Early Years

EYFS Statutory Assessment

Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs, and to plan activities and support. (Statutory Framework, 2.1) The EYFS Statutory Framework outline the 3 statutory assessment points within the Foundation Stage. More information can be found by clicking the links below.

Progress Check at Age Two
When a child is aged between two and three, practitioners must review their progress and provide parents and/or carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the prime areas. (Statutory Framework, September 2024). Increasing numbers of schools now have provision for two-year-olds and may be involved in conducting the statutory ‘progress check’ at age two. Even if the school does not have provision for two-year-olds, all schools with EYFS need to be aware of and may refer to this statutory assessment.

The key documentation for this statutory assessment is accessible below and contains more information to support practitioners’ knowledge and understanding about this. (Section 2 of the Statutory Framework).

Progress check at age two – Non-statutory guidance for the early years foundation stage (publishing.service.gov.uk)

EYFS Baseline
The Reception Assessment Baseline is a statutory assessment point that takes place during the first six weeks in which a child starts in Reception in school-based provision. More information about the baseline can be found in Annex B of the Early Years Statutory Framework (see below)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/reception-baseline

EYFS Profile
The statutory EYFS framework requires the EYFS Profile assessment to be carried out in the final term of the year in which a child reaches age 5. Therefore, the assessment is usually undertaken by Reception teachers in school-based provision. There are instances where this might be completed by a practitioner working in the private sector or in a childminding scenario.

Early years foundation stage profile: 2024 handbook (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Early years foundation stage: exemplification materials - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)