The exams watchdog has told the government that it should review how it uses and presents school-level data from the revised early years foundation stage (EYFS) profile.

Ofqual said it is important that the use of data is reviewed to ensure outcomes are used in line with the profile’s “low-stakes purpose and design”.

The Department for Education (DfE) stressed in its consultation document for the revised EYFS that the assessment is “not used as an accountability measure for schools”.

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In a response to the EYFS consultation, which closed on 31 January, Ofqual said: “We welcome the clear statement that outcomes of this teacher assessment should not be used for accountability purposes: the EYFSP, both currently and as revised, is not designed to be capable of withstanding the pressure of high-stakes use.

Concerns over EYFS data

“Nonetheless, pressures may be placed on the revised (and current) profile assessment through other means; there may be incentives to depress or inflate outcomes through informal or internal mechanisms.”

It said “three key steps” should be taken to avoid EYFS profile data being misused. These are:

• A review of how government as a whole uses and presents school-level EYFSP data to ensure this is always consistent with its low-stakes purpose and design.
• Very clear communications and guidance to schools, governing boards and other key stakeholders on how data from the EYFSP assessment should and should not be used.
• Ongoing monitoring of how EYFSP data is used in practice.
   

Ofqual added: “Such measures should help minimise the risk that the assessment is used for purposes for which it was not designed and should support greater validity.”

The watchdog also warned that the proposal to scrap the statutory requirement for local authorities to externally moderate judgements in 25 per cent of schools could present “risks to the validity of outcomes”.

In the consultation document, the DfE said: “While moderation is an important part of ensuring that the EYFSP produces trusted assessment outcomes, practitioners have told us that the external moderation process can be burdensome.

“Some have said that external moderation is contributing to the perception of the EYFSP as a high-stakes accountability measure for practitioners and for schools, and is leading to unnecessary gathering of physical evidence to support professional judgements.

“We would like to seek feedback on the proposal to remove the statutory requirement for LAs to externally moderate EYFSP judgements, as a means of supporting and empowering teachers to make rounded judgements about a child’s development without being overburdened by the collection of physical evidence.

“Schools would be expected to continue to moderate internally and with other settings to ensure consistency of judgements and that the EYFSP produces trusted assessment outcomes.”

But Ofqual said “further consideration of the support for teachers” would be required if the DfE decided to scrap LA moderation.

“If local authority moderation is to be removed but is not replaced with other mechanisms for supporting consistency, this presents risks to the validity of outcomes,” it said.

The DfE has been approached for comment.