Assessment and the Early Learning Goals in EYFS

The Reception Baseline Assessment 

 

The Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) is a statutory assessment that became compulsory from September 2021 and has to be completed within the first 6 weeks of your child starting at Abbeymead. 

 

The RBA will be undertaken in short chunks covering literacy, language, communication and early maths. Teachers at the school will administer the assessment and record pupil results electronically.

The RBA will be interactive and practical, and tn most cases pupils should not be aware that they are being assessed. Children will be asked to answer questions verbally or by pointing at or moving objects. If children need a break during the assessment, the teacher will be able to pause at any time.

The RBA is designed to be inclusive and accessible to the vast majority of children as they join school in Reception. Most children with special educational needs or disability (SEND) or English as an additional language (EAL) will be able to take part in the assessment. There are also modified materials available for children with visual and hearing impairments.

The RBA will be administered in normal teaching time during your child's first few weeks. 

For more information about the Reception Baseline Assessment, read the Department for Education's parent leaflet.

The Early Learning Goals 

 

The Early Learning Goals are the end of Reception Year statements that all our children will be assessed against. Those children who meet all the criteria under each area of development are said to have 'met' the early learning goal and working 'at age-related expectations'. 

We know that some of our children will have met all the early learning goals before reaching the end of Reception, children are continually given opportunities to develop skills and knowledge further and to apply their skills to ensure they have depth to their learning.

Please see the document link below for more details. 

Ongoing assessment of pupils in EYFS at Abbeymead

Assessment is a crucial part of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Assessment is used as part of a cycle to inform planning. Staffs assess the children on a daily basis, observing what is happening during their work and play. All members of staff are responsible for observing all children, regardless as to which class they are in, and feeding this information to the class teacher.

  • The children are observed during their work and play- notes maybe made if appropriate
  • Staff discuss their observations in order to meet the needs of each child and decide on their next steps.
  • The findings are fed into the planning so that the children are challenged appropriately in future activities.

How We Record

  • Assessment, in the form of photographs, record books, and sample of pupils work are all kept in an evidence folder. Books are introduced for pupils throughout the year where they can record their work individually. 
  • Judgement for each of the 17 areas of the EYFS are made termly by staff and recorded on the school tracking system. 

Moderation

  • Moderation takes place at least termly, this can be both in school and externally.
  • Reception staff attend regular moderation sessions with other local schools.

Parental Involvement

Parents are the child’s first educator and they know their children best. We encourage parents to share what they know about their children on a regular basis.  Parents can see what pupils are doing though their class Dojo feed and upload pupils achievements onto their Dojo portfolio for staff to see.  If you are having any issues accessing the class Dojo page or your child's portfolio please do contact the school.