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Eyfs- Just Been On Training For Obs, Assessment And Planning


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Hi all

So if the only requirement is the profile at the end of the EYFS (for us that is done by the school) then are we as a pre-school only to be making our learning journeys full of pictures(plus comment) and "work" ?

We were originally also going to highlight using different coloured highlighters for different times the Development matters sheet as provided by our local education authority. I must admit that as a new practioner I welcomed this.Otherwise Im not really sure why the authority gave us these documents.

Im currently on an EYFS coure and assessment observation and planning will be covered in the next few weeks so will let you know.

Anyone else from Nottinghamshire?

Edited by marley
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  • 2 weeks later...

I am all for less paperwork not more!

 

My authority says that we should not be using the development matters or look listen and note as tick lists and they are in the process of developing a new tracking document from birth leading into the profile. It may be helpful for you to look at the statutory requirements for assessment in the EYFS(if you haven't already done so) and also on the National Assessment Agency website. You will see that at no point do either state that we should be ticking off parts of the guidance booklet. Perhaps OFSTED need to look at this too????

 

At the end fo the day we need to do is show progress and as professionals I guess how we do that is entirely up to us! :o

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I know this is slightly off topic to current discussion sorry but wanted to add that on my Observation, Assessment and Planning course a few weeks back the two CCATs (Children's Centre Area Teachers- Shropshire's equivalent of EY advisors/mentor etc) strongly emphasised that they recognise and okay-ed it that practitioners can keep observations in their heads.

Obviously for Ofsted they love evidence until it grows out of their **** but as long as we are recording some frequent observations in whatever format when it comes to personal profiles, planning etc it is fine to use the knowledge you already have in mind as only practitioners and parents know the children in the setting...does that make sense?just wanted to say that that message was coming from advisors too...am slightly jealous that you had Nancy leading your course though- went on Attachment and Key Person course and she was brill, very inspiring

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Hi Just wanted to add to what catma said.

 

My experience in my Ofsted last week was that they were very careful about the statutory part of the EYFS with no credit being given if you were working towards something. I was told all the 'musts' were expected to be in place from September 1st. They also gave the impression that for a 'good' outcome they would expect most, if not all, of the 'should have regards to' to be in place too.

 

I was also told that we should definitely not use development matters as a checklist. We have a once a term 'assessment' sheet which covers each of the six areas of learning and I was told this was fine.

 

 

Can i see your checklist too or will you put it on for us all to download as many of us are due OFSTED.Thanks

Helen

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I would like to say that even as a LA person I can't require anyone to use our suggested documentation - as long as my practitioners are maintaining records that support their understanding of children's progress and give them the right kind of evidence for end of keystage EYFSP and inform parents, I have to say I am happy!

 

CX

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This has really given me food for thought. We have also been sheets with the Development matters statements for each area by our advisory team to highlight. So far we haven't used them as we didn't feel comfortable doing so but we do want to show a child's progress.

At our staff meeting this week we were puzzling over what could replace the sheets we were given as we made the decision not to use them. I came onto the site today to seek inspiration and am so pleased to read these posts.

 

Masha, I really like the sound of your assessment sheet and can't wait to run the idea past the staff on Monday.

 

This site comes up trumps once again!

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  • 4 weeks later...
i had a visit from my advisory teacher last week who informed me that ofsted want to see an overview of a childs development and learning and that we should include a ticklist in each learning story, i actually asked her if she was taking the **** and she said no thats what they had been told and were advising everyone to include, i told her i didn't want to because i really hate ticklists, she left and i spent the better part of a day using something i'd found on here and fitting it onto 6 sheets of paper so we can highlight when a child has achieved, photocopied one for every child and changed (yet again) what my staff are doing (just incase she's right after all she should know right?)

 

i am so pleased that for once we are all being given the same information and just for a change a new system is being implemented and all practitioners have been well trained beforehand,

 

Hi I'd love to see what you have done as I think we are all in the same boat ,mixed messages.Will you post it or would you send it me. Thanks

helen

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i had a visit from my advisory teacher last week who informed me that ofsted want to see an overview of a childs development and learning and that we should include a ticklist in each learning story, i actually asked her if she was taking the **** and she said no thats what they had been told and were advising everyone to include, i told her i didn't want to because i really hate ticklists, she left and i spent the better part of a day using something i'd found on here and fitting it onto 6 sheets of paper so we can highlight when a child has achieved, photocopied one for every child and changed (yet again) what my staff are doing (just incase she's right after all she should know right?)

 

i am so pleased that for once we are all being given the same information and just for a change a new system is being implemented and all practitioners have been well trained beforehand,

 

Hi,

I have just read this and cant believe it!!! What exactly did you use from here, and have you still got it or a link for it.

 

Thanks XX

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This puzzles me, too, as our EYAT [and her line manager, for that matter] said they'd heard from OFSTED that they definitely didn't want to see any kind of ticklist. The line manager had been to regional meetings with OFSTED and was quite clear about what they'd been looking for. These mixed messages are so frustrating!

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Hi,

I was at a conference last week, "Transforming the Early Years Workforce", where Ruth Pimentel (Director of the EYFS) gave a talk entitled "Using effective record keeping to evidence inspection and meet EYFS requirements". She listed criteria for a good assessment process, and here it is!

1) There is a system in place based on the EYFS for monitoring and evaluating individual progress

2) There is an on-entry system based on the EYFS, valid at any point of entry from birth to the end of the reception year

3) The system is linked to the Development Matters and Look, Listen and Note columns, but it is not suggested that it has 1-1 correspondence with the statements. They are NOT assessment criteria.

4) There is clear guidance in place for making the link between observations and improvement of the conditions for learning (ie reflection on current provision)

5)The leader/manager is confident that concerns about an individual child's development trigger prompt and effective action in the setting

6)The leader/manager is confident that the timing/frequency of periodic assessment varies according to the levels of concern/confidence in children's attainments and the provision itself. It shouldn't take up all practitioners' time to complete, taking them away from their real work.

7) There must be summative assessments to ensure all children are making progress over time.

8)It is important to find ways to record children's progress in ways that suit your children and families.

 

 

Hope this helps when you're devising your own record keeping paperwork. It was great to hear the bit at number 6. :o

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hi

Have any of you looked at the learning stories that Jennie Lindon talks about in her Nursery world article on the 22nd October - she highlights Southampton as having put in place some development records.

 

Southampton is very close to my setting and so I had a look and found some copies and guidance what do you think.

 

I really like them and very jealous that I'm not in Southampton.

 

Now I'm afraid I am useless and have no idea to put a link in but the website address is

www.southamptoncis.org/providers/learning-stories-in-southampton

 

Let me know what you think

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I attended the Early Excellence conference on Assessment(Jan Dubeil and Wendy Lee were core speakers) Learning stories formed a big part of the conference although they didn't much resemble the Southampton version. Jan's message from the conference was only write down things you may forget... and I really wish I'd written down everything he said.

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Tess,

Many thanks for your suggestion; don't worry about the link. It took me years to work out how to do them :o I liked the article in Nursery World, too; those Learning Stories do seem very manageable, don't they?

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Marion Jan Dubiel is always so sensible and rading through here the message coming from above seems to be managable and knowing the unique child.

 

Until we do what we know is right we will continually get leaders and managers who are not quite sure asking us for more more more just to cover themselves.

 

Be brave colleagues! you are all professionals!

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Are Learning Stories workable?

 

It really depends on what people are being asked to do. Some reception teachers are being told to make at least one entry for every child every day. 1 teacher min 150 entries workable?

 

I like Learning Stories in principle based on Margaret Carr's early work but I'm not sure some advisers realise how much work is involved.

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OMG Marion one entry for every child each day how totally unmanageable!

 

I heard our LA just recently and their message was knowing the children, recording significant milesstones, having a range of evidence from a wide source and then to play with the children and scaffold the learning.

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