EYFS assessment and reporting 2016/17

The requirement to submit Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile data to the DfE will no longer be statutory from September 2016 but schools are still required to report on the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Reception Year to parents and Year 1 teachers.

Until we receive a clear direction of travel from the DfE regarding assessment, we are asking schools to continue using the EYFS Profile and to share this data with the Local Authority as it enables us to have a view of achievement across the county and to provide advice, support and training.

The Early Excellence Assessment Tracker (EExAT) is a tool we are encouraging schools to use because it:

• provides accurate data about children’s progress throughout EYFS
• reports the proportion of children reaching a Good Level of Development
• allows achievement gaps to be monitored
• supports a smooth transition to Key Stage 1.

EExAT is produced by Early Excellence, a respected national leader specialising in young children’s education who wishes to work with the Local Authority, building on Kent’s reputation for innovative Early Years practice and the use of Leuven Scales.

This is an exciting opportunity which also includes training and in built moderation. Schools who register, or are already registered, for both the Early Excellence Baseline Assessment (EExBA) and EExAT will be offered a 10% reduction on EExAT.

• For EExBA please visit the Early Excellence website and register before the end of term. The DfE will refund schools the full costs
• For EExAT please visit the Early Excellence website and register before the end of term. As a minimum you will need to choose module one and module three, which will network all the Kent schools that are using this tool
• Schools that have also registered for EExBA, Early Excellence will invoice accordingly - applying a 10% discount and waiving the £75 fee for module three
• Early Excellence is liaising with us about hosting EExAT training events in Kent during September
• For further information please contact Polly Sharman by email at polly.sharman@kent.gov.uk

Anton Francic, Head of School Improvement