Any EYFS people on here who can help me to understand my daughters report?

[DontLeaveMeThisWaay]

DD is at nursery and is just over 3.5.

Her report says she is working within 30-50 month bracket for everything except making relationships which she is working within 42-60+ months.

I had a look back at my other DD’s report from the same age. She was secure in everything at 30-50 months except she was secure in 42-60+ months for managing feelings and behaviour and health and self care.

I’m just curious, what exactly is the difference between ‘working within’ and ‘secure’?

My DD has a late May birthday so will be starting school in summer and I just have some concerns about whether she’ll be ready.

The nursery is on Xmas shut down period so I can’t discuss this with them until the new year.

Thanks for your help :)

There is absolutely nothing to worry about there, she sounds like she is doing really well. Reception teachers tell us that as long as children are within the 30-50 stage when they leave nursery, even if they are actually 50m plus, they will be fine at school. Don't forget reception is still officially Early Years. And your daughters are obviously very good with their social skills.

Secure means that that the child is able to demonstrate a particular skill/action confidently and consistently. It's something we've seen then do regularly and typically without adult support.

We'd use working towards/within or developing if a child was beginning to show signs of mastering a skill. Or maybe they've done it once and we're confident they've nearly achieved it.

Emerging is also used, this is when we feel that a child is just beginning to develop the skill.

As a really simple analogy, say drinking from a cup -

Emerging could be that the child is beginning to attempt to use the cup

Developing/working within could be that the child confidently picks up the cup and brings it to their mouth but often spills it when drinking.

Secure would be when the child is able to drink without spilling most times. (We all spill sometimes!)

At home you may see things very differently and that's ok. Staff may see things differently to each other too.

Sorry I posted too soon. It's just a guide really to see roughly where children are in their development. But all children are different. I work as an early years senco and we would only be especially concerned if a child was in a bracket or two beyond their age. Particularly in speech and understanding. Your dc sounds like they're doing great.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance. It’s great to hear that’s she’s coming on fine and should be ready for school by September. DD1 is an October birthday and I definitely feel as though she was more advanced at this stage but in fairness to DD2, her strengths lie in different areas I think. DD1 is now 6 and is pretty conscientious and showing signs of being pretty academic (although I know it’s early days. DD2 is more agile and enjoys physical, hands on activities more than conventional learning activities like being read to and practicing writing. We do read to her every day but she just enjoys being physically active more I think. I can see life taking them both in very different directions ☺️

Sounds like she’s where she should be for her age :).