Guest Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Hi all, I'll apologise before I begin, incase what I say doesn't make sense at all, but I really need some help! I am in the very fortunate position of just beginning post as foundation stage co-ord in a brand new school with a brand new foundation stage unit. This is new to me, as I have only ever taught reception, but worked with the nursery at my previous school to plan together etc - although we were in two different classrooms. My new job consists of one huge room which is fantastic, me as nursery teacher, an nqt as reception, and 2 nursery nurses (1 assingned to each class). My new LEA does not have an early years advisory team to seek out for advice. My dilemmas are as follows: 1) how do I plan using the new eyfs for a foundation stage unit? My new LEA doesn't have any on offer as they use highscope and really push that, which I don't think is the answer for us. I would be grateful if anyone could share any completed plans etc or for any advice, as I feel really inadequate! My old head would not send me on training as I had my new job and was leaving - so I'm really suffering at the minute! 2) Can anyone enlighten me on their routines for ensuring outside, snack etc is covered? We are lucky to have an outside area attached to the unit which the children can access at any time. I feel I need to give this some direction, as at the moment during our settling in phase we are all just 'floating'. Does that make sense? 3) I need an assessment procedure that will withstand the rigours of ofsted scrutiny and which is simple for the whole team to operate. Should each child have a file? What exactly do people keep in their files, and how are observations recorded? I know I probably sound clueless - but we're under the scrutiny of not just Ofsted but national strategy people as well, and will be observed and scrutinsed lots this year, as the previous school was failing, so i can't pull a lot from it. Please help. Thank you for taking the time for reading my probs, and apologies if it doesn't make sense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Hi Sparkle and welcome. You make sense! Why dont you think High scope would work for you. I think its an excellent model for FS. Only wish I felt more confident in its operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Thanks for the reply. I have attended some of their training days, and I think some of the ideas and practice wonderful, but when I asked specfic questions about fitting in the letters and sounds, focused tasks etc I found that the answers I got a bit 'wooly' in that they said letters and sounds isn't statutory so don't do it. While I appreciate that, I will need to be doing them, and just feel that I need something a bit more, or a clearer answer at least. I did think about splitting the nursery and reception into 4 abitlity groups using the phases from the letters and sounds, and do my phonics that way. What do you think? I seem to have lots of ideas but I'm not quite sure how to put it all into place. Thank you for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 well nursery should be concentrating on phase 1. Reception need to be more secure in stage 1 and start phase 2. You could definitely work that with both groups, couldnt you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 yes, that was what I was thinking too, at least until we know the children better, and then maybe consider changing the groups after half term, depending on how the children are coping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreamay Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 (edited) Hi Sparkle I would try and incorperate highscope especially as the children would continue in reception with it. I dont do any planning for letters and sounds in pre-school i just provide lots of opportunities 'to play with sounds' as we have always done throughout routine of the day I use the wonderful activites and ideas in the letters and sounds doc as well as the old 'playing with sounds' making sure i have a good balance of the 4 aspects. Andrea Edited September 8, 2008 by Andreamay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Hi Sparkle, What an exciting time for you....I'm quite envious! Maybe you could approach your planning initially from the continuous provision position? You'll find lots of information on these forums if you do a search....it's a hot topic at the moment! Once you've got the areas of the FS unit organised, you could stick up on the walls any of the many resources other members have uploaded, so that all the staff know and appreciate what learning can come out of each area. In terms of recording children's attainments, interest, development, etc , I think the best way is to ensure each child has a scrapbook/folder/file (whichever you feel most comfortable with) and add photos, observations, etc into that on a regular and frequent basis. Make sure all the staff take obs notes as a regular part of their work with the children: it does need to become second nature, really! Some people use post-its, but I've always used our "catch-as-you-can" sheets. We've had them pinned to clipboards all over the nursery, so that staff can write down significant things when they see them. Each member of staff has a magazine file which is clearly labelled with all their keyworker children. Someone (usually me!) pops the "catch-as-you-can" obs into the appropriate file, and when we have our fortnighly staff meeting for updating the children's records,we stick them in their books. We used this method for the best part of ten years, and it works well (as long as you are able to give staff non-contact time in which to keep the children's records up to date.) How many children are you registered for? Catch_as_you_can_obs_sheet.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 We used similar to Helen but I would make one sheet per child printed onto A4 label pper (cut and stick into relevant section of achievement book). The example attached shows comment on photographs added to the book. If no photo taken then Obs written in space, ie: actual words said, and Obs column is ticked. PER = parent comments, A/ASP = Area/Aspect of learning. (these were pre EYFS but could be easily adapted). The fact that each child was on one sheet enabled the staff to see how many obs they had done on each of their key children, each keyworker had her sheets for all children on a clipboard, other staff could access this to add their comments as well. Hope this helps. Peggy COMMENT_SHEETS.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciated the sheets, and plan to adapt so I can use both! Would you be so kind as to tell me what you mean by a 'scrapbook' - do you mean an actual scrapbook, or is a file etc - just so as i can be clear! Any other ideas for rotas for the outside - is this done after planning? I really appreciate any advice! I'm having a fab time, and really enjoying the whole experience - I'm just so keen to get it all 'right', especially with inspections etc hanging over my head for the year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 By scrapbook, I mean anything that's bigger than A4 so that you can stick the children's work/observation sheets etc straight in, without having to trim them! We used lined spiral-bound books from WH Smith (about £1.07 each). We stuck on a more attractive cover with our logo, the child's photo and a caption that read "When Emily went to Fiddlesticks Nursery". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Thank you so much. Sounds like a great idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Any other ideas for rotas for the outside - is this done after planning? I really appreciate any advice! I'm having a fab time, and really enjoying the whole experience - I'm just so keen to get it all 'right', especially with inspections etc hanging over my head for the year! Outdoors, really it depends on the constraints / freedom of your setting. If you have to timetable to share with other classes then timetabling is defined by that. If not then freeflow, ie: equal access to outside and inside. I used to basically enable the children to take anything outside that they would use inside, I viewed it as another space offering the same as the indoors. Children don't see walls and doorways the same as we do Whatever they are 'playing' with it has the same 'value' indoors or out, what changes the 'value' of the resource/equipment is if 'adults' impoe different rules of it's use depending on environment. Freedom of choice, access to resources and understanding of how the children want to use them outdoors compared to indoors is what counts. ie: view the outdoors the same as you would for your indoor provision. Not sure if that helps, waffling a bit . Just want to add, your enthusiastic attitude is 99% of 'getting it right' and Ofsted will recognise 'good attitude' Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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