On entry into  the Foundation class we will gather evidence to assess children. We do this by looking at their achievements in their pre-school provision and from observations during the first weeks of school. Our initial assessments inform our planning and provision for the children. We will continue to assess the children across the year and we will be asking for information from home to inform our assessments at school.

At St Luke's we assess and track the progress and attainment of Reception age children through adult on going observations in all seven areas of learning plus the three characteristics of effective learning. 

Areas of Learning

Prime Areas

1.     Communication and Language

2.     Personal, Social and Emotional Development

3.     Physical Development

Specific Areas

4.     Literacy

5.     Mathematics

6.     Understanding the World

7.     Expressive Arts and Design

Characteristics of Effective Learning

1.     Playing and exploring – engagement
            Finding out and exploring
            Playing with what they know
            Being willing to ‘have a go'

2.     Active learning – motivation
            Being involved and concentrating
            Keeping trying
            Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

3.        Creating and thinking critically – thinking

                  Having their own ideas
                  Making links
                  Choosing ways to do things

The children are made aware of their next steps of learning through verbal feedback during activity/small group work sessions and the language and depth of discussion is altered to account for the wide range of abilities.

By the end of the year the national expectation is that the children will be working within the 17 Early Learning Goal descriptors. The judgements made will then form the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile for each child as to whether they are:

• Emerging  - working below national expectations
• Expected - working at national expectations

Children will be defined as reaching a good level of development at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage if they achieve at least the expected level in the three prime areas of learning - Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, and Physical Development, in addition to Literacy and Mathematics.

We will be keeping you updated on your child's progress via parents evenings and we are available to speak to you if you have any questions or concerns. We will be sending out a full report on your child's progress at the end of the academic year