When you record an observation using the Revised EYFS 2021 frameworks and link the observation to an area or aspect of learning, instead of being asked to rate the child as ‘Emerging’, ‘Developing’ or ‘Secure’ - you will now be prompted to reflect on whether you have any concerns about the child’s level of progress and how that translates into the types of action YOU should be taking.

You are no longer rating the child’s level of development but using YOUR professional judgement to decide what level of support they need. You can choose from 4 options:

This change is in support of the Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters guidance which both recommend moving away from a ‘tick list’ approach to observations, where statements were used to monitor progress.

You can use the table below to help you decide which level of support to select:

For example, if you have no concerns about a child’s progress in a specific area / aspect of learning, select Good Progress and continue with your typical day-to-day activities in supporting the child.

If you have some concerns about how a child is developing and progressing in a specific area / aspect of learning, then select Extra support. This means that you will be looking to support the child in additional ways, or using additional interventions, above and beyond what you normally do. You will also want to monitor and review their progress more regularly to see if your interventions are working.

Finally, if there are clear concerns about a child’s level of development and progress (for instance they are not reaching key milestones), then you should select Specialist support. In this case, you will need to refer the child and work with external agencies to provide the support that they need.

Watch Maureen Hunt explain how you should be doing observations and assessment under the revised EYFS without using statements and tracking data in this short video (3m 24s)