Alistair first gave us the opportunity to write about OP&L in February 2021 and for more detailed information, please refer to our previous blog posts on abcdoes.com. OP&L is an assessment tool, developed by us at Barnet Early Years Alliance (BEYA). We wanted to give our practitioners back time we felt was wasted collecting unnecessary evidence. Who is this evidence for? We know that it is through our interactions that we get to know our children best. We believe that if we are behind an iPad capturing the moment, we cannot be part of the moment. We wanted to share and be a part of our children’s fascinations, their curiosities, the awe and wonder. It also coincided with the key objectives of the … Read More
Ways to Develop Celebratory Approaches to Observation, Assessment and Planning
Introduction When it comes to children with “special educational needs” (SEN) and disabilities, we tend to see a focus on observing for concerns only, leading to valuable threads of learning being lost. This is often because we are taught that early intervention is key, and the sooner we spot those “red flags”, the sooner we can prevent a delay or SEN. However, what may initially appear to be a delay could be a gateway to a developmental difference, including autism, dyslexia, or a developmental language profile, such as being non-speaking. Our initial concerns for some children may lead to adaptations in our practice that support neurotypical progress, but for other children, we may require a more permanent change in approach … Read More
Where’s Wally?
I am feeling like I'm neglecting my blogging duties a bit at the moment, which is a shame because I love to blog, but my diary is chock a block! The change in funding for schools has changed the focus of my work in a very positive way. I am now doing lots of project work with clusters of schools who have got together because they have a particular issue or area for exploration in and around EYFS. With some of the projects the focus for all of the settings is the same, like in Salford, where I'm working with a group on their Point of Entry Assessment and for some the schools have created a 'cluster' and bought in my … Read More
Making Links to Learning through Play, Modelling and MLD!
Phew, what a week – and it isn't over yet! It started in Millstead Special Primary School in Liverpool where I was working with staff looking at the implementation of an EYFS approach across the school. Millstead has children with various levels of need from PMLD (Profound and Multiple Learning Disability) to those with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). It was a truly amazing two days from which I learned so much. There is HUGE potential for learning for many of the children at this school which would be significantly enhanced by running an EYFS approach. I will post more about this soon when I have done a little more research and got more feedback on the strategies that we decided to … Read More