Continuous assessment

Record and Report

Recording can take a lot of time, and time spent recording cannot be used for other things - such as interacting with the children. Often your discoveries do not need to be written down and you can have quick, but very useful, conversations with the adult who collects the child at the end of the day.

However, it is important to create a record of learning and development for each child’s progress against the learning statements over time, for example a tick list that is periodically updated for each child.

Each child's record can be used: as a tool for tracking and monitoring each child’s progress as evidence for reflecting on, and planning for, each child's next steps to create reports for: parents and carers practitioners or teachers who will teach the child next year management within the setting.

A quick approach is to record short observations onto sticky notes that can then be transferred to a child’s file. These could be colour-coded to indicate an area of difficulty or strength. Any colours can be used so long as they are understood by everyone in the setting. For example, a pink sticky note with ‘scissors’ written on it, could mean that the child had difficulty using scissors. Every few days the child’s file could be checked to see patterns emerging or whether a new skill has been developed. Once the child has been able to use scissors consistently, the sticky notes could be removed and a note or tick could be marked against the relevant learning statement, for example:

Your record can also include photographs, audio and video recordings of the child - please refer to your centre’s Children Protection Policy for guidance before doing this. Some things that the child has made can be kept or photographed for the record, such as an example of mark making. You may also want to ask each child’s parents or carers to provide examples of learning and development which they have seen at home.

Records can be kept on paper, such as a folder for each child. Alternatively, digital tools can help to organise, store and report information. If you decide to use a digital tool, then you can find information on choosing between options here.

Reports to parents or carers should be positive and informative about their child’s development. This can be achieved through a combination of written reports and face-to-face, or virtual, meetings. If you discover that parents or carers are using reports inappropriately, such as to compare, criticise or compete, then you may wish to alter your reporting strategy.