Query about Foundation Stage Profile

[macwoozy]

Can anyone give me a bit of info about the Foundation Stage Profile. I've received one for my ds, who will be beginning year 1 in Septemeber.

Many of his goals haven't been achieved at all, its just been left blank. My ds does have SN, but I'm curious to know what is generally expected from a child just leaving reception. I know all children learn at different rates, but for the average child, are most of the goals in the FSP expected to be reached?

Hi, just a quick message, but about 6 points in each of the areas of development is classed as average.

HTH

Aniles

...and, if a child reaches point 9 in an area then they are working at a level beyond the early learning goals.

I think that the Foundation Stage Profile is the most useless report, as there is nothing to explain it. I had no idea that there were averages etc. We had ours last year, and I sat with a group of other mums and we all agreed we didn't understand it, and just read the little comments!

You can find info about the Foundation Profile at:

www.qca.org.uk

dont you think it is more important that they have settled in to school made friends and got used to being away from Mummy for a whole day?
The foundation stage is just that a base to build on! Any problem areas can be looked at, but it wont be used in a job interview or university entrance!!!

Mandy, I think macwoozy is simply curious about how the profile works, and what it actually tells her about her son's development. I'm pretty sure she realises the importance of a child being settled at school, having friends etc

The foundation profile really is used as a baseline from which their education can continue.
It focuses on key skills from which their teacher can differentiate their learning.
Having said that your childs' teacher should have explained all of this to you on receiving the report!
I would certainly go and speak to the teacher and ask to have your queries answered
HTH

I think they like them to have done all the green and grey sections but the pink section is working ahead of the year group. Fwiw, my ds has not got all the grey bits marked off but his teacher, when questioned because I was concerned that the grey bits weren't complete, says he is very bright and not lagging behind at all, in fact is ahead of his year group. So I'm left wondering who is right. [confused emoticon]

I was told at nursery that the fact things werent filled in was because you had to SEE and record every single little objective there. You couldnt just assume, even if you knew they were capable. Thats was about my dd.
And now I work at a nursery and understand, you have to observe that they climb a ladder with alternate feet, back up anything they say with the exact word...you know if they are asking questions or making comments about something and you want to use it to show they are interested in the whereabout of their peers etc...etc..

God I feel sorry for teachers. How much useless paperwork?

One of the reasons I do supply now!!!

Don't blame you! Sounds like a nightmare - bloody reports and tests left right and centre.

Thanks all, so it appears that although they would like the grey areas to be reached, it's certainly not unusual for a child not to have reached these areas.

mandyc66, of course I am more concerned about my ds's ability to make friends and be happy at school, and this is precisely why I asked about the Foundation Stage Profile, as it does actually cover such areas such as dispositions, attitudes, social and emotional development. As explained, my ds is SN and these factors far outweigh the importance of wether he's going to be going to university or not.

personally i think education is one big grey area!!! Its time they remembered they are teaching children and get on with it instead of reaching targets and doing paper work.
This all starts at 2.5 in pre-school...playschool as it was once called..now we have to tick the boxes..heaven forbid they just learn to interact and have fun!!! Learning through play is what its about at 2 surely?!

"Learning through play" is one of my real bug bears. When I was looking for play schools for my ds if they said that all the learning was through play then I knew that they had put no thought at all into their "curriculum" ....

yes, they learn a lot through play (and they can do this at home as well as at play school) but they also learn an enormous amount through other things - from the way they walk in through the front door, the way the staff interact with them, the way the morning is structured, through singing, through number games, through (perish the thought) structured learning sessions where they even (god forbid) learn their alphabet and how to read in a low key, non-pressurised way. If a play school can't offer this then to my mind it is no more (and probably less) than a child-minding service.

(Although at 2 it is probably mostly learning through play). Just my 2p.

if a pre school is ofstedded which most are now cos of funding..you can rest assured a lot of thought has been put into the carriculam!!
Let children be children!

be careful they dont learn too much before school as then they will have a very boring reception year!!! tongu in cheek!!!!
Sorry but I dont hot house my kids..let them learn at their own pace and in their own way. ds1 got maily 7 in key stage 3 sats dd got all 5's in ks2
ds3 2 fours and a 5.
ds3 age 2.5 can 'read' picture books which is 1st stage reading count to 10 without help to 20 with a bit. knows basic shapes loads of colours and colour blends...all done through play..the initial letters of all our names plus other objects. He hasnt started pre school yet. Just has a fun time at home with a Mum that isnt pushy in the education stakes!!!

'Learning through play' doesn't mean completely free choice wafting by the children, while they randomly pick up bits of learning along the way. A good early years teacher uses children's play to introduce and extend what they are learning, without the need for 'bums on seats, fill out this worksheet', which is often highly inappropriate for children starting in Reception.

For example, if my ds was a 4 year old in a Reception class, how would I want him to learn about counting to 10 accurately (and by that I mean not just rote counting saying the words, but finding the correct total of random objects)?

He could fill out endless worksheets, counting the pictures and then matching it to the correct numeral, or (in a good early years setting) he could

• (having noted that a group of children are very involved in Bob the Builder roleplay) the teacher sticks different numbered labels on all the trucks and diggers, telling them that this is the maximum load of bricks that each one can carry. Can they move the whole box of bricks across the room, using the vehicles? Lots of counting and discussion about is that the right amount in that truck, let's check together, too many, one more/less etc etc.....
• in the homecorner, which has become a vet's practice, all the soft toys need to be 'fed' different amounts of playfood. Each has a bowl with a number written on the bottom. As children play, the teacher says it's feeding time, and joins the children to get busy counting out the food correctly into the bowls (throwing in questions like, "The cat's very hungry today, could she have 2 more? How many will that be?" etc, before resuming bandaging and giving injections. That is learning through play. And I know which I'd prefer my child to be doing.

Sorry, bit of a rant there , but it's one of my bugbears too.....

As for Foundation Stage profiles - in my opinion they are a vaguely useful, if time-consuming assessment tool for teachers, but very inaccessible for parents, and I'd prefer a normal written report, after plenty of feedback and discussion during the year.

As others have said, an 'average' child would definitely have 'got' points 1-3 in each section, and hopefully 'got' 4 from the next section (objectives 4-8). One good thing is that Y1 teachers should be looking at the profiles, and continuing to work towards the objectives that haven't been reached, so that the transition into the National Curriculum is a bit smoother for those children IYSWIM.

bee3 - your "learning through play" sounds fine to me, it's exactly what I do with my children - I'd call that good, interesting teaching rather than boring, put-them-off-for-life teaching
. I'm not sure that it's what some of the playschools I have seen do - or if it was they weren't admitting it.

It's somehow seen as very un-PC to actually "teach" children. I do think that pre-school age is a great age to learn letters numbers etc as the children are often very receptive at this age. I would never push it on a child but would encourage it. My ds3 learnt all his letters about a year ago (he'll be 4 in September) simply by watching his older brother (6 in September) doing it. I didn't have to encourage him at ll - he'd shove the alphabet cards at me and insist it was his turn now. Since then I have done nothing at all with him (terrible neglectful mummy) but I discovered at the end of this term that the pre-school have been doing blends with him (sh, bl etc.) which I think is great - he's ready to learn it, he should be encouraged - he certainly won't learn it unless he is taught it.

exactly bee3

if children show an interest it should be incouraged.... but certainly not forced at pre school age!

my reception childs report refers to having 'achieving stepping stones goals, and 'early learning goals'. What are they then?

tigi, the stepping stones are steps towards achieving the goals. For example, one of the early learning goals for mathematical development is to 'say and use number names in order in familiar contexts' and so some of the stepping stones towards reaching that goal are to 'show an interest in numbers and counting' and 'use some number names accurately in play' etc

HTH

Should they all be finished/completed then at the end of reception year? I tried looking at the website, but it doesn't say. thanks

Tigi, no, about 6 points in each of the areas of development is classed as average, if a child acheived all 9 points then that would mean that they are working at a level beyond the early learning goals.

HTH {smile]