Early Years Foundation Stage Review
August 25, 2011
March 2011
The EYFS review report: “The Early Years: Foundations for life, health and learning” by Dame Clare Tickell was published today. There is lots to welcome in it for those of us who are concerned that we continue the journey to improve practice in the early years so that we can provide the best for children. She has made 46 recommendations for a revised version to become statutory by September 2012. I welcome the proposed move from 6 to 7 areas of learning, which splits Communication and Language from Literacy. I also welcome the emphasis on the prime (or core) areas of learning, Personal, social and emotional development, Communication and language and Physical development. At last a recognition of the vital role of physical development to children’s learning and putting Communication and Language where it should be. I know many will welcome the changes to assessment too. There is also a wealth of useful material to read and keep – such as the chapter on qualifications and Annexes 8 and 9.
Read the document at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/tickellreview
The revised EYFS
Revised EYFS Statutory Framework was published at the end of March 2012. It came into force on 1st September 2012. The first draft of the revised framework had received a massive 2300+ responses across the sector, resulting in a few changes in the final version.
The Characteristics of Effective Learning
Although the ‘3 Characteristics of Effective Learning’ which were proposed in the Tickell Review, have become statutory, they are so poorly worded in the Statutory Framework, that they are barely recognisable!
Never fear, help is at hand! They are fully explained in my recent books (published in 2012 by Hodder Education) and in my book due for publication in early 2013, published by Open University Press. Go to Publications section on this website
The Characteristics of Effective Learning are arguably the most important aspect of the revised EYFS for anyone working with young children. These are not new as they were already established in the 2008 EYFS but the Tickell review gave them a fuller, more research-based analysis.