At Walkley Primary School, ongoing assessment is an integral part of the learning and development processes. Practitioners observe children to identify their level of achievement, interests and learning styles. These observations are used to shape future planning. Practitioners also take into account observations shared by parents and/or carers via the Tapestry platform.

During the first term in Reception, the teacher assesses the ability of each child using a mixture of the statutory government baseline (RBA) and also through teacher observations. These assessments allow us to identify patterns of attainment within the cohort, in order to adjust the teaching programme for individual children and groups of children.

We record each child’s level of development throughout the year using PITA grids. At the end of the final term in Reception we assess whether each child is emerging or expected in each strand within each area of learning and submit this data to the local authority. This information is shared with the child’s next teacher who uses this information to make plans for the year ahead and in the end-of-year report.

Pupils are assessed against the 17 early learning goals, indicating whether they are:

• Meeting expected levels of development
• Not yet reaching expected levels (‘emerging’)

The profile is moderated internally (referring to the Development Matters guidance) and in partnership with other schools, to ensure consistent assessment judgements. EYFS profile data is submitted to the local authority.