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Evaluating the Foundation Phase: The outcomes of Foundation Phase pupils (report 1) [Executive summary]

Description:
The Foundation Phase is a Welsh Government flagship policy of early years education (for 3 to 7-year-old children) in Wales. Marking a radical departure from the more formal, competency-based approach associated with the previous Key Stage 1 National Curriculum, it advocates a developmental, experiential, play-based approach to teaching and learning. The Learning Country: a Paving Document (NAfW 2001a) notes that following devolution, Wales intended to take its own policy direction in order to 'get the best for Wales'. Getting the best for Wales appeared to involve meeting the challenges of the globalised marketplace (raising levels of basic skills); overcoming social disadvantage; building a strong, enterprising society that embraces multiculturalism; and promoting the language and traditions of Wales. Participation was seen as a key approach. This report arises from the independent evaluation of the Foundation Phase in Wales, commissioned by the Welsh Government and led by the Wales Institute for Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD). This is the first in a series of reports that will examine outcomes available from analysis of the National Pupil Database (NPD). In particular it presents findings on rates of absence and teacher assessments for all children in Wales who were aged four to seven between 2004/05 and 2010/11. Further reports analysing data from the NPD are expected to be published throughout the period of the evaluation as additional year-on-year data is collected and made available to the evaluation team. The main aim of this report is to compare the outcomes for children who followed the Foundation Phase with the outcomes of children who previously followed Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. The report presents findings relating to a number of key outcomes including: (a) rates and nature of absenteeism; (b) teachers assessments made at Year 2 (i.e. assessments that take place at the end of Key Stage 1 or the Foundation Phase); (c) teachers assessments made at the end of Key Stage 2 (i.e. at Year 6). The report also considers the two main limitations of this analysis. First, the impact of the Foundation Phase is to lead to changes in a broad range of outcomes that cannot be captured by narrowly defined 'bottom line' outcome measures that are collected via teacher assessments. Second, whilst the report aimed to take advantage of the sequential roll-out of the Foundation Phase so that 'like with like' comparisons can be made, the content and structure of the analysis has ultimately been determined by the availability of data. (author abstract)
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Executive Summary

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Executive Summary
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