Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 We have signed up to this self assesment system, quite excited about getting started and also decided to use this as a topic for an assignment on Uni course! Only thing is the observation isn't been done till April! so got a while to wait! Has anyone done this already? if so how did it go? Also info I could use for my assignment would be useful! Any fact/figures ect would be good - I have asked our EYIO for some info but again she isn't coming for a while and now I am excited I want to get going!! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Please can you translate your abbreviation? Not sure what ecers are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Please can you translate your abbreviation? Not sure what ecers are Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale This is from the blurb:- The ECERS-E was developed by Kathy Sylva, Iram Siraj-Blatchford and Brenda Taggart as an instrument to measur quality in literacy, numeracy, sceence and diversity as observable in pre-school settings. The subscales accord with the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. The ECERS-E complements the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales-Revised (ECERS-R), an internationallly recognised measure of quality in early education and care. There is a rating scale for each area of the setting, ranging from inadequate to excellent in a wide variety of categories. So for instance, under literacy: environmental print: letters and words the scale is:- Inadequate: no labelled pictures are visible to the children Minimal: a few labelled pictures (2-4 examples) are present and visible to children Good: Many labelled pictures (5 or more examples) ar eon view to the children Excellent: environmental print is discussed and often relates to o jects the children bring into the centre There is a numerical scale from 1 to 7 where 1 is inadequate, 3 is minimal, 5 is good, 7 is excellent The book I have makes it clear that the observation/assessment can only be undertaken by someone who understands the rating system, but at a basic level it would enable practitioners to identify what their priorities for improvement might be! I'm glad you asked this question Cait: our Borough has announced what the quality and access money will be available for, and an ECERS rating/consultancy is one of the projects we can bid for. I bought my copy from Amazon, if you're interested, darlinbud! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I can do that one! Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale It's a process of evaluating the provision, either in terms of structure and systems (the original ECERS) or in terms of the educational content of the provision (ECERS-E). I had advisors coming into my setting to "do" us, and I also did the training and observed other settings. All settings in East Sussex went through this, then training was arranged in the light of the results, and then the ECERS was done again, to see how effective the training had been. It worked very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Hey, we overlapped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Thanks ChucklinMaz! Thought it could be something like that! Have just realised after reading this that we've left our environmental print behind in the room we vacated suddenly before Christmas when ceiling plaster fell in over the weekend. We're now in the Chapel itself, rather than the back room. Loving the space! Our room is now ready and mended but we don't have to move back as there's no more services now. We can do what we like before THE DECISION in March Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Please can you translate your abbreviation? Not sure what ecers are Sorry should have put the full name! AS the others have said already Early CHildhood evironment rating scale, there is also ITERS - Infant and toddler environment rating scale xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 There is also ITERS which is the Infant and Toddler one. We've had both of ours done by the EYAT passed both with flying colours, we now do it orselves every room once every 6 months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Blimey this is getting like a Dot and Pauline conversation in EastEnders! Maz (where did the chucklin bit come from Cait?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 ECERS = Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale. this link takes you to the American site where this audit tool originates from HERE I had mine done in my preschool back in 2007, it was done by my Early Years advisory eacher and the Area Senco, they scored my provision from a checklist, the process took just one day. Although I did my own research of what ECERS entailed, I wasn't given prior notice of what the criteria was that we were being assessed against. I found it a positive experience, however the feedback was given at a very much later date. I am not sure that each LEA carries out the audit the same, for example to people who did ours knew my setting in their other LEA roles, other LEA may send people in to do the audit who are not known to you. Our LEA (Kent)did the audit to enable them to plan for future training as well as a tool to further advise insivisual settings. We were asked to give feedback on the process as well, which was useful to the LEA, my feedback was that some of the criteria was unachieveable for some settings, for example; within the criteria for the outdoor environment I was marked lower because I didn't have a permenant fence, even though I used temporary removable fencing I didn't fully fit the criteria scored a 3 instead of a 7 (7 being the highest score). In feedback I also commented that the criteria was produced in America and that this didn't always translate very well into how British settings work. What the LEA found out was that across the county there was a clear indication that on average settings scored low for science and the natural world (or a similar title, can't remember exactly), following from this discovery the advisory teacher arranged workshop sessions to share good practice and produced a booklet for all settings which was full of ideas to develop this area of the provision. (notice I don't use the word 'curriculum' ECERS is more about 'provision and the learning environment) Hope this helps. Peggy p.s. if you put ECERS into google you will get lots of information and resources relating to the audit tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Blimey this is getting like a Dot and Pauline conversation in EastEnders! Maz (where did the chucklin bit come from Cait?) Well, I thought since it's Friday you'd be more than just happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I crossed posts with Helen too, but then everybody else writes so much more succinctly than me Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 ECERS = Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale. Peggy p.s. if you put ECERS into google you will get lots of information and resources relating to the audit tool. Thanks Peggy. Now I must remember to get my environmental print into the Chapel! The stuff on the walls of course, box labels are all still there, and have come with us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 West Sussex is using ECERS and it will be one of the criteria if applying for capital funding. We've been on a briefing and are now waiting for the visit. Anita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Thankyou for an interesting read. I have come across ECERS many times over the years but as people have said here have always thought of it as something that is 'done to you'. I wonder how this fits in with a idea of SELF evaluation, is it somehting that can be used by a setting for self reflection, or does it have to be 'done to you'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Ah, well it's possible we've been done then. We had two ladies from the County team with a clipboard each who went all over the place, making notes on windows, play areas, toilets, cupboards and all kinds of things and their assessment was to be used for capital funding - which we've been told we can have - but of course don't know if we've got anywhere to 'live' yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Yes we have had an ECERS (July '07) - overall a positive experience - some of the criteria a little odd. After feedback you are meant to be allocated a SIP (Setting Improvement Partner). Now what's that old Diana Ross song ..............I'm still waiting! Sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Hmm, we don't have one of those, unless it's our development worker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I crossed posts with Helen too, but then everybody else writes so much more succinctly than me Except me, obviously! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Hmm, we don't have one of those, unless it's our development worker No I think they are a new invention! sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Ah, another chocolate sunshade - oh joy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 forgot to say after our ECERS we were awarded £500 to buy more equal opps equipment, which I had already ordered! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I have just been on some training about this today although I already knew some about it from my EYPS study. I do not believe you have to have it done to you as someone above put it as we are certainly being encouraged to use it ourselves. The scheme does talk about having your rating checked by a critical friend to assure objectivity so advisors could be useful in this role. In terms of SEF I intend to use it to help highlight specific actions the setting might want to plan to improve provision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Thankyou for an interesting read. I have come across ECERS many times over the years but as people have said here have always thought of it as something that is 'done to you'. I wonder how this fits in with a idea of SELF evaluation, is it somehting that can be used by a setting for self reflection, or does it have to be 'done to you'. From the briefing I think the idea is that you are very much involved in the decision when it comes to rating. As it is a fairly new idea for Derbyshire Settings we will have our EYIO and her boss helping. The 3 of us spend 3 hours observating, noting and discussing what we think the rating should be for each section. (there are 37 items in 7 sections) AS it an American system (and the Authors will not allow it to be adapted to other countries standards) some bits seem a bit daft (one was that every window must have a covering - even roof windows?!) and there are quite a few "Americanisms" like Dipers! We have been told that after we will get an "improvment plan" and all this can be used to help the SEF, although I believe there is some discussion going on at the moment as to if we can use this INSTEAD of the SEF - afterall the SEF is not mandatory just recommended!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 As it is a fairly new idea for Derbyshire Settings we will have our EYIO and her boss helping. Is her boss Old MacDonald, darlinbud? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Is her boss Old MacDonald, darlinbud? trust you to come up with that one Maz :wacko: Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 forgot to say after our ECERS we were awarded £500 to buy more equal opps equipment, which I had already ordered! Wow - lucky you - absolutely no offer of anything for us. sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I have just been on some training about this today although I already knew some about it from my EYPS study. I do not believe you have to have it done to you as someone above put it as we are certainly being encouraged to use it ourselves. The scheme does talk about having your rating checked by a critical friend to assure objectivity so advisors could be useful in this role. In terms of SEF I intend to use it to help highlight specific actions the setting might want to plan to improve provision. This really interesting - we had absolutely no training, no clue as to what criteria would be used, basically it was just 'announced' in a county newsletter and then appointment made and carried ou by an EYAT from another area. sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 trust you to come up with that one Maz and its shameful that I couldn't resist, Peggy! :wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 We had an ECERs inspection done by our EYAT a few months ago and all was fine - it's very American tho! I then used it to help put together an action plan. Ofsted inspector liked that but didn't have a clue what ECERS was and when she asked me what it stood for my mind went completely blank!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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