Assessment within the Early Years Foundation Stage
Effective assessment in the early years is rooted in a secure understanding of child development. It is important to have a clear awareness of what children are learning and what you would like them to achieve. Every child is unique and will develop at their own pace, influenced by their individual experiences, interests and starting points.
Assessment involves observing what children know, understand and can do, and using this information to plan meaningful next steps. Accurate assessment helps identify individual strengths, needs and areas for development, enabling practitioners to provide appropriate support and learning opportunities.
Assessment should be manageable and purposeful, allowing practitioners to remain engaged in high-quality interactions with children. Written records should only be kept where useful and in ways that are relevant to the needs of your setting.
Reflective questions:
- How do you record information about children’s learning and development?
- How are these records used to inform your practice?
- In what ways do assessment records support children’s progress and learning?
Assessment also enables practitioners, parents and carers to develop a shared understanding of a child’s achievements, progress and individual needs. Working together in this way helps ensure children receive consistent support to thrive and reach their full potential.
When reflecting on children’s progress and learning, consider:
- What was the child able to do when they first joined the setting?
- What interests have they shown or communicated?
- How are these interests being used to support and extend their learning and development?
- What skills, knowledge or behaviours are they currently developing or close to securing?
- What are your aspirations and next steps for their future learning?
By consistently applying your professional knowledge and understanding of child development, you can respond effectively to each child’s interests, motivations and individual needs, helping to deepen, extend and enrich their learning journey.
Tracking children’s development is not statutory however it helps adults understand how children are growing, learning, and progressing across key areas such as communication, physical skills, social interaction, and emotional wellbeing.
Children develop at different rates, but having a clear picture of their development over time allows parents, carers, and educators to recognise each child’s unique strengths, interests, and needs. This understanding supports more responsive and child centred care, where experiences and support can be tailored to help children thrive.
Regularly observing and recording development also plays a vital role in early identification. When developmental progress is monitored, potential delays, gaps, or additional needs can be noticed early, allowing timely support or intervention. Early help can make a significant difference to long term outcomes, supporting children to build confidence, resilience, and essential life skills.
At the same time, tracking progress helps celebrate achievements—big and small—reinforcing positive relationships and shared understanding between children, families, and professionals. Overall, developmental tracking supports children’s well being, inclusion, and the best possible start in life.
If you would like an example of an individual tracker or group cohort tracker, please email your Early Years Advisor for more information.
The Progress Check at Age Two is a statutory requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Its purpose is to help identify any emerging developmental needs at an early stage, ensuring that children receive timely and appropriate support where required.
When a child is between the ages of two and three, practitioners must review their development and provide parents or carers with a short written summary of their progress.
This review should focus on the three prime areas of learning:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
Where appropriate, practitioners may also include information relating to other areas of learning to reflect the child’s individual strengths, interests and developmental needs.
Parents and carers should be involved throughout the process, and practitioners should discuss the most appropriate time to complete the progress check. Wherever possible, the check should complement the Healthy Child Programme’s two-year health and development review undertaken by the Health Visitor.
Working together in this way helps professionals and families gain a more complete understanding of the child’s development, identifying both strengths and any areas where additional support may be needed.
The written summary should:
- Identify areas in which the child is making good progress.
- Highlight any areas where further support or intervention may be beneficial.
- Draw attention to any concerns about a child’s development, including possible indicators of a special educational need or disability (SEND).
- Outline the strategies, experiences and support that will be put in place to help address any identified needs or concerns.
It is important to discuss the outcomes of the progress check with parents or carers and explore how the information can be used to support their child’s learning and development at home. Effective partnership working between practitioners and families helps to promote positive outcomes and ensure children receive consistent support both at home and within the setting.
Completing the progress check at age two
The EYFS framework does not specify a required format for completing the progress check at age two. If you would like to use our template, you can request it by emailing: eecadvisers@westnorthants.gov.uk.
The progress check should:
- be completed by a practitioner who knows the child well and works closely with them in the setting
- be informed by ongoing observational assessments that are part of everyday practice
- reflect the child’s consistent and independent demonstration of skills, knowledge, understanding, and behaviour
- include the views and input of parents or carers
- consider the perspectives of other practitioners and, where appropriate, other professionals involved with the child
- represent the child’s voice and experiences
If you would like a helpful guide, which answers some of the most commonly asked questions about the progress check at age two please email eecadvisers@westnorthants.gov.uk.
The Department for Education (DfE) have produced guidance to provide support for early years practitioners when completing the early years foundation stage (EYFS) Progress check at age 2 - GOV.UK.
This guidance is intended for early years practitioners working with children aged between two and three years, including:
- registered childminders
- nursery schools and nursery classes
- other early years settings
It supports practitioners in:
- reviewing a child’s development and progress within the three prime areas of learning and development outlined in the EYFS framework
- identifying any concerns or additional developmental needs
- collaborating with parents and other professionals to implement appropriate support and interventions
The Department for Education (DfE) has released a vodcast to help early years practitioners understand the updated guidance, along with a blog that emphasises the importance of the progress check- especially in supporting children’s recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, the DfE commissioned the East London Research School to create a guide for parents of children from birth to five years. This resource helps parents learn more about their child’s learning and development within the EYFS framework and is called: What to expect in the Early Years Foundation Stage: A guide for parents.
Children should be at the heart of all transition arrangements. Providing a quality transition process should not be underestimated for the impact it can have on a child's future learning and development as they move on to school.
Transitions should be considered as a continuous and evolving process adapted to meet the needs of the individual child and their families, not a one off event and therefore, the Transition Document should be completed as part of this process.
The Transition Document is a summative record and therefore, should reflect children's achievements, interests and uniqueness on leaving your setting, so should be completed towards the latter end of the summer term. Getting the timing right can be tricky, too soon and it is not a reflection of children's true capabilities at the end of the academic year, often when there can be a surge in their progress. The information captured supports receiving staff to prepare for the child's arrival in school and should be passed on before the end of term.
The EYFS Profile is statutory and must be completed for each child in the final term of the year they reach 5 and submitted to West Northamptonshire Council.
The EYFS Profile is intended to provide a reliable, valid and accurate assessment of each child’s development at the end of EYFS based on outcomes in relation to 17 early learning goals (ELG) descriptors. You can find out more information about the EYFS profile in the Early years foundation stage profile handbook - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
We will be able to offer you guidance on completing the EYFS profile if the child is entering year 1 at the start of their school journey. If the child has deferred and is going into reception you will not need to complete the profile
To contact the School Effectiveness Team please email lseadmin.ncc@westnorthants.gov.uk.
The Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) is a short assessment, taken in the first six weeks in which a child starts their reception year at school. The RBA assesses a child in early mathematics, literacy, communication and language.
The purpose of the RBA is to form the starting point for cohort-level school progress measures. Data from the RBA is compared to key stage 2 outcomes 7 years later to form the overall progress measure for a school. The RBA is not used to make judgements about early years provision. It is solely intended for use within the primary school progress measure.
Last updated 29 September 2026