Putting the EYFS Curriculum into Practice

Product Information

Reflections on Ofsted’s, Best start in life: a research review for early years – Part 2 Posted: 19/09/23

Only 49.1% of children eligible for free school meals achieved the GLD, compared to 68.8% of those not known to be eligible for free school meals. That’s a whopping 19.6 percentage point gap. Written by experts in the field, this book provides clear, practical guidance on each of the 7 areas of learning and development in the revised (2021) EYFS.Just wanted to let people know about this excellent publication ( Edited by Julian Grenier and Caroline Vollans) and how much we, the FSF/Tapestry education team, are enjoying it. We meet every week to discuss all things early years and primary and at every other meeting we choose a chapter to read and discuss. It's been such a great experience- keeping us all up to date with the latest thinking and helping us to express our own views to each other. If I were still running a setting, I'd be using this in staff meetings. Thoroughly recommend it. I think some of my colleagues are going to come in and say something about the chapters they chose, but the one I was particularly interested in was Jan Dubiel's 'Understanding Assessment and Curriculum'. The Department for Education explainsthat ‘Children are defined as having reached a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of the EYFS if they have achieved the expected level for the ELGs in the prime areas of learning and the specific areas of mathematics and literacy. This helps teachers and parents to understand broadly what a child can do in relation to national expectations.’

Within the document it is mentioned that the EYFS is an intrusive attempt to ‘micro-manage’ all 0 – 5 childcare establishments as well as dictating ‘best practice’ including parents. Within the EYFS it does not specify that the parents should do as they are told neither does it specify how practitioners should work with the children. Therefore Pugh.G et al (2010:105), states that “It requires the practitioner to differentiate to understand each child as an individual and personalize the curriculum content to match their needs and interests”. However practitioners should have an in depth knowledge of their key children, so that they can use the EYFS Framework to support and help plan opportunities and activities. These will then enhance children’s learning and encourage the individual children’s development in a way that will interest them. Adding this requirement does not mean that you must carry out supervised toothbrushing. You will not be required to assess children’s oral health. Dr Julian Grenier CBE is the headteacher of Sheringham Nursery School and Children's Centre. He was the lead writer of Development Matters (2021). But let’s take things one step at a time. One of the key objectives of the review and subsequent reform of the EYFS statutory guidance was around assessment and, from my point of view, this should be the key priority for schools and settings.

As soon as adults are behind clipboards and iPads and digital cameras, the first thing that they are unable to do is to listen to children. We are undermining our core ability to just be in the moment with young children.” All of this, of course, also fits very well with the focus on curriculum and pedagogy within the new framework. Effective practice has always been about owning your own curriculum decisions and pedagogy. Following a framework or intervention blindly without understanding the ‘why’ doesn’t tend to end well. By starting with a focus on child development and effective assessment processes teaching can be underpinned by clear reasoning and understanding. When knowledge of our children effectively informs what happens next, our curriculum and pedagogy become meaningful to both our staff and our children. The goals are there to be used to assess children at the end of reception year, rather than for pre-school children. Changes to Development Matters: non-statutory curriculum guidance Chapters cover key topics including, assessment, inclusion of children with SEND, English as an Additional Language, equalities, anti-racism, provision for disadvantaged children, professional development and using research and evidence.

The conference is all about the putting the curriculum into action, with a special focus on equity for every child.

Enabling environments on a shoestring: a guide to developing and reviewing early years provision

The EYFS recognises the importance of the wider environment both in working in partnership with parents and the ethos of the EYFS, providing equality of care and education for all. Research has shown that good quality early education and care has wide – ranging benefits for all children. Being provided across nurseries, reception classes, pre – schools, children’s centres and childminders, it enhances social and cognitive skills and is of particular benefit to disadvantaged children (N.A: 2010). However other curriculums have also the quality input that the EYFS has, for example the High Scope Curriculum, Montessori etc. It could be argued that children who have an intellectually and physically stimulating environment will maintain a more complex network of synapses in the brain (Bee: 1997). These biological changes in nature can have implications for practice, the EYFS however has a variety of suitable activities planned for those at different ages and stages of development. This is a prime example of how ‘nurture can influence nature. It’s easier to navigate, and shorter in word length to allow for more freedom to develop the right broad curriculum for the children you work with. The EYFS Statutory Framework obliges practitioners to provide experiences which are based on children’s interests. Sometimes the children have interests that we feel uncomfortable with. As professionals we need to be able to identify what this is for each of us and then find ways of feeling more comfortable with it. Islington Council’s Engaging Boys leaflet may be helpful to read. The Vivienne Gussin Paley quote below is a timely reminder. there is a new focus on early language and extending vocabulary, with more examples on how to embed and develop vocabulary skills across all 7 areas, because this improves child development in a broad curriculum Also, the nature of adult relationships is closely linked to self- regulation. If our staff’s main concern is to position themselves behind an I pad then opportunities to support self-regulation through a nurturing, supportive relationship will be missed. As Julian Grenier, the author of the Development Matters document states:

You can look for evidence of what works in the Early Intervention Foundation’s report, Teaching, pedagogy and practice in early years childcare: An evidence review or on the Education Endowment Foundation’s Early Years Toolkit . The evidence suggests that a successful programme will run over a whole year, or the majority of the year. Each practitioner will engage in at least 20 hours of training in total. Those 20 hours might include a whole-staff session, self-study and online learning, discussion, mentoring or coaching, and peer support. There isn’t any evidence that sending staff to one-off training events and asking them to share their learning with the wider team is effective in improving quality, although it might support an individual’s professional development.Effective assessment practice is based on key principles, knowledgeable adults and the right systems and routines. If we don’t have a clear vision for EYFS assessment within our school or setting then practice can become weighed down by the burden of too many unnecessary written observations and captured images. If we’re not careful, this information gathering process can take place at the expense of effective adult interaction. If, as the EYFS statutory guidance states: “the number and quality of conversations…language rich environment underpins children’s learning” then it would be ironic if the recording of progress became a barrier to progress.