There is a lot of talk about curriculum in the light of both the inspection framework (Sept 2019) and proposed changes to the EYFS (July 2020).
Development Matters clearly states that “The development statements and their order are not necessary steps for every child and should not be used as checklists.” However, I have seen the document used as such.
For me curriculum is the intentional interplay between settings’ vision based on values and principles, pedagogy, subject knowledge and content. The decisions made about all of these should build a sound Early Years curriculum to enable children to develop and learn effectively.
We need to ensure that the substance of what we do is broad, balanced and has depth in order to do the very best for children. It is vital that the whole staff team understand and can articulate why they are taking a particular approach and the impact it is having.
My top 3 points when considering the effectiveness of your curriculum:
- Don’t create paperwork for the sake of it or for Ofsted. Make sure that you limit paperwork to that which is absolutely necessary to promote children’s successful learning and development.
- Use both formative and summative assessment to give a rich picture of what children know, can do now and need in order to progress their learning.
- Remember the EYFS educational programmes gives a framework for staff to make decisions about what is included on a day to day basis and how they implement their decisions to support children to learn.
For more information about the proposed changes to the EYFS go to https://www.early-education.org.uk/getting_it_right_in_the_eyfs