purplewednesday1 Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 Sitting here trying to thing of a better way to make links between settings ... currently ours is very informal and nothing is recorded. We need to, in line with EYFS, make this more formalised. I'm interested to here what other people do. I've thought of having a planned phone call with a Q + A sheet, thought of having a book that goes backward and forwards between settings, thought of having parents as the link ... not wholly happy with any of the above! Has anyone got something that actually works?! If this is in the wrong place ... please move me! (warn me so that I can put my cup of tea down first) Thanks in anticipation!! pw
sam2368 Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 We're much the same as you & need to find a new approach. There may be something on the EYFS disk. We have a learning and develpment file which is to be used to record the childrens progress and will go on with them to school; this contains a parents consent form, for sharing info and a record sheet for parents to fill out about where their child spends their week. Our recent ofsted inspector pointed us in the direction of an all about me page under resources in 'Unique Child'; that looks fairly easy to do & can be exchanged between groups, with a bit for parents too. Sam
purplewednesday1 Posted March 19, 2009 Author Posted March 19, 2009 Yes ... we do all these bits too! I really want something that we can 'prove' that we are having the conversations! pw
sunnyday Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 This is something I have been working on too - I have approached two of the other settings - one has promised to 'set something in motion' - but I really can't see it happening - so I am thinking that I will have to get something started - the other setting seemed to think we only need to share info. at point of transfer to Primary School - I couldn't think of a polite way to tell them this is not accurate! So...........I have decided that, with parental permission, I will send copies of the childrens 'summative assessment' completed at the end of each term (new term) together with a line to say something like 'xxxx is working securely 30 - 50 months' (that line needs some work! but I'm sure you get my drift) or whatever is appropriate for the child. I would love to know what you think of this idea. Will watch this thread with interest - someone probably has a far better way of doing this!!! sunnyday
Guest Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 Hi everyone, am new to this forum lark, so apologies if I'm a bit stilted! I have been trying to build links with other settings over the last few months (with mixed results - some very reluctant) and the best link we have so far has involved me going the their setting and them coming to my setting to carry out observations on specific shared children alongside a chat with their keyworker/person. We each then add a keypie (key person information exchange) form to our learning journals which we plan on updating once a half term/term. Ofsted loved it and it works for us, but then I am happy to fit in visits around my working hours (unpaid) and I know time and the financial implications would probably be a big issue for most settings. There is also still a wariness from some settings about sharing information, I get the feeling that they are worried we are trying to 'poach' children. Hope all that makes sense and that I haven't waffled too much Shazwat
sunnyday Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 Hi everyone, am new to this forum lark, so apologies if I'm a bit stilted!I have been trying to build links with other settings over the last few months (with mixed results - some very reluctant) and the best link we have so far has involved me going the their setting and them coming to my setting to carry out observations on specific shared children alongside a chat with their keyworker/person. We each then add a keypie (key person information exchange) form to our learning journals which we plan on updating once a half term/term. Ofsted loved it and it works for us, but then I am happy to fit in visits around my working hours (unpaid) and I know time and the financial implications would probably be a big issue for most settings. There is also still a wariness from some settings about sharing information, I get the feeling that they are worried we are trying to 'poach' children. Hope all that makes sense and that I haven't waffled too much Shazwat Hi and a very warm welcome Shazwat - love your ideas - v. impressive! Sunnyday
Guest Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 Hi, everyone, we have just put something into place as we found out that ofsted asked how settings communicate. We have put together a book which goes from school nursery to the afterschool club. In it is each childs name that attends. We put anything that has happened accidents, messages to say to parents, acheivements of the children. We read it when we receive it and initial to say we have done this and they do the same. Its working readlly good as we can record things in the book instead of passing messages on all the time this way we remember as its so easy to forget when your busy to pass messages on. Good luck 0258 x
sunnyday Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 Hi, everyone, we have just put something into place as we found out that ofsted asked how settings communicate. We have put together a book which goes from school nursery to the afterschool club. In it is each childs name that attends. We put anything that has happened accidents, messages to say to parents, acheivements of the children. We read it when we receive it and initial to say we have done this and they do the same. Its working readlly good as we can record things in the book instead of passing messages on all the time this way we remember as its so easy to forget when your busy to pass messages on.Good luck 0258 x Is this all on one 'site' - we have tried this but other settings have not added anything - I can only imagine that they are filling in their own contact books and do not have time or just don't want to add to ours - have to say too - that it has been incredibly difficult to even get a discussion going with other settings - they either don't seem to understand that we must do this now or are slightly 'cautious' about info. sharing. sunnyday
blondie Posted March 20, 2009 Posted March 20, 2009 we find this too -some other settings just dont reply and others it seems like a competetion - we have one set of obs and stages of development and they have other obs and other stes of stages of development usually above what ours say. it is a very tricky area.
Cait Posted March 20, 2009 Posted March 20, 2009 Ok, today I have sent a KEYPIE - type notebook home with a child to go to her other setting on Monday morning - so we'll see. I've been sending notes and trying to make contact since September!
HappyMaz Posted March 20, 2009 Posted March 20, 2009 Ok, today I have sent a KEYPIE - type notebook home with a child to go to her other setting on Monday morning - so we'll see. What sort of information did you put in your KEYPIE, Cait?
Cait Posted March 20, 2009 Posted March 20, 2009 Nothing more than I wrote in the Home Notebook really. How she's spent a long time looking at a teeny beetle on the table in the garden and I'd given her a magnifying glass to see if she could count the legs - didn't add that she'd used the magnifying glass to mash said beetle into the tabletop! much to the horror of the other children who were waiting for a turn to look! (well, she's not been 'doing' minibeasts with us really - she only comes on Thursday and Friday afternoons and she's been off for a fortnight!) I made a couple of other comments about what she'd been doing, but I didn't want to overwhelm them with information or make them feel they have to write loads back. I stuck a label on the inside cover which says "As you know, it is a requirement of the EYFS that we exchange information about the children who share settings. I have devised this notebook which we use for children who have shared care throughout their day. We use it to write snippets of information which may be useful to the other setting towards the child’s Individual Learning Story file. I very much hope that you will feel able to contribute towards it." Just so any Ofsted inspector knows that we initiated it!
sunnyday Posted March 20, 2009 Posted March 20, 2009 Ok, today I have sent a KEYPIE - type notebook home with a child to go to her other setting on Monday morning - so we'll see. I've been sending notes and trying to make contact since September! Hope you have more luck than me! Sunnyday
Mouseketeer Posted March 20, 2009 Posted March 20, 2009 not an easy one this is it ? even asked a parent who's child joined us late having started another setting much younger if we could see their assessment record.....parent came back with a message "no ! they are only for parents and staff in that setting to have access to", and the ones we do get to see are putting them at different levels to us, another setting had a keyworker phone and make an appointment to visit....this was a no show and no apology either !
Guest Posted March 20, 2009 Posted March 20, 2009 There is a sheet is the EYFS on the CD for this, but we found it a bit full on. Two of our local nurseries have been writing reports termly on the children we share and sending them to us, we looked at this but estimated another 6/7 hours work per key worker to write all the info down. So we just photocopied our next steps for the half-term and sent them those and they seemed pleased enough and it was a lot more manageable for our staff- only requiring photocopying. We have also sent some of our staff to visit other settings and have invited their staff back just to try and boost an all sharing ethos. This has been useful for information sharing on specific children but also just been great for our staff to see what's happening elsewhere and how other people have interpreted EYFS. Zoe.
Guest Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Really tricky one this as we have tried in the past to have dialogue going between shared settings prior to the eyfs we also have been looking at ways of improving this I love the idea of a book with just writing down what the child has achieved or interested in the problem we had was that the other setting 'rated' the children at a higher stage(old foundation stage) than we did and this caused a whole lot of problems as mum could not understand why we were not seeing their child at the same stage. we did explain that we could only comment on what we see that the child will be different at each setting because of many factors let alone she might be tired at the end of the week when she came to us! just a point to bear in mind we did find that most settings and we only had a few children that went to more than 1 were not keen to share
Guest Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 we have links with five other settings. In September we started a link book for each child who had shared care. In the front page we wrote about how it is now a requirement for dual settings to communicate with each other. The parents take the books between us and the other settings. In the books the keyperson writes what we have planned for that child for the coming week, what their interests are and generally how they have been. We have found them really useful, as children can be quite different in different settings. We also include photo's every now and again. The children like it because we refer to their other settings key person by name and can talk to them about the things they have been doing when not with us., We also include any information about their learning from the other setting into the child's learning journeys. We recently had our Ofsted and they were really pleased. Claire x
sunnyday Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 we have links with five other settings. In September we started a link book for each child who had shared care. In the front page we wrote about how it is now a requirement for dual settings to communicate with each other. The parents take the books between us and the other settings. In the books the keyperson writes what we have planned for that child for the coming week, what their interests are and generally how they have been. We have found them really useful, as children can be quite different in different settings. We also include photo's every now and again. The children like it because we refer to their other settings key person by name and can talk to them about the things they have been doing when not with us., We also include any information about their learning from the other setting into the child's learning journeys. We recently had our Ofsted and they were really pleased. Claire x Clare - I think that's perfect - I would be very happy to do this - it's getting the other settings to 'play the game' that I have found so difficult - but I will keep on trying - at least I can show Ofsted that I am doing everything I can to get this off the ground! Sunnyday
Guest Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Clare - I think that's perfect - I would be very happy to do this - it's getting the other settings to 'play the game' that I have found so difficult - but I will keep on trying - at least I can show Ofsted that I am doing everything I can to get this off the ground! Sunnyday In your opening page in the book you could state that 'is is a requirement of the EYFS and something that Ofsted will inspect against' it worked for us, it also makes the other setting realise the importance of communication, and if you discuss with the parents how important it is for the settings to be communicating so that the planning for the child doesnt become repetitive, we have actually changed some planning to keep dual setting children engaged, still following their interests but not overly repeating things, like songs we sing and books we read etc. The parents have been very good in making sure they get the books back to us. Claire x
Guest Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Hi there, I have been trying link with two pre-school settings nearby. Firstly, I discussed with a parent about doing this and she was very happy to participate. Child attends each setting twice a week. Mum includes our home-school link book in child's bag when she attends other setting and vice versa. Occasionally I have written something in the other book, by way of encouragement to key person. Imagine my surprise last Thursday when mum handed me a plastic bag containing child's learning journey from that setting! She said that key person told her I might as well have it as it would save her the work! She said nothing else to mum. Luckily, I know the dep head and gave her a ring last night. She knew nothing about the matter. Reading between the lines, looks like key person disapproves of the new 'sharing' info idea. Don't know what I think, really, other than it's quite rude. I will take the advice re including quote from EYFS in front of books from now on. Lesley
Guest Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 I really like the idea of a book thanks for the suggestion and i will now stop trying to compose a letter and go and buy books
Cait Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Here's my labels if anyone's interested in using them, I've decided to go with the KEYPIE name suggested above as it lends itself brilliantly to what it's about KEYPIE_labels.doc
Guest Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 brilliant - we too have books we send between settings, these will make them look more attractive! thanks Cait.
sunnyday Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Here's my labels if anyone's interested in using them, I've decided to go with the KEYPIE name suggested above as it lends itself brilliantly to what it's about Thank you Cait - brilliant as ever! Sunnyday
korkycat Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks Cait Just what I needed! I was trying to write an introduction to my books so you saved me a job. Loved the name. korkycat
Guest Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks from me also Cait. I hope you don't mind if I adapt these for my setting as they are so much more eye catching than our current labels.
Cait Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks Cait Just what I needed! I was trying to write an introduction to my books so you saved me a job. Loved the name. korkycat It's Shazwat's name for it, it was better than ours! Ours was CHIBS Children's Information Between Settings
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