Guidance on using

Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage

www.lancashire.gov.uk/ lpds

Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

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Acknowledgements: Karen Haigh

Singleton C.E. Primary School, Singleton

Lisa Kelly

Strike Lane School Primary School, Freckleton

Laura Pimlott

Coupe Green School, Coupe Green (now at Cobbs Brow Primary School, Skelmersdale)

Amanda Davies

Rivington Primary School, Rivington

Pat Wells

St Johns C.E. Primary School, Burscough

Abi Corder

Holy Trinity Stackshead C E Primary School, Bacup

Nichola Daniels Green

Reedley Primary School, Burnley

Jenny Howarth

Whitefield Infant School, Nelson

Anne Conroy

Early Years Teaching and Learning Consultant

Helen Belbin

Senior Adviser (Early Years Lead) Lancashire QCI

Denise Sanderson

School Adviser (Early Years) Lancashire QCI

Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

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Introduction: Contents: Introduction 

Background – ‘What is a Learning Journey?’

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EYFS Statutory Assessment Requirements

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Tracking Progress Project Overview – Using this Guidance Document

Diagram of a Learning Journey Guidance Notes 

Purpose

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What form will it take?

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How will the Learning Journeys be developed and managed?

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How will parents be involved in their child's learning journey?

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How will the child be involved in their own learning journey?

Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

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Introduction: Background - ‘What is a Learning Journey?’ The term ‘learning journey’ has been used to mean different things in different contexts, but is often seen as a holistic way of recording how a young child learns and develops as they move through the Early Years Foundation Stage. More recent references to a learning journey acknowledge it as a document in which practitioners collect evidence of a child’s learning and development as they make progress towards the ELG’s at the end of the reception year.

EYFS Statutory Assessment Requirements

EYFS 2012 states that observational assessment is the most reliable way of building up an accurate picture of children’s development and learning, and that there is no prescribed method of gathering evidence, nor any expectation that it should be recorded in a specified way. Accurate assessment will depend on contributions from a range of perspectives including the child’s. Practitioners should involve children fully in their own assessment by encouraging them to communicate, and review, their own learning. The assessment should build on the insights of all adults who have significant interactions with the child.

Tracking Progress Project Overview - Using this Guidance Document This guidance document has been developed as a result of a Lancashire tracking progress project for schools. The aim of the project was to identify ways in which a group of schools developed and used ‘learning journeys’ effectively as an evidence base to support tracking progress through the EYFS. This guidance document highlights key factors which are important when developing effective learning journeys, and identifies some considerations for practitioners and senior leaders/management to reflect on if learning journeys are to be used as part of the school/settings assessment system. The document includes case studies from the schools involved in the project, which illustrate how each school has successfully developed and managed learning journeys.

Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

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Diagram of a Learning Journey:

Learning Journey Purpose

A learning journey is a unique document and it is for schools and settings to identify how it can be used to support EYFS assessments. Each school /setting must clearly identify the purpose of the learning journey and how it will be used to form part of the evidence to document a child’s learning.

What form will it take?

The school /setting will need to make a decision on what the Learning Journey will look like, the format, contents, how it will be organised. This format will need to be consistent and reflected upon periodically to ensure the document is meeting schools/settings needs, e.g. providing evidence to show a child’s progress, clearly illustrating a child’s characteristics of learning at a point in time.

How will the learning journeys be developed and managed? Who will be involved in developing the learning journeys? Who will manage the process? How will consistency be maintained? How will they be used to inform summative assessments, track individual progress, etc?

How will parents be involved in their child’s learning journey? Schools/settings will need to identify how parents will be informed about ‘what a learning journey is’, how it is used to support their child’s learning, and how they can be involved in and contribute to the assessment process.

How will the child be involved in their own learning journey? Children need to be involved in their own learning. Identifying ways in which the child can contribute to their learning journey is important in supporting their learning and development

Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

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Guidance Notes Purpose Considerations It is important for a school/setting to identify for what purpose learning journeys will be developed and used. The key factor here is to establish whether the learning journeys will be used to provide evidence of a child’s progress and learning to inform summative assessments including the EYFSP. If so schools /settings will need to consider the following:  Will the learning journey be used in the school/setting to document evidence of achievements across all seven areas of learning and development? (What a child has learnt) And to illustrate a child’s characteristics of learning? (How a child learns) 

Whether or not the learning journey will be the primary place for recording evidence from observations, targets, photographs, child’s interests, parent’s comments, next steps? Or will it form part of the school/settings assessment system?

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Will the learning journey contain significant evidence from child initiated learning activities only? Will significant achievements in adult focused tasks be included?

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Will the document be used to monitor individual progress throughout the year through the development bands towards the ELG’s?

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Will the learning journey form part of the process of sharing a child’s progress with parents? When?

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Will the learning journeys be used to support moderation – internal/external?

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Will the learning journey be used to support transition….nursery to reception /reception to Year 1?

Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

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Guidance Notes What form will it take? Considerations

Once a decision has been made on the purpose of the learning journey and its role in the school/setting’s assessment system the following considerations can be discussed in relation to what it might look like and what it will include:  The form it will take is individual to the school/setting, e.g. A4 blank book, file with plastic wallets, folder, etc. 

How will the evidence be entered? – ordering the evidence chronologically is generally the way most learning journeys are organised, as this would follow the child’s progress from the beginning to the end of the year.

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What will be observations.

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How will the evidence be linked to the seven areas of learning/ 17 aspects? How will this be monitored to ensure there is a range of evidence across all areas of learning and development?

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How will evidence linked to the characteristics of learning be documented? Pre-printed characteristic sheet, post-it note, annotated photograph, etc.

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Will there be a place for parents to contribute? Separate parent comment sheet, specific ‘wow moments’, post-it notes, speech bubbles, etc.

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How will the child’s voice be included? Discussion, comments, specific contributions, etc.

included? Annotated

photographs,

observational

Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

notes,

planned

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Guidance Notes How will the Learning Journeys be developed and managed? Considerations

Who will be involved in developing the learning journeys? Teachers, teaching assistants, key person, other members of staff, parents, children Who will manage the process? Class teacher, Early Years Co-ordinator, KS Leader, headteacher/deputy headteacher How will the learning journeys be developed? Consider:  When will the learning journey begin? Prior to entry to school/setting? On-entry to setting/school? 

How often will the learning journeys be updated /added to? Weekly, monthly, half termly?

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How much information will go into each child’s learning journey? Will there be a minimum/maximum?

Managing the process:  How will staff be trained to ensure evidence included in the learning journeys links to EYFS age bands/ELG’s and reflects a child’s achievements significant to his/her age/stage of development? Planned training each year, on-going meetings to reflect on the process, training for new staff as appropriate. 

How often will the learning journeys be monitored to ensure consistency and accuracy of information? Half termly, termly.

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How will the learning journeys be used for moderation purposes in school/setting? Who will be involved? Teachers, TA’s, practitioners, Year 1 teachers, SMT, subject leaders, etc.

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How and when will the learning journeys be shared with parents? Planned progress meetings, informally before or after school, specific open afternoons/events etc.

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How and when will each child be involved in their own learning journey? - Shared with children weekly, available for children to look at when they like, specific planned times for child to share learning journey with an adult, key person time.

Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

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Guidance Notes How will parents be involved in their child’s learning journey? Considerations Parents will need to be informed about their child’s progress during their time in school/setting, as well as taking a role in contributing to the assessment process. Using the learning journey can be an important part of this process and therefore the school/setting will need to consider:  How parents will be introduced to learning journeys, and inform them about how they will be used to show the progress their child has made in relation to the EYFS areas of learning and development. Information sheet, hold meeting/s to show sample learning journeys, workshops for parents/carers. 

How parents can contribute to the learning journey with information about the child’s experiences/achievements/interests at home ‘Wow’ sheets, magic moments, post-it notes, ‘special moments’ , ‘special achievements’, comment sheets, etc.

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How the learning journey will be used to share a child’s achievements with the parents, and identify next steps in their learning. Individual meetings at least once a term, opportunities for parents to look at the learning journey with their child, open events, etc.

How will the child be involved in their own learning journey? Considerations EYFS recognises the importance of children themselves being involved in their own learning. Using learning journeys is a meaningful way in which a can engage in their own learning, achievements and next steps.  How will each child be introduced to their learning journey document form the start of the year? A photograph of them, photograph of them at home /on an induction visit to the school or setting, “This is your special book” 

How will each child contribute to the learning journey? regular opportunities for sharing the learning journey with adult/key person/parents, planned times when adults discuss the learning journey with each child adding any comments as appropriate.

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Do the children have access to their learning journey other than at planned times? In the reading area, accessible to children and parents daily, in a ‘special place’, etc.

Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

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Guidance on using Learning Journeys to support Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage © Lancashire County Council (2014)

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For further information please contact: Lancashire Professional Development Service The Centre for Learning Excellence Woodlands Conference Centre Southport Road Chorley PR7 1QR Tel: Email: Web:

01257 516100 [email protected] www.lancashire.gov.uk/lpds