2 year progress check

[sarah707]

This is taken from one of our threads on the Independent Childminders Facebook group.

I started the thread after attending training last night. The trainer told us that some childminders are being downgraded by Ofsted for not having a summary assessment called ‘2 year progress check’ in children’s files when children are between the ages of 2 and 3 years old.

Some childminders have the check but have called it something else – and that’s not good enough for Ofsted because the 2 year progress check is statutory (required by the EYFS) and must be called by its proper name!

So this is information and advice taken the thread…

You must have a 2 year progress check in every child’s file at some point when they are between the ages of 2 and 3 years old. The document MUST be called ‘2 year progress check’ and it must be retained for inspection by Ofsted while the child is in your care.

Here are some more tips …

- If they attend another setting try and do it in partnership but if that's not possible just do one and give it to parents, putting a copy in the child's file.
- Even if the child is part time - do a progress check for their file.
- Ideally it should tie in with the health visitor check but that's not essential.
- The progress check must say '2 year progress check' at the top - even if you have just written another summary assessment you must re-print or re-write and call it a '2 year progress check'.
- It must cover how the child is getting on in the prime areas and if they are falling behind. It can cover other things - that's up to you.
- It should include parents comments and the contents should not be a shock to them.
- It doesn't need to be long - just a few lines saying what the child can do and what they are working on next.
- The main reason for the progress check is to flag up concerns - so if you are worried about anything you must include it. Don't try and sugar coat it like you normally might in observations or summary assessments - because negatives must be included.
- Ideally it should be given to the health visitor by parents - but it's not your problem is this does not happen.
- You must keep it in the child's learning and development file for inspection - some LAs are saying it should be in their safeguarding and welfare file but that's a recommendation and not a requirement.

Ideas for writing the check

It does not need to be long or complicated or take you a long time to complete. If you know your child well you will be able to write positively about what they can do and then add information about what you are working on next. If you have concerns about the child you must flag them up. Here are some ideas –

C & L - the child has lots of words and can talk in 2 and sometimes 3 word sentences. He listens well when you get his attention. We are working on pronouncing words correctly especially words that start with xxx.

PSED - the child is learning to share and take turns really well and enjoys cooperative games. He has lots of friends here and at pre-school. We are working on remembering behaviour goals.

PD - the child moves in lots of different ways confidently. He has good fine motor skills and uses scissors and a crayon well. We are working on learning about how to keep ourselves safe because he sometimes rushes into new situations without considering the risks.

Those are all pretty common statements for a 2 year old and they cover all 3 prime areas of learning. They tell parents and the health visitor that you feel the child is typical for their age. If you were worried about something you might put a little more detail eg...

C & L - the child does not seem to hear me in a quiet room. I have suggested mum asks for a referral to an audiologist for a hearing check... or something like that.

I hope that helps…

[Chimps Childminding]

Thanks Sarah useful tips (as usual)! We went on some training last week about the 2 year check, and in our area Health Visitors are aiming to carry out their checks at 27 months! I've got a lo who turned 2 in August, so I'm going to get on to his over the weekend! Have told mum if she gets his appointment through in the meantime to let me know!

[NightOwl]

Thank you Sarah. I'm catching up on past threads. When I went to a training session on the 2 year progress check when it was first introduced, the trainer told us that the completed 2 years progress check was the property of the parents and therefore did not need to be seen by ofsted. I think I will make sure I keep a copy in the child's file from now on.

[Simona]

The date the HVs carry out a check on children varies from LA to LA...in some it is done as soon as the child turns 2...in others half way and some towards the end at nearly 36 months.

If a child gets a check early on and we then have concerns... that were not evident at the time of the check with the HV...we can encourage parents to seek a 2nd check with the HV...that is the advice HVs themselves are giving parents here ...come back if anything pops up later on.

Hopefully in 2015 when Health and Education work together we may get a more uniform service.

[blue bear]

Thank you Sarah really helpful

[FloraDora]

Completed 2yr assessment with mum, both of us put a lot of thought and time into it. Mum gave it to health visitor who didn't look at it said "oh more paperwork" - mum explained the process of this summary, HV popped it in bag, as she did so it got scrunched up. Mum asked how she would use it, HV said" I will file it, the childminder will get a tick for doing when Ofsted comes"
Mum is a teacher and fairly confident, demanded it back if she wasn't going to use it for mums files. The HV shrugged, pulled it back out (all scrumpled) and put it on the side as she carried on her own questions.

I wrote a concerned letter to the health visitor and cc manager.
I was asked for another copy which was then called vital evidence in the childs development.

In order to justify the time we put in to producing these reports they really do need to be acknowledged by the health Professionals.

[Simona]

Completed 2yr assessment with mum, both of us put a lot of thought and time into it. Mum gave it to health visitor who didn't look at it said "oh more paperwork" - mum explained the process of this summary, HV popped it in bag, as she did so it got scrunched up. Mum asked how she would use it, HV said" I will file it, the childminder will get a tick for doing when Ofsted comes"
Mum is a teacher and fairly confident, demanded it back if she wasn't going to use it for mums files. The HV shrugged, pulled it back out (all scrumpled) and put it on the side as she carried on her own questions.

I wrote a concerned letter to the health visitor and cc manager.
I was asked for another copy which was then called vital evidence in the childs development.

In order to justify the time we put in to producing these reports they really do need to be acknowledged by the health Professionals.

Isn't this such a sad state of affairs?

here is a HV... who obviously understands EYFS and why we produce the 2 year old Progress Check...and yet dismisses it as 'more paperwork'?

I wonder if she was referring to you having done all that paperwork and respecting you for it ...or herself for having to read and act on it...or just filing it in her bag??

She seems to summarise the whole sorry saga under 'the cm will get a tick from Ofsted'? maybe this HV is not aware this is to do with 'intervention and prevention' ...'closing the gap'...'making taxpayers money pay'....'integrated working' which is actually what Ofsted looks for when inspecting CCentres ...does not look like from evidence that they are doing that well?

Where is 'in the best interest of the child' feature in this ? and why ...yet again...make the tick from Ofsted the end product?
Sad that the reformed EYFS has not achieved the very aims it intended....we seem to be chasing our tails

God luck with your complaint.... more should raise concerns instead of just talking about it or referring to the LAs own agenda.

I hope you will follow it up and request an acknowledgement of your concern for the CCentre's manager ...that would be wonderful evidence to put in your portfolio for the inspectorate!!

[Daisy1956]

Hi Sorry to hijake the thread. I look after a 2 yr old who started in April her two year old check took place two weeks after she started with me and Mum never said it
was taking place. Do I still after do a 2 yr assessment for her LJ

[Ripeberry]

Hi Sorry to hijake the thread. I look after a 2 yr old who started in April her two year old check took place two weeks after she started with me and Mum never said it
was taking place. Do I still after do a 2 yr assessment for her LJ

Yes, you still need to do one. As long as it's done before 36 months old, then you have plenty of time

[hectors house]

I have done 5 Two year checks over the last 2 years,
the first one was for a child who was nearly 3 when the 2 year check was introduced, he had already had HV check by then but I did it as a transition to nursery form.
The 2nd the parent took to HV appointment and HV didn't know anything about them but said it looked very good and pity she hadn't seen it before appointment to be able to read it properly.
The 3rd, the HV said "I haven't got time to read the writing, I just read the age bands on the bottom"
The 4th child, hasn't had a check because the HV team were short staffed
The 5th child, have done his check and shared with parent but although I have been told by HV's that they are now fully staffed and completing checks again, this child is still waiting for his.

Had my Ofsted last week, I made sure the inspector could find the 2 year Progress checks in children's folders by sticking big post in notes with "2 year Progress Check" written on them.

[Simona]

Hi Sorry to hijake the thread. I look after a 2 yr old who started in April her two year old check took place two weeks after she started with me and Mum never said it
was taking place. Do I still after do a 2 yr assessment for her LJ

Do exactly what the EYFS requires you to do...the child has had a HV assessment early on but the check is still required.

If anything comes up between now and when the child reaches age 3 ...then ask mum to make a further appointment with the HV to discuss

Many providers believe that once the HV has carried out her visit that is the end of the process...the Progress Check covers ONE year of the child's stage of development ...from 2 to 3.

HH...your experience says it all about the system we have to deal with...too many chefs!!!!

I am also concerned that there is no connection between our EY team and HV on this?
Be in no doubt that HV are aware of this requirement...if they didn't they would have had to live on mars since 2012

It is really up to us to flag up the huge holes showing in the system and the atrocious lack of integrated working and sharing information that goes on everywhere

[hectors house]

Do exactly what the EYFS requires you to do...the child has had a HV assessment early on but the check is still required.


I am also concerned that there is no connection between our EY team and HV on this?
Be in no doubt that HV are aware of this requirement...if they didn't they would have had to live on mars since 2012

It is really up to us to flag up the huge holes showing in the system and the atrocious lack of integrated working and sharing information that goes on everywhere

Typical examples of 2 agencies (Dept for Ed and Health Visitors) not talking together before this was introduced by Dept for Ed, surely they should have asked the HV how they wanted the information presented - I really would like to go back to the old fashioned "tick" list in the child's medical book. eg: child can pedal a tricycle, catch a ball etc. A straight forward question with a yes or no answer, no trying to read between the lines because to write it as it really is would upset the parents!

[Simona]

Typical examples of 2 agencies (Dept for Ed and Health Visitors) not talking together before this was introduced by Dept for Ed, surely they should have asked the HV how they wanted the information presented - I really would like to go back to the old fashioned "tick" list in the child's medical book. eg: child can pedal a tricycle, catch a ball etc. A straight forward question with a yes or no answer, no trying to read between the lines because to write it as it really is would upset the parents!

This situation is due to be reviewed and acted upon in 2015 when Health and Education are joined.

HV are very scarce and this is the reason they have no time for Progress checks...they are aware of them though as are the EY teams who should do some joined up thinking...or is it too much to ask of them ?

[JCrakers]

I've still waiting for HV to come and do a combined health and dev check at my house as a pilot for the 2015 combined summaries.

Little one turned 2 in July so should be anytime soon.

On the other flip side I spent ages doing a 2yr check on a mindee in Feb 2014 (she turned 2 in dec) and told mum to let me know when her HV appointment came though. I was preparing to amend and update the 2yr check if it was a couple of months down the line but at least I had done the basis of it.
Asked her 3 times when her appointment was but she never told me so 2yr check has sat in her folder since Feb unused and unseen by the HV. It also has no parents comments on it because I was waiting from Feb through to September for her to let me know when her appointment was. I was waiting for the appointment to come through so it would be up to date and parents comments would also be up to date (no use in getting them to look at it in Feb if her appointment came through in August) Now its old news so no point in getting any parents comments from something nearly 9 months old

[lollipop kid]

This is taken from one of our threads on the Independent Childminders Facebook group.

I started the thread after attending training last night. The trainer told us that some childminders are being downgraded by Ofsted for not having a summary assessment called ‘2 year progress check’ in children’s files when children are between the ages of 2 and 3 years old.

Some childminders have the check but have called it something else – and that’s not good enough for Ofsted because the 2 year progress check is statutory (required by the EYFS) and must be called by its proper name!

So this is information and advice taken the thread…

You must have a 2 year progress check in every child’s file at some point when they are between the ages of 2 and 3 years old. The document MUST be called ‘2 year progress check’ and it must be retained for inspection by Ofsted while the child is in your care.

Here are some more tips …

- If they attend another setting try and do it in partnership but if that's not possible just do one and give it to parents, putting a copy in the child's file.
- Even if the child is part time - do a progress check for their file.
- Ideally it should tie in with the health visitor check but that's not essential.
- The progress check must say '2 year progress check' at the top - even if you have just written another summary assessment you must re-print or re-write and call it a '2 year progress check'.
- It must cover how the child is getting on in the prime areas and if they are falling behind. It can cover other things - that's up to you.
- It should include parents comments and the contents should not be a shock to them.
- It doesn't need to be long - just a few lines saying what the child can do and what they are working on next.
- The main reason for the progress check is to flag up concerns - so if you are worried about anything you must include it. Don't try and sugar coat it like you normally might in observations or summary assessments - because negatives must be included.
- Ideally it should be given to the health visitor by parents - but it's not your problem is this does not happen.
- You must keep it in the child's learning and development file for inspection - some LAs are saying it should be in their safeguarding and welfare file but that's a recommendation and not a requirement.

Ideas for writing the check

It does not need to be long or complicated or take you a long time to complete. If you know your child well you will be able to write positively about what they can do and then add information about what you are working on next. If you have concerns about the child you must flag them up. Here are some ideas –

C & L - the child has lots of words and can talk in 2 and sometimes 3 word sentences. He listens well when you get his attention. We are working on pronouncing words correctly especially words that start with xxx.

PSED - the child is learning to share and take turns really well and enjoys cooperative games. He has lots of friends here and at pre-school. We are working on remembering behaviour goals.

PD - the child moves in lots of different ways confidently. He has good fine motor skills and uses scissors and a crayon well. We are working on learning about how to keep ourselves safe because he sometimes rushes into new situations without considering the risks.

Those are all pretty common statements for a 2 year old and they cover all 3 prime areas of learning. They tell parents and the health visitor that you feel the child is typical for their age. If you were worried about something you might put a little more detail eg...

C & L - the child does not seem to hear me in a quiet room. I have suggested mum asks for a referral to an audiologist for a hearing check... or something like that.

I hope that helps…

I've called mine: Child's name: EYFS - Progress Check at Age Two ... as per the cover of "A Know-how Guide. The EYFS progress check at age two". I hope that's OK!

Re. the timing, I was criticised by Ofsted at my last inspection for doing mine too early, and told that I should do it sometime between age two and three. (I told the lady I had chosen to do it at 24 months in agreement with the parent so that the parent had the information to hand when she was booking the appointment with the Health Visitor, which I understood to be around 27 months. The inspector just looked at me blankly and still criticised me for doing it too early.) Don't worry - I'm over it now! I had stopped doing these as early because of her comments, but perhaps I'll go back to doing these closer to 24 months again.

PS: I've just done one and it took me 90 minutes in total (including printing and binding two copies of it for the parent meeting.)