Guest Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I have just started to put our SEF online...and was wondering how long it should take me...yes I appreciate it depends on how quickly I can type and how much preparation I have done... We have done the backbones as a team..in pencil on the paper form..so now I need to pick at each item , evaluate it and transfer the information onto the online format. Work have agreed to pay me...but I dont know how much time I should spend on it..8 hours, 10 hours or more?? Has anyone out there already put the base down..? Ofsted came in December so the heat is off for the moment...but really need your advice.x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 sorry cant help just started filling mine in with staff in pencil - think its going to take a long time though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbat Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 The online sef I did for child minding took me 10 and a half hours from start to finish - that was with no notes etc. I did the one for pre-school this week and it took me about 5 hours as we had discussed it between us all and made notes etc Good luck A tip from me is write it up in word or something similar first then copy and paste it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Hi I have finished mine. What a relief! I can`t say exactly how long it took. Filled it in online and had to do it a little at a time. I find big things like this are too mind boggling to keep going at for a long time. I just kept filling in a section, leaving it then comming back to it. It really takes a lot of thought and it took me a week or two doing it like this. I had previously gone through it with staff for feedback but although I took that into account I had to put in the majority. Is it just me - but after doing 3 accreditation schemes and a SEF I really get to the stage where I just think - I do that but I am fed up of evidencing and proving it - ahhhhhh! I sent mine by email and asked for confirmation that it had been received. After all that work I wanted some reassurance that it had been received and not just gone into an online black hole. Would hate Ofsted to turn up and say "we never got it" after all that hard work. Has anyone else submitted by email and recived confirmation? Another thing for my to do list I suppose. My thoughts are with everyone who is currently battling with a SEF. We all deserve a medal for constantly jumping through the hoops set for us. Sally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebe123 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Hi there My manager and I spent about 9 hours on the SEF online, in two sessions. Mainly so long because we did not do that much handwritten beforehand and also because we found the site clumsy and difficult to go back to previous boxes. Last Monday our (new - fourth in as many visits) EY advisor came in to look at our SEF and give us some advice on completing it!!! She did not know we had already done it, but said we can update any time. She added some helpful hints on improving what we had done and was reasonably happy with our hard copy. Just remember to look at print preview before submitting each page as we found although on screen the box seemed big enough to hold what we had written, once printed out most left off the last sentence or two!!! Good luck Lesley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Thanks ..am at least travelling up the right path!! Can I ask why you suggest using 'word' then copy and paste? I have just been saving it as I go along, then keep adding to it as I see fit...am I wrong ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbat Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Thanks ..am at least travelling up the right path!! Can I ask why you suggest using 'word' then copy and paste? I have just been saving it as I go along, then keep adding to it as I see fit...am I wrong ? no not wrong at all but I like to spell check mine etc, it's also easier just to save it in a document when you want to leave it then open the doc again rather than keep logging in to the actual sef each time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Mrsbat, where did you get your lovely symbol form, its wonderful? Sunshine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 no not wrong at all but I like to spell check mine etc, it's also easier just to save it in a document when you want to leave it then open the doc again rather than keep logging in to the actual sef each time And also it is a good idea to have a copy of your SEF in Word (backed up onto a memory stick) as a belt and braces measure. Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbat Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) Mrsbat, where did you get your lovely symbol form, its wonderful?Sunshine I was looking for a picture of some children holding hands for a news letter lol, I just googled "children holding hands clip art" I think (using google images) Edited February 1, 2009 by mrsbat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anju Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 submitted my first one online - phew! like others i did it in word first, redrafted, spell checked etc then cut and pasted it. it took about 12 hours altogether from start to submission but it's still a draft really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Can you please tell me.....am I supposed to be doing a SEF online? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I have just done a timesheet for SEF, here it is Training - 2.5 hours (this was a training session the early years workforce development team ran) Drafting - 7 hours (over 2 sessions) Typing and submitting - 3 hours (haven't done this bit yet but this is how long I think it will take - but who knows!! ) Total of 12.5 hours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Apparently it is not a 'requirement' but a 'reccommendation'.!!!! Your Ofsted inspection (should )only include items which are in your 'areas for improvement' on your SEF..so if you submit it online, the inspector will read this before entering you setting..therefore reducing the time quizzing you and your staff!! Quote " Inspectors will use the SEF as part of their preparation for your inspection" I think the online version is just to be up to date really...there are no official reasons why we should do it online...its up to you at the moment but think they will require us to do this in the future. We were given £200 funding to put it online... Sorry if this does not help you.xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Its a good idea to do your SEF online if you can and if not, to send a copy once completed. Its gives inspectors an opportunity to read about your setting and how you see yourselves before they arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I have also been told that if you can do it online the inspector will "freeze" the SEF a few days before any inspection so as to have the most up to date version when preparing for your inspection (apparently they do prepare!). If you are able to check it regularly this can give you an early warning on an inspection which may or may not be an good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Yes, I have heard this too! Does this mean we'll all be logging on ever other day! hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Hi I have finished mine. What a relief! I can`t say exactly how long it took. Filled it in online and had to do it a little at a time. I find big things like this are too mind boggling to keep going at for a long time. I just kept filling in a section, leaving it then comming back to it. It really takes a lot of thought and it took me a week or two doing it like this. I had previously gone through it with staff for feedback but although I took that into account I had to put in the majority. Is it just me - but after doing 3 accreditation schemes and a SEF I really get to the stage where I just think - I do that but I am fed up of evidencing and proving it - ahhhhhh! I sent mine by email and asked for confirmation that it had been received. After all that work I wanted some reassurance that it had been received and not just gone into an online black hole. Would hate Ofsted to turn up and say "we never got it" after all that hard work. Has anyone else submitted by email and recived confirmation? Another thing for my to do list I suppose. My thoughts are with everyone who is currently battling with a SEF. We all deserve a medal for constantly jumping through the hoops set for us. Sally hi , i downloaded the form anf filled in on word- didnt know you could email it! where do we send it? was told by AT that could only send it if completed on line through the goverment gateway sit? agree its a nightmare to complete! all boxes too small and pages jumped all over! took about 3 weeks on and off to complete! staff not very forthcoming with input and after i had finished it i gave all a copy for additional comments and no one has even bothered to read it yet!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplewednesday1 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Been snowed off today ... took opportunity to upload all the bits of the SEF that I'd done (about 2/3 of it). Filled in something in all the boxes - was told by advisor to write ' due to be completed in ... ' in sections I haven't done yet. Imagine my joy when it uploaded beautifully this morning ... Imagine my horror when I tried to do some more to it this afternoon and I couldn't find how to access it ... thought it had frozen me out ... thought that meant Captain Ofsted had frozen it .... thought captain Ofsted were coming ... think we'll be shut tomorrow .... thought Captain Ofsted would be stuck on their own on our doorstep (he he) ... thought it was very very bad thing!!! Then managed to open it ... phew! Nasty moment there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebe123 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Hi there Our advisor suggested preparing a table with details of our 'areas for development' and timings for when we planned that they should be completed. Just a thought. Lesley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplewednesday1 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Yes, good idea ... we have a super-detailed development plan as well as our SEF - unfortunately can't upload development plan onto SEF - only make references to it ... they'll have to read it when they get here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 i still need to get password!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplewednesday1 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Have you got your Ofsted id key thingy? Once that's typed in it's pretty straightforward - even i managed it - and I am a plank when it comes to IT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NannyMcPhie Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 It just takes so long - took advantage of snow day to work on it today, there just isnt enough room in those silly boxes we all do deserve a medal doing this you are right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplewednesday1 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 How about we just write one between us and everybody upload it at the same time! that should bamboozle 'em! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 FANTASTIC IDEA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 yer im for that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynned55 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 So am I, ooh wouldn't that be great- all sending in the same thing- mind you their admin is so poor they probably wouldn't notice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Nasty moment there Oh how you made me laugh, purplewednesday1! Genius! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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