Policy and Procedure No.15
Observation, Assessment and Planning for Learning Through Play
- Millfield Pre-school (MPS) is registered by Ofsted Early Years Directorate and the DfE to receive Early Years funding. We plan in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework 2024 and Development Matters 2023 to provide the children attending with opportunities that will support and promote their overall development in a safe, stimulating and caring environment, created by trained staff with the involvement of the Committee and the families.
- Staff ensures that activities and equipment used are appropriate to the children’s age and stage of development and will both stimulate their interest and encourage investigation. Coupled with this is the continued encouragement for children to scaffold on existing skills.
- Staff ensure that all activities, equipment and displays provide a balanced view of all members of the local community and society in a positive way.
- All children will experience and can access a thoughtfully planned programme of activities and experiences suitable to their stage of development or individual needs. The play activities provided by the practitioners are an essential element of the EYFS and focus on a book of the week and child led, in the moment planning.
- All children are encouraged to show their individual creativity without the pressure of producing an adult-directed end product.
- Each child will have his or her own Tapestry Online Learning Journal and be allocated a key person.
- Your child’s Learning Journey will cover the four guiding principles laid down in the Early Years Foundation Stage: Unique child; Positive relationships; Enabling environments and Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The observations taken and recorded will cover the seven areas of learning and development:
Personal, Social and Emotional development:
Understanding emotions, Sense of self and Making relationships.
Communication and Language:
Speaking, Understanding and Listening and attention
Literacy:
Writing and Reading
Mathematics:
Mathematics.
Expressive Arts and Design:
Being Imaginative and expressive and Creating with materials.
Understanding the World:
Technology, The World and People and communities
Physical development:
Health and Self care and Moving and handling
- Your child’s Tapestry Online Learning Journal is a confidential record, shared with yourself and staff in the setting. All tablets remain at the setting and are stored in a locked cupboard. It is only available to other professional agencies with your written consent.
- Through various types of observation, we are able to monitor children’s development and plan the activities to ensure that they are given the opportunity to consolidate and further develop their skills. On each observation the key person will highlight your child’s achievable, realistic next steps and together we will work to achieve these.
- Your child’s Learning Journey is updated weekly. Whilst your child is at pre-school you can ask to see their Learning Journey at anytime. Your child’s Tapestry Online Learning Journal is available for you to view at anytime. This gives you the opportunity to read, look at and enjoy the activities your child has participated in. At this time we encourage you to add your own observations, pictures of your family and child.
- The Key person will assess and track their allocated children at the end of each term. However, fortnightly staff meetings provide practitioners with the opportunity to discuss individual children. In the event of a concern being raised regarding a child’s development then the child shall be closely monitored, the parent/carer spoken to by the child’s key person, setting SENco and/or Lead Practitioner/Manager.
- Your child’s key person will seek your permission to provide your child’s follow-on setting/school with a brief summary of achievement. This helps staff at the new setting/school to familiarise themselves with your child’s achievements so far.
Signed: Clara Hall- Chairperson.
Signed: Tegan Kidman- Lead Practitioner/Manager.
Amended: 28th January 2026.
Review: 28th January 2027.