Early Years Foundation Stage

Head teacher Conference Wednesday 22nd September 2010 The Hatton Jean Millar and Una McCall

Communication, Language and Literacy (CLLD)

• EYFS Profile scores increased by 5% this year at a ‘good’ level scale 6+ (56% from 51%) • CLLD:10 target schools. 80% scored a ‘good’ level • Universal offer- extended support for phonics teaching extended into KS1 and KS2 • Joint working with EYFS team and Literacy team to review provision and monitor progress • Joint training with both teams supporting learning environments and application of phonics in reading and writing

Parent Partnerships

• Resources targeted to support groups of children at risk of underachievement and the schools they attend, with their parents • Ocean Maths and Crescent Literacy now running parent workshops in 50% of schools regularly for up to 5 sessions per term (75% improved scores) • Home language project supporting EAL and bi lingual learners with their parents • Universal offer extended to other schools via SLA requests

Narrowing the Gap

• Targeted schools where gap between the lowest 20% and the median was the greatest based on EYFS Profile scores • Gap has been narrowed by 3% overall (details still to be analysed) • Leuven Scales of Well-being and Involvement central training for all and support given to 7 schools and continuing to be offered to another 7 this year (funding to be supported by the PHSE team) • Forest school approach. Following Leuven, giving children natural materials and experiences to enhance their curiosity and imagination and hence their well-being

Training

• High staff turnover: 50% of NQTs were in the EYFS and Year 1 this year • Other EYFS practitioners appointed with little or no knowledge of the EYFS • EYFS leader meetings-twice termly. Strong group of leaders and well attended meetings • EYFS support group meetings-twice termly held in school venues to look at good learning environments. Well attended by whole EYFS teams in schools • Full training programme based on identified needs, practical organisational and environmental changes with focus on 2 areas of learning being moderated each year

Next Steps

• The Gender Agenda: review boys’ and girls’ roles in the EYFS • CLLD and CD foci for this year’s EYFS Profile moderation • Quality assurance of data: internal moderation and visits to EYFS to monitor good practice