Assessment of children in the early years can help us to promptly recognise any gaps in learning and allow us to implement appropriate support at the earliest point, ensuring the needs of both the child and their family are met.
Children will develop at their own unique rates and not every child will follow a “typical” pattern of progression of development, this however does not limit a child’s ability to make progress or take away from focusing on the child’s individual strengths.
At Chatham, we prioritise spending quality time with the children, ensuring that written assessments do not detract from the meaningful interactions that support their development. Our approach to assessing children’s progress is guided by the Birth to Five Matters framework and our comprehensive long-term curriculum maps. We use the online learning journal Tapestry to document and share evidence of children’s experiences and learning. Tapestry also serves as a valuable tool for keeping families engaged and connected to their child’s journey at nursery.
Statutory progress check at age two – when a child is aged between two and three, we must review their progress and provide parents or carers with a short, written summary of their child’s development in the three prime areas.
