Statutory Foundation Stage Profile anyone know?

[unicorn]

Sorry if I am an imbecile but can any teachers (or better clued up parents!)tell me how these assessments work - and are they for the school's benefit or parents/or both?
Also what is a PIP (I guess personal individual performance?)
My dd (1) primary school's AGM report has made reference to these but it is not very clear what they are.

The Foundation Stage is part of the National Curriculum that starts at the age of 3 (if they're attending nursery or any other childcare setting that receives Nursery Education Funding) and finishes at the end of Reception in school.

The Foundation has 6 particular areas - Early Learning Goals. The profile is what the nursery/preschool start to fill in as your child works through the areas. Its then handed over to the Reception teacher to plot during your child's Reception year.

The 6 Early Learning Goals are:

Personal, social and emotional development
Communication, language and literacy
Mathematical development
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Physical development
Creative development

Not sure of their benefits IME - it wasn't introduced until after DD1 started school. With DS1, didn't pay much attention to it, handed it over to the teacher, then got it given back. I'm more interested in "personal comments" from teachers rather than lots of coloured dots (which is what the Profile is!).

Thanks slinky!

you poor teachers! (I mean that)

what a pile of bureaucratic nonsense! all we really want to know is A) our kids are ok B) which areas they need to work on C) that they DO have nice qualities (even if they save them for you lot - teachers!!!)