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Abstract

The essential aim of this study was to assess the physical development achievement standards reached among a reception class in Wales undertaking the new full Foundation Phase curriculum. A further aim of the study was to explore Foundation Phase practitioners’ perspectives on the usefulness and suitability of the 'Foundation Phase child development profile guidance (2009)' with regards to its specificity of the developmental stages that children go through and its relevance as a development assessment tool. The study employed methods of triangulation which incorporated semi-systematic observations of fourteen reception class children and semi-structured interviews of three teaching staff involved in the planning and execution of the foundation phase curriculum. The observations entailed the specific physical development criteria outlined in the WAG document 'Foundation Phase child development Profile Guidance (2009)' and additional notes were also collected. The interviews covered three follow up questions regarding the expectations of the teachers in relation to the children’s physical development (PD) achievements and their views on the suitability and effectiveness of the 'Foundation Phase Child Development Profile Guidance (2009).' The study concluded that the overall Physical Development achievements reached by the fourteen reception class children were of a high standard with the exception of one gross motor skill, where a significant amount of the children were recorded as 'not achieved.' Further to this, it was also concluded that the 'Foundation Phase child development profile guidance (2009)' specific to physical development was a very vague document which lacked clarity in each of the outlined developmental stages that children go through, and therefore was considered as an insufficient guidance document to aid teachers in providing effective and standardised assessment of children’s physical development achievements.