DfE new DM Non statutory guidance for inspectors and providers

[Simona]

It is one of those days when news is pouring in...

This is the latest DfE (Sept 2013) 'Early Years Outcomes' on non statutory guidance for inspectors and providers on child development

So which one we use...I have only skimmed through it ...any difference?

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/237249/Early_Years_Outcomes.pdf

[hectors house]

It is just the Unique Child column (and it looks the same as Sept 2012) but where are Positive relationships and Enabling environment columns? I'm going to carry on using the old version until someone (probably on here rather than LA or Ofsted) tell me otherwise!

[tori4]

Sorry complete blonde moment is this the new DM? Or a proposal or something else ??

[blue bear]

It's just a breakdown of what a child should be able to do at each age for each of the areas of learning, so just the unique child. There's no next steps, what you can do to achieve next steps or anything.
It states, the tables below set out what you should be observing a child doing at each stage if they are developing typically for their age,

It reminds me very much of the stepping stones the original eyfs replaced.

Wonder if it's supposed to be some sort of monitoring document for the types of observation carried out?

[loocyloo]

as far as I can see its exactly the same as before, but they have taken out the 'help' steps that were listed alongside.

when the old EYFS came out, I initially put together each area starting from 0mths up to 5yrs with a page for each area. this seems to be what it is, and easy to see where each child is developmentally as you go down the page.

(I then swapped to having a page for each age group with all the areas on. )


sorry, having posted it, just read it back and not sure it makes sense! hope it makes sense t o someone!

[Simona]

as far as I can see its exactly the same as before, but they have taken out the 'help' steps that were listed alongside.

when the old EYFS came out, I initially put together each area starting from 0mths up to 5yrs with a page for each area. this seems to be what it is, and easy to see where each child is developmentally as you go down the page.

(I then swapped to having a page for each age group with all the areas on. )


sorry, having posted it, just read it back and not sure it makes sense! hope it makes sense t o someone!

I love it when the DfE publishes something and leaves everyone wondering what it is all about?
Yes it is the UC development but...if there are changes and ..no one has spotted them as yet...why not review the DM instead of having a separate document??

I am searching for clues....will be back if I find any!

[Simona]

I am back... with good advice as I posted the new non statutory guidance on LinkedIn and Nancy Stewart answered...she writes in NWorld and she is part of the EY Consultancy

This is what she says:

'This is simply an extract from Development Matters -- the Unique Child column without the acknowledgement that development is not just up to the child. It depends on the interaction with relationships and environments. Both Development Matters and this extract are non-statutory guidance, so anyone is free to decide what to use. I'd say DM is much more useful!'

So back to DM as nothing has changed!
Why publish something that is already published? DfE awash with money?

[Rick]

I am back... with good advice as I posted the new non statutory guidance on LinkedIn and Nancy Stewart answered...she writes in NWorld and she is part of the EY Consultancy

This is what she says:

'This is simply an extract from Development Matters -- the Unique Child column without the acknowledgement that development is not just up to the child. It depends on the interaction with relationships and environments. Both Development Matters and this extract are non-statutory guidance, so anyone is free to decide what to use. I'd say DM is much more useful!'

So back to DM as nothing has changed!
Why publish something that is already published? DfE awash with money?

I can't quite understand the reason behind it. It's simply the Unique Child column in DM. But I want to see the other two columns and Characteristics of Effective Learning table etc! I've got a good idea.....I'll just use DM! :D

[hectors house]

They are just condensing it even more - I'm sure the original EYFS Development Matters 2008 had 4 columns - the last one being very useful next steps, so 2012 down to 3 columns and 2013 down to just one?

[Simona]

As promised Nursery World has done an article on the DfE publication
In it you will also find comments from Nancy Stewart who I quoted below
It appears this is the document inspectors will carry with them...are you any clearer?

New EYFS guide to support children's development | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/article/1211343/new-eyfs-guide-support-childrens-development)

[Rick]

Thanks Simona....clear as mud :-)

I don't get the point of it though! You can't ignore the other bits of DM. You still need to consider characteristics of EL, positive relationships and enabling environments.

[Simona]

Thanks Simona....clear as mud :-)

I don't get the point of it though! You can't ignore the other bits of DM. You still need to consider characteristics of EL, positive relationships and enabling environments.

That is exactly what is being questioned!!
The article goes a little way to explain but as you say very murky!!
I will continue using the DM and supportive literature and the inspector will walk in with her guidance...
What the DfE does is never crystal clear is it?

Do share if you hear anything..

[Simona]

DM has been removed from the Foundation Years website and replaced by the DfE's EY Outcomes
It has also been removed from gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/
Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2012 | Foundation Years (http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/early-years-foundation-stage-2012/)

More here...don't ask as no one knows what is going on!
New EYFS guide to support children's development | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/article/1211343/new-eyfs-guide-support-childrens-development)

Correction...still on the Foundation Years website but you have to scroll down a bit further

[Rick]

DM has been removed from the Foundation Years website and replaced by the DfE's EY Outcomes
It has also been removed from gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/
Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2012 | Foundation Years (http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/early-years-foundation-stage-2012/)

More here...don't ask as no one knows what is going on!
New EYFS guide to support children's development | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/article/1211343/new-eyfs-guide-support-childrens-development)

Thanks Simona. I still don't understand the logic! The rest of DM is still relevant and useful as far as I'm concerned.

[Simona]

Thanks Simona. I still don't understand the logic! The rest of DM is still relevant and useful as far as I'm concerned.

Wouldn't it be great...or even respectful if the DfE would let us know what this is all about??
I agree with you the rest is relevant and useful!

[Rick]

Wouldn't it be great...or even respectful if the DfE would let us know what this is all about??
I agree with you the rest is relevant and useful!

That would be great yes! If it weren't for eagle eyed people such as yourself how would we even know! :D

[Ripeberry]

They have to keep their 'Pen pushers' busy. Can't have them sitting around doing nothing :rolleyes:

[Rubybubbles]

Well they have put c&l first and psed 3rd


That's all I can see changed in wording lol! Keeping the other one!!

[Simona]

Well they have put c&l first and psed 3rd


That's all I can see changed in wording lol! Keeping the other one!!

That is possibly what the intention is but why remove the tools that enable practitioners to support C&L?
Can children develop their communication skills without 'positive relationships' and if not in an enabling environment??

All we can do is sit and wait for the DfE to explain their intention...not ideal but that is the sort of govt we have!

[Rick]

Hopefully this clarifies matters. I have received this from my LA who themselves clarified the situation:


Development STILL Matters
Many of you have been asking whether Development Matters has been replaced or removed. We are pleased to confirm that its status as non-statutory guidance has not changed, and it remains highly valued by the DfE and the sector. The confusion has been caused in part by an erroneous statement in Ofsted’s subsidiary guidance that changes were being made to Development Matters. We understand that this document should be corrected shortly to remove this reference.

DfE publishes “Early Years Outcomes”
A related source of confusion about the status of Development Matters may be the publication by the DfE of a document entitled “Early years outcomes: A non-statutory guide for practitioners and inspectors to help inform understanding of child development through the early years”.

Although the source of the material is not quoted, this is in effect an extract from Development Matters: the column “A Unique Child: observing how a child is learning”. By removing the Positive Relationships and Enabling Environment sections which draw attention to the adult role in children's development - as well as the characteristics of effective learning - this cut-down document fails to meet its stated purpose of supporting an understanding of child development. As Early Education members are well aware, development doesn't just happen - the child develops and learns in interaction with other people and the environment. Development is not a set of outcomes on which to judge children.

Leaving out the characteristics of effective learning, presumably because they cannot be quantified, also misses the importance of knowing how children learn and continually supporting them to be strong, motivated and independent learners. In many ways this is the most important part of child development and of practitioners' job, so it is a crucial omission.

It also fails to mention that S1.10 of the EYFS statutory framework requires practitioners to reflect on how children learn.
The new Outcomes document has the same status as Development Matters so practitioners can of course continue to use the full version in Development Matters rather than just this extract, and we hope some Ofsted inspectors will choose to do the same.’

[Simona]

Hopefully this clarifies matters. I have received this from my LA who themselves clarified the situation:


Development STILL Matters
Many of you have been asking whether Development Matters has been replaced or removed. We are pleased to confirm that its status as non-statutory guidance has not changed, and it remains highly valued by the DfE and the sector. The confusion has been caused in part by an erroneous statement in Ofsted’s subsidiary guidance that changes were being made to Development Matters. We understand that this document should be corrected shortly to remove this reference.

DfE publishes “Early Years Outcomes”
A related source of confusion about the status of Development Matters may be the publication by the DfE of a document entitled “Early years outcomes: A non-statutory guide for practitioners and inspectors to help inform understanding of child development through the early years”.

Although the source of the material is not quoted, this is in effect an extract from Development Matters: the column “A Unique Child: observing how a child is learning”. By removing the Positive Relationships and Enabling Environment sections which draw attention to the adult role in children's development - as well as the characteristics of effective learning - this cut-down document fails to meet its stated purpose of supporting an understanding of child development. As Early Education members are well aware, development doesn't just happen - the child develops and learns in interaction with other people and the environment. Development is not a set of outcomes on which to judge children.

Leaving out the characteristics of effective learning, presumably because they cannot be quantified, also misses the importance of knowing how children learn and continually supporting them to be strong, motivated and independent learners. In many ways this is the most important part of child development and of practitioners' job, so it is a crucial omission.

It also fails to mention that S1.10 of the EYFS statutory framework requires practitioners to reflect on how children learn.
The new Outcomes document has the same status as Development Matters so practitioners can of course continue to use the full version in Development Matters rather than just this extract, and we hope some Ofsted inspectors will choose to do the same.’

yes ...that is exactly what is being discussed everywhere and your LA has stated what others have said too that we need to consider Positive Relationships and Enabling Environments when we look at the Unique child, therefore, DM is what the vast majority will continue to use exactly as Nancy Stewart said from the very start...
she also stated Ofsted ' got the wrong end of the stick' when they stated DM was being revised

hopefully all clear now

[Simona]

Thanks for tweeting about this Sarah...had just spotted it when your tweet appeared
Let's hope it puts the whole issue to rest now...an apology from Oftsed would not go amiss for causing such confusion!!



Development Matters still current | Early Education (http://www.early-education.org.uk/news-and-events/article/1733)

[VeggieSausage]

I like this document as I can see at a glance what children should be doing in each age group......