EYFS - That simple acronym can provoke extreme reactions in people. Some shriek, throw up their hands and complain of being swamped in paperwork that they aren’t being allocated extra time to complete. Others have found it easier to go with the flow and accept the change, buying files and clearing shelf space in anticipation of the mass of records they think they’re required to keep.
The EYFS is, however you look at it, something we have to learn to work with and, if I’m being honest, I myself found understanding it a bit of a struggle at first.
How does it affect Playworkers?
As it affects children from Birth to 31st August following their 5th Birthday, it will be relevant to you if you have children registered in your setting that fall into that age range.
Those children will need to have Key workers allocated to them.
Key worker is the official term for who is responsible for record keeping in the setting and info gathering, for that child. If you have 4 children in that age range, for example, you will need 2 people to be Key workers, for them.
It’s an interesting way to review what we’re already doing within our settings, and there’s the thing; there isn’t anything in the pack or guidance that will be unfamiliar to you.
If, as settings and practitioners, you’re already working towards the Playwork Principles, Values and Assumptions, and meeting the Best Play Objectives, then you are already doing what the EYFS expects of you. If you are also regularly reflecting on your practice, you will also be doing much of what is required.
What’s New for Playworkers?
What you will have to do that may be new to you, unless you’re familiar with a Nursery setting, are the observations.
We are used to watching children play and learning about how they’re developing and understanding them more as people in terms of how formal it will be.
We learn a lot about how children feel, what they are achieving, how we can help them progress and, if we’re in a school based setting, having a passing chat with the Teacher or T.A. , who will pass on info about that child. With the EYFS, we have to record all of that information, as Ofsted, as part of the inspection process, will require evidence.
So, we observe the children and write down what we see and learn, and also get the children involved. Fellow Play practitioners have shared forms with me that they are using to capture data, and they have spaces for the Children’s and Parents comments, tick boxes for which Play Types the observed Play has covered and also show what the next step could be for that child.
I can truthfully say that I still don’t know everything about the EYFS, and like any new framework introduced into childcare/playwork, its something we’re all still getting to grips with but I believe the key is to approach it positively, see how we can align it with the systems we already have in place and ensure our Teams, Children using our settings and Parents and Carers are all aware of its existence as a tool to help us improve the service we provide to the children in our care.
By Dianne Larrington - Playworker & Trainer, March 2009
