We believe that the foundation profile should reflect the development made by a child during the whole of their time in Foundation. That practitioners need one manageable system that begins when a child enters the Foundation Stage at three, and provides a workable format that enables practitioners to use the same document to gather evidence and extract the necessary information for the Foundation Stage Profile at the end of the Reception year. We feel that planning, assessment and profiles should be viewed as one complete system rather that separate elements which can sometimes involve practitioners trying to juggle, interpret, and match statements from three or more documents. The Foundation Stage Planning, Assessment and Profile System is based on one detailed scheme of work that includes, the Stepping Stones and Early Learning Goals from the 'Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage' (QCA), and all of the statements within the new Foundation Stage Profile. Ensuring that all three elements of the system stem from the statements within the scheme of work has enabled us to provide practitioners with a manageable and consistent method of planning, assessing and profiling. This system will then enable practitioners to gather all the necessary information required for the new Foundation Stage profile and therefore enable them to replace the national system.

The guide includes the Planning, Assessment and Profiling System CD. The documents on the CD were created using Microsoft Word 2000 (9.0.3821 SR1). The CD contains three sections, planning, assessment and profile. The aim is that individual settings 'pick' and 'mix' the elements that they wish to use to make up their individual planning, assessment and profile system. All the information contained on the CD can be amended and printed to provide a hard copy that suits the needs of the setting. It is also possible for settings to store planning and assessment documents, as well profiles, on the computer. The choice is yours.