Surprisingly, though, instead of leaping at this new opportunity many practitioners are hanging on to varying forms of constant written observations and elaborate learning journals, and are busily developing or buying commercial checklists against predefined statements. Why? It reminds me of the syndrome that can lead kidnapped hostages to identify with their tormentors so that they don't want to be freed when rescue arrives.
The EYFS now explicitly says paperwork should be limited to 'that which is absolutely necessary to promote children's successful learning and development'.
What will we clear out from existing practices? A child's individual file filled with photos and observations may be a lovely record and appreciated by parents, but an early years practitioner's job is not as an archivist. Ongoing observation/assessment/planning is the core of early years practice, but this does not mean this it is written. This process happens thousands of times a day when we interact with children, with only a tiny sample recorded.
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