Baseline Assessments In Reception - Help!

[Guest ShelleyT]

Is it just me, or is anyone else confused about the on baseline assessments for Reception in September? At our EYFS briefing, we were advised to spend the first four weeks observing the children and making judgements for the three core areas from 22 months up to the 40 - 60+ statements. Does anyone else feel that this is completely unmanageable? I just don't know how we will get through all of that in 4 weeks for 30 children with just 2 adults?

 

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks, Shelley x

 

(I should really be doing something else on the first day of the summer holiday I know!!!!)

[Guest]

don't you get passed on any information from previous settings - nursery, nurture nursery etc?

[Guest]

We should all be doing something else on first day of hols, I just want to get my head sorted in next couple of weeks, then hopefully switch off for a wee while. My consultant suggested I could only expect to get a flavour of where they are during first 3 weeks, I then compare to nursery data to see if there are any huge differences, bearing in mind they have had 6 weeks hol and are with different adults, different pupils in a different setting, different routine etc. (I would doubt my Rec class will be achieving as confidently when they first enter Y1, in spite of transition provision). I have done 6 areas in past (nearly killed me, but it was first time as I'd always used profile as baseline - I tried to be too accurate and got too manic). I have my new tracking sheet from authority which has all 7 areas, not 3... manic may return!

[Susan]

What did you do previously? Surely this doesn't vary too much? It shouldn't be too hard to manage if you can plan suitable activities.

[Guest ShelleyT]

We just get a very limited transition report from the pre-schools... I've just read them and they don't help much! So it looks like I am starting from scratch. :'(

[Guest]

in nursery we just have usual continuous provision and chat to children as they play to see where they are at. we assess if they are working within 22-36 or 30-50 band. we choose 2 areas each week to focus on, as well as teaching new routines etc. and only look at our key children. anyone not achieving any or much of 22-36, then we look back at 16-26 months and see what is achieved here. so maybe split and each of you do 15 children, ot you 20 and TA/NN 10? may be best to start at 30-50, and if you feel they are not achieving any of these, then try band below. or it's too much to think about, and we were always told look at band below chronological age. and, as susan says, planning in suitable activities will make it easier for some areas. have attached 30-50 and 40-60 bands i uploaded from someone else's post on something else, if that helps, and i have also attached16-60 i did for myself, hope that's helpful. x

Dev matters 2012 for Reception.doc

physical development.docx

personal, social, emotional development.docx

mathematics.docx

literacy.docx

knowledge and understanding.docx

expressive arts and design.docx

communication and language.docx

Edited July 21, 2012 by sooty99

[Guest]

Oh Shelley - what a job !

 

Pre-school settings should be sending you development matters statements where you can see where children have been assessed as achieving.

 

However, I would be observing where they are now and reflecting to the age bracket they are now, why would you need to observe below that age? If they are below their expected age when you observe them, then something has gone wrong in their pre-school.

 

I work in pre-school and we spend so much time in observing and making assessments. It would also be of benefit to contact the pre-schools who feed into your school to advise the of the information you require when children start - our local feeder school does this - they invite us in during the Autumn term and tell us what they would like to know for next year.

[Guest ShelleyT]

Thanks Sooty99 for all the help and advice. We do not receive any DM info from the pre-schools so it makes sense to start with their age and go to the earlier months if they are not achieving. We have never had to use FSP as baseline before so it is new to me. We have been doing the BIC for years and years. Last year we tried to do points 1-3 in each area but it took us until Christmas! That didn't seem right at all! I also don't really understand about recording it and evidence. The adviser said don't highlight sheets and you only need significant evidence, but then later on said for moderation we would need more than one type of evidence for every statement. I am so confused!

 

P.S. Dot - the children who come from our Nursery tell us the DM points but as they are different in September that isn't going to help us is it????

[Guest]

we highlight sheets, one colour for start of term, one for feb and one for july. everyone i know does, even though we are told not to!! otherwise it is hard to determine each term are they emerging in that band, secure or somewhere between. and you need to know this information to track progress and show value added. we keep it seperate from learning journey. don't panic! it's a good idea to start in 40-60 band, going back to 30-50 if necessary. most of our pre-school cohort had achieived all 30-50 band, but some hadn't and these levels were passed on to reception staff. but children will be in 30-50 band, and it's no reflection on pre-school, as that child may have been at 16-26 months at the start of the year, and it would be very hard to to 'catch up'. and whatever level nursery tell you, they will be below having had 6 weeks off, starting part-time, possibly, and no one does much in the last week of term, what with cleaning toys/backing boards etc. so that's 2 months plus off. and it's a new setting/people, and young children won't show their true ability when they are not feeling totally secure. and they may not have had access to outdoors, so observations of physical development may not be the same. and, of course, statements/areas of learning/aspects have all changed. i hope your TA/NN is good! x

[Guest ShelleyT]

My TA has never worked in Reception before and has no idea how to do observations!!!!! It's going to be tough first half term I think! x

[Guest]

a steep learning curve!

[Guest]

i have put all development bands from 16 months to 60 m together for all 7 new areas.

development matters 16-60 months.docx

[Guest]

you can download the DMs from target tracker - although a lot of pages for each child!