New EYFS framework & Reception Baseline Assessment

Dear Parents and carers,

At St Mark’s, we embrace changes that are going to have a positive impact on the children’s learning and education. As you may already be aware, the DFE have introduced a new EYFS framework, commencing September 2021.

What does this mean for your child?

Your child will follow the updated EYFS framework and will work towards the final assessment at the end of the Reception year, using the new ELGs (Early Learning Goals). These goals are short statements that teachers assess your child against at the end of the year. These statements will be shared with you all at the first parent’s evening. The 7 main areas of learning remain the same. These are:

  • Communication & Language
  • Physical Development
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Expressive Arts and Design
  • Understanding The World

As part of the changes to the new framework, it also means that there is less emphasis on recording paperwork, meaning we, as adults, can spend more time with your child getting to know them and having those quality interactions. The new framework is also more aligned with the KS1 curriculum, further ensuring your child’s educational journey from reception to KS1 is building upon previous knowledge.

Reception Baseline

In addition to the informal, play based activities we have always done at St Mark’s in order to get to know your child and find out their starting points, a new statutory Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) will also be completed with your child during their first six weeks of school.

The RBA is a short, interactive and practical assessment of your child’s early literacy, communication, language and mathematics skills when they begin in school. It will be undertaken 1:1 with your child by one of their familiar Year R adults and will provide a snapshot of where your child is when they start in Reception. The data gathered from these assessments will only be accessed by the DFE.

Once your child has reached Year 6 and completed their SATS the DFE can then measure your child’s progress from Reception to Year 6. This informs them of how well we as a school have supported your child’s cohort throughout their time with us.

If you wish to read further on the reception baseline, then you can find a parent booklet here;

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1004560/2021_Information_for_parents_reception_baseline_assessment.pdf

You can find out more about the data which will be collected about your child here RBA pupil data privacy notice

Many thanks for your continued support,

Mrs Baird, Mrs Hearn and Mrs Rushton