Review Of Eyfs Ordered Options

[eyfs1966]

Well, we were all kind of expecting it, but today the BBC are reporting that the governmnet has ordered a review of the EYFS. What do we think this will mean in practice??

[shirel]

aaarrrggghh......there is talk of it being too prescriptive and they want less bureacracy also they are questioning whether children should be assessed more formally at this age....It is is the samey same I just worry that they will tweak it tooo much and we will be left unsettled again....I hope that they build on what in my opinion is working well....I like how we have things working and am all up for increasing qualifications...I hope they dont dumb it all down too much.....it is annoying that we have to all hold our breath again and prepare for more change...again.....possibly ....uncertainty....

[SuzieC8]

I'd like to see them keep the same basic format, but slim it down and lessen the requirements to provide evidence for everything. I want to see practitioners allowed to focus on playing with the children rather than recording that same play. The time you spend on writing stuff down would be far better spent on doing more of that stuff, i.e. playing with the children.

I'd also like to see a slimming down of what committees are required to do. I'd like a recognition of the different challenges facing voluntary run settings as opposed to private ones.

We can dream!

[jenpercy]

I'd like to see them keep the same basic format, but slim it down and lessen the requirements to provide evidence for everything. I want to see practitioners allowed to focus on playing with the children rather than recording that same play. The time you spend on writing stuff down would be far better spent on doing more of that stuff, i.e. playing with the children.

I'd also like to see a slimming down of what committees are required to do. I'd like a recognition of the different challenges facing voluntary run settings as opposed to private ones.

We can dream!

Is that stuff down to EYFS or just OFSTED. I would like to see more recognition of the fact that after-school clubs are totally different. I'd also like to see less of the here's how to achieve excellence - an an acre of land to take children out to grow their own veg. Oh wait - I suppose that is the sort of thing you mean. It's just totally different for a 4 hours a day packaway setting isn't it?

[hali]

it was always going to be reviwed after 2 years - but only time will tell what the new gov will do with it

[Steve]

Sarah Teather, the Childrens' Minister was interviewed on radio 4's Womans Hour this morning about (in part at least) what they are considering with regard to the EYFS. You can find it here (it starts about 25 minutes into the program).

[MarkLim81]

I've never listened to Woman's Hour before. Is it just me or was the interviewer a bit antagonistic, with a focus more on budgets than actual changes and action plans for the EYFS?

Regards
Mark
http://earlychildcare.wordpress.com

Sarah Teather, the Childrens' Minister was interviewed on radio 4's Womans Hour this morning about (in part at least) what they are considering with regard to the EYFS. You can find it here (it starts about 25 minutes into the program.

[Playplayplay]

Can they actually ask us what we think/need?



Hope you get my meaning

[jenpercy]

Can they actually ask us what we think/need?



Hope you get my meaning

i think consultation was mentioned but perhaps we should let them know anyway. Starting new thread

How would YOU modify the EYFS

(Apparently the Daycare Trust says that 70% of settings think the EYFS is good for children - or an improvment, or some such

[Steve]

PPP - you might be surprised at the people who read discussions on the FSF, so it's worth making views known here.

However, for those who have suggestions, can I gently remind them that the best way to make your views and opinions accessible to others is to do so in an accessible way. Traditionally the FSF community has been really good at doing that by adopting certain principles, eg:

* Don't do it as a rant. Rants are for people who don't really expect to be listened to and just want to let off steam.
* If you have a criticism, articulate it clearly, with examples where possible. Don't be afraid to say where things are going well!
* Make suggestions for realistic ways to address problems.
* There are two sides to most arguments and becoming hostile to those who don't immediately take your view only demonstrates that your own position is not as strong as it could be...
* Don't resort to building a bogeyman to attack. Eg phrases like "The powers that be..." can only serve to start building trenches where bridges would be far more constructive.

Most of you know all this stuff anyway and do it every day so I shouldn't try to teach all my grandmothers to suck eggs. But we have a reputation for being able to have very active conversations with different views expressed without anyone once hurling a custard pie, so it might be worth mentioning again here...

[Helen]

My own view is that the content of the EYFS worked well in my setting, and as a staff team, we designed our own methods of observation, recording, assessment and planning that allowed us to gain an outstanding Ofsted report, yet was not onerous in terms of paperwork. I liked having that autonomy to set up those systems which suited our staff, children, parents and budget. I have never felt that the paperwork was an issue at all.

However, I do have concerns about the relationship between the requirements of the EYFS and the demands of Ofsted, and have often felt that the two are vastly separate. I'm really hoping that the review will go some way to reducing this gap, and will make clearer to practitioners the actual requirements they will be judged on.

I'm also hoping that the EYPS and staff development and training will be supported further. High quality provision goes hand in hand with high quality, well trained staff.

[Inge]

What I do hope it means is that you are not all in for yet another big change... having implemented so many different things in early years over the last 20 years it became a bit demoralising to have every inspection under a different set of criteria.. I never had 2 inspections under the same set of 'rules' , by the time we were due they had all changed...

EYFS for me was a positive step.. gave us the chance to overhaul everything, reduce the paperwork and planning, concentrate on the children and their needs... I left just after managing to get the EYFS fully implemented in the setting.. took a long time to change ideas from topics to child led, but once done the staff really enjoyed just being able to change things and 'go with the flow' which is what it allowed .

Some of the issues we had were with the wording and different interpretations we got when ringing Ofsted for advice.. Staff ratios and staffing being a particular area which needs clarifying better. As we know we can get 2 different answers to the same question when asked , depending on who you talk to.
Staffing qualifications being another area.. very unhelpful at times with wording which can be interpreted differently.

I do also feel that while the training and qualifications need supporting.. it need or should not be to the detriment of those practitioners who have worked in the area for many years and are extremely good at their job, keeping up with all the changes -they too need some form of recognition... not assume because they don't have the 'bit of paper' are unable to do as well.

Inge

[leo]

well hopefully, they look at the whole ofsted inspection as well. it seems more about using the right words rather than the acutal work done.

I hope that children are allowed to develop on their own terms without having lables attached to them.

Boys failing bec they reach the goals - whenthe goals are unrealistic.

We have had speech and language theapists saying that the expectaions are very unreallistic and this is why more children are being refered to their service when all the children needed was less assessment.

[Marion]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwHqT9AVi94...feature=channel

http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1014459...te-EYFS-review/

http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1014223...undation-Stage/

[Suer]

I actually like the EYFS, it has never been a tick box in our setting

We have to used child intiated nearly always and worked it into the eyfs

We have worked WITH children, especially working outside and in the forest and have seen the data for girls and especially boys soar

hand on heart this end of term reports for our children going to school has shown that all( by the exception of 2 boys) have reached the elg's