Assessment beyond levels in the Early Years

Julian Grenier, Headteacher, Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre Director, East London Research School, UK Practitioners working with children in the Early Years frequently have an excessive workload, and activities associated with assessment are a significant cause of this. The Early Years Alliance (2018) reported that practitioners feel overwhelmed by ‘unnecessary paperwork’ for Ofsted inspections. In response, Ofsted have changed their inspection handbook, saying that inspectors will not look at any ‘non-statutory internal progress and attainment data’ (Ofsted, 2019, p. 47). Ofsted’s change of tone is welcome. But it addresses the symptoms of our problems in the Early Years, rather than the causes. The cause of the problem is the downgrading of the curriculum in the Early Years. Back in 2000, the national guidance for Early Years practitioners was ‘Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage’ (QCA, 2000). By 2012, the word ‘curriculum’ had almost