OP&L - Frequently Asked Questions

and the answers!

Alistair first gave us the opportunity to write about OP&L in February 2021. OP&L is an assessment tool, developed by us at Barnet Early Years Alliance (BEYA). We wanted to give our practitioners back time we felt was wasted collecting unnecessary evidence. Who is this evidence for? We know that it is through our interactions that we get to know our children best. We believe that if we are behind an iPad capturing the moment, we cannot be part of the moment. We wanted to share and be a part of our children’s fascinations, their curiosities, the awe and wonder. It also coincided with the key objectives of the EYFS reforms to improve outcomes for children and reduce practitioner workload and not to rely on unnecessary evidence and paperwork.

To access our free resources, please email opal@beya.org.uk, we are always open to ideas and suggestions. To see more of what we get up to in our BEYA nurseries, you can find us on Instagram @hampden_way_nursery, @stmargaretsnurserybarnet, @brookhillnursery

Q & As

After sharing OP&L, we ran lots of information sessions and were often asked the same questions, which we have addressed below.

Why don’t you assess Expressive Arts and Design and Understanding the World every six months?

We assess these areas at 36 and 48 months only. The reason for this is that we want to assess children as minimally as we can. We really value those areas and plan to ensure that children have rich opportunities to learn and explore. However, rather than assess the children in these areas, we assess ourselves.  We assess our environment, our curriculum, our teaching. If these are the best that they can be, we know that this will support children to make progress.

How do they line up with the Early Learning Goals at the end of reception?

The short answer is they don’t. However, what they will do is tell the other side of the story, particularly for example summer born children. There may be children who are not yet achieving their Early Learning Goals, yet are meeting milestones that are developmentally appropriate for their age, which will be reassuring for parents to hear.

How does it work for your SEND children?

OP&L celebrates every child and their learning journey. We believe it is important to positively discuss differences in learning, having open and transparent conversations with parents. OP&L enables us to quickly identify children who may need extra support. Our spotlights for children with SEND also include specific targets, which are reviewed termly. As our spotlights follow the cycle ‘assess, plan, do, review’, there is no need for an additional learning plan. The spotlights give us the opportunity to tell the child’s story, celebrate their interests and their unique journey.

What do you report to senior leaders and governors?

At the end of the year, we look at how many children were meeting milestones when they joined us compared with when they leave. We present case studies, so governors and senior leaders understand children, not just numbers. This has been really positive.

Is OP&L available online?

Following the success of OP&L, we worked with Learning Journals to create an online version. It was fantastic to work together, to see our principles come together in a professional online system! It has reduced paperwork even further with everything in one place. Learning Journals also allows you to upload observations, photos and videos. It collates all the information for us, so we have an at a glance overview of children. Please get in touch with them to arrange a free trial.

What other people think

We have had such an overwhelming and positive response to OP&L so far, it really seems to have struck a chord with practitioners, all the way from Bristol to Dubai!

I have just given the EYFS team their first training session on OP&L. The team gave amazing feedback and were all really excited about it. One teacher even said, "I feel like I've been waiting for this for 19 years!’ Melissa, Dubai

I am a childminder in Bristol and we were offered OP&L training in the autumn term. I was on board with the ethos behind it right away, particularly how assessment happens every six months measured from the child’s birth month, which I feel is a fair and accurate system. I have now been using it since October. I like how efficient it is to complete when most of my assessment comes in the form of ongoing pedagogical documentation and reflection.’ Millie, Bristol

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