Early Years Foundation Stage - Time to build on its strengths

Since the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was implemented in 2008, there has been constant debate over certain aspects of the framework. Early years experts are divided over the appropriateness of some of its early learning goals, with many believing they are too advanced for most five-year-olds to attain. They also question whether the EYFS should be compulsory for all settings.

This year, a long-awaited review of the EYFS will give both its supporters and critics the opportunity to voice their opinions on how the framework is working in practice.

In anticipation of the review, many managers and head teachers already have a firm view of where they think there may be room for improvement.

Julian Grenier, head teacher at the Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre in London, believes the EYFS is having a positive impact on practice. He explains, 'The key messages in the EYFS are the right ones, particularly the principles and commitments.

However, I think the review should consider whether the sheer size of the EYFS is too daunting for practitioners.

'There is a danger that what is important - quality of care and staff interaction with children, and focus on development and learning - gets lost because there is too much else to think about. The size of Development Matters can lead to practitioners focusing on the need to cover a lot of learning with children, rather than thinking about individual children.'

At the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), Mine Conkbayir, senior programme manager of apprentices, has found the EYFS to be an invaluable tool when training practitioners.

She explains, 'At our settings we constantly revisit the EYFS as the backbone of our practice and look at how we are using it to maximise children's development. It is good as a consolidating tool and for helping staff to remember the basics. However, I do feel that if practitioners are not adequately trained they may use the framework too strictly and be bound by it.'

Hana Kovler, head of an outstanding-rated nursery in east London, echoes the views of both Mr Grenier and Ms Conkbayir. She explains, 'The four themes of the EYFS encourage a more holistic approach to young children's learning and the Principles into Practice cards are a useful tool to trigger practitioners' awareness and challenge their own practice.'

Guidance on Special education needs

However, Ms Kovler believes more thought should be given to how to record the progress of children with additional needs.

'Parents of these children can become very concerned if it seems that their child is not meeting the ages and stages from Development Matters,' she says. 'There is little guidance for practitioners on how to address this issue.'

Lou Epton, manager of Kinder Haven nursery in Bradford, West Yorkshire, thinks the EYFS should focus less on the idea of targets for different age groups.

She says, 'In general, the EYFS is working well in our settings, but I feel that the Development Matters guidance is too age-specific. Another problem for our nurseries is that there is a lack of training available locally on how to interpret and deliver the EYFS in practice.

'At the moment our local authority only offers short courses, which do not go into enough depth.'

Many nursery managers support the proposals put forward by Sir Jim Rose, who recommended in his review of the primary curriculum that stronger links be built between the EYFS and Key Stage 1.

'Key Stage 1 doesn't follow on very well from the EYFS,' says Ms Kovler.

'It is much more formal. I think Year 1 should be a transition year to ease children into formal education from play-based learning. After all, children in other countries do not start formal education until the age of seven.'

Mr Grenier agrees. 'Play-based learning should continue into Year 1,' he says. 'It cannot make sense that a child of five years old in reception benefits from play-based learning, but a child of five years old in Year 1 needs something different.

'The key difficulty here is to agree on what we mean by play-based learning, and helping teachers and other practitioners in this regard. There is an urgent need for more debate and discussion, and for more training opportunities.'

Ms Conkbayir believes the transition between reception and Year 1 is one of the major challenges for children in LEYF settings.

'She explains, 'When children go to infant school, their learning becomes much more impersonal. Our practitioners keep all the children's profiles and learning journeys up to date, but when children go to school these documents tend to be put on a shelf and forgotten about. They should be live documents to which information is added as the children progress.'

Understanding play-based learning

At Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre, staff have found it an ongoing challenge to improve parental understanding of the EYFS.

Mr Grenier says, 'The complexity of the EYFS is daunting to both parents and professionals, and the Development Matters section can give the impression that children's development will flow in neat boxes, which it won't. There are also too many new initiatives to keep up with.

'What is needed now, I think, is a reduced amount of content, alongside clearer messages for professionals and parents.'

In a previous article for Nursery World, Mr Grenier highlighted what he called a lack of understanding of play-based learning among early years practitioners (Opinion, 12 November 2009). He also said practitioners had suddenly been told to adopt free-flow play because it was 'what Ofsted expects', without being given enough support or time by advisory teachers and others.

Some would agree that helping practitioners to understand play-based learning is, indeed, very much a work in progress.

Ms Conkbayir explains, 'In general, the practitioners at our settings have grasped the principle of play-based learning and they understand that play should be the main focus.

'However, we are in the process of trying to standardise our approach at all our settings via our Continuing Professional Development programme.'

Ms Epton says, 'I think the problem stems from a lack of available training opportunities that would help practitioners develop their understanding of play-based learning.

'Also, there should be more coverage of the EYFS when staff are undertaking NVQs or other qualifications, because we are finding that staff are coming into their post with little or no knowledge of the EYFS or how to put it into practice.'

CASE STUDY

Sharon Griffiths, co-owner/manager of The Norwich Road Nursery, in Norfolk, along with her husband David, explains how her setting is working with the EYFS:

'Both my husband and I are Montessori trained and the ethos in our nursery is largely Montessori based, but we adapt our practice to meet government guidelines. The EYFS fitted in quite well with our existing practice, but we have had to adapt how we complete our paperwork.

'Since the introduction of the EYFS, the baby room, toddler room and nursery room all use the same paperwork, which makes the transition stages much easier. For me, this is one of the strengths of the EYFS.

'In our area it has historically been difficult to access any training on the EYFS because the courses are always fully booked. Because the EYFS guidance is open to interpretation, when the framework became statutory we had to hit the ground running and guess where we needed to make changes to our practice.

'Aspects of the EYFS that I think should be changed include the attainment checks for five-year-old children.

'A child should not be viewed as failing if he or she has not met certain targets within the tight timeframe specified by the EYFS.

'There seems to be an idea that a "push harder, start earlier" approach is the right way to improve outcomes.

'However, there are studies that show teaching children to read at the age of five is not necessarily going to make them better at reading than children who start to learn at seven. Children will get there in their own time.

'I would also prefer there to be a more established or a direct route for transferring information on to schools. At the moment, records are handed to parents and they tend to get lost.'