Help With Planning

[Guest]

I really dis-like the way we plan in our setting, so in need of ideas please. (FYI - we only have a max of 9 children/2-3 staff)

We currently have 1 planning sheet which is basically a list of resources for each day. We are supposed to make this list with the children and all staff thinking about each child's interests and next steps - however I usually dont have time to sit down with staff/children to do this so often It's a rushed job over the weekend! Also we are all terrible at remembering to fill in the next steps sheets!

 

So - I think would like a system in place where each key person each week does a "list" of what their key children are interested in and the next steps which have been identified and ideas of activities. But I dont want it to seem like I am passing it all onto the staff - but as we only have 2 staff per session I dont have time to look at each childs needs. I also need sometihng VERY simple as a memeber of staff is older and not very good at remembering to do paperwork!

 

Or I need something completely new - any ideas very gratefully recieved!! I Just don't know where to start!

 

THanks,

[Rea]

Could they jot down what they have noticed their key children engaging in and the flow of their play during a day or week and then plan from that? If charlie has been using the cars in the sand tray could you add diggers and lorries? I dont think your planning has to look like anything other than what it is, a plan on where you are going with the children. You just need to show how you are following their interests. Maybe next week with the diggers you could add things for him to dig up, numerals, or shapes to add to his math development, whatever he needs to move onto.

[Guest]

Hi, At our setting we have an A3 sheet of continuous provision (i.e. what's out all the time), the sections are then filled in on this, i.e. what did we set up for the children to do in the role play area today. The staff then use sticky labels to note down children's individual interests, and these are attached to the planning sheet during the week. Where an interest crops up, this will then be reflected in planning for the next day.

 

From what I can gather, your planning is meant to be more of a working document than something thought up ahead of time and fixed in stone. It doesn't need to look neat.

[Guest]

Hi - I think that you do need to pass things to staff - key-persons do need to plan for their key-children - in our setting each key=person gives to me on a Friday morning a form completed detailing their key-childrens interest their activity to include their next step - I then bring all 5 members of staff's individual planning together and make one play - we have over 40 children so we observe and plan for 20 each week - on the whole this works, but as said before we change activities from children's interests and if things go in a differenet diffection we go with the flow - hope this helps a bit, but there is no way one member of staff could ascertain the interests and next septs individually for the amount of little darlings we have - Dot

[dottyp]

Hi Darlinbud

 

we are in a village hall, pre-school setting (total 32 children per session 2 - 4yrs) and work similarly to Dot.

Each member of staff makes obs on post it notes during the week on their own key worker children and then on

friday they feed their info onto a large sheet of paper which is divided into the 6 areas of learning. It has staff initials, child initials, the date and the activity chosen. It shows at a glance what each member of staff has planned for the next week.

The large sheet is also an 'at a glance' record to show we are covering all areas of learning on a weekly basis.

We have been working with our early years rep since Sept to find the most functional way of observing, planning and recording

and so far we feel it works best for us! I hope I have successfully attached our weekly planning sheet which may be useful

 

here goes......

 

dottyp

WEEKLY_PLANNING_SHEET__NOV_08__K_WORKER.doc

[Guest]

But I dont want it to seem like I am passing it all onto the staff - but as we only have 2 staff per session I dont have time to look at each childs needs. I also need sometihng VERY simple as a memeber of staff is older and not very good at remembering to do paperwork!

 

You really have to pass it on to them, that is how the Key Person Approach works.

 

Does your LA have any training available on the Key Person Approach? I would use that as a starting point - take the whole team on it together and then you can come up with a workable solution based upon what you see/hear on the course.

 

DDC

[Guest]

Hi - I think that you do need to pass things to staff - key-persons do need to plan for their key-children - in our setting each key=person gives to me on a Friday morning a form completed detailing their key-childrens interest their activity to include their next step - I then bring all 5 members of staff's individual planning together and make one play - we have over 40 children so we observe and plan for 20 each week - on the whole this works, but as said before we change activities from children's interests and if things go in a differenet diffection we go with the flow - hope this helps a bit, but there is no way one member of staff could ascertain the interests and next septs individually for the amount of little darlings we have - Dot

 

 

 

Hello

 

I am also in a village hall and have 36 children I have been there about 8weeks now and am trying soooooo hard to update the planning I am going mad because Im just not happy with anything I have done. I like the idea of your planning do you think you could download the other sheet for me ????? or talk me through it step by step. I am sorry if I sound stupid I have come over from an SCE school in Germany.

 

I must point out that I have 5 staff members and am having to introduce them to the EYFS because they have not all gone on the training yet. They have been through alot of dark times and I am just getting through the other side they have been stuck in their ways for a long, long time so I really need planning that is simple and clear and not going to take alot of time.

 

Fingers crossed you can help

 

Thank You

Fxx

[Guest]

Hi

Don't know if this helps but I do the planning for my pre-school - 26 children in twice a day - roughly 70 on the register. Its been a nightmare trying to follow planning to cover the next steps and children's interests, but may have almost managed it now. I do a weekly plan showing what we are having out each day, with a huge variety, so there is enough to cover most children's interests at one point or another. Added to the weekly plan are items or activities that follow the children's interests and next steps taken from their learning journeys.

 

The staff write in a receipt book what they would like planned to cover their key person children, so I have the top copy and the bottom copy stays in the book so they can look back at what they have asked for.

 

These are added to the planning with the childrens initials next to the activity etc., so they can be traced back to the learning journey should ofsted want 'proof' of what we are doing.

 

Hope that makes sense!

[Guest]

I really dis-like the way we plan in our setting, so in need of ideas please. (FYI - we only have a max of 9 children/2-3 staff)

We currently have 1 planning sheet which is basically a list of resources for each day. We are supposed to make this list with the children and all staff thinking about each child's interests and next steps - however I usually dont have time to sit down with staff/children to do this so often It's a rushed job over the weekend! Also we are all terrible at remembering to fill in the next steps sheets!

 

So - I think would like a system in place where each key person each week does a "list" of what their key children are interested in and the next steps which have been identified and ideas of ac

Edited June 1, 2009 by Guest