Primary schools could receive intensive support for Reception pupils from English and maths hubs as part of a new government strategy to raise standards.
The Department for Education’s , titled Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, sets out how schools will get three different levels of support from its Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams.
There will be a universal Reception officer offering all schools access to “better data and analysis” on the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile assessment at the end of the Reception year.
Some schools will also receive an enhanced Reception offer with additional early years engagement from specialists in language, literacy and maths through .
DfE early years strategy
The DfE strategy document says will deliver new literacy-focused audits to schools, to supplement those already focused on language and reading. will put more schools through their training and deliver consolidated teacher training on number and spatial reasoning.
There will be an intensive Reception offer, which will involve some schools receiving greater assistance from English and maths hubs. The DfE said this will include dedicated time with a literacy expert and engagement from Maths hubs to increase participation in other training.
The Reception year is one of the main focus areas of the government’s new RISE officials.
The strategy document does not set out how schools will be identified for the three different levels of RISE support.
Yesterday the DfE announced that, as part of a drive to raise standards, trained early years teachers in disadvantaged communities will be offered £4,500 as part of government plans to attract and retain staff in nurseries.
It also said that Ofsted will inspect all new early years providers within 18 months of them opening from next April, as part of the strategy.
Last week the DfE also announced that education secretary Bridget Phillipson will launch a new data tool to give schools a target to aim for around improving outcomes for children in Reception, based on the performance of similar schools.
The government has also said that councils will have to agree targets to increase the number of children ready to start school in their area.
Improving the status of EYFS teachers
The Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life document also talks about the need to raise the status of early years educators.
The DfE will work with the sector to co-design and introduce a new professional register to “put early years workers on a more professional footing and create clear paths for career progression”.
And the DfE says that it will enhance the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for Headship with more early years content and develop a new training course for Reception teachers.
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