The recent annual Department for Education report on assessments of children’s development in the summer term of their Reception year shows that at Bolton School 91% of children make the top grade, called a Good Level of Development (GLD). Nationally this figure is 67.2%.
A delighted Mrs Jo Field, the Head of Infant School, said: ‘The high GLD figure at Bolton School has been achieved by experienced, highly-skilled and dedicated teachers creating learning opportunities to engage and excite our youngest learners from the moment they arrive at Beech House. Baseline assessment data at the start of Reception, daily interactions, observations and planned assessments throughout the year lead to targeted teaching and interventions to ensure our children make excellent individual progress.
‘We are particularly proud of the writing development we provide for our Early Years children, which has resulted in writing profiles far exceeding local and national percentages! Moderated samples of writing against pupils in other schools of similar ages confirmed pupils had achieved the Early Learning Goal, with some pieces of writing evidencing the expected standard of writing and presentation required by children at the end of Key Stage 1.’
Explaining this system of national assessment, she said: ‘These assessments are intended to provide an accurate representation of each child’s development at the end of Reception to support their transition into Year 1. It is made up of an assessment of the child’s outcomes in relation to 17 early learning goals (ELGs) across 7 areas of learning. The three prime areas of learning are: communication and language; personal, social and emotional development; and physical development. These areas are particularly important for children’s healthy development and are the basis for successful learning in the other four specific areas of learning: literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; and expressive arts and design. Children are defined as having a good level of development at the end of the EYFS if they are at the expected level for the 12 ELGs within the 5 areas of learning relating to: communication and language; personal, social and emotional development; physical development; literacy; and mathematics.
‘Through our Nursery and Beech House Pre-School Classes, we make progress in the early literacy skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing a priority before children begin their school journey. This is where our children first encounter, and are actively engaged in, our phonics scheme to become effective communicators and to develop a love of reading, rhythm and rhyme.’
