Cohort Tracking
On Blossom our cohort tracking tool is used to enable nursery professionals to track each child’s development in all seven areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Cohort tracking will allow you to highlight any individual needs & therefore helps inform your nurseries planning to help children achieve!
You are able to run a progress report or a comparison report, however always remember in order to cohort track the children must have formative reports in place!
How do I access cohort tracking?
Blossomboard > Learning > Cohort tracking > Select Progress tracker or Comparison reports
Progress Tracker
Blossomboard > Learning > Cohort tracking > Progress Tracker
Here, you are able to select a report to create. There are two options which are below.
Area of learning | This option provides a view of all children’s age-bands for a specific term across all 7 areas of learning.
Termly Progress | This option provides a view of all children’s progress over their 4 most recent formative reports.
First, we are going to focus on Areas of learning.
Blossomboard > Learning > Cohort tracking > Progress Tracker > Area of learning > Select Framework > Select the term > Select any filters to view a specific group > Generate > Save.
Top tip: All filters are pulled from the information input on the children’s about page.
Here’s how the Areas of Learning looks for different frameworks:
EYFS 2012
Birth to 5
Development Matters 2021
Next, we will focus on termly progress.
Blossomboard > Learning > Cohort tracking > Progress Tracker > Termly Progress > Select an area of learning > Select any filters to view a specific group > Generate > Save.
Here’s how Termly Progress looks for different frameworks:
Development Matters 2021
Birth to 5
Search child’s name
When a report has been raised, it displays all children or the expected children if you have used filters. Occasionally, you may want to view a single child’s cohort tracking. To do this simply type the child’s name into the search bar which is placed at the top of the page. Once you have type the child’s name, it will narrow the results down as displayed below.
Action Plans
Once you have generated your progress tracker report you are able to create an action plan. At this stage you would have looked at your report in detail and be ready to make a plan of action to develop your children further.
Blossomboard > Learning > Cohort tracking > Progress Tracker > Report Type > Select the term > Select any filters to view a specific group > Generate > Add action plan.
Expand view
On each of the reports, you will see an icon that says ‘expand view’. Once you have clicked it, it will allow you to view more information on one page.
Top Tip: Always remember, you are able to scroll across which allows you to view all information. The display will be different depending on the device you are using.
Cohort tracking FAQS
Why do some children's names show in red, blue or grey?
Red: If a child has one or more areas as emerging (red), their name will be displayed in red. This is because it is alerting you that a child may need some extra support in a certain area.
Blue: If a child has one or more areas as exceeding (blue) their name will be displayed in blue. This is because they are working above the expected level.
Grey: If a child is achieving as expected (Green) throughout all areas, this shows they are exactly where they need to be and therefore no alert is needed.
Why is there an information ‘i’ icon on some children?
This icon is linked with the child's profile under ‘nursery information’ and indicates that the child has been selected as ‘yes’ under the headings below.
English as an additional language (EAL)
Child of armed forces personnel
Two year funding
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) funding.
Top tip: If you hover the ‘i’ icon it will display the heading that the child withholds.
Comparison Reports
You are able to run four different comparison reports. The comparison report you are able to generate is based on a specific term and aspect of learning. To do this simply follow the steps below.
Learning > Cohort tracking > Comparison Reports > Select comparison report > Select Term > Select aspect > Select any filters > Generate.
The four comparison report options are listed below.
Gender comparison
Ethnicity comparison
Early Years Pupil Premium comparison
Summer born comparison
Top Tip: Remember when running a comparison report it is based on a specific term and a specific aspect of learning.
Here’s how Comparison Report looks for different frameworks:
Development Matters
Birth to 5
Once you click generate on your chosen comparison report it will display two charts in which you are able to click on to view a breakdown of each child’s progress in the selected learning aspect. It will show the following detail.
Three heading, emerging, expected & exceeding.
Total number of children working at that level of development.
The child’s name & age.
Statements the child is working on.
Statements the child has completed.
Top tip: You are able to click on emerging, expected & exceeding and the children working within that level of development will appear.
Next, once you have reviewed the comparison report you are able to make an action plan! This is to inform further development & planning.
Learning > Cohort tracking > Comparison Reports > Select comparison report > Select Term > Select aspect > Select any filters > Generate > Add action plan > Enter detail > Save.
Last but not least, once you have saved your cohort tracking and action plans you can visit them at any time by simply following the steps below.
Learning > Cohort Tracking > All saved cohorts will appear > Click the specific report > Here you can click the edit key on action plan and view.