Boo23 Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Hi there was wondering if anyone can help me! We have ofsted next week and I really dont know what to do I am a NQT in Reception and have been really struggling in terms of how to organise my day and how many AI tasks to have etc. I'm just looking for some advice. I normally have CI time from 930 - 1030 then have an adult focus task which runs from 11 - 1200 My TA either takes a group or observes the rest of the children. (during the AL time the rest of the children have CI) Then in the afternoon I have a adult led session in a small group and just run the session until all the children have done the task! We have a phonics session in there somewhere aswell. Our topic at the moment is weather linked to the Umbrella picture by Renoir (i think that is how u spell it) I am looking for ideas Literacy based for the observation during inspection. Any books ideas appreciated? I Hope someone can help! I know you guys are brilliant!!!! Thankyou in advance x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 First of all don't panic!! All the courses i have been on recently have reiterated the same thing, that the most important time with the children is being involved with them during their child initiated activities. So playing with them, questioning them, taking them up a level so that they are slightly out of their comfort zone, challenging them and what they are doing. The most skilled practitioners should be placed in the areas in order to do this - so you need to make sure the person who is the best at challenging and questioning the children is the one who is in the areas with them. The Adult led activities are not as important as the CI!! ( not that this means they shouldn't be done) How long do you keep them on the carpet for for the input? Do you have a focus group each day or do all the children do the focus activity everyday? Have all your areas got mark making opportunities in them? Paper and pencils so that the children can write whenever they want? Have all your areas got vocabulary and key questions that adults can use as prompts? Have they all got some sort of book in there related to the area? e.g. we have a cookery book in our home corner, and picture dictionaries in the writing area, and shape books in the number corner... I won't bombard you with anymore questions!! I will have a think about possible activities Tink! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmajess Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Our topic at the moment is weather linked to the Umbrella picture by Renoir (i think that is how u spell it) I am looking for ideas Literacy based for the observation during inspection. Any books ideas appreciated? Have you read 'Katie's Picture Show?' A little girl goes to the art gallery with her granny and steps into lots of different paintings, including the Renoir, and has adventures. If you'd read the whole book before your Ofsted, you could focus on the Renoir part during the inspection and do various things realated to that part of the story - what would they have done if they'd stepped into the picture? etc - drawing, writing, roleplay.... Speech bubbles for people in the picture... I think there's another story book, possibly by Laurence Anholt about the Renoir painting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmajess Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 The most skilled practitioners should be placed in the areas in order to do this - so you need to make sure the person who is the best at challenging and questioning the children is the one who is in the areas with them. The Adult led activities are not as important as the CI!! ( not that this means they shouldn't be done) This is one of the things I find trickiest! I know I am more skilled than my T.A. at sustained shared thinking and moving children on in their C.I. activities (you'd hope so, really!!) but I also feel slightly peculiar about her, as the less skilled person, doing the discrete, focussed, explicit teaching. I kind of feel that in reception everything is so important that I should be doing all of it! Which obviously I can't! It's good to hear that A.L. activities aren't as imprtant - good to hear it said - have other people explicitly been told the same thing? How do you timetable your weeks, with guided reading, writing activities, handwriting, psrn focusses as well as extending children's independnet learning? Since having finished the profiles this year, I've backed off the A.L. activities and feel there's such a lot of learning going on, but much less focussed teaching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catma Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Are you involved with "take one picture" then?? The tate is using that picture this year. First of all don't panic but equally have you been to your NQT mentor about this? They should be able to support you and not leave you struggling. I would consider the following based on the ofsteds in our LA: The structure of the sessions: I would want to know what adults are doing during the 9.30 - 1030 slot. If an inspector was observing and saw no direct interaction (which doesn't have to be adult directed mind) I think they would be asking questions. You could be working in areas, supporting play, completing planned observations of individuals etc but it's not clear from your post. Also what is the TAs role specifically for the rest of the sessions. They will be looking for how adults are using time well to develop thinking and learning as they are part of the quality of provision. How are you supporting the planned outcomes through the continuous provision? Don't think about what children will "do" rather start with what you want them to develop/learn. Then think how you can make that part of the continuous provision so that CI opps are linking to potential outcomes linked to their levels of attainment linked to the adult modelling through direct teaching too. How do you differentiate the activities so that children's differing needs are met? They are looking for that balance (commented on in many of our LA ofsteds) of CI/AI Inside/outside - you don't mention outside but they will want to see how that is part of the provision. Think how you are enabling learning through the continuous provision and also through adult directed activity too. From my experience they often pop in and out of the FS day seeing how it all hangs together so I wouldn't get too hung up on trying to plan show pieces - focus on good solid teaching and learning in the way you normally would and then you will feel more secure. Cx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo23 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 Hi thankyou for your replies "Are you involved with "take one picture" then?? The tate is using that picture this year." Yes we are involved with Take One picture! "The structure of the sessions: I would want to know what adults are doing during the 9.30 - 1030 slot. If an inspector was observing and saw no direct interaction (which doesn't have to be adult directed mind) I think they would be asking questions"During this time I would be doing observations and interacting with children. I have nly just got my TA back as she has been doing ELS during this time but she would also be interacting with children and making obs (mostly spontaneous) "Inside/outside - you don't mention outside but they will want to see how that is part of the provision. Think how you are enabling learning through the continuous provision and also through adult directed activity too."Outside is always accesabile we are sort of free flow - although this is an area of concern for me (thats a different story) - Either myself or TA will be outside with children. Thankyou Emmajess - i am going to look into the book Katie pitcure show that sound svery promising! Tink "How long do you keep them on the carpet for for the input? Do you have a focus group each day or do all the children do the focus activity everyday?" I have a focus activity everyday (one in morning and one in afternoon) I used to have a whole class input together but then was observed (NQT obs and told my approach was more year 1 than FS) so i have a brief discussion with them on the carpet 5 mins ish and then have a group at a time ability based ish and work through the morning til all children done the activity - if a writing activity 2 group one day 2 groups the next it takes them so long to write!!!! Thankyou for your help and support it really means a lot!!!!! x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 i have a brief discussion with them on the carpet 5 mins ish and then have a group at a time ability based ish and work through the morning til all children done the activity - if a writing activity 2 group one day 2 groups the next it takes them so long to write!!!! So do you do the activity with every group meaning you are doing AI tasks all morning, or does your TA do some of them? Just think maybe you dont want to be tied up doing AI all morning and missing fabulous opporunities to engage during CI where you can be seen challenging and sharing thinking etc. (Plus AI activities should probably only last 15 / 20 mins is that right? Can someone else clarify that for me cos i am in nursery so not sure how long Reception are expected to focus for??! - so that would mean your morning wasnt all AI tasks and you would be able to spend some time in tha areas with the children and doing obs... ) Tink! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocisgood Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 hi there, Lovely suggestions, i would add providing the TA with a plan of the day, so she could explain learning focus etc if asked? Ofsted like to see other adults recognised and used. wishing you well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo23 Posted June 26, 2009 Author Share Posted June 26, 2009 Hi sorry that was a bit vague! I will have a whole class session for 5 - 10 mins and then i will have an adult led small group activity. I will then have a second group doing the same activity - the TA could do the same and take a group or she could be with the rest of the children who will be engaging in child initiated activities. My TA will have a plan and i will go over everything with her before hand. She is with me all day on Tuesday wahoo (i normally only have her in the morning - full time from september) A lot of children have been on holiday and they have been sending us postcards - I thought i might send a postcard to the children from our puppet Benny he is in France (Take one picture link) and then the children can write a postcard back telling him about their holidays I could start the session off (whole class time) by having a suitcase packed with summer clothes (we have been looking at summer too) we can unpack the suitcase - where are we going? get some ideas and then ask the children to write their postcards. Creative area they can make the picture for their postcard. What do people think ???? Any ideas welcome? Sarah x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Sounds like a lovely idea. I will keep thinking! Although my brain isn't working very well tonight! Too sad... RIP MJ Tink! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Hi there was wondering if anyone can help me! We have ofsted next week and I really dont know what to do I am a NQT in Reception and have been really struggling in terms of how to organise my day and how many AI tasks to have etc. I'm just looking for some advice. I normally have CI time from 930 - 1030 then have an adult focus task which runs from 11 - 1200 My TA either takes a group or observes the rest of the children. (during the AL time the rest of the children have CI) Then in the afternoon I have a adult led session in a small group and just run the session until all the children have done the task! We have a phonics session in there somewhere aswell. Our topic at the moment is weather linked to the Umbrella picture by Renoir (i think that is how u spell it) I am looking for ideas Literacy based for the observation during inspection. Any books ideas appreciated? I Hope someone can help! I know you guys are brilliant!!!! Thankyou in advance x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Hi there was wondering if anyone can help me! We have ofsted next week and I really dont know what to do I am a NQT in Reception and have been really struggling in terms of how to organise my day and how many AI tasks to have etc. I'm just looking for some advice. I normally have CI time from 930 - 1030 then have an adult focus task which runs from 11 - 1200 My TA either takes a group or observes the rest of the children. (during the AL time the rest of the children have CI) Then in the afternoon I have a adult led session in a small group and just run the session until all the children have done the task! We have a phonics session in there somewhere aswell. Our topic at the moment is weather linked to the Umbrella picture by Renoir (i think that is how u spell it) I am looking for ideas Literacy based for the observation during inspection. Any books ideas appreciated? I Hope someone can help! I know you guys are brilliant!!!! Thankyou in advance x x Hi there, having literally just gone through Ofsted ourselves my advice to you is to do what you normally do, don't try and fit anything different in as this is most likely where problems occur. Our Ofsted inspector spent one hour in the unit and then we didn't see her again until she came to talk to us after school. She had been looking for free flow outdoors, child iniated activities and excting styles of teaching and learning. We carried on with our original literacy plan. Our 4+ is very open plan and my colleague and I teach 38 children between in us in two foucsed groups and within that group it is broke down more according to differeniated task. Particularly at this time of the year some children are ready for settling down to tasks as they would be doing in Year one therefore my two top groups were writing definitions for a class dictionary and the third group had a free choice. The result was a good lesson and learning in the foundation stage is good. So remember try not to worry (easier said than done) stick to what you do best and don't try and change it just to impress Good luck Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Hi we had OFSTED last week!!! and although officially I am not allowed to say what our result was we were very very pleased as overall the school and EYFS were graded 'in sitting' !! Reception did not do very well in the previous OFSTED and we were expecting to be a focus this time around (I wasn't there then) Have you had your pre ofsted report? This told us the focus in more detail we knew they were going to be looking at writing, monitoring, assessment and progression from the nursery to school. We didn't change anything, however on the day we came it was a literacy focus anyway. The inspector came into my room at 8:55 and observed the children coming in, settling activities, register etc after she told me this gives her a good feel about general organisation, relationships and adult child interaction. She then pottered about for an hour between the other reception class and the nursery. I had an hour meeting with her ( I am EYFS co ordinator) in the afternoon and sshe asdked me questions and then I made sure I showed her everything! All the evidence I had acculumulated , our class diary, examples of work etc. I did this because I felt she had not seen enough of our practice. I kept her longer than she had intended but at least I felt she had an idea of where I was coming from and where we intend to move on. After discussions wityh our Head we decided they had made up their minds based upon our SEF and were just there to confirm our own judgements. I suggest you re read your SEF because that is what will give them the base for their judgements. Good Luck don't plan anything for that night (I walked through the door at 7pm, let everybody congratulate me sat on the sofa and that is where I stayed until 5:30am! Everybody tried to wake me but it was of coma like proportions.) Sharon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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