Child Care Okehampton

Learning and Development Assessment Policy

Posted on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 in Our Policies

Learning and Development Assessment 

It is now a statutory requirement for early year’s settings to provide parents and or carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the prime areas, when a child is aged between two and three.  An agreement between the practitioner and the parent will be made to decide when the summary would be most beneficial.  To reiterate it should be provided in time to inform the Healthy Child Programme health and development review at age two, whenever possible.   This progress check must identify the child’s strengths, and any areas where the child’s progress is less than expected.  If there are significant emerging concerns, or an identified special educational need or disability, practitioners should develop a targeted plan to support the child’s future learning and development involving other professionals (for example, the providers Special Needs Co-ordinator), always with the consent of the parents and or carers.

Aims and Principles of Progress Reports

  • Review a child’s progress in the three prime areas of the EYFS
  • Ensure that parents have a clear picture of their child’s development
  • Enable practitioners to understand their child’s needs and plan activities to meet them in the setting
  • Enable parents to understand the child’s needs and, with support from practitioners enhance development at home
  • Note areas where a child is progressing well and identify any areas where progress is less than expected
  • Describe actions the provider intends to take to address any developmental concerns (including working with other professionals where appropriate).

To Ensure the Best Outcome

Reports:

  • should be completed by a practitioner who knows the child well and works directly with them in the setting.  This should normally be the child’s key person
  • arises from the ongoing observational assessments carried out as part of everyday practice in the setting
  • is based on skills, knowledge, understanding and behaviour that the child demonstrates consistently and independently
  • takes account of the views and contributions of parents
  • takes into account the views of other practitioners and, where relevant, other professionals working with the child
  • enable children to contribute actively to the process

Listening to the Voice of the Child

Stepping Stones Day Nursery has a strong belief that all children have a right to be listened to and valued in the setting.  Children enjoy and can become very able at thinking about and assessing their own learning and development if this is recognised and supported well.  They can help to record their progress, and identify what they have enjoyed or found difficult.  Very young children, and those with speech or other developmental delay or disability may not say anything or very little verbally, but they will communicate a great deal in other ways.  This might be through gesture, action, body language and signing.