Filton Avenue Nursery School

OP&L assessment; supporting or compromising teaching and learning?

Who we are

I am Johnny Swingler, Acting Head and Teacher at Filton Avenue Nursery School.

What we learned

• Time with children: OP&L is quick, simple and frees practitioners from lengthy assessments, allowing more time for meaningful interactions.
• Clearer planning: teaching and assessment are now separated: planning comes from Birth to 5 Matters, while OP&L simply checks developmental milestones.
• Individual focus: OP&L supports unique child-led action plans for those not yet meeting milestones.
• Practitioner knowledge valued:  staff increasingly rely on their professional knowledge of children rather than checklists.

But there were challenges:

• Lack of depth: OP&L can feel too short, missing smaller steps of progress and overlooking children with SEND or slower development.
• Talents overlooked: some staff worried children’s specific strengths weren’t reflected.
• Adjustment period: teachers found it difficult to step away from the old Development Matters model, and some feared “teaching to the test.”

Why it matters

Early years staff are under pressure, with cuts to funding and fewer staff. Traditional assessments consumed valuable time without always benefitting children. OP&L aims to simplify assessment and give back time for teaching, play and relationships, while still ensuring children’s progress is monitored. This shift represents a cultural change: moving from endless evidence-gathering to trusting practitioner expertise.

OP&L is largely working as intended—simplifying assessment, valuing practitioner knowledge, and protecting teaching time. But questions remain about depth, inclusivity, and whether staff will feel more confident with OP&L as it becomes embedded.

What’s next?

• Repeat this research in future years to track long-term impact
• Investigate how effective Action Plans are in supporting children not meeting milestones
• Explore ways to strengthen OP&L for children with SEND and those who make slower progress
• Provide ongoing staff training to build confidence in using OP&L consistently

At Filton Avenue Nursery, we are committed to approaches that put children first; ensuring assessments support, rather than compromise, quality teaching and learning.