Confused..... And Needs Advice

[Guest]

I'm confused with planning at the moment and although we have a plan of LI to be covered in each term, based on 40 - 60 months, do not have a set idea of how to do it.

We are a 4 form entry Infant school so have 120 FS (Rec) children. The topic titles are wide to allow for diviation within them. EG Term 4 is "The natural world" and the children in each of the 4 classes will decide what they want to learn about within that title.

We do daily plans to show letters and sounds, teacher directed sessions 10 - 15 mins x3 a day and focus groups working on anything noticed through A4L to achieve next steps.

 

What I'm worried about is how do you show on your planning sheets if no Termly plans?

the statutory elements of EYFS, unique child, positive relationships etc or do they go on your continuous provision plans?

differentiation and expected outcomes/success criteria

Outdoor activities (we have a sep planning folder for this)

 

Just as we thought we had it sorted, we've been told not to do Termly plans or use topics........ HELP!!!!!

 

We need to show that all the children are being given the same learning opportunities even though being accessed in different ways.

[Cait]

We've ditched 'topics' and stared 'themes' which are a bit looser. I think you are right, the Continuous provision is where most of the statutory stuff will go, but within your themes you will have some set ideas about what you'd like to encompass - i.e. you planned activities within the theme, you may want to build a bug nest or whatever in your theme, so you'll plan for that, but leaving it loose for lots of deviation.

 

I imagine someone else will be along in a minute with advice geared to Reception, I'm Preschool with much fewer children (31) so I'm aware that it's a lot different.

[Guest]

Thanks Cait....

No, not many settings have to provide for 120 full time 4 - 5 year olds, and that's where the problem lies..... making sure they all have input into what happens in their classrooms to provide a great learning enviroment.

 

Sooooooooo if we called "the Natural World" a theme instead of a topic maybe we could continue to plan this way... heh heh LOL!

[JacquieL]

I think using the word theme or topic is just a matter of semantics as they mean the same thing. In your set up having a very broad 'theme' is a good idea if you need to demonstrate equal access to the curriculum across all four groups, and helps with planning together. Then each group can develop in whichever way they wish following the children's interests. If you look on your assessment as skills based then, as an example, observing something like mark-making for a purpose, it doesn't really matter what the 'theme' of the marks is, just that they are demonstrating that skill.

i'm sure someone with experience of this kind of setting will be along soon.