All Modules 04-Early Years Foundation Stage - AssesmentScales

Early years foundation stage profile – assessment scales reference sheet

Personal, social and
emotional development

Scale
point

1

2

3

4

Problem solving, reasoning
and numeracy

C
 ommunication, language and literacy

Knowledge and
understanding
of the world

Dispositions and
attitudes

Social
development

Emotional
development

Language for
communication
and thinking

Linking sounds
and letters

Reading

Writing

Numbers as labels
and for counting

Calculating

Shape, space
and measures

Shows an interest in
classroom activities
through observation
or participation

Plays alongside
others

Separates from main
carer with support

Listens and responds

Joins in with rhyming
and rhythmic
activities

Is developing an
interest in books

Experiments with
mark making,
sometimes ascribing
meaning to the marks

Says some number
names in familiar
contexts, such as
nursery rhymes

Responds to the
vocabulary involved
in addition and
subtraction in rhymes
and games

Experiments with a
range of objects and
materials showing
some mathematical
awareness

Shows curiosity and interest
by exploring surroundings

Dresses, undresses
and manages own
personal hygiene with
adult support

Builds relationships
through gesture and
talk

Uses some clearly
identifiable letters
to communicate
meaning

Counts reliably up
to three everyday
objects

Recognises
differences in
quantity when
comparing sets
of objects

Sorts or matches
objects and talks
about sorting

Observes, selects and
manipulates objects and
materials

Displays high levels
of involvement in selfchosen activities

Takes turns and
shares with adult
support

Represents some
sounds correctly in
writing

Counts reliably up to
six everyday objects

Finds one more or
one less from a group
of up to five objects

Describes shapes
in simple models,
pictures and
patterns

Identifies obvious similarities
and differences when
exploring and observing

Talks about,
recognises and
recreates simple
patterns

Investigates places, objects,
materials and living things
by using all the senses as
appropriate

Dresses and
undresses
independently
and manages own
personal hygiene

Works as part of a
group or class, taking
turns and sharing
fairly

Communicates freely
about home and
community

Expresses needs
and feelings in
appropriate ways

Initiates communication
with others, displaying
greater confidence in
more informal contexts

Shows an awareness
of rhyme and
alliteration

Talks activities through,
reflecting on and
modifying actions

Links some sounds
to letters

Responds to
significant
experiences,
showing a range
of feelings when
appropriate

Listens with enjoyment
to stories, songs, rhymes
and poems, sustains
attentive listening and
responds with relevant
comments, questions
or actions

Links sounds to
letters, naming and
sounding letters of
the alphabet

Knows that print
conveys meaning

Recognises a few
familiar words

Knows that, in
English, print is read
from left to right and
top to bottom

Writes own name
and other words from
memory

Says number names
in order

Relates addition
by combining two
groups

Physical
development

Moves spontaneously,
showing some control and
coordination

Creative
development

Explores different media and
responds to a variety of sensory
experiences
Engages in representational
play

Moves with confidence in
a variety of ways, showing
some awareness of space

Creates simple representations
of events, people and objects
and engages in music-making

Usually shows appropriate
control in large- and smallscale movements

Tries to capture experiences,
using a variety of different
media

Moves with confidence,
imagination and in safety

Sings simple songs from
memory

Identifies simple features and
significant personal events

Constructs in a purposeful
way, using simple tools and
techniques

Identifies some features and
talks about the features w/he
likes and dislikes

Travels around, under, over
and through balancing and
climbing equipment
Shows awareness of space,
of self and others

Forms good
relationships with
adults and peers

Has a developing
awareness of own
needs, views and
feelings and is
sensitive to the
needs, views and
feelings of others

Uses language to
imagine and recreate
roles and experiences

Hears and says
sounds in words

Shows an
understanding of
the elements of
stories, such as main
character, sequence
of events and
openings

Holds a pencil and
uses it effectively to
form recognisable
letters, most of which
are correctly formed

Recognises numerals
1 to 9

Relates subtraction to
taking away

Uses everyday
words to describe
position

Asks questions about why
things happen and how
things work, looks closely
at similarities, differences,
patterns and change

Demonstrates fine motor
control and coordination

Explores colour, texture, shape,
form and space in two or three
dimensions

Continues to be
interested, motivated
and excited to learn

5

Selects and
uses activities
and resources
independently

Understands that there
need to be agreed
values and codes of
behaviour for groups
of people, including
adults and children,
to work together
harmoniously

Has a developing
respect for own
culture and beliefs
and those of other
people

Interacts with others in
a variety of contexts,
negotiating plans and
activities and taking
turns in conversation

Blends sounds in
words

Reads a range
of familiar and
common words and
simple sentences
independently

Attempts writing for
a variety of purposes,
using features of
different forms

Counts reliably up to
10 everyday objects

In practical activities
and discussion,
begins to use the
vocabulary involved
in adding and
subtracting

Uses language
such as ‘circle’ or
‘bigger’ to describe
the shape and size
of solids and flat
shapes

Finds out about past and
present events in own
life, and in those of family
members and other people
s/he knows

Uses small and large
equipment, showing a
range of basic skills

Recognises and explores how
sounds can be changed

Understands that
people have different
needs, views, cultures
and beliefs that need
to be treated with
respect

Considers the
consequences of
words and actions for
self and others

Finds one more
or one less than a
number from 1 to 10

Uses language
such as ‘greater’,
‘smaller’, ‘heavier’
or ‘lighter’ to
compare quantities

Finds out about and
identifies the uses of
everyday technology
and uses information and
communication technology
and programmable toys
to support her/his learning

Handles tools, objects,
construction and malleable
materials safely and with
basic control

Uses imagination in art
and design, music, dance,
imaginative and role play and
stories

Understands that
s/he can expect
others to treat their
needs, views, cultures
and beliefs with
respect

Understands what is
right, what is wrong,
and why

Uses developing
mathematical ideas
and methods to
solve practical
problems

Builds and constructs with
a wide range of objects,
selecting appropriate
resources, tools and
techniques, adapting her/his
work where necessary

Recognises the importance
of keeping healthy and
those things that contribute
to this

Takes into account
the ideas of others

Displays a strong,
positive sense of
self-identity and is
able to express a
range of emotions
fluently and
appropriately

Uses mathematical
language to
describe solid
(3D) objects and
flat (2D) shapes

Communicates simple
planning for investigations
and constructions and
makes simple records and
evaluations of her/his work

Repeats, links and adapts
simple movements,
sometimes commenting
on her/his work

6

7

Is confident to try
new activities, initiate
ideas and speak in a
familiar group

Maintains attention
and concentrates

8

9

Sustains involvement
and perseveres,
particularly when
trying to solve a
problem or reach
a satisfactory
conclusion

Uses talk to organise,
sequence and clarify
thinking, ideas, feelings
and events, exploring
the meanings and
sounds of new words

Uses phonic
knowledge to read
simple regular words

Speaks clearly with
confidence and control,
showing awareness of
the listener

Attempts to read
more complex
words, using phonic
knowledge

Talks and listens
confidently and with
control, consistently
showing awareness of
the listener by including
relevant detail
Uses language to work
out and clarify ideas,
showing control of a
range of appropriate
vocabulary

Uses knowledge
of letters, sounds
and words when
reading and writing
independently

Uses phonic
knowledge to write
simple regular
words and make
phonetically plausible
attempts at more
complex words

Orders numbers up
to 10

Shows an
understanding of
how information can
be found in nonfiction texts to answer
questions about where,
who, why and how

Begins to form
captions and simple
sentences, sometimes
using punctuation

Uses developing
mathematical ideas
and methods to solve
practical problems

Reads books of own
choice with some
fluency and accuracy

Communicates
meaning through
phrases and simple
sentences with
some consistency
in punctuating
sentences

Retells narratives in
the correct sequence,
drawing on language
patterns of stories

Recognises, counts,
orders, writes and
uses numbers up
to 20

Uses developing
mathematical ideas
and methods to solve
practical problems

Uses a range of
strategies for addition
and subtraction,
including some
mental recall of
number bonds

Recognises repeated sounds
and sound patterns and
matches movements to music

Begins to know about own
culture and beliefs and those
of other people

Identifies and names key
features and properties,
sometimes linking different
experiences, observations
and events
Begins to explore what it
means to belong to a variety
of groups and communities

© Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 2008.

Responds in a variety of ways
to what s/he sees, hears,
smells, touches and feels

Recognises the changes
that happen to her/his body
when s/he is active

Demonstrates coordination
and control in large and
small movements, and in
using a range of tools and
equipment

Expresses and communicates
ideas, thoughts and feelings
using a range of materials,
suitable tools, imaginative and
role play, movement, designing
and making, and a variety of
songs and musical instruments

Expresses feelings and
preferences in response to
artwork, drama and music and
makes some comparisons and
links between different pieces
Responds to own work and that
of others when exploring and
communicating ideas, feelings
and preferences through art,
music, dance, role play and
imaginative play

QCA/08/3657