• Assessment during the EYFS
• Assessment at the end of the EYFS – the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile
• Assessment arrangements – the requirements

Ongoing assessment is an integral part of the learning and development process. Providers must ensure that practitioners are observing children and responding appropriately to help them make progress from birth towards the early learning goals. Where practitioners require additional training in order to assess capably and objectively, it is the responsibility of the provider to ensure practitioners receive the support that they need. Assessments should be based on practitioners' observation of what children are doing in their day-to-day activities. As judgements are based on observational evidence gathered from a wide range of learning and teaching contexts, it is expected that all adults who interact with the child should contribute to the process, and that account will be taken of information provided by parents. An essential feature of parental involvement is an ongoing dialogue, building on the partnership begun by any previous practitioner(s). Settings should report progress and achievements to parents throughout the EYFS.

The Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets out detailed formative assessment suggestions in the 'Look, listen and note' sections of the areas of Learning and Development. Practitioners should:

• make systematic observations and assessments of each child's achievements, interests and learning styles;
• use these observations and assessments to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child;
• match their observations to the expectations of the early learning goals.

The EYFS Profile is a way of summing up each child's development and learning achievements at the end of the EYFS. It is based on practitioners' ongoing observation and assessments in all six areas of Learning and Development. Each child's level of development must be recorded against the 13 assessment scales derived from the early learning goals. Judgements against these scales, which are set out in Appendix 1 of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, should be made from observation of consistent and independent behaviour, predominantly children's self-initiated activities.

Some children will have experienced a range of settings during the final year of the EYFS and may have a number of carers. In these cases the EYFS Profile must be completed by the provider where the child spends the majority of time between 8 am and 6 pm. Providers should take account of all available records and of any formal or informal discussions with the parents and with those involved with children in the previous year.

Children with special educational needs may be working below the level of the scales and require an alternative approach to assessment. In these cases providers may use the assessment systems of their local authority or other systems according to the needs of the children.

At the end of the EYFS providers must ensure that children are assessed against the 13 scales in the EYFS Profile. Providers may use the e-Profile (available from local authorities) or their own record keeping systems. Regulations made under Section 99 of the Childcare Act 2006 require early years providers to provide information about the assessments they carry out to local authorities. Local authorities are under a duty to return this data to the DCSF.

Local authorities have a duty to monitor and moderate the EYFS Profile judgements to ensure that providers are making assessments that are consistent across settings. Providers must take part in these arrangements.

The assessment requirements are that:

• All providers must make arrangements for each child within the final year of the EYFS to be assessed throughout the year by a practitioner. Practitioners must use the 13 scales and have regard to the scale points as set out in Appendix 1 of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage to complete the EYFS Profile as a record of achievement.
• This must be completed in the final term of the year in which the child reaches the age of five and no later than 30 June in that term.
• Providers must permit the relevant local authority to enter the premises at all reasonable times in order to observe the implementation of the arrangements for the completion of the EYFS Profile.
• Providers must permit the relevant local authority to examine and take copies of documents and other articles relating to the EYFS Profile and assessments.
• Providers must take part in all reasonable moderation activities specified by their local authority.
• Providers must provide the relevant local authority with such information relating to the EYFS Profile and assessment as they may reasonably request.
• Within the final term of the EYFS providers must provide the parent of a child in relation to whom the EYFS Profile has been completed with:
  • a written summary reporting the child's progress against the early learning goals and the assessment scales;
  • where the parent requests it, a copy of the EYFS Profile;
  • details of the arrangements under which the EYFS Profile and its results may be discussed between a practitioner and the parent, giving a reasonable opportunity for the parent to discuss the EYFS Profile and its results with that practitioner.
• Where a child moves to a new provider during the academic year, the provider should send the following information to the new provider within 15 days of a request from the new provider:
  • any EYFS Profile data recorded by the EYFS provider;
  • the provider's assessment made in respect of the child;
  • if no EYFS Profile of the child has been recorded by the EYFS provider, the reason why the assessment has not been carried out.