The profile is the new statutory assessment for children reaching the end of the Foundation Stage in England. It will replace statutory baseline assessment schemes from September and the first profiles are due to be completed at the end of the summer term next year.
According to the Foundation Stage Profile Handbook, published jointly by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Department for Education and Skills, children are to be observed and assessed throughout the year, culminating with the teacher completing the Profile. The early learning goals are split into 13 assessment scales, with nine points for each scale.
Early Education president and early years consultant Marion Dowling stressed that observation is the key tool. She said, 'It is helpful because it will double up as a report at the end of the year, which will be attractive to teachers.
'But it is only going to be as good as the ongoing assessment. It will be time consuming to match each child's ability to each aspect. Teachers will need to use their teaching assistants to take a major role in this.
'Moderation is a huge issue. Within schools it should be made sure that reception teachers make similar judgments. Teachers do lesson planning together and they should do assessment together too. It is essential that we all have a similar view of gauging children's abilities. Moderating within the school and the local authority is the only way - possibly also regional moderation.'
Caz Birch, a reception class teacher and early years co-ordinator at St George's Church of England Primary School in Edgbaston, Birmingham, was one of 180 teachers nationally to take part in the pre-test of the new scheme.
She welcomed the fact that it was based on ongoing observations rather than testing.
Ms Birch said, 'It is a big handbook but it is split into manageable sections. I am really pleased with it because I think it includes everything that a teacher would need to know. I believe the system is a lot better than baseline assessment. Everybody in the country will be doing the same, so there will be consistency from authority to authority.
'The Profile, which is based on good practice rather than testing, is about the whole child, rather than just concentrating on numeracy or literacy. '
Early years consultant Anne O'Connor expressed some concern. 'Although it seems to be in sympathy with the Foundation Stage document, I still feel saddened by it. Perhaps I just can't come to terms with "scoring" children.'
The handbook is on the QCA website, www.qca.org.uk.