EYFS observation: free-flow session
Child-led and adult-initiated learning
Name of teacher:
Number of children:
Age range of children:
Observer:
Focus of teaching:
Focus of observation:
Date:
Assessment for Learning:
Evidence of plan, do, review. Links
made to prior learning. Explicit
learning intentions for adultinitiated activities are well matched
to children’s needs and differentiation
is evident. Tasks are evaluated at
end of session.
Children show satisfaction in
meeting their goals. They are proud
of process, not just product. They
know what they need to do to
improve. Adults and children have
high expectations of and celebrate
child initiated learning.
How well does the learning
environment support adult
initiated learning?
Impact of recent teaching on
learning within the child initiated
environment. Evidence of children
using recently modelled skills,
knowledge and attitudes.
Evidence that environment is
supporting children’s next steps in
learning (differentiated opportunities
available).
Evidence of children’s learning
being aided by the use of visuals
and prompts in the environment.
(e.g. phonic charts, alphabet frieze,
number tracks, number lines, 100
square, word banks, ‘tricky words’,
visual success criteria).
How are the needs of vulnerable
groups met?
Comment on progress of girls,
boys, SEND, EAL, most-able, G&T,
pupil premium. *
*Indicate focus groups
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+ Behaviour for learning:
Positive behaviour management
strategies used. Clear instructions
given in short chunks. Praise is
specific. Children work cooperatively (discussing, taking turns,
sharing resources). Warm, caring
relationships between adults and
children.
How well does the learning
environment support childinitiated play?
The indoor and outdoor environments
are stimulating, well organised and
inviting.
Organisation of resources promotes
independence and decision making
through possible self-selection in
clearly defined zones both indoors
and outdoors (to include: books,
blocks, construction, writing, maths,
workshop, small world, sand, water,
malleable / fine motor, gross motor,
role-play, investigation)
Opportunities for children to develop
and practise skills and knowledge
through appropriately challenging
resources.
The environment is inclusive and a
variety of resources reflect the
diverse needs of all children and
their families (e.g. evidence of multicultural dolls, small world play,
jigsaws and images).
There are spaces for children to be
quiet/reflect.
The environment is rich in text:
signs, symbols, notices, numbers,
words, rhymes, books, pictures and
songs.
Mark-making opportunities are
available throughout the indoor and
outdoor environment (e.g. clipboards
and pencils in different zones, low
level whiteboards and blackboards in
zones).
Displays celebrate child-initiated
work and support learning. Some are
interactive and are at child height
where possible. Children’s comments
recorded (e.g. speech bubbles).
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How well do interactions from
all adults support children’s
learning?
Adults have a clear view of their role
in supporting and extending children’s
learning.
Teaching is responsive: Adults
assess children’s learning throughout
and reshape tasks, questions and
explanations to improve learning
Opportunities are used to extend
language: evidence of modelling,
descriptive commentary, open
ended questioning.
Evidence of the Characteristics of Effective Learning
Opportunities to play and explore:
Children find out and explore. Children show curiosity,
use their senses to explore, engage in open ended
activity and show particular interests
Children play with what they know. They pretend
objects are things form their own experience, represent
their experiences in play, take on a role in their play and
act out experiences with other people.
Children are willing to have a go. They initiate activities,
seek challenge, show a can do attitude and take risks
engaging in new experiences and learning by trial and
error.
Opportunities for active learning:
Children are involved and concentrate. Children
maintain focus on their activity and concentrate. They
show high levels of energy and fascination. They are not
easily distracted and pay attention to details.
Children keep on trying. They persist when challenges
occur, showing a belief that more effort or a different
approach will pay off. They bounce back after difficulties.
Children enjoy achieving what they set out to do.
They show satisfaction in their own goals. They are proud
when they have accomplished something, not just the end
result. They enjoy meeting challenges for their own sake
rather than external rewards or praise.
Opportunities to create and think critically:
Children have their own ideas. Children think of ideas,
find new ways to solve problems and new ways to do
things.
Children make links. They notice patterns in their
experiences, make predictions, test their ideas and
develop ideas of grouping, sequences, cause and effect.
Children choose ways to do things. Children plan and
make decisions about how to approach a task, solve a
problem and reach a goal. They check how well their
activities are going, changing strategy as needed. They
review how well the approach has worked.
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Missed opportunities:
areas for development
Please see over the page for Ofsted criteria - links from individual lessons can made, but a
judgement of teaching and learning in the EYFS should be made over a period of time, ensuring
information is triangulated from a variety of sources (lesson observations of adult led teaching, child
initiated learning and supported play, planning, learning journeys, data, child’s voice).
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Strand
Climate for learning
and pupil
engagement/
attitudes to learning
Planning and
expectations
Level 4 – Inadequate
- Teaching fails to engage or interest
particular groups of pupils, including
disabled pupils and those who have
special educational needs.
- Pupils physical wellbeing is not
promoted.
Level 3 – Requires improvement
- Teachers do not have sufficiently high
expectations for pupil learning.
- Learning activities are not sufficiently
well matched to the needs of pupils.
Inclusion and support
Skills,
Knowledge and
Understanding
Progress
- Pupils cannot communicate, read, write
or apply mathematics as well as they
should.
Teaching requires improvement
because it is not good.
- As a result of weak teaching, pupils (or
groups of pupils) make inadequate
progress, including disabled pupils, those
who have special educational needs,
those for whom the pupil premium
provides support and the most able.
Level 2 – Good
- Teachers and other adults create a positive
climate for learning.
- Pupils are interested and engaged with their
learning.
- Pupils attitudes to all aspects of learning,
including in independent, group and whole class
work, are consistently positive, and have a good
impact on the progress they make.
- Teachers have high expectations for pupil
learning.
- Teachers plan and teach lessons that deepen
pupils’ knowledge and understanding and
enable them to develop a range of skills.
- Effective teaching strategies (including setting
appropriate homework) are matched well to
pupils’ individual needs, so that pupils learn well
in the lesson.
- Appropriately targeted support and intervention
are matched well to pupils’ individual needs,
including those most and least able, so that
pupils learn well in lessons.
Pupils are enabled to develop well a range of
skills, especially in reading, writing and
mathematics, across the curriculum.
- Pupils’ knowledge and understanding are
deepened.
- Most pupils and groups of pupils, including
disabled pupils, those who have special
educational needs, those for whom the pupil
premium provides support and the most able,
make good progress.
- Teachers listen to, carefully observe and
skilfully question pupils during lessons.
- Teachers reshape tasks and explanations to
improve learning.
- Teachers assess pupils’ learning and progress
regularly and accurately during the lesson.
- Teachers ensure that pupils know how well
they have done and what they need to do to
improve.
Assessment for
Learning
* The difference between ‘good’ and ‘rapid and sustained progress’ is linked to productivity in relation to learning outcomes
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Level 1 – Outstanding
- Teachers and other adults generate high
levels of engagement and commitment to
learning.
- Pupils consistently display a thirst for
knowledge and a love of learning,
including in independent, group and whole
class work, which have a very strong
impact on their progress in lessons.
- Teachers have consistently high
expectations of all pupils.
- Teachers plan and teach lessons that
enable pupils to learn exceptionally well.
- Teachers use well-judged and often
inspirational teaching strategies (including
setting appropriate homework) that match
individual needs accurately, so that pupils
learn exceptionally well.
- Sharply focused and timely support and
intervention match individual needs
accurately, so that pupils learn
exceptionally well.
Pupils are enabled to develop highly
effectively a range of skills, especially in
reading, writing and mathematics, across
the curriculum.
- Almost all pupils, including disabled
pupils, those who have special
educational needs, those for whom the
pupil premium provides support and the
most able, are making rapid and sustained
progress. (*)
- Teachers systematically and effectively
check pupils’ understanding throughout
lessons, anticipating where they may need
to intervene and doing so with notable
impact on the quality of learning.
- Consistently high quality marking and
constructive feedback from teachers
ensure that pupils make rapid gains.