Vox Pop: Should pre-school children be formally assessed?
Monday, October 4, 2010
Dame Clare Tickell has asked for comments on how young children should be assessed as part of her early years review
Claire Schofield, director of membership, policy and communications, National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA)
YES
Formal assessment provides childcare providers, schools and other agencies with a valuable way to understand a child's current developmental level and identify where additional support is required.
However, many NDNA members report that the current assessment and reporting practices are too onerous and need to be scaled back to common-sense levels. A number of nurseries, for example, say that they produce reports that are not then used. Assessment does have a vital role, but we need to look at how it can be more effective and how we can support children to achieve the very best outcomes.
Lisa Fidler, assistant director, schools and nurseries, CfBT Education Trust
NO
Kindergartens in the US have children follow a set curriculum with schemes of work and opportunities for formal assessment. The picture in the UK is rather different but, as in most cases, the solution lies somewhere in the middle.
An element of formal assessment, focused on progress against the early learning goals, provides measurable data relating to child progress and prepares children for full-time education at five. However, there is a danger that our youngest learners will lose enthusiasm for education if we burden pre-school settings with a formal, results-driven environment.
John Chowcat, general secretary, Aspect
YES
Pre-school children should be formally assessed, but Year One teachers need to be better prepared to make use of this. The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile is an appropriate way of capturing earlier formative assessment of the child over several years.
Year One teachers do need to understand the learning needs of each child. The requirement for observing children is not an "add-on" but an integral part of the way practitioners interact and play with children on a daily basis. Summative assessment may be time-consuming, but teachers do need to collate their observations in this way to share them with parents and the next teacher.
Anand Shukla, acting chief executive, Daycare Trust
YES
Daycare Trust supports formative assessment of pre-school children as we believe it enables providers to personalise learning activities and identify issues of concern. This type of assessment facilitates the early identification of the special and additional educational, social and emotional needs of children, and is therefore an integral part of early intervention.
While we support the aims of Look, Listen and Note as an assessment tool, it needs to be made more comprehensible for practitioners and parents. Formative assessment should be utilised to support the improved identification of those with special or additional needs.