Assessment & Tracking progress
Part of our role is assessing how your child is developing and helping them to meet their goals! At Gooseberry Bush Day Nursery, each child is allocated a Key Person. Please see the accompanying page for more info on Key Persons.
It’s important to note that not all children progress at the same rate!
Your child’s development is assessed using each area of our Curriculum, ECATs (Every Child A Talker). Some children may also have Development Journals, if required.
Baselines – Initial Assessments
All children receive a baseline assessment within two weeks of starting nursery. As the name suggests, this baseline will record the initial development level of the children when they first arrive.
Note: a baseline is just the starting point for new starters and may not be entirely accurate! This may be because your child is still a little shy with us and so they may not feel as confidant as they may be with you.
2 Year Old Checks
Two year old checks are written for children in Pooh Bears and Rabbits. These are shared with parents/carers and your child’s Health Visitor.
Parents are invited to discuss their child’s progress and development with their child’s key person and the SENDCo (if needed) so that they can discuss which areas their child may need support in and consequently, their next steps for development.
Termly Reports – Assessments
Your child’s development is monitored throughout the year. Staff record your child’s development three times a year, one for each term. These are known as ‘Termly Reports’.
We keep a copy of your children’s termly report so we can assess which areas they may need support and consequently, what their Next Steps for development will be. Parents are invited to discuss their child’s progress with their child’s key person and SENDCo (if needed). This way we can discuss what areas the child needs support in so we can work as a team!
End of Year Report – Final Assessment
An end of year report is written by your child’s key person and sent out to parents/carers once a year. These end of year reports are used for children transitioning to a new nursery or moving up into primary school, depending on your child’s age.
Meetings & Preschool Transitions
Children with SEN (Special Educational Needs) will have review meetings as and when needed throughout the year. Some children may have additional meetings to support their transition to another setting or provider, so their routine and development can continue with minimal disruption.
Parents are invited to discuss their child’s progress and development with their child’s key person and the SENDCo (if needed) so that they can discuss which areas their child may need support in.
During the Summer Term we arrange transition meetings and visits with local primary schools that the preschool children are transitioning to. The children will be able to meet their new teacher and nursery can pass on developmental reports to school to support your child’s learning when they leave nursery.
We will do our best to support transitions for children who will be moving to a primary school outside of Cornwall!
