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Foundation Stage Profile data

Links to Key Stage 1

Developing curricular target setting in the Foundation Stage is underpinned by an understanding of how young children develop and learn. Foundation Stage practitioners plan for 'next steps' in learning on the basis of Birth to Three Matters and The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage in the context of the Early Years Foundation Stage. In early years next steps are reviewed frequently, sometimes daily, after observational assessment.

The age of the children, and the range and diversity of their early development gives Foundation Stage targets (next steps) their distinctiveness. Foundation Stage targets must derive from The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. Full information on this process may be found in Developing the foundations for curricular target setting in ISP schools birth to five. Further information on transition is contained in Continuing the Learning Journey (QCA 2005). The Primary Strategy will be producing case studies on all Foundation Stage transitions in the near future.

Working towards level 1 – 'W'
Prior to the introduction of the Foundation Stage (2000) many settings used P scales to track progress. At this time, children achieving below level 1 were classified as “working towards level 1” for the purposes of KS1 SATs tests.

With the introduction of the Foundation Stage Profile (2002) all schools are required to collect information on progress through the 13 scales of the FSP for all children admitted to reception classes. The Early Years Foundation Stage will require all funded settings to collect information about children's progress using the approaches currently detailed in Birth to Three Matters and The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. These approaches, properly introduced and supported, lead directly to the information required by the FSP.

There is currently no nationally recognised mechanism for tracking progress from the end of the Foundation Stage to KS1. The PNS is working with PAT, and with local authorities who request it, on effective approaches.

The P scales were developed for children who had experienced the KS1 curriculum and failed to benefit from it. This implies that those children have been taught and assessed previously within the context of the Foundation Stage as required. Some LAs are considering offering P scales as an option for children within KS1, in addition to their Foundation Stage records. This allows receiving teachers to build the information received from the previous phase into their planning and also to address issues about lack of progress within KS1. It is not appropriate for LAs to require Foundation Stage practitioners to carry out additional assessments: this has been made very clear in the recent letters to CEOs from the DfES. Where children have special educational needs that prevent them achieving appropriate progress within the Foundation Stage Profile scales, the advice of the health professional should be taken about the appropriate alternative assessment that may be used.

The Assessment and Reporting Arrangements (QCA 2006) state:

5.4 Assessing children working towards level 1
Children working towards level 1 should be assessed on their work completed in class throughout the year. It is optional to use the tasks with these children. Schools do not have to notify anyone if these children do not take tasks.

The associated issue of assigning points scores to Foundation Stage Profile achievement is at very early stages as statisticians are working on only 2 years of data. Some early work is being done on this with the PAT team. LAs report that they are finding that groups of scales should be considered together: LSL, R, DA for example or LSL, W, DA and PD. Further guidance will be issued as LA work develops.

Examples
The examples from Birmingham, Merton and Redbridge, in the downloads panel on the left of this page, show different visual representations of local data for individual schools.

Other documents
A new relationship with schools
A new relationship with schools: Improving Performance through School Self-Evaluation

A selection of useful documents may also be downloaded from the downloads panel.

Links

Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage
[www.qca.org.uk/ages3-14/foundation/223.html]

EPPE: Effective Provision of Pre-school Education
[www.surestart.gov.uk/ensuringquality/research/earlyyears/eppe/]

Every Child Matters
[www.everychildmatters.gov.uk]

Excellence and enjoyment: Learning and teaching in the Primary Years
[www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/literacy/63553/]

Foundation Stage Profile Handbook
[www.qca.org.uk/ages3-14/foundation/163.html]

Institute of Education
[http://ioewebserver.ioe.ac.uk/ioe/index.html]

Parents: Partners in learning
[www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/literacy/1092095/]

Pupil Achievement Tracker
[http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/performance/]
[http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/afl/]
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/afl/PAT/

Removing Barriers to Achievement
[www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/inclusion/883963/]

Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
[http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&
PageMode=publications&ProductId=DfES+0581+2001 ]

SPEEL: Study of Pedagogical Effectiveness in Early Learning
[www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/RRP/u013617/index.shtml]

Transition
[www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/innovation-unit/communication/innovationinpractice/forgottentransition/]

Teacher Training Agency: contacts details for publications
[www.teach.gov.uk/php/read.php?sectionid=155&articleid=979]