Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs, and to plan activities and support. Ongoing assessment (also known as formative assessment) is an integral part of the learning and development process. It involves practitioners knowing children’s level of achievement and interests, and then shaping teaching and learning experiences for each child reflecting that knowledge. In their interactions with children, practitioners should respond to their own day-to-day observations about children’s progress and observations that parents and carers share. (EYFS Framework 2021)
All children are assessed throughout their time at Pebbles through formal and informal observations by their key person, but mainly through play and by forming strong bonds with their key children. Children’s progress is updated and recorded within a piece of nursery & educational software & APP called ‘Famly’ ensuring that every child’s individual learning journey can be easily and securely accessed at home. The ‘Famly’ APP allow parents to view their child’s records which are linked to the (Early Years Foundation Stage). This keeps parents and carers informed of the areas of learning that their child is achieving, where they may need additional help and support and feel confident that their child is either on-track or working towards making good progress. This software also allows parents to share photographs and achievements from home too! This is in addition to regular daily chats that most parents / carers have with the setting in order to remain fully informed of their child’s time spent in Pebbles.
Famly records also act as a great transitional tool for reception teachers and early years practitioners should a child move on to a new setting or primary school.
In addition to the Learning Journeys, babies and toddlers (under 2’s) have daily diaries completed in order to maintain an accurate record of the baby’s routine throughout the day and acts as a two way form of communication between home and the key person. This includes sleep patterns, milk consumption, nappy changes etc.
