Collection of Evidence

‘Practitioners and EYFS profile moderators need to be aware that the definition of evidence is any material, knowledge of the child, anecdotal incident, result of observation or information from additional sources that support the overall picture of the child’s development. There is no requirement that it should always be formally recorded or documented.’ (EYFS Profile Handbook p12)

This does not mean that it should never be recorded; neither does it mean that practitioners should keep onerous and unmanageable systems.

• Practitioner’s are NOT required to collect 3 pieces of evidence for each scale point.
• The collection of evidence should be part of every day practice.
• The collection of evidence should be both a meaningful record of a child’s attainment and achievement as well as being manageable for practitioners.

‘In order to make consistent and accurate judgements, practitioners need to use valid and consistent evidence to inform their assessments. This evidence will be collected as an ongoing process from a spectrum of circumstances in which children demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding. The majority of evidence will come from the practitioner’s knowledge of the child and observation of the child’s self-initiated activities.’  (EYFS Profile Handbook p9) 

What does evidence look like?

A broad range of evidence demonstrating a picture of a child’s learning journey and attainment will consist of the following effective practice;