13 replies to this topic

[Kerry]

Help!
I think we have missed the profile training! I have heard there might be some later in the year but the problem i have is i am in birmingham, moving to sunderland, my school at he moment wont give me release to go because i am leaving at the end of the year, but the school in sunderland obviously cant send me because im 200 miles away! Does anyone know of any materials that i can get my hands on! im desperate! Thanks!
Kerry

[makesensetome]

Have you been given the handbook from the QCA with the CD rom included. This tells you everything that was said at our training sessions- nothing new just a few comments from people on what they thought about it all.

If your school has not given this to you, you can get your own copy from the QCA publications web site for free.

[Helen]

Hi Kerry,
You need the Foundation Stage profile pink handbook/file from QCA on 01787 884444.
How do you record the children's achievements at the moment? If you tell us a bit more about how you go about observing the children, etc, I'm sure we can all chip in with some suggestions.
I'm sure there will be new training from the autumn term; there are always going to be teachers new to reception who will need help with all the new requirements.
What reports are you giving to parents this term? Do get back to us, and we'll do all we can to help.

[suesunder]

Hi Kerry,
pleased to hear you're coming to Sunderland. Don't worry about the training for the profile. I have organised and delivered all the profile training for our authority and i am holding training again in the Autumn term for those practitioners new to Foundation Stage Profile. We have also carried on using our Baseline Assessment scheme, adapting it and now most schools are using it to inform the Foundation Stage Profile,thus doing nothing different to what they have been doing for the past 4 years. We always added to our baseline throughout the reception year.
Hope to meet you soon
Sue

[Susan]

Is it possible for you to give any details of your adapted Baseline Assessment, please?
Several years ago I devised an entry profile to tell me what the children could do as they entered my part time class, at that time Baseline was "done" on their entry into full time school after their 5th birthday.

Since then I have "done" baseline assessments too. Although I am not as enamoured now of the profile as I had hoped to be, I don't want to return to Baseline as that was so depressing but we need an entry picture in September so would value some alternative ideas.

Thanks

[Kerry]

sorry ! i know i have been a long time getting back in touch! call it end of year stress!! thanks for all your replies. Helen- as regards to our observations, we started using the profile in september and religiously used it through the year, we created observation days where we watched children interact and recorded their achievements on post its which were then displayed on a board, eventually transferring them into the profile. as regards to reports we have sent out our usual reports, because we agreed that the profiles were not parent friendly, but served a better purpose as a working document for teacher records. as regards to some of the comments on them, i don't know whether parents would want to read some of them!!
my problem is actually in how to fill the profiles out do you tick evry box (as they are achieved) three times a year, or tick them as a progressive summary of what they have achieved??

thanks for all your help, promise i wont leave it ages before i reply again
kerry

[Helen]

Hi Kerry,
You only have to circle one coloured dot for each statement; that way, the record shows in which term the item was achieved. :) Is there a difference in your comments in the little box and your comments in the big box? eg some teachers have used the little comments box for noting down difficulties or next steps in learning, etc., and the large comments box as a summative assessment. I'd be interested to hear how you have done it. One reception teacher I have met recently made the profile look much more attractive by adding lots of digital photos of the child.

[Jackie]

Are we supposed to tick each achievement in the foundation statement form? and then add up each tick? i know it soulds daft but i can't get a straight answer from anyone.

[Steve]

Um. Jackie we're not ignoring this one. We're thinking about it. Very hard. And we'll get back to you. So it can't be daft can it?

[Helen]

Jackie,
Do you mean the profile booklet, or the summary sheet for your LEA?

[makesensetome]

Have you been given the software for analysis?
This does all the working out for you to pass on to LEA all you have to do is enter the term goal is achieved/ or not as the case may be.

[Susan]

Hi Nina, glad you've found us, I wonder if you're our furthest cbyer traveller!!
It will be interesting to hear what you think of the profile.
The training wasn't onerous, more a video to watch of how to do observations, what things could be observed in any activity and reporting to parents.
I think the worst thing is that you need to read alittle between the lines with the examples given in the handbook and on the CD, as they can look very easy and while for many children most of it will be, if it is to be a true record it must not be just a quick oh yes reaction to the statement.
We are going to moderate within our settings to ensure continuity and then across settings. I am the trained moderator in my setting and will need to go to another setting to look at a small sample of profiles and observe said children to see if I agree with the judgements made. What a task!
Look forward to hearing more from you.

Susan

[Susan]

Hi Nina, glad you've found us, I wonder if you're our furthest cyber traveller!!
It will be interesting to hear what you think of the profile.
The training wasn't onerous, more a video to watch of how to do observations, what things could be observed in any activity and reporting to parents.
I think the worst thing is that you need to read alittle between the lines with the examples given in the handbook and on the CD, as they can look very easy and while for many children most of it will be, if it is to be a true record it must not be just a quick oh yes reaction to the statement.
We are going to moderate within our settings to ensure continuity and then across settings. I am the trained moderator in my setting and will need to go to another setting to look at a small sample of profiles and observe said children to see if I agree with the judgements made. What a task!
Look forward to hearing more from you.

Susan