Next steps can cover so many areas of practice – building on a child’s current skills, knowledge and experiences and supporting them to make the best possible progress from their starting points. However, some practitioners fail to ask parents about their child’s home and family starting points and this comes through in ‘inadequate’ reports – for example, an Ofsted inspector comments that a childminder does not have starting points for a child and, ‘As a result, she is not aware of any next steps and interests that they may be working on, both at home and in the other setting’.
In early years practice, next steps are usually either short or longer term. For example, you will have shorter term goals in mind for a child who is practicing how to mix 2 colours together during an art activity than for a child who is learning to walk or use the toilet, when you will be discussing longer term goals with their parents and working together to support them.
Latest expert thinking has removed the ‘tick list’ approach from early years practice because next steps should not be chosen from a pre-prepared list – they are not generic. Yes, of course, some next steps are drawn from your knowledge of typical child development – but, as a rule, most of the next steps you are thinking about for the child should reflect the individual child and their own learning needs.
An Ofsted inspector noted, for example, in a setting graded requires improvement that, ‘the identified next steps do not always reflect the developmental needs of individual children’. This comment is often made because the next steps used by the practitioner come from a list or the practitioner does not have good enough depth of knowledge of child development and does not match their expectations to the child and what they already know and can do.
When you speak to your Ofsted inspector during inspection, you will be expected to discuss the child and what they are learning now and next, from their starting points. For example, your Ofsted inspector might ask you to talk about what Child A is learning during an activity – your intention of the activity. Your inspector will then ask about how you are going to introduce and teach the activity – this is your implementation. At the end of the activity, your inspector will ask you what the child has learned – what they did and how it has built on what they already know and can do. The aim of this post-activity conversation is to help you evaluate your impact.
Note that you will find more information about what Ofsted are looking for when they talk about intent, implementation and impact in the Ofsted early years inspection handbook. During conversations with inspectors, Ofsted have called it the ‘golden thread’ running through your days and they will want to see how you use it in practice. For example, you know that Child B (pre-school age) is interested in finding fallen leaves in the garden, but does not know about trees they come from, so you set up a leaf and tree matching game to play; or Child C has started counting out loud during play, so you want to include some counting songs and rhymes in your upcoming music and movement session, to further develop their interest.
Ofsted say ‘activities are not enough’ and I have discussed this in more detail in a previous blog. What they mean is that it’s not about the fancy activity you have set up – you should be able to explain your intent for the child’s learning. This is nothing new – you will be doing it every day with all the children. However, if you find it tricky having this type of conversation, you might find it useful to talk yourself through some scenarios, to raise your confidence.
The reason for this blog?
I rarely share things with colleagues without a reason. The reasoning behind this blog is that this subject is coming up a lot during inspections – early years providers tell their inspector that a child is working on this or that, but don’t demonstrate how they are supporting their next steps during their planned activity. Maybe they have a big tray out for children to explore, but it does not cover any of the next steps the provider has identified for the children, or the childminder says a child is currently interested in counting but don’t sing a number song during music and movement time and don’t plan any number activities while the inspector is observing them.
Ofsted inspection reports often reflect how providers ensure children’s next steps are supported in practice. You can see next steps coming through inspection reports – for example, in an inadequate setting, ‘The childminder does not consistently review children's progress to establish the next steps in learning’ – which can be compared to comments in a good inspection report, where the inspector notes that the childminder, ‘Plans activities to support children's next steps to ensure that all children receive good, well-sequenced learning opportunities.’ Similarly, in another ‘good’ rated setting, the practitioner, ‘Regularly makes adaptions to her environment and ensures she reflects children's interests and next steps in development.’
Parents also need to understand what you mean by ‘next steps’ and what their child is working on next in the early years setting. This links to the requirement in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) to support children’s home learning and the Ofsted expectation that parents can tell the inspector about the regular conversations you have with them and the things you are working on, jointly, to support their child’s progress. Inspection reports often note parent feedback – for example, in an outstanding inspection report, the inspector states, ‘The childminder has an effective system in place to share children's learning and development, including their next steps, with parents.’
Putting it all together
In conclusion, some of the important points around next steps include:
**Know typical child development.
Child development theory will tell you what children might be doing now and might need to be learning next.
**Plan your curriculum, so you sequentially cover all the educational programmes required by the EYFS – Ofsted call this your ‘intent’.
There is lots of support in the Development Matters guidance and the Birth to 5 Matters guidance.
**Find out about the child’s starting points from home.
These initial conversations with parents are essential for getting to know the child before they start in the setting, so you can plan for them from day 1.
**Manage settling in carefully, so children are quickly transitioned to the setting.
We want children to feel relaxed and happy with their key person so they slot into the activities you are planning.
**Note children’s current interests and how they are learning (their learning characteristics).
Watch and listen and know what your children can and cannot yet do.
**Identify what the child needs to be doing / learning next.
Have regular discussions with parents – and other settings children attend where relevant – so they are up to date with their child’s learning, development and next steps.
**Plan your activities to include repetition, consolidation and next steps – Ofsted call this your ‘implementation’.
Your flexible, well sequenced curriculum should include lots of opportunities for practice through play and engagement with staff who support children’s learning.
**Watch, listen and talk to parents and other settings children attend (if relevant) to continuously evaluate what children are learning and doing – Ofsted call this your ‘impact’.
Ofsted state you might ask yourself whether a child’s lack of knowledge is because they haven’t done it – learned it – experienced it yet. This thought process should help you to keep their learning moving.
**If you want to makes notes - make them! Ofsted inspectors will not look at them but if they help you and they don't take you away from playing with the children, then it's your choice.
I hope you find this useful!
Chat soon, Sarah.
References
The Ofsted early years inspection handbook (2023) –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
The Early Years Foundation Stage (2021) –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
Blog – activities are not enough (2022) –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/activities-are-not-enough
Very old - but still relevant - blog about developmentally appropriate next steps (2013) –
http://knutsfordchildminding.blogspot.com/2013/08/developmentally-appropriate-next-steps.html
Picture with thanks to Childminder Kathryn Mounsher.