Are you ready for the progress check?

Between the age of two- and three-years old, children experience rapid growth with huge leaps in their learning and development. We need to celebrate what they can do and identify areas where extra support may be needed, to make a real difference to children’s future outcomes.

The aim of the progress check at age two has not changed, but the Department for Education has released the new Progress check at age two: non-statutory guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

The statutory requirements
A review of a child’s progress must be carried out to identify a child’s strengths and any areas where progress isn’t quite as expected. If there are emerging concerns then a targeted plan needs to be developed, ensuring that parents are involved, and their views are included so that it can be shared with other appropriate professionals.

The three prime areas must be covered by the review, and educators can choose what else to include, for example, the specific areas, to give a full picture of the child’s development and needs. If they have additional needs, then these need to be highlighted along with the activities and strategies that are going to be put into place to support the child regarding those needs.

Providers must share with parents a short, written summary of the check, along with an explanation of how the summary of development can be used to support their child’s learning and development at home. Most of a two-year-old’s time is not spent in a setting but with their families and communities, so we need to help parents to understand the vital role that they play in supporting their child. Completing the check together, can develop the relationship that you have with parents, as it’s a key component as you share support, knowledge, advice and achievements.

While parents should be encouraged to share the resulting information with other services, where appropriate, providers must receive parental consent to share the check with other appropriate professionals.

Undertaking the check
A child’s key person should ideally take the lead on completing the check, as within a setting they will know the child best, and along with the parents can be the child’s advocate for ensuring that their voice is heard.

While the check must be carried out between the age of two and three years old, there is no set date. You must consider:

when the child started, and whether they at still settling-in and building relationships
the needs of the child and parents, for instance, illness or family circumstances
their pattern of attendance
if the child is moving between settings or attends another setting at the same time – how can you include the views of educators at the other setting
if you are carrying out an integrated review

The check should be carried out by the setting where the child spends most of their time. Where possible, and if this is actioned in your area, then the progress check and the health and development review at age two, which is usually carried out by health visitors, should be integrated to benefit the child.

When completing the check you can use the checkpoints from Development Matters or Birth to 5 Matters, not as a list of everything a child needs to know, but as a prompt for your observations and judgements to help you to understand the child better.

It may then be helpful to reflect as follows:

Is the child excited to be around other children?
Are they playing alongside other children (even if alone) seeking out proximity of others?
Are they watching what other children are doing?
Are you seeing some imitation of play?
Are they starting to join in, maybe trying to steer the play themselves?
Do they have a favourite friend – another child that they tend to gravitate towards?
Are they starting to show some understanding of the needs of others?

It is vital that the voice of the child is heard throughout the progress check. Even from an early age, children can be involved in assessing their own learning and can tell us what they enjoy and what they have found difficult through their gestures, posture, verbal communication and signing. On reading a progress check you should be able to see, hear and feel the child at the centre of everything written and parents should be able to recognise and relate to what they are reading about their child.

Emerging and identified needs
High-quality education and care is inclusive. By identifying needs early, children can receive the help they need to progress in their learning. Every child can make progress if they receive the right help at the right time. When completing your review, it is important for children with emerging or identified SEND, that they are assessed in ways which:

take account of how children progress
focuses on what a child can do, not what they can’t
acknowledge that children’s development is not linear
celebrate the whole child