mrsbat Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 We all carry out our key children's next steps with them each day, for example one of my key children enjoyed playing with the flour when we made cakes last week so this week I got some flour, lentils, water etc out for her to mix and play with (other children obviously were free to join in too) now I wrote that down on a sticker to put in her learning journey so i had evidence of why I did the flour etc to play with. Also we have a sheet up on a door in the room where if we see someone take an interest in something or see them do something that might need practising etc, we write it down with possible development plans (short ones as we do this when we see it) I also have the continuous provision all written up, and I have a short term plan for this week, this is surrounded on a board by activity webs with each focussed activity for the week - this board is then out in the foyer for the parents to see what we are doing this week. well the inspector today said that isn't enough and there is no where clear written down how we plan for our key children. I thought that writing the next steps and planning from half termly in depth pbservations was enough. she said that on the short term plans I have to regularly update them each day with possible lines of development that have been noticed during the day. Can anyone show me an example of this please? I'm just so confuddled I don't even know which way is up at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiles Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 We do something similar to you - inspector brought this up with us as well. Do you still a sheet each for all the childrens next steps? smiles Sorry cant help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I cant help you, but i am surprised!!! You do far more than my nursery currently does (although im pushing them forwards!), now im really scared (ofsted any day)!! If anyone can help they'll be helping me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 And here's me thinking that the guidance said that there was no legal requirement for anything to be written down until the end of the foundation stage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbat Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 We do something similar to you - inspector brought this up with us as well. Do you still a sheet each for all the childrens next steps? smiles Sorry cant help we have a sheet on the door which we put possible next steps on but every key child has numerous next steps written in their learning journeys, they're not on a seperate sheet for each child sorry i'm not really making sense there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 This is what I use - not sure if what's you mean though. I basically write up each child's interests/comments from home and next steps and then transfer that on to weekly continuous provision sheets as attached jan_16th.doc observed interests and next steps jan4.doc enhanced continuous provision sheet (thursdays and fridays have blank spaces as i add depending what they've shown interest in and extend or change it) hope that's of interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Do you belong to the PLA? only asking as we have a notorious nasty ofsted inspecter in our area - and we are told by the PLA development worker if that inspector turns up on the doorstep to ring her straight away for support. You sound like you've got a real meany. xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I was very disheartened to read your post; it seems to me that you are doing quite enough paperwork I believe it would be completely unworkable for each member of staff to update each key child's records on a daily basis (this is nowhere in the EYFS and personally I would challenge this criticism) You say you do in depth observations half-termly and then make plans according to the next steps identified. That would produce a paper trail, wouldn't it? I mean the inspector would be able to see the detailed observation, the next steps that you have identified, and then where on the planning you put the experiences and activities you will be providing for that child to achieve the next steps. Can you maybe get a couple of these out to show the inspector? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Sorry don't want to sound cynical...but...it will be that old chestnut of it depending on what inspector you have, what they deem is required on the day...I honestly believe they don't all sing from the same hymn sheet. We have had several inspections locally recently and all of them claim that some things were ok at one setting and not at another, provision praised in one setting and same practice faulted in another - as long as you can justify what you do, how and why you do it as a team - what more can you offer? We have had a local pre-school manager leave after a very negative inspection recently, herself and her team were really distressed and that is generating around our area and sending panic to settings - all trying to do so much paperwork just in case, it is leaving practitioners less time with the children and under much stress as most are studying as well as caring for families of their own. Sorry I got a bit carried away then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynned55 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Shivel, you have hit the nail on the head! Doesn't matter what we do how much or how little- the fact is they dont all sing from the same hymn sheet, despite insisting they do and I firmly believe it depends on their own personal opinion and interpretation of everything. By the sounds of it EYFS has changed nothing. Mrsbat, you are doing more than we are and I (& my staff & parents) think we are doing enough. If you do anymore when are you going to spend time with the children? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 That sounds so unfair Mrs Bat - I agree with everyone else on that! One clue might be if your weekly plan looked too neat. My LA advisor recently said to me that inspectors like to see lots of extra things added during the week and other things crossed out as children's interested 'unfold' - and that she had heard a setting being given only a 'satisfactory' rating because of their neatly weekly plans with nothing added or taken away in scribbled biro (I know this might sound silly, especially since you are obviously planning for children's interests - but just what I was told). I am very disappointed that the Ofsted inspector made these ambiguous and distressing remarks without explaining what they would like to see instead. These sort of remarks are not constructive, and will not help settings improved their practice, but rather spread uncertainly and demotivate staff - shame on Ofsted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Hi, I'm a first timer to this and have spent ages ploughing through all the discussions around planning. I have just recently taken over a maintained Nursery class with no planning formats or anything in place to work from. I have looked at all the great examples that lots of you have posted, but could someone help by please listing the essential ingredients to all planning - long term and short term as there are so many variations. Also some of you have posted some fantastic continuous provision examples. Do you keep these up all the time in your setting and then just add extensions or additions to them each week if necessary? Any help or advice greatly received as I feel like Im in a very long tunnel and cant yet see the light!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Congratulations on your first post, and welcome to the forum suzib10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 As regards the continuous provision, we have a set printed for each area and a further form for the current 'theme' or half term on which we write our enhancements for either the theme or for specific children's learning enhancement - where this overlaps for several children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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