Children achieving a 'good level of development' continues to increase

The percentage of five-year-olds reaching a “good level of development” at the end of reception has increased, according to the Department for Education (DfE), which released their analysis of this year’s EYFS Profile results.

At a national level, 69.3 per cent of children achieved a good level of development, an increase of three percentage points (ppts) on 2015. The same trend was seen in the percentage achieving at least the expected level across all early learning goals.

Steady progress is seen across categories, such as listening and attention, understanding, speaking, managing feelings and behaviour, making relationships and being imaginative, with 80 per cent of pupils achieving at least the expected level. However, goals for reading, writing and numbers were below 80 per cent.

The report also highlights that while the gender gap has decreased, girls still continue to perform better than boys.

Commenting on these figures, PACEY’s chief executive Liz Bayram said: “It is fantastic news that EYFS profile results continue to improve. This reflects the hard work and commitment put in every day by childcare professionals across the sector to help prepare children for a brighter future. However, there is still more to be done to help close the gaps between girls and boys achievement.

“PACEY has played a key part in the campaign to retain the EYFS Profile and we are pleased that Government has listened. Now that the Government has announced a review of primary assessment, we will continue to argue for the importance of assessing children’s physical, social and emotional development as well as educational attainment in any future assessment.”

Teachers carry out assessment for the EYFS profile, which is completed at the end of reception. It was due to be scrapped as a mandatory measure, but after a Government U-turn and a number of primary assessment changes, it will now remain in place until at least 2017/18.

Welcoming the results, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: “We welcome the results which once again demonstrate that, despite the many challenges currently facing the sector, early years providers continue to deliver high-quality learning opportunities to the children in their care.

“Clearly, there is still room for improvement: there is still a notable gap between assessment results for girls and boys, although it is positive to see that this is continuing to decrease. And of course, with 30 per cent of children not currently reaching a 'good level of development', it’s important that we look at the reasons why and what can be done to address this going forward, while recognising that children inevitably learn and develop at different rates.

“With the recent news that the EYFS Profile is to remain statutory for 2017/18, these findings are also a timely reminder of the importance of supporting children across all areas of development, not just those that are simpler to measure or ‘test’.

“We hope that, as the Government prepares to consult on primary assessment, it will listen to the sector and recognise that early assessment should focus first and foremost on the child, and supporting their ongoing learning and development, and not – as has been the focus more recently – measuring and ranking schools and providers.”

Claire Schofield, director of policy, membership and communications at NDNA, commented: “This is all credit to the nursery sector which is continuing to improve despite business pressures from all angles – including uncertainty over forthcoming 30 hours funding, recruitment problems, increasing costs associated with National Living Wage and pensions enrolment, and in many cases, high rises in business rates from April 2017."