FS2 Research &
Innovation Group
Introduction
Research Innovation Group.
Following on from a meeting with the primary heads, our local cluster head teachers expressed an
interest in creating a Early Years research group focusing on early years practise to improve the
consistency of assessment.
A meeting was then arranged for the following schools- Bridlewood Primary School, Ferndale
Primary School, Catherine Wayte Primary School, Abbey Meads Primary School and Orchid Vale
Primary School. Here, we discussed what the focus of our project would be.
We agreed to look at evidence to show how we baseline the children across the schools and to focus
on what ‘Exceeding,’ looks like in the following early learning goals;
 Communication and Language
 PSHE
 Writing.
Laura Brierly then took the RIG action plan to the Swindon Teaching School and put in a bid to
release teachers to meet and share good practise, evidence and moderate judgements.
Who are we?
The following teachers were involved in Research Innovation Group•
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Emma Christmas Bridlewood Primary School
Lauren Coley Ferndale Primary School
Anna Maguire Orchid Vale Primary School
Liz Hayward Abbey Meads Primary School
Kirsty O’Neill Catherine Wayte Primary School
Why?
• There has been concern for several years over the consistency
all found that there was a lack of exemplary material for
exceeding actually looks like.
Aims
• Identify good practice in on-entry assessment
• Explore our collective understanding of Early Learning Goals
• Collect clear range of evidence
• Ensure consistency in our judgements
• Clarify what constitutes exceeding at the end of FS2
Outcomes
• Identify and share ‘best practice’
• Collate useful information
• Develop a bank of materials
• Presenting at the Autumn Early Years Network Meeting.
Moderating judgements
• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Writing
At each meeting we discussed a focused early learning goal in
our focused children’s observations, evidence of their adult led
ideas, and discussed time and resources for the outside and
teacher leading the meeting would then write up meeting notes
headteachers.
Teach Meet- We presented at Swindon’s Teach Meet on Thursday
project.
Key Areas
Writing
We discussed different ideas for ways to gather evidence for child and adult initiated writing. Each Foundation Stage
leader shared ideas which we then trialled in our different schools.
Pet book - A book where the children write response letters to a pet. For example the teacher takes a photograph of their
pet and sticks it into the book with a letter ‘from the pet’
The children then write back.
You choose books - Photocopied and put out on table
Backpack – To encourage writing in the outdoor area. A backpack filled with pencils, magnifying glass, clipboard, and paper
so children can record what they find outside.
Purposeful writing in all areas of the classroom- Having writing resources such as pencils, note pads and clipboards
throughout the indoor and outdoor area. This works particularly well in the home corner and book corner. Can decorate
with topic related images.
Graffiti writing– This is the idea of allowing children to ‘write where the shouldn’t’ using display borders, post it notes,
paper table cloths and putting this under tables, in a glow tent or another unusual areas.
Magic sentence box – A box containing prompt words such as ‘who’, ‘what’ and ‘where’ for sentence writing. Can also be
adapted for story writing. For example, using three prompt boxes; character box - ie a fairy, prop or event box – a magic
wand and setting box- castle.
Envelopes and post box – A set of resources to develop letter writing. Can be adapted for topics, ie. writing to the Fire
Service for People Who Help us or a character for Fairy Tales.
My model – To develop planning and evaluating as well as writing. A planning sheet for children to use before making a
model. Children are also encourage to label or write captions for their model.
Writing key used at Catherine Wayte – A key shared with children to check their writing against. For example, full
stops, finger spaces, capital letters.
Star writers – Star Writers can...use finger spaces, read their own work, etc. Depending on the child they then earn a
star for their work and they get to choose star pencil to use for the week. Lauren to add
Writing king or queen – Each week a child becomes the class writing king or queen.
Keyword competition – Similar to look, cover, write, check. Five keywords worked on each day. Using numbered boxes
children have to match the words to the shape. For example – the word ‘you’ would fit into the box beginning with
space for a descender.
More able books for writing – Used for morning jobs. Class teacher writes a question and the child then
responds. For example. Can you write about the frogspawn?
Zip Wallets – Wallets filled with paint secured with duck tape. Children can practise letter formation.
Build your own sentence – A resource from Toys R Us.
Physically constructing sentences – Using letter aprons or building blocks children can create their own
words.
Caption competition – Teacher displays a photograph and children write a caption. Winner earns a prize.
Big Handwriting – Using a variety of activities for letter formation. Whiteboards,
shaving foam, water and paint brushes.
Big Writing – Calming music and candles. Children to write independently.
Dough Disco – Children to use play dough to warm up their fingers ready for
writing.
Personal, Emotional and Social Development
Children display evidence for PSED at all times of the school day and often this isn’t written down anywhere because it’s just things you know
about your children and it happens so often that it would be unmanageable to record all of it. For the purpose of our research we endeavoured
to record more of these moments down than we usually would.
As a group we discussed the different times we would see each aspect and the best ways we had found in our classrooms to gather the evidence
we needed to demonstrate each child’s abilities.
Managing Feelings and Behaviour
Circle times – Children can wait their turn to speak and are complimentary and kind to others when they are speaking.
PSED/Jigsaw discussions– Children’s comments when talking about behaviour, friendships, family issues etc.
Observations of behaviour during choosing time, assemblies, unusual events
Supply teachers – Make a poster of routines for children to share and talk about with the supply teacher.
Making relationships
WOW Box – Children to write their own wow moments for each other or themselves which they had then place in the box to be shared with the
class. At the start of the year, parents can write/scribe their child’s wow moments to place in the box.
‘Dukes’ Book – Children receive letters in a book from a pet which the children can respond to for more letters.
Midday supervisors - making observations at lunch time when they are playing games and taking turns with the children.
New children - Observations of who looks after new children, visitors, children who are feeling unwell.
Sharing - Make observations of children taking turns or sharing during child initiated
Self-confidence and self-awareness
Circle time – Whole class or small groups
Show and tell – things brought in from home and things created at school
Challenges – in all curriculum areas to support children to think independently and problem solve during
their independent play.
Children can talk about the way they completed their challenges or made their creations to others – What
anything you would change? Is there anything that you could do to make it better?
News time – Children to talk with others about their weekend etc in a whole class or small group time. This is
also something that the children with just talk to you about.
Comments from parents – interactions from parents when discussing their children and looking through their
learning journeys. Often they will be able to make you award of things that the child does at school that they
Homework projects – Children to share with their class or other classes.
Holiday books – Children have a holiday book that they receive at their FS induction evening. Throughout the
summer, before they come to school the children can add to the book information about themselves to share
Christmas and Easter holidays they are invited to take their book home with them to add more about
these times. When they come back to school the children can share them with the class and they stay in the
and shared whenever they want.
Comments/observations made by others in school – From other adults, children or head teacher in school
when they have noticed them being confident or resourceful.
Class Assemblies
Sharing Assemblies
Chatterbox talking – a topic or question to talk about during snack or circle time for all children to talk about
and discuss.
Star of the day/ Star Bear – The Star of the day takes Star Bear home for the night and adds to star of the day
book. The child then talks to the class and shares their part of the book and what they did with the class, the
find out more information.
School trips – Children who are confident to ask questions to trip leaders/guides.
Homework projects – Children to share with their class or other classes.
Holiday books – Children have a holiday book that they receive at their FS induction evening. Throughout
the summer, before they come to school the children can add to the book information about themselves to
During the Christmas and Easter holidays they are invited to take their book home with them to add more
experiences during these times. When they come back to school the children can share them with the
so they can be looked at and shared whenever they want.
Comments/observations made by others in school – From other adults, children or head teacher in school
when they have noticed them being confident or resourceful.
Class Assemblies
Sharing Assemblies
Chatterbox talking – a topic or question to talk about during snack or circle time for all children to talk
about and discuss.
Star of the day/ Star Bear – The Star of the day takes Star Bear home for the night and adds to star of the
day book. The child then talks to the class and shares their part of the book and what they did with the
questions to find out more information.
School trips – Children who are confident to ask questions to trip leaders/guides.
Communication and Language
As a group we discussed the fact that we do not normally record lots of evidence towards the Communication and Language goals. This is because
a lot of the evidence that we put towards our judgements is professional opinion and knowledge about our children. The evidence can also be found
and linked to all areas of the Early Years curriculum as the Communication and Language goal is very cross curricular.
As a group we talked about the different examples of evidence that you could have towards each early learning goal for the Communication and
Language area. Below is a list of examples that as a cluster we discussed and shared at our meetings:
Listening and Attention
• Recording observations during carpet time sessions – Are children listening appropriately and paying attention?
• Recording when a child recalls a learning objective from a previous session or something that an adult has shared with them from a previous
day or session.
• ‘I can’ questions related to the topic written on stickers – For example, I can name two things that a policeman wears. These questions are then
given to the children at the end of the topic or after a concept has been taught.
• Recording observations related to assemblies – Do children listen appropriately/recall anything that was discussed?
• Recording observations based on school trips – which children took things on board?
• Question time/Bring and brag/ show and tell – Do children repeat questions therefore demonstrating that they haven’t listened?
• Story time – if an adult is reading a familiar story incorrectly or reading from right to left – do children see this and make the adult aware?
• Chatter matters – A time where children talk about events outside of school – do children ask appropriate questions and listen effectively to
peers?
• Recording observations if a child is responding appropriately to simple instructions
We discussed the fact that most of the evidence could be scribed by a TA during carpet time sessions
Understanding
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This goal is extremely cross curricular and very similar to others.
Helpers in class – show understanding of instructions
Cooking/bee bots do children follow instructions appropiately?
Hot seating characters
Reading comprehension
Reading diaries
Talking points – answer questions about their own activities. For example, how did you make your model?
Innovating stories – express views about stories
Do children understand humour when listening to stories?
Photos of PE – especially when you have an instructor in. Are children listening and responding to instructions?
Simon says….
Hide and Seek
TA to record quotes when a supply teacher is in – do children inform supply teacher about expectations/routines etc.
How and why questions are extremely important – have children responded effectively?
Success criteria sheet – have children understood the objective? Teacher to scribe notes.
Annotated planning/assessment sheets indicating whether children have understood a concept
Welly walks – listening to instructions and responding correctly – For example, put your coat on, hold hands with a partner.
We discussed the fact that the goal was easy to achieve and that the exceeding descriptor was also the same. We would expect a
large number of children to achieve exceeding in this goal particularly because nursery focus on the prime areas so much.
Speaking
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Jotting down quotes during induction period –
2 simple app – jot down quotes related to things that the children have made etc.
Wow book – children to discuss achievements.
The Guardian big pictures – children to talk about what they can see in the pictures
Music talk – talk about a piece of music – how does it make you feel? What instruments can you hear?
Focus observation sheets – Child voice recorded.
Chatter matters – Put a sticker in the communication book for parents to ask them to talk about a topic with their children. For example, ‘A
time when I felt proud…’
Star bear – The bear goes home every day with a child. The children add to the book showing what the bear did with them. Children to talk
about what they have been doing and other children to ask them questions.
Recording quotes from role play, circle time, problem solving.
Story sacks
Talk time – give children a stimulus to talk about.
Talk buddies/partners – how do children communicate with each other?
Buddies with year 6- are they confident with one another?
Story telling – record using an iPad/video camera
Visitors – TA to jot down who talks to visitors/the type of thing that they would ask.
Evidence for Exceeding
Writing