Management Information Sheet
Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) and Moderation Process 2009-10
These are the procedures for the academic year 2009-2010. The headteacher and each teacher in EYFS will need a copy of this information sheet.
Collecting the EYFS Profile data
We all need to be confident that the judgements made about children in EYFS are fair and consistent, and that assessment judgements made for any one child are comparable with those made for all the children across the county.
This helps us to ensure that all children do as well as they possibly can during the Early Years Foundation Stage, and it is important because the Early Years Advisers at the PDC and at County Hall analyse the data at school, area and county level. This analysis is then used by the Local Authority, Ofsted and the DCSF to monitor how well we are doing in this aspect of our work.
EYFS Profile Handbook
Schools will have this handbook from last year but it is possible to obtain further copies from QCDA by visiting their website.
eProfile (also known as EYE-profile)
The paper version of the EYFS profile is no longer available for use, and schools are expected to use the eProfile or a similar electronic tracking tool to collect and interpret their assessments. The EYFSP Handbook examples for each of the scale points match those on the eProfile. One benefit of collecting the data electronically is that they can be submitted straight to your School Management Information System ready for electronic transfer to the Information and Research Centre (IRC) at County Hall. Schools can contact Dom Mingaye for further information. Advice on installing the eProfile can also be obtained from IRC.
Guidance on evidence to be collected
We are aware that there is some confusion about the types of evidence that teachers are asked to collect. Most of the evidence should be based on activities that the children have selected by themselves. This is called Self-initiated Activity (SIA) and, as the Guidance indicates, 80% of assessments should be SIA. The reason for this is that teachers can then see whether the children are applying independently the things they have been taught.
Some points on the scales are more difficult to assess using SIA, however, so in these cases teachers should use their professional judgement and make assessments in adult-led activities. The Guidance indicates that this should account for no more than 20% of assessments.
Careful observation of the children is a vital part of the assessment process, and it is very important that every school involves all EYFS staff in regular, planned observations of the children in this way. Where a team of people in a class are working together to gather assessment evidence, it is part of the teacher's responsibility to draw this together to reach an agreed view of each child's progress. The EYFS Advisers are very happy to give advice and support to head teachers and teachers about best practice in EYFS assessment.
Quality Assurance and Moderation
In June 2010, head teachers will need to check the EYFSP data from their schools and sign off the results so they can be submitted to the Local Authority. It is good practice for head teachers to reassure themselves about the progress children are making, by looking at how the profiles are building up at different points during the year. We recommend that schools moderate their assessments and judgements internally or, in the case of small schools, with EYFS colleagues from another school. The EYFS Advisers are aware of the most frequent anomalies that occur in the data that is submitted, and we are happy to advise schools on the key things to look for when moderating EYFSP assessments.
We have to submit a plan to the DCSF to show how we will moderate and evaluate the EYFSP. Our plan, which DCSF evaluates, depends partly on a team of moderators who are deployed to 'assessment clusters'. The moderators work with teachers to ensure that assessment judgements are accurate across the county. As you will understand, this process has to be rigorous but our aim is that the meetings will be supportive, and a place to share ideas.
Cycle of Moderation
All schools will be part of a moderation cluster and will be invited to a half-day cluster meeting. The cluster meetings will be held at the Norwich PDC, and at the West Norfolk PDC in King's Lynn.
Schools selected for individual moderation
All schools with an NQT will receive a moderation visit, usually in the Spring Term. There is also a regular three-year cycle of moderation for individual schools. When a school is identified for moderation as part of this cycle, assessment information from each EYFS class will be moderated. Where there were queries about the previous year's data, or where ongoing support is being offered to a school, there will be a visit in the summer term.
EYFSP data will need to be up-to-date for the moderation visit. Shortly before the visit, the school will need to provide a list of the children in each EYFS class so that the moderator can select three children for discussion. The list will need to show the children in three 'groups':
Children assessed at EYFSP Scale Points 0 - 3
Children assessed at EYFSP Scale Points 4 - 8
Children assessed at EYFSP Scale Point 9 or beyond
The moderator will normally select a child from each group. Where there are not three distinct groups, the moderator will select three children at random.
(It is worth noting that an average child would be expected to be working at band 6+ at the end of EYFS.)
During the moderation visit, it will help if the moderator could meet with the head teacher for part of the visit. The moderator will discuss this when they ring the school to arrange the visit.
Further details on preparation for the moderation visits will be sent to each school towards the end of the autumn term 2009.
New materials and web pages for Early Years Foundation Stage assessment can be found through the following link.
Training on how to use the EYSF Profile and the EYE-Profile is available. Please see the Training Directory, produced by the Early Years Childcare and Extended Schools Services.
Transition from EYFS into Year One
We will be sending out information about using EYFS data in Year One and effective transition procedures at the beginning of the Spring Term 2010.
For further information about the EYFSP and moderation, please contact:
Alison Orsborne
Primary Development Adviser (Early Years)
Norwich PDC
Woodside Road
Norwich NR7 9QL
01603 433276
alison.orsborne@norfolk.gov.uk
Collecting the EYFS Profile data
We all need to be confident that the judgements made about children in EYFS are fair and consistent, and that assessment judgements made for any one child are comparable with those made for all the children across the county.
This helps us to ensure that all children do as well as they possibly can during the Early Years Foundation Stage, and it is important because the Early Years Advisers at the PDC and at County Hall analyse the data at school, area and county level. This analysis is then used by the Local Authority, Ofsted and the DCSF to monitor how well we are doing in this aspect of our work.
EYFS Profile Handbook
Schools will have this handbook from last year but it is possible to obtain further copies from QCDA by visiting their website.
eProfile (also known as EYE-profile)
The paper version of the EYFS profile is no longer available for use, and schools are expected to use the eProfile or a similar electronic tracking tool to collect and interpret their assessments. The EYFSP Handbook examples for each of the scale points match those on the eProfile. One benefit of collecting the data electronically is that they can be submitted straight to your School Management Information System ready for electronic transfer to the Information and Research Centre (IRC) at County Hall. Schools can contact Dom Mingaye for further information. Advice on installing the eProfile can also be obtained from IRC.
Guidance on evidence to be collected
We are aware that there is some confusion about the types of evidence that teachers are asked to collect. Most of the evidence should be based on activities that the children have selected by themselves. This is called Self-initiated Activity (SIA) and, as the Guidance indicates, 80% of assessments should be SIA. The reason for this is that teachers can then see whether the children are applying independently the things they have been taught.
Some points on the scales are more difficult to assess using SIA, however, so in these cases teachers should use their professional judgement and make assessments in adult-led activities. The Guidance indicates that this should account for no more than 20% of assessments.
Careful observation of the children is a vital part of the assessment process, and it is very important that every school involves all EYFS staff in regular, planned observations of the children in this way. Where a team of people in a class are working together to gather assessment evidence, it is part of the teacher's responsibility to draw this together to reach an agreed view of each child's progress. The EYFS Advisers are very happy to give advice and support to head teachers and teachers about best practice in EYFS assessment.
Quality Assurance and Moderation
In June 2010, head teachers will need to check the EYFSP data from their schools and sign off the results so they can be submitted to the Local Authority. It is good practice for head teachers to reassure themselves about the progress children are making, by looking at how the profiles are building up at different points during the year. We recommend that schools moderate their assessments and judgements internally or, in the case of small schools, with EYFS colleagues from another school. The EYFS Advisers are aware of the most frequent anomalies that occur in the data that is submitted, and we are happy to advise schools on the key things to look for when moderating EYFSP assessments.
We have to submit a plan to the DCSF to show how we will moderate and evaluate the EYFSP. Our plan, which DCSF evaluates, depends partly on a team of moderators who are deployed to 'assessment clusters'. The moderators work with teachers to ensure that assessment judgements are accurate across the county. As you will understand, this process has to be rigorous but our aim is that the meetings will be supportive, and a place to share ideas.
Cycle of Moderation
All schools will be part of a moderation cluster and will be invited to a half-day cluster meeting. The cluster meetings will be held at the Norwich PDC, and at the West Norfolk PDC in King's Lynn.
Schools selected for individual moderation
All schools with an NQT will receive a moderation visit, usually in the Spring Term. There is also a regular three-year cycle of moderation for individual schools. When a school is identified for moderation as part of this cycle, assessment information from each EYFS class will be moderated. Where there were queries about the previous year's data, or where ongoing support is being offered to a school, there will be a visit in the summer term.
EYFSP data will need to be up-to-date for the moderation visit. Shortly before the visit, the school will need to provide a list of the children in each EYFS class so that the moderator can select three children for discussion. The list will need to show the children in three 'groups':
Children assessed at EYFSP Scale Points 0 - 3
Children assessed at EYFSP Scale Points 4 - 8
Children assessed at EYFSP Scale Point 9 or beyond
The moderator will normally select a child from each group. Where there are not three distinct groups, the moderator will select three children at random.
(It is worth noting that an average child would be expected to be working at band 6+ at the end of EYFS.)
During the moderation visit, it will help if the moderator could meet with the head teacher for part of the visit. The moderator will discuss this when they ring the school to arrange the visit.
Further details on preparation for the moderation visits will be sent to each school towards the end of the autumn term 2009.
New materials and web pages for Early Years Foundation Stage assessment can be found through the following link.
Training on how to use the EYSF Profile and the EYE-Profile is available. Please see the Training Directory, produced by the Early Years Childcare and Extended Schools Services.
Transition from EYFS into Year One
We will be sending out information about using EYFS data in Year One and effective transition procedures at the beginning of the Spring Term 2010.
For further information about the EYFSP and moderation, please contact:
Alison Orsborne
Primary Development Adviser (Early Years)
Norwich PDC
Woodside Road
Norwich NR7 9QL
01603 433276
alison.orsborne@norfolk.gov.uk