Why?

[Guest]

Hi there, after a staff meeting about assessment where I shared my Foundation stage end of profile results in all SIX areas of learning, I listened attentively whilst KS1 and KS2 staff shared their results for literacy ( reading, writing) and numeracy. So I sat thinking, can anyone tell me ( I am just being devils advocate to see what everyone else thinks) why do I as a foundation stage practioner assess 6 areas of learning if only CLL and MD scores are really used to predict end of KS1 results. Why am I assessing childrens understanding of creative dev, knowledge and understanding, physical dev etc or more so what are they being used for afterwards? what happens to the child who doesnt achieve ELG in creative development, say he only achieves 6 out of a possible 9. how does KS1 use this information? Do they use this informaiton or do they just begin assessing from national curriculum? How do other schools use this? I completely believe it is vital to assess chldrens understanding in all six areas but my question is why if it isnt be used beyong Foundation stage. Do you know what Im getting at? what happens to the child who only scores 5 in KUW by the end of reception, should this be continued in year one until they achieve 9 and then they begn national curriculum? does this happen in your setting. advice really needed as I think it is important we know why we are assessing and for what purpose??

 

cheers

lotte!

[AnonyMouse_79]

You raise some valid points, lotte.

 

Surely you're colleagues are assessing science in some form or other as this is one of the KS assessment subjects?

 

Is the FS curriculum continued in KS1? Only in the most enlightened schools. I know it wont be in the school where I am but it ought to be, although it will be used to predict KS1 levels as although my head appreciates it shouldnt be, that has yet to filter through to Ofsted.

[AnonyMouse_4544]

When baseline assessment was first introduced we only reported MD CLL and PSE which I think are the aspects of the FSP used to calculate KS1 SAT expectations.

In my school KS1 uses the LA Foundation Stage assessment scheme (which is more detailed than the FSP breaking the ELGs into smaller parts) until a child has reached the end of the ELGs. We also use a Foundation Stage "type" curriculum in Y1 slightly less CI and more direct teaching.