When you record an observation using Curriculum for Wales 2022 and link the observation to one of the five developmental pathways, 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.
So you are no longer rating the child’s level of development but using YOUR professional judgement to decide what level of support they need and taking a holistic approach. You can choose from 4 options:
- Progress as expected
- Support needed
- Specialist support
- None
This change is in support of Curriculum for Wales and the move away from a ‘ticklist’ approach (where statements were used to monitor progress) to assessments that are purposeful and suport children’s wellbeing and 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 pathway, select Progress as expected 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 pathway, then select Support needed. 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.
- 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.
- Finally, if you are not ready yet to make a judgement, then select None.
For more information and guidance on Curriculum for Wales, please visit our All you need to know Q&A or the PACEY ‘spotlight’ page.