Anti Eyfs Petition

[Guest Wolfie]

Thanks for that link, Titian.

[Marion]

I understand there is to be a debate on the subject Sky News this morning at 10.30am

[Guest]

I understand there is to be a debate on the subject Sky News this morning at 10.30am

 

 

I'll have a look out for that, Thanks Marion.

 

Edit: Just found the link to it: http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1307533,00.html

Edited March 1, 2008 by Guest

[Jester]

I was interested to read about Melinda Messenger's thoughts within that link.

[Guest]

Early Day Motion (EDM) 1031, which notes the concerns of Open EYE and asks for an independent review of the EYFS, has to date been signed by 55 MPS from 7 different parties including the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, with signatories still being added.

 

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails....amp;SESSION=891

[catma]

in relation to the statutory sense of the eyfs you'll find the statutory elements of the learning and development requirements in the statutory framework pages 12 - 16. e.g.

 

CLLD:Children’s learning and competence in communicating, speaking and listening, being read to and beginning to read and write must be supported. They must be provided with opportunity and encouragement to use their skills in a range of situations and for a range of purposes, and be supported in developing the confidence and disposition to do so.

 

The other statutory bits are the elgs, as listed. Thats it!!!

 

The other booklet is advice and guidance on how to achieve those statutory aims and the overlapping ages and stages give us a framework to support children's development as they progress, not a written curriculum you must be following or the eyfs police will get you.

 

Also, if anyone can find a parent who isn't constantly matching and comparing their child to expected developmental milestones / other children of the same age i'ld be pleasantly surprised cos all i ever get is how advanced they are compared to others of their own ages!!!!

 

I love the overlapping ages/stages of development. Now my 36 mth nursery entrants can be assessed anywhere within 22 - 36/30-50 and still be in the right place! hurrah!!! (However my headteachers probably won't and i've just got them all up to speed with the stepping stones!)

 

I love the eyfs cos it makes my job easier - now I can say YOU MUST!! with authority. Not that I don't already but you know what I mean

 

Cx

[HappyMaz]

The other statutory bits are the elgs, as listed. Thats it!!!

I've always been a bit confused about the campaign's emphasis on the formal nature of the EYFS and especially the stepping stones/ELGs to do with reading and writing, because the assessment tool has remained the same - the Profile (although I do know this has been amended slightly).

 

I couldn't see what had changed - it has always been my understanding that children who had achieve all the points 1-9 were working beyond the early learning goals...

 

I haven't been brave enough until now to ask this question - but have I missed something?

 

Maz

[catma]

Nope - the profile is exactly the same with a couple of tweaks in 2 scale points (5 and 6) in LSL to bring them in line with the ELG changes n LSL following the rose review. The rest is the same as it's ever been so the elgs are still our aim. And getting 1 - 9 on any scale would indicate a child working consistently at a high level of idependence and application across all the aspects housed within that scale. (NOT WORKING AT NC LEVEL 1C)

Cx

[Marion]

Sorry but scale point 9 is working within NC levels some are NC level 1 and others are NC level 2 (as are some of the scale 8 points)

[catma]

Can you tell me where I can find that?

 

As i understand it there are CURRICULUM links but not equivalences of levels to FSP outcomes. I am merely saying what the lead of NAA has stood in front of me and said, so if he doesn't know I'm not quite sure who does............

Cx

[HappyMaz]

I am merely saying what the lead of NAA has stood in front of me and said, so if he doesn't know I'm not quite sure who does............

Cx

Was this Jan Dubiel?

[Marion]

"Each scale of the Foundation Stage Profile consists of nine statements or items.

 

* The first three reflect the stepping stones described within the context of the final year of the Foundation Stage.

* Items 4 to 8 are the early learning goals which most children are expected to achieve by the end of the Foundation Stage. Points 4 to 8 of the Foundation Stage Profile across all scales have equal value and can be achieved in any order. These five scale points (4-8) are the early learning goals, reordered and occasionally edited for the purposes of assessment.

* Item 9 describes achievement significantly beyond what is expected during the Foundation Stage. It has the level of challenge found in aspects of level 1 and sometimes aspects of level 2b of the National Curriculum. "

 

http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/f...145599/#1145627

[catma]

level of challenge found in aspects for sure but not everything, so you cannot really say a child is working at that level can you. It's not equivalence.

 

This from NAA FSP report 2006:

 

"Some LAs and commercial companies have produced materials that attempt

 

to equate FSP scale points to national curriculum (NC) sub-levels and use

 

FSP data as a crude numerical predictor for attainment in NC key stage 1

 

assessments. Any equation of FSP scales or scale point scores to NC levels

 

or invented sub-levels is a spurious and ultimately inaccurate exercise. There

 

is currently no reliable numerical correlation between attainment in FSP and

 

NC key stage 1 assessments. Use of data generated by the FSP relies on

 

fully understanding the relationship between all 13 scales and how this is

 

used to support the next steps in children’s learning within a broad and

 

balanced curriculum. NAA strongly discourages the use of such materials and

 

continues to promote the use of Continuing the learning journey to support

 

effective understanding and use of FSP data."

 

Cx

[Marion]

Sorry but scale point 9 is working within NC levels some are NC level 1 and others are NC level 2 (as are some of the scale 8 points)

 

A child who has achieved scale point 9 has completed all the ELGs and while not achieving NC levels they are as I said working within those levels. and planning would be to complete the other aspects.

 

The NAA is talking about the use of FSP scores to predict levels in KS1 which is a totally different thing.

Edited April 5, 2008 by Marion

[Marion]

Just received the following communication from Openeye

"* * * CSF Committee Meeting Next Wednesday, 21st May, at Westminster * * *

 

As a direct result of the representations made by Open EYE in January to Barry Sheerman MP, the Early Years Foundation Stage will come under scrutiny from the Children, Schools and Families Committee next Wednesday, 21st May. The review, which will be chaired by Mr Sheerman MP, will consider the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment arrangements under the EYFS. It will also look at the statutory nature of the EYFS, whether its birth to five remit is appropriate and the implications for the early years and childcare workforce. Two representatives from Open EYE have been invited to attend together with Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood. The other two members of the Panel will be Early Years Advisers, Bernadette Duffy and Anne Nelson, National Chair and Chief Executive of the British Association for Early Childhood Education.

 

The meeting is open to the public and will take place in Westminster at Portcullis House on Wednesday, 21st May between 9.30 am and 11.30 am. Letters and written evidence will also be considered. All supporters will be welcome. However, since the object of the meeting is to consider whether there is sufficient concern about the EYFS to justify convening a full blown CSF Select Committee review it is ESSENTIAL that as many of us as possible either write in with our concerns or submit written evidence, however small or paltry they may seem!

 

The person to send your letter and/or evidence to is Susan Ramsay, Committee Secretary, at our Committee address: csfcom@parliament.uk

 

Thank you very much for any help you can give us and also please forward on this e-mail to any other organisation/people who might be prepared to submit written evidence and then contact them to ask them to send something in.

 

 

*** Petition and EDM ***

 

The petition is now approaching 7,000 signatories making it the 2nd largest education and skills petition out of 403. Please sign up if you have not already done so at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/OpenEYE/. Also the EDM is now up to 69 signatories including, Michael Meacher, so we are now attracting some big guns! Please check and see if your MP has signed, and if not, write to ask for their support.

"

[Marion]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_...icle4004420.ece