Each child is allocated a key person who will assess children’s learning and development against the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and work closely with parents and carers, starting with a home visit before the child starts attending nursery.
If a child is two years-old, during the first half-term key workers use their observations and knowledge of the children to complete a “two-year-old progress check”. This covers the “prime areas of learning”, Personal, Social, Emotional Development, Language and Communication and Physical Development. This assessment is shared with parents and carers, who are invited to contribute their knowledge of their child, and is used to plan future learning opportunities, including any additional needs. Parents are encouraged to share their Health Visitor 2-year-old check at the same time.
If a child is three years-old, during the first half-term key workers use their observations and knowledge of the children to make baseline assessments across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This assessment is shared with parents and carers, who are invited to contribute their knowledge of their child, and is used to plan future learning opportunities, including any additional needs.
Children’s progress is reviewed every term, using the milestones in the Early Excellence assessment tracker, and the “Development matters” framework. Each key person also assess how children are developing their Characteristics of Effective Learning, and how they can be supported in becoming confident independent learners. Regular parent meetings are planned where we share these assessments and plan for children’s next steps together.
The key person also completes “Learning Stories” which celebrate examples of significant learning. These are available as part of an online learning journal and are printed out as a keepsake when children leave Childhaven. Parents are given unique access codes to access the stories when children have started and can also contribute learning from home quickly and conveniently.
In the last term before children move to Primary schools, we make the final assessment and complete a transition profile, which is shared with parents and carers before being passed to their new school.