Target Setting Review

[skippy]

Hi at our setting we have been asked to considerer a good approach and documentation for setting children individual targets? just wondered if you lovely people could share your thought sand ideas pls

[Guest]

we use the stepping stones document to work towards targets. so each child moves through from one stage to the next and it's linked in with the FS.

 

Coule you take your targets from something similar or maybe look at how children manage certain tasks and set them from your observations (such as improving control of writing implements or balancing on one foot).

 

Hope this helps.

Abby

[Guest]

I think this is a good approach if a child was not progressing but, as one who is anti too much adult direction, I would want to find a way that I could focus on observing the targets children set for themselves then support this, rather than devise targets for the child and put those targets down in writing.

I would worry that once an adult percieved target has been put down in writing it then puts on pressure ( for the adult and child) for that target to be met, whereas, if the target is a natural developmental stage it most probably would be met at some point by the child on their own, within their own chosen context, and within their own chosen pace.

 

Obviously I don't know about the approach recommended to you, which may have research to back up it's usefulness.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

I think this is a good approach if a child was not progressing but, as one who is anti too much adult direction, I would want to find a way that I could focus on observing the targets children set for themselves then support this, rather than devise targets for the child and put those targets down in writing.

I would worry that once an adult percieved target has been put down in writing it then puts on pressure ( for the adult and child) for that target to be met, whereas, if the target is a natural developmental stage it most probably would be met at some point by the child on their own, within their own chosen context, and within their own chosen pace.

 

Obviously I don't know about the approach recommended to you, which may have research to back up it's usefulness.

 

Peggy

I agree that adults setting percieved targets can be a dangerous thing, but also, there are some which you may expect a child to do by a particular age -such as sit with the group for more than a minute at the age of four.

You will, with time be able to see what the child sets as a target and what you may set as a target, personally we only use targets within IEP's (Individual Education Plans) and we look to see what the next step is 9as this is much less formal and helps the practitioner to look at small steps.

 

 

Hope you get your

[Guest]

Abby, I agree, I suppose what I was trying to say to skippy was, is there a need for another system, IEP's as you say does formalise target setting.

 

Skippy is the approach for all children or individuals with IEP's?

 

Peggy

[skippy]

The pressure is coming from our accreditation system We have recently shifted the way in which our obs, assessment and planning has become more child centered and individual but I suppose i am looking to find a way to please all. What I would like to be able to do is have the freedom to work with individuals on their personal needs, interest and skills and to enhance this. What I need to show is a way of documenting targets. Can anyone tell me if Ofsted would expect to see targets?

Thanks for yor relpies

[Guest]

In my last inspection Ofsted wanted to see that assessments showed current achievement levels and from these records we knew the childs 'next steps'. So depending on terminology, these could be classed as 'targets'.

Does your accreditation require 'individual' targets or whole group targets? Don't know why I'm asking the question, not sure if it matters. Mind you I do have a class graph, which shows from individual assessments areas of the curriculum in which there are gaps in attainment, ie: maths - calculating. These are broader than specific targets but my planning targets this gap.

 

have I confused you more??? ( I think I've confused myself, maybe it's bedtime )

 

Maybe you could post the actual acreditation criteria you are trying to meet.

 

Peggy

[skippy]

Hi Peggy my manager says that it is a requirement that we have to set targets. I am going to look for accreditation section but where does it say that ofsted require targets? We have a continual obs and assessment document that gets filled in as and when we see thing, evaluated and next steps set.

Can anyone shed any light on this. The targets do encourage parental involvement, but I want to ensure we are doing them for the right reasons. We set one target from planning, one based on obs and one from parents. They are set for a term. I am tying myself up in knots and need some advice please.

[Guest]

" my manager says that it is a requirement that we have to set targets. I am going to look for accreditation section but where does it say that ofsted require targets? "

 

Does your manager mean the 'requirement' is for Accreditation or Ofsted? Accreditation is a QA scheme which goes beyond Ofsted requirements. The only 'requirements' from Ofsted are legal ones, everything else is guidance, Ofsted do not state specific ways of meeting their requirements, you can choose your own methods as long as the requirements are met, such as 'enable children to progress toward the ELG's' ( that's not a quote from standards, just a generalised comment of what Ofsted would expect to see under Standard 3 )

 

 

"We set one target from planning, one based on obs and one from parents. They are set for a term."

Was this not sufficient for accreditation? Or do you feel this is too much / unworkable / or not sure whether they are done for the right reasons?

As you are discovering, Accreditation is all about reflecting on current practice, and I think it's good to look at what your doing and the why's behind it so that you can determine, as you say, whether it is being done for the right reason. I think this question is a good one to have when planning changes and/or reflecting on practice.

 

Will be useful to see the Accreditation criteria.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

hi if it is individual targets for SEN OR GTMA children then i have a form which you can use, this involves parents child and teacher or key worker setting targets together

 

in school we often have a class target - which is on wall in child friendly picture format this is usally a behaviour target- for example to take turns with trikes with the way to achieve target- use bus stop to indicate needing a turn on trike

 

then we have a must should and could target for number and literacy based on what skills we covering that half term

 

i dont use individual targets unless needed and only with child's full involvement in setting them.

 

we all have our own planning targets where we use obs etc to plan delivery but it would come unmanageable if everything was indivdually set i use a mixture of profiles, checklists, observations, notes

 

i have seen some schools where individual targets are laminated for children to refer too but children are learning so much i often wonder why that particular target is deemed important enough to be written down and laminated.

 

to me everything should be for a reason and not repeated for sake of it and also i like to remember i am a professional and not everything needs to be written down

[Guest]

Hear, hear cheerycharry, I especially like the comment about involving the child in the target setting.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

oops sorry cheery chErry

 

Peggy

[skippy]

Peggy thank you, thats what i needed clarification that it is not a requirement and that as long as we show progression and obs extra that will suffice. Sometimes I feel we get so bogged doing by doing for doing sake we forget who we are doing it for.

 

Cherrycherry you have some good valid points thank you. I would be grateful if you could show me what you use as SENCo I'm sure they will be useful. Also what does GTMA mean?

 

Thanks guys x

[Guest]

oops sorry just meant gifted talented and most able children

 

have attached a statement iep for action plus esap action i just change heading but have got a different format for behaviour targets if u wish to see it.

 

hopes that helps

 

and sorry if i sounded if i was getting on my soapbox but anything for reducing paperwork is a plus in my view

 

cheers cherry

statement_iep.doc

[skippy]

Thanks Cherrycherry