not being consulted on.

The

reception baseline assessment

is not in scope of this consultation.

Educational Programmes-

across seven areas of learning- proposals to make them more clear and more detailed- with a focus on communication and language;

Early Learning Goals-

all 17 ELGs have been revised to make them more specific and clear and easier to assess;

EYFSP moderation-

proposals to remove the statutory element to empower teachers to use their professional judgement and reduce workload

Exceeded judgement-

proposals to remove this and allow teachers to focus on supporting all children to achieve ‘expected’ levels of development.

Promotion of oral

health- proposal to include ‘promotion’ as part of wider safeguarding and welfare.

To note- this is not a proposal for mandatory tooth brushing supervision

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Changes to Learning and Development

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On 24 October 2019, the government launched a consultation to seek views on proposed changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP), including:

 

 

Proposed revisions to the educational programmes:-

more detail on the kinds of activities practitioners and teachers can deliver in settings and classrooms to support day to day curriculum and practice. Communication and language underpins all seven areas of learning.

Proposed revisions to the Early Learning Goals (ELGs):- includes more clarity and specificity to descriptors and key changes to:

Communication and language:

focus on oral language and vocabulary acquisition

PSED:

new ELG on Self-regulation and inclusion of self-care

Physical Development:

focus on gross and fine motor skills

Literacy:

new ELG on comprehension

Maths

:

focus on depth of number and understanding quantities and continue to focus on space, shapes and measure through the educational

programme

and

curriculum guidance.

Understanding the World:

more defined descriptors as precursors to science, history and geography and remove IT.

Expressive Arts and Design:

clearer descriptors and emphasis on communication and language.

 

 

Key Points

The consultation proposals have developed from extensive engagement with the sector and early years experts, alongside the findings of the independent evaluation of the EYFSP pilot, published 24 October 2019

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.

 

 

 

We expect these proposals to:

 

Create a clear and specific set of ELGs that drives a greater focus on language and vocabulary development in the early years, which is key to tackling the word gap between disadvantaged children and their peers.

 

 

Reduce teacher workload by putting an end to unnecessary evidence gathering, freeing teachers to focus on what is most important – their interactions with the children;

 and encouraging teachers to use their professional judgement;

Ease the burden of the moderation process and re-confirm the EYFSP as a low-stakes assessment.

The consultation will run until 31 January 2020. 

https://consult.education.gov.uk/early-years-quality-outcomes/early-years-foundation-stage-reform

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Changes to Assessment

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EYFSP moderation:

EYFSP assessments are currently externally moderated on a statutory basis by Local Authorities in 25% of schools each year.

While moderation is an important part of ensuring that the EYFSP produces trusted assessment outcomes, practitioners have told us that the external moderation process can be burdensome.

We are seeking views on the proposal to remove the statutory requirement for LAs to externally moderate EYFSP judgements. Schools would be expected to continue to moderate internally and with other settings to ensure consistency of judgements and that the EYFSP produces trusted assessment outcomes.

EYFSP judgement criteria:

Currently when teachers make a judgement on children’s attainment against the EYFSP, they will assess whether a child is ‘emerging’, ‘expected’ or ‘exceeding’ across each of the 17 ELGs.

We have heard from experts, practitioners and teachers that the exceeded descriptor is unhelpful in making consistent and accurate judgements, as there are inherent challenges in what level to pitch exceeded descriptors and that judging children as exceeded against descriptors generates additional unnecessary collection of evidence for internal and external moderation events.

There is also broad consensus that our focus as practitioners and government should be on efforts to increase the number of children who achieve expected levels of development by the end of reception.

We are seeking views on the proposal to remove the exceeded criteria from the EYFSP.

Teachers will still be required to stretch more able children and support them to excel and provide a narrative for parents and the year 1 teacher.

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New non- statutory curriculum guidance

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Improve early years outcomes

Reducing Workload Burdens

Specific Reception Year guidance

In line with wider social mobility ambitions- to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children to narrow development gaps.

Re-casting the focus on curriculum rather than assessment and providing a foundation for helping teachers and practitioners to plan setting/classroom activities

Making reception year count – by supporting teachers with specific curriculum guidance to ensure all children have strong foundations to begin Year 1.

This will be part of the overall guidance document covering the whole EYFS age-range.

Curriculum guidance is currently being developed through an update of the

Development Matters

non-statutory guidance - aims to focus practitioners and teachers on the importance of rich daily activities to

improve outcomes and help reduce workload

Julian Grenier is leading this work with us

We aim to roll out new curriculum guidance alongside the EYFS reforms

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We have taken on board feedback from the pilot evaluation and will continue to engage with the sector, key experts and assess the responses from the consultation to ensure that these important reforms are delivered by a prepared early years workforce. We will:

Develop new exemplification guidance for the new ELGs, to support teachers in making consistent judgements at ‘expected’ level and ease the burden of moderation;

Develop new non-statutory curriculum guidance to support the workforce delivering rich daily activities to improve outcomes in early language development;

Support volunteer early adopter schools and local authorities – particularly in setting out a clear message of the rationale and nature of the changes and ensure the sector is prepared for national roll-out in AY 2021

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Supporting the workforce and implementation.

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Any Questions

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Evaluation of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile reforms pilot

January 2020

Hannah Piggott and Fatima Husain

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What we will cover

Understanding of the revised ELGs

Using the revised ELGs

Evidence gatheringAccuracy of assessmentsBest fit judgements

Readiness for KS1

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Understanding of the ELGS

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Overall understanding

Suitability

Too adult-led

More child centred

Easy to use

Structure and style

Precise and clear (in comparison with old ELGs)

Bullet point format considered useful

Supports understanding and ease of use

…We are working around the Early Learning Goal rather than working around the needs of the child

We are now doing more deconstructed role play, so the children can really lead …we'll put objects in, like loads of boxes or implements, and just see what

they do.

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Literacy

Separation of Literacy into Comprehension, Word Reading, and Writing was viewed positively

Comprehension and Word Reading were overall easy to understand

.

But:

Focus on ten diagraphs not considered ambitious enough

Requested clarification/exemplification for Writing ELG.

Some suggested changes:

‘

simple phrases and sentences’

- suggestion to amend this to include “

phonetically plausible” as in the previous ELGs

I love this ELG because I think its what they are lacking

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Mathematics

Numbers

Viewed as clear and specific

Focus on 1-10 would cement children’s understandingConcern it would not meet expectations for Year 1

Lack of clarity about number bonds for 0-5 and 0-10

Numerical patterns

Links well with Numbers

‘automatically recall’

– is this repeating or understanding also?

‘different contexts’

was open to interpretation

Needs more clarity on what patterns to cover in addition to even and odd numbers

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Physical development

Welcomed the separation of gross and fine motor skills

Gross motor skills

Unsure of expectations around ‘demonstrating strength, balance and coordination’

Queried what

‘move energetically’

means

Fine motor skills

‘Tripod grip’

main area of discussion

Those who do not like the use of the term,

‘tripod grip’, suggested using effective / appropriate / comfortable grip instead.

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Using ELGS

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Evidence gathering

Positives

Felt trusted, valued

Freed up time to use on planning lessons and activities with children Focus on quality rather than quantity of evidence

Reasons for continuing with evidence gathering

Aide-memoire: for assessing children’s progress, moderation and planning

Accountability

Sharing progress with parents

We're still observing the children. We're interacting

with

them, … but we're not feeling the pressure to record every little thing

.

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Accuracy of assessments

New ELGs are more specific and precise

Improvements in assessing EAL children

But …

Lack of supporting materials may damage the accuracy of assessments

Echoed concerns about phrasing and meaning

It's a far easier document to understand

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Best fit judgements

Approach to best fit has remained the same

Looking at whole ELG vs each bullet point

ImprovementsSpecificity of ELGs and breaking ELGs into bullet points has made this easier

Challenges

Recalling number bonds: too subjective and easy to misinterpret

Difficult to determine what exceeding looks like

…I’m aware that its not a tick sheet…I still take it into the three bullet points

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Readiness for KS1

Increased clarity improves the handover process

The new ELGS are better aligned with Yr. 1 in some areas

Increased focus on basic skills – means children are going into Yr. 1 with firmer foundationConcerns:

Schools might not teach aspects of the old ELGs that were taken out

Lack of supporting materials

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Conclusion

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Overall

Generally clear – teachers have taken it in their stride and planned around it

Some areas where clarification is needed around phrasing and what needs to be observed to meet the ELG

However, the ELGs by themselves are not sufficient. Teachers want the supporting materials that go along with the ELGs, for exampleExemplification materials

Criteria for ‘exceeding’

Revised Development Matters

…if we went to another school … they might have interpreted it slightly differently because there's no exemplification or anything at the minute.

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Thank you

hannah.piggott@natcen.ac.uk

fatima.husain@natcen.ac.uk

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Any Questions

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Coming up…

Further webinarsReception Baseline Assessment

Learn Explore Debate EventsNationwide, January 2020, details available via websiteFoundation Years WebsiteRefreshed – more accessibleNewslettersMonthly relevant research and policy direct to your inbox

ncb.org.uk

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Final Word

Thank you for your time and contributions.

Sign up to the Foundation Years mailing list at: www.foundationyears.org.ukWatch this space for details of upcoming webinars and events.

Please keep talking to us, we will listen:Please email CPergolizzi@ncb.org.uk with questions or comments.

ncb.org.uk