EYFS definitions

[EYFShelp]

So my preschooler has just had his 1st attainment of his Early years assessment but they have not explained what the
Secure
Working
Focussing

Means next to his current attainment Banding..any ideas

I have googled but can't find it, please help to save me googling all night to no avail it appears

EYFS practioner here! (Reception)

The EYFS curriculum is split into several areas. The attainment is usually provided by stating age in months with Emerging, Developing and Secure. Or in this case focusing, working and secure.

Emerging/Focusing means your child is just entering this band, they will have shown a little evidence.

Developing/Working - your child has shown reasonable amount of evidence and is sitting nicely in this bracket.

Secure - child has more or less completed all evidence from this section and will likely start being assessed from the next band up.

How old is your LO out of curiosity so I can give you a better example.

X

My DS turned 3 in August

He has been put in band 30-50

Secure in 2 sections
Focussing in 4 sections
Working in 2 sections

So I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, and with it all being over messaging, we can't really chat to the teachers

Wow that's brilliant!

In development terms, your LO is 39 months. We would expect him to be secure in all areas by the time he was 50 months (October 2020) so sounds like he's doing really well.

We often use a document called development matters to help with assessing I have popped a link below. If you scroll to page 8 you will start to see the assessment statements for each area. It looks a lot but you're only focusing on the 30-50 months sections at the moment.

This highlights the skills practitioners are looking for to 'check off' and allow your DS to progress.

It may be helpful to have a good look over the sections he has focusing as they won't have has much evidence for this. For example if he has focusing for maths you can practice a bit more counting at home etc. However this early on, many children will be in a 'lower' bracket purely because we haven't had a chance to obtain the evidence yet. Your DS may not have done a lot of shape work at pre school yet therefore hasn't been able to demonstrate these skills.

The areas he is Secure in, he will be moving on to the statements for 40-60 months.

It sounds a lot but it's pretty straight forward once you wrap your head around it.

I spend 5 out of 7 days a week observing and assessing children against this criteria so any questions just ask

30 - 50 is what a child developing within usual expectations will achieve at some point between age 30 and 50 months.
Your ds is now 39months, so absolutely spot on where you would expect him to be

At any sage in our lives, there will be people in a range of abilities, most of which are absolutely fine. Think back to when you were at school - some kids would be great at spelling tests but not so good at football, or another was the fastest runner in the class but couldn't get her head round a maths problem, and a 3rd might have been great at reading, but couldn't hold a note in music. etc.etc.
It is the same with this reporting - in some areas (secure) he is really confident, and achieved way before he gets to the 50 month mark. In other areas he is showing tht he can often do those particular skills, but isn't yet 100% consistent, and in a couple of other sections, he hasn't quite mastered them yet, ,but has done them occasionally, or showing signs of being 'on the way' and they are not at all worried, and he is not behind in his development.

x-posted !

Forgot the link whooops

www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/03/Development-Matters-FINAL-PRINT-AMENDED.pdf

He has had some feedback today in one assessment for speaking as 40-60?
And in Expressive arts and design, being imaginative as 40- 60.?.

This means he's demonstrated evidence from the 40-60 bracket in these areas.

Generally being imaginative is lots of role play and creating, say, a Lego model and deceiving what it is and the features.

Speaking is just that really, he's able to communicate using extended vocab.

You have nothing to worry about with your DS he seems right on track, and a little above some areas

Describing*

Sorry I get a little excited talking about EYFS most people find it boring when I do 😅

@AugustMummyxo thank you so much. I like to know the ins and outs of it, but don't want to be "that" mum for the great teachers there 😳😳

Yes they have said concentrate on his counting to 10, at home he is shouting it up to 20 at 06.30 in the morning 😂😂

Do you know Is there normally the next scheduled assessment in reception or do they have one each term

Sorry that wasn't worded quite right, I will try again.

Do you Know if they normally assess him every term in preschool or will it be reception now ?

I'm really not a psycho mum, but I just like to know the plan and I'm really interested in it all

That's okay!

Children are usually assessed during the first term of a new setting, whether this is preschool/nursery or reception. We call this a baseline assessment, a starting point.

Children are assessed daily through observations but these may not be formally communicated to you each term.

In my class I'm constantly scribbling away on post it notes then over the weekend highlight statements on the development matter chart for each child to give us an idea of how they are progressing or what steps we need to take next. It's a continuous process.

Preschool will collate this information each half term/term depending on how they work but they may not necessarily tell you. You should be made aware at the end of the year if not before.

That's great thank you for your help and I will have a good read of the link.

It must be such a great job helping all the little ones progress, really rewarding and I for one would like to thank you for looking after our little ones so well, and helping them settle in without us (😢😢) on what could be (for me) the first time in leaving them so, thank you.

I'm even thinking of having a change and doing something that way myself nursery or TA course when I return to work.

The staff will be "assessing" all the time the children are in.
It isn't a 'test day'.
Different Nurseries will do the recording in different ways - a lot of staff are expected to add things as they notice them, not many Nurseries have enough staff to give release time to staff to complete this 'paperwork', but sme do things like ask key workers to focus on one of their dc for a week, to make sure they are really sure about things they haven't noticed them do - maybe set up activities etc.

But don't get fixated on the reporting. It really is to paint a broad picture, and to help Nurseries flag up when there are any problems.

@EYFShelp aww that's such a lovely thing to say. It is really rewarding! I've worked across many year groups but EYFS is most definitely my favourite.

Go for it, it certainly sounds like you have an interest in it.

And exactly what @BackforGood said, don't get fixated on the assessments. They are mainly done for schools/settings as we have a target percentage to hit for xyz. But I understand some parents have a real interest in it and that's fine too.

My DS has just gone into year 1 and still hasn't hit his early learning goal (end of reception) for his writing. All the will in the world and he won't pick up a pencil but he's soaring in his maths and reading so swings and roundabouts!

Yes @AugustMummyxo thats the age I'm thinking, as I do think it would be a more rewarding job, (if not a lot harder and frustrating with how underfunded and understaffed all settings are with lots of out of hours work) it changes you though having a child and I'm looking for a more purposeful role than I'm used to.

I'm currently looking into a placement to secure to do my level 2/3 TA course so fingers crossed.

@BackforGood yes, I think I need to appreciate its not all about he reports,,which I'm fine with, I just like to know what they all mean so I'm up to speed with supporting my DS.

Thanks, you have both been very helpful