What’s happened?
Amended Early Learning Goals (ELGs) are being consulted on following a Government pilot in 24 schools, and an evaluation of the pilot has been published.
The revised goals form part of a wider EYFS consultation, in which the Government is also seeking views on:
proposed revisions to the educational programmes within each area of learning
proposed changes to the assessment and moderation process for the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile
a proposed change to the current safeguarding and welfare requirements to include the promotion of good oral health.
What are the aims?
The DfE says the main aims of the reforms to the EYFS are to:
- improve outcomes for children at age five
- reduce teacher workload so that they can spend more time supporting children’s learning
- strengthen the language and vocabulary development of children, particularly those from disadvantaged background, in a bid to close the attainment gap.
Why has the piloted version changed?
Some of the piloted versions of the goals were heavily criticised, as was the review panel set up to reform them. It was seen as ‘unrepresentative’ due to having as many primary school representatives as early years representatives (nine), a former secondary school teacher, and several phonics consultants.
The pilot evaluation carried out by the Education Endowment found that:
- Teachers had mixed views about whether children would be better prepared for KS1 as a result of the changes, and about whether the new ELGs were more or less challenging than before.
- There were concerns about the removal of the ELG for shape, space and measure. Teachers feared its removal would result in the topics not being taught. All the pilot schools were found to cover these areas, but sometimes in less depth.
- Teachers reported that they were spending more time with children which they felt improved the quality and accuracy of their observations.
In response to the pilot evaluation, the DfE says, in the consultation, ‘We have been working with experts to further finesse the new proposed educational programme summaries, on which we seek your views.’ It adds that more detailed curriculum guidance will come in the form of an updated Development Matters.
What is in the consultation version?
Changes – and lack of change – are notable across the goals and educational programmes, for example:
- C&L now focuses more on conversation and ‘sensitive questioning’ and less on reading to children
- PSED now includes more on attachments and self-regulation
- PD no longer expects all children to draw accurately and use the tripod grip
- Literacy The third new goal of ‘Comprehension’ remains within this area of learning
- Mathematics Shape, space and measure are still not in the goals but are now mentioned in the educational programme
- UW The Natural World goal is now broader in its scope for learning and Information Technology is still not included as a goal
- EAD The ‘Performing’ goal has been renamed ‘Being imaginative and expressive’
- Overall, concludes an early years consultant, ‘There is scant recognition that the EYFS is a birth-to-five key stage.’
More information
Have your say at: https://bit.ly/33wxL1H (deadline:31 January). See also, News, page 8; Comment, online; and Analysis in Nursery World on 25 November.
Oral health
According to Public Health England, more than 1 in 5 children aged five have had tooth decay, with one or more teeth being extracted or filled. The Government, therefore, wants to add oral health to the general promotion of healthy living already in the current EYFS framework. It stresses this does not mean ‘supervised toothbrushing’.
Early Learning Goals: Timeline
March 2017: The Government said it wanted to review the early learning goals following the primary assessment consultation. The main aims were to make the goals ‘clearer and more specific’, increase the focus on language, literacy and maths, and reduce teacher workload.
June 2018: DfE releases draft Early Learning Goals and confirms the pilot will take place in 25 schools in the autumn term.
July 2018 Early Education publishes a detailed response to the ELGs, calling it ‘a rewrite of the EYFS curriculum by the back door’ and saying it was not based on evidence about how children learn.
September 2018: Pilot of the revised draft EYFS and the ELGs starts in Reception classes in the schools.
July 2019: Pilot ends.
October 2019: Evaluation of the pilot published by the Education Endowment Foundation, and consultation on the revised EYFS launched.
September 2020: Voluntary introduction of in schools
September 2021: Rollout across the sector.
