Assessment Policy
Policy Reviewed Feb 17
Review Due Feb 18
Responsible person Hayley Stoba
EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE ASSESSMENT POLICY
Our school is a place where everyone is treated equally, encouraged and respected. We believe
that all children should be able to achieve their full potential academically, socially and emotionally.
We are committed to our school being a safe and inclusive place where learning is nurtured and
encouraged in a happy, caring and fun environment. We all work for our school to be a happy place
where good behaviour is expected and all children enjoy their educational journey. At Sand Dunes
we believe in nothing but the best!
Baseline
As each child enters the school we use our professional judgement to assess the age band children
are working ‘within’ across the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum by using the Development
Matters statements.
Within 2 weeks of a child starting children will undergo a ‘baseline’ assessment. This assessment
forms a starting point for progression and provides staff with targets to assess the children against
during their time with us. This baseline information is fed into planning to ensure that all the
children’s progression needs are met.
The baseline assessment involves starting children off on the development matters statements by
using a set colour to highlight stating points. Children’s mark-making skills are assessed via an initial
drawing and piece of writing in individual children’s workbooks.
An individual baseline assessment sheet is completed were the prime Areas of Learning are
analysed and targets are set. A soft screen sheet is also completed on entry, assessing children’s
independence skills so that plans can be put into place to ensure progress in this area is made.
All new families to our setting are provided with a “What to expect and when” EYFS document which
staff complete with children’s parents to gain a parental perspective. This is updated with the
parents throughout the year and as they progress with us.
Formative Assessment
As the year progresses children’s development and progress is monitored in all areas of
development. Examples of children’s learning, showing their individual level and stage of
development are built up throughout the year. Provision is made for these observations and
assessments through experience, play and focused activities. Progress is recorded by observing
and assessing children either using hand written observations, photographs, staff notes or
discussion with staff. All of this information is collated in individual children’s files as a record of
learning.
Experiences that occur throughout the day are shared via a nightly meetings so that any learning
that needs to be planned for can be acted upon instantly. Staff also use this opportunity to feedback
from targets issued in observations and during key worker time.
Key worker time takes place during each session across all the rooms and children are formally
observed once a term. During this observation targets and next steps are planned for and set to
ensure learning is ongoing.
In Sand Dunes we also try to involve the children in their own assessment and learning as much as
possible. This is done with the use of smiley faces and thumbs up/down sessions. We see it of
utmost importance to ensure that our ‘assess, plan, learn cycle’ is strong and continually developing
to suit the needs of the children in our care.
Policy Reviewed Feb 17
Review Due Feb 18
Responsible person Hayley Stoba
Assessment Cycle and Data collection
From the information gained by the assessments, each child has a personalised EYFS which
highlights the stages that they are at. This information is collated into data scores. From which
further targets are set and comparisons are made to previous intakes and other settings.
The procedures and timelines for this data collection are outlined below:
Entry-Baseline assessments- within 2 weeks of the child’s start date. Where children are moving up
rooms we use our in-house transition meetings gain information on the needs of the children, stages
in the EYFS, interests and targets set.
Mid year assessments-Data entry shown at least once a term. Progress meetings are set up with
key workers and the Data manager were each child’s stage of development and progress made can
be recorded and targets can be set. During these meetings each strand of the EYFS is marked with
a number indicating whether the child is emerging, expected or embedded within that age band, this
demonstrates progress within the age bands.
Exit scores-June scores for N2 children. Scores are transferred to Primary schools as part of our
transition procedures. At this point comparisons between entry and exit data are made, this
highlighting progress that children make during their time with us.
Moderation
As the age bands within the EYFS framework overlap and some of the development matters
statements are very similar, moderation is of upmost importance to ensure that all staff assess
children consistently.
The nursery school does several tiers of moderation of judgements; there is discussion between
staff both formally at meetings and informally, at progress meetings with SLT/teachers and between
other Nurseries with in Sefton each term. Staff also complete regular Insets on moderation to check
that judgements and expectations are all equal. We are currently compiling a moderation booklet as
a guide to support our practice.
Staff also moderate with parents using the “what to expect and when” document, which was
introduced and started at baseline.
Parents/Carers
At Sand Dunes we encourage parental involvement as much as possible. Parents/carers are kept
up to date with child progress and targets on a daily basis at drop off and collection times, we also
have several notice boards displaying recent child achievements.
Parents/carers are included in their child’s learning via home activities sheets, ask me about sheets,
achievement stickers and text alerts. Parents are also able to view their child’s files on request
anytime. We have a formal parents evening once a year in the summer term as well as several
parent stay and plays throughout the year. Parents are informed during welcome meetings that they
are able to discuss their child’s progress at any time.
Staff CPD
The staff at Sand Dunes are committed to improving their professional development. This may
include new assessment procedures or initiatives. At times it maybe necessary for children’s
progress to be observed, recorded or evaluated to assist with staff’s continuing professional
development. In this case, any identifying information such as names and photographs would not be
shared without prior parental consent. The need to observe in such a way would be brought to the
attention of the Headteacher and information would only be used in a professional way and would
children be identifiable.
Policy Reviewed Feb 17
Review Due Feb 18
Responsible person Hayley Stoba
Transition
When children are moving up to the next room we ensure that the existing key worker meets with
the new key worker to pass on all the relevant information and share important things such as child
interests, personalities and currently ongoing targets. The child’s file is passed up between rooms as
well as a data sheet to highlight current and previous progress. This enables assessment processes
to continue and be as fluent as possible during in house transition.
All assessment information that is fed into data sheets via our progress meetings will form part of
our individual transition pack which are sent up to Primary schools at the end of term. This allows
the feeder schools to have a clear picture of the progress that a child has made during the time with
us as well as the stage they were up to when they left us. This information can then be transferred
straight into reception teachers EYFS models and used to ensure that transition is as smooth as
possible. See Transition policy for further information.
Monitoring and review
It is the responsibility of the EYFS staff to follow this policy. The Data Manager/Headteacher will
carry out monitoring on the EYFS as part of the monitoring systems within the setting. This policy
will also be updated and reviewed before the start of each academic year and will evolve to
incorporate the views of staff and the needs of the children.
Sand Dunes Nursery School sees safeguarding as utmost importance and has a duty of care to
protect children as required. The procedures within this policy help the staff at Sand Dunes Nursery
School to work towards these safeguarding practices and to protect all children in the setting as
required. For more information on our Safeguarding procedures see the Safeguarding Policy.
Policy Reviewed Feb 17
Review Due Feb 18
Responsible person Hayley Stoba