Foundation Years - Sure Start Children's Centres

Written evidence submitted by Ofqual

1 In relation to the scope of the inquiry, our interest and experience as the regulator of qualifications and assessments focuses on the following points:

· how to increase the use of evidence-based early intervention in children’s centres

· the effectiveness and impact of Sure Start children’s centres to date, including the role of Ofsted inspections

· how to define and measure good practice in family and parenting support and outreach, including the effectiveness of the Government’s payment by results trials, and what measures of child development and school readiness might be used

Our role

2 Under the 2009 ASCL Act, we have a duty to review all aspects of National Assessment arrangements which include statutory assessment relating to the Early Years Foundations Stage and the National Curriculum. We review assessments from development to implementation in relation to their specified purpose as well as their intended uses. Our goal is to safeguard the interests of the learner and we expect all children to have access to assessments which are:

· appropriate to their age

· an effective measure of their abilities, skills and concept development

· fair to all irrespective of gender, language, religion, ethnic or social origin or disability

3 We have two statutory objectives, one relating to the maintenance of assessment standards and the other to promoting public confidence; these are detailed in our Regulatory Framework for National Assessments: National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage (Ofsted 2011):

http://www2.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2011-regulatory-framework-for-national-assessments.pdf?Itemid=198

Our contribution to the inquiry

Enabling practitioner judgments

4 With regard to evidence based intervention, we understand the importance of practitioners making accurate and consistent judgments about children’s achievement and attainment. Our work in this area has led us to identify the key aspects of a national system which enable more accurate judgments to be made. Our evidence is both qualitative and quantitative and draws on small focus groups to large scale surveys of parents.

5 Where an equitable system is required, we would argue that evidence based intervention is enabled when there is a clear process in place for:

· developing and publishing national standards – the criteria which practitioners can use to assess children attainment

· providing training, exemplification of standards and guidance for practitioners

· creating opportunities for practitioners to work with colleagues to discuss and compare judgements

· moderation of practitioner judgements by an external process and training for moderators

· defining a clear purpose to the assessment and providing information on how any outcomes from the assessment will be used

· making available guidance and exemplar material for the information of parents

Threats to accurate practitioner judgments

6 Effective evidence-based intervention is secured when practitioners’ assessment judgments can be considered as valid, reliable across settings, Local Authorities and regions and comparable over time. Those designing the approach to assessment should ensure it is manageable for practitioners and should have taken steps minimise any bias so that it is as fair as possible for all learners.

7 Our work in relation to National Assessment has enabled us to identify a number of potential threats to accurate and comparable assessment and hence to both evidence-based intervention and to ways of measuring the effectiveness of practitioners and settings. It is important that perverse incentives are not introduced into assessment systems. We recommend that, where practitioners are required to assess and keep records with a specified purpose of ascertaining children’s attainment and achievement, accompanying information is made available on the intended and appropriate uses of outcomes of such assessments. In relation to the focus of this inquiry, this should make clear whether outcomes are suitable to be used as:

· a measure of ‘value-added’ impact which could, for example, be considered by Ofsted inspectors

· a measure for accountability purposes e.g. payment by results or the setting and achievement of targets

· a measure of practitioner competency e.g. performance related pay.

8 We suggest that the use of national assessment outcomes in the ways listed above may introduce perverse incentives and reduce the likelihood that the assessment is valid for its purpose and primary uses; that is to make accurate assessments of the attainment of each child, to provide evidence for practitioners to plan for and enable children’s future learning and to offer reliable information to parents.

9 We are also aware of current plans to develop and establish a ‘school readiness’ measure based on the outcomes of the newly configured Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, carried out in the final term of the Reception year when children are around the age of 5 years. We are seeking to be kept informed of such developments since we have a direct interest in terms of our statutory objectives.

December 2012