Understanding the
revised Early Years
Foundation Stage
Julian Grenier & Tania
Choudhury

Development
Matters 2021–
what’s new?
Objectives:
• More support for early
communication
• Reducing workload
• Narrowing the gap

Building
on
strengths

What makes
a difference?
• A curriculum progress model
• Checking children have plenty of time to enjoy, practise and repeat so
they are secure in their early learning
• Assessment that’s proportionate, and helps children’s learning

Assessment:
data or
feedback?

Feedback
: Austin’s
Butterfly

Some key
principles of
assessment
• Proportionate
• High-quality
• Helps children’s learning
• Focused on children at risk of
falling behind the majority
• Involves children and parents
• Helps us to evaluate our
provision and curriculum
• Ensuring that every child
thrives

How can we
make sure that
the Early Years
Curriculum is
inclusive? So
that every child
can thrive?

Models of disability
Vs.

Core books
- Adapting what we
have on offer
- WhatsApping parents
to suggest what they
can do at home
- “Live” and linked to
children’s interests

Forest school for a
child with SEND

Inclusive
Classroom
Profile (ICP)
• Dr. Elena Soukakou (2016)
• 12 areas of inclusive
practice
• Likert type scale

Working with other agencies

Working with parents to support children’s
learning in the Early Years
• EEF Guidance Report ‘Working with parents
to support children’s learning’
• Hard to reach parents or hard to reach
schools?
• Bilingualism is not a disadvantage – let’s
change that narrative

Trusting teachers and
early years educators
as professionals

Next steps for governors and senior
leaders

What about Ofsted?
At the heart of the early years in schools are
how we help children to
• have positive relationships,
• feel good about themselves,
• be able to start and finish an activity,,
• have the vocabulary and the understanding
of the vocabulary that they need in their
language and communication.

Find out
more
• Download free PDF
• Buy as a book on Amazon