EYFS reforms 'risk tick-box assessment approach'
Fiona Simpson
Monday, February 3, 2020
Government reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) could result in early assessments becoming a "box-ticking" exercise, childcare leaders have warned.
In its response to the government’s EYFS consultation, which has now closed, the Early Years Alliance has voiced serious concerns that plans would see the existing early learning goals become a “series of bullet point statements”.
This would risk “moving children’s learning and development, and the early years practice that supports it, from an art to a science”, the Early Years Alliance said.
Proposed reforms also risk a lack of focus on under-fives, and lacks support for children learning English as a foreign language and children with additional needs or disabilities.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “Instead of focusing on how best the early development of all young children can be supported, the changes indicate a clear shift towards a narrow, tick-box approach to both learning and assessment.
“Such a move risks encouraging both early years practitioners and reception teachers to ‘teach to the goals’ rather than developing and maintaining a broad, child-centred approach, underpinned by a commitment to learning through play – practice that we as a sector know is best for supporting early development.
“We urge the Department for Education to listen to the concerns of the sector, genuinely engage with the consultation responses and rethink its planned changes ahead of roll-out. If we are going to make changes to such a fundamental aspect of early years education, we need to make sure those changes are positive ones.”
