Teach-Primary-Issue-19.4

Inequalities It is also notable that children’s outcomes are already very unequal by age five. For example, in summer 2024: • 51 per cent of children eligible for free school meals achieved the GLD • 72 per cent of children not eligible for free school meals achieved the GLD • National gap: 20.5 percentage points. On average, according to the Education Policy Institute (EPI), the gap at the end of the EYFS will double by the end of primary school, and double again by the end of secondary. There are also significant gaps between children of different ethnicities and between boys and girls. Acting early, to prevent these gaps from opening and widening, is a key priority for all schools. Acting on outcomes So how should teachers and educators in schools make sense of the EYFSP and put it to good use? First, staff in Reception need to bear in mind that the EYFSP only samples some of what children need to know and be able to do. A good Reception curriculum needs to be much broader than that. For example, there is no Early Learning Goal to check children’s mathematical understanding of shapes and measures, but this is a vital element of a strong maths curriculum. As the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching for Mathematics (NCETM) comments, ‘spatial skills are important for understanding other areas of maths and children need structured experiences to ensure they develop these’. Secondly, it is more important to check that children securely understand key aspects of the curriculum, rather than rushing them towards the goal. To take maths as an example again, repeated ‘drilling’ in number bonds to promote automatic recall is not sensible if a child is still struggling to understand composition of number (that numbers are made up of other numbers, like 5 being made up of five ones, 1 and 4, or 2 and 3). Similarly, the goal for the end of Reception is that children can ‘write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed’. However, for long-term success, it is important that children learn correct letter formation, which requires systematic handwriting instruction. So, it makes sense to help children develop the large and small motor skills they need first and then teach them correct letter formation later. Otherwise, poor pencil grips and writing habits can become embedded whilst children are still very young – and hold them back later. Schools need to think long-term rather than putting an undue focus on the ELGs. Additionally, when it comes to thinking about whether a child is ‘ready for school’, it’s always worth asking ourselves whether school is ‘ready for the child’? High-quality, inclusive teaching and curriculum planning is about ensuring that Year 1 is a place where every child feels that they belong and can thrive. TP Julian Grenier CBE is the co-author of Putting the EYFS Curriculum into Practice (£25.99, Sage). It’s crucial to have a sound process for transition between Reception and Year 1. Think about: Involvement of the Year 1 team in reviewing or moderating the EYFSP. This will ensure that everyone is clear about what the assessments mean. Ensuring that precise assessment information is shared when a child is ‘emerging’. It is important for the Year 1 teacher to know exactly what a child knows and can do, and what they still need to learn. For example, if a child is ‘emerging’ in literacy, they may not be able to ‘say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs’. The receiving teacher will need to know which letters and digraphs they can say a sound for, and which they can’t, so that teaching can build on the child’s existing knowledge. Procedures to enable children to consolidate EYFS learning in Year 1. It is important to apply the Year 1 programmes of study flexibly, so that pupils build on the learning they secured in Reception. The EYFS is called the ‘Foundation Stage’ for a reason! It isn’t helpful to skip over foundational knowledge and skills: without strong foundations, children are likely to struggle. EYFS – Y1 TRANS I T I ON K I T “Bear in mind that the EYFSP only samples some of what children need to know ” 50 | www.teachwire.net