Individual Child Records

[Guest]

Have had one of those days again - the ones where you think you're banging your head against a wall but it is not with the children, but more like the FS Co !!!! She's still in the medieval ages as far as things go and it's getting to the point where I am wishing for Ofsted so that a dynamite stick can be shoved somewhere to get her moving!

 

There's no decisions made without her say so, but she doesn't say!!!! They're always put off for us to have time to think! We've been thinking about our paperwork for the last two and a bit years and it's still no where near in an organised and sytematic way! We seem to do things one minute, spend a lot of time putting them in place and not completing them for some reason or other. It makes us look unprofessional - and that's before we even get to the children. It's the same for both planning (STP, MTP and LTP) and the assessment files. If it wasn't for me working my arse off at home, I don't think half the stuff we should be doing would get done.

 

The problem now is that I'm sick of doing her job on my 2nd year teacher's wage and when I do get things going, I'm frowned upon because it is my idea and not hers. Because I didn't go down the right channels etc etc. The fact that I'm doing something that our school improvement officer is pleased with and wants to promote in our school cluster doesn't do anything to improve her mood - she's pissed off that it wasn't her idea and is not talking to me because she's not done it so is playing catch up (her words!) Can't seem to bloody win!

 

Anyway - point of the message apart from moaning! Do any of you have a booklet of things that you set up for yourselves to fill in throughout the year - i.e. get your observation sheets ready for each child at the beginning of the school year in a mini booklet to ensure that each child gets exactly what you want them to have in terms of observations, targets etc? Because I'm doing this as I go, the other adults in the room (and FS co) are slightly perterbed at the paperwork (despite it being the requirement!!!!). I'm just wondering if there was something any of you had set up that I could have a look at? I've posted my examples on here before (The Learning Journey, Child's Voice etc that I got from a book), but was wondering what everyone else was using as a minimum for each child!

 

Thanks. It's fab to know there is somewhere I can go for a little moan. No-one else seems to listen!!!!

 

Gater xxx

[Guest]

Hi gater. We use our Fs profile booklet, with blank sheets for each area that we stick observations into. This is kept as a booklet,a dn each individual child has one that is kept in their file. The tracking sheets are updated at least once every term, and we use three different colours so this shows the progress they are making.

 

We also have a table for each area, highlighting different stages up to the ELG. We do one of these every term, by putting the child's name in the column they have reached.

 

Hope this helps!

[Guest]

Keep going, it'll all be worth it in the end!!

 

We have nursery and reception children altogether this year, so we have kept the record of achievement folders going into reception, adding to the nursery stuff, but have developed it slightly to aid completing the pupil profiles as we go along.

I've transferred all the statements from the pupil profile booklets onto A4 sheets, in grids of 6 squares on each page. As we make a short observation on a child (post-it sized), we collect them in named trays (those compartment trays for the drawers-like cutlery trays, but 8 holes instead) then have filing sessions every now and again. We also include photographs of the children and small items that can be used as a further sample of what they have done. All thses bits and pieces are stuck into the appropriate box on the relative pageand is our evidence of the child's progress. It also means we don't write anything out twice (or in 'best')

Everyone carries out observations, although that in itself is a problem. Some members of staff are very conscientious; others need constant reminders (nagging!); some will tell me what they have observed (which is always spot on) but refuse to write it down; one person only writes observations on the children in her key group (and the rest can go hang!) so it's all a bit of a mixed bag. I've found that adding eminders to the staff noticeboard does help, and having a specific forcus for the week helps some people, but after a day or two, things drift off the boil again. Some days I feel that I'm spending all my time using up a year's supply of post-its, to ensure we have some obsevations noted somewhere and then I worry about the quality.

I suppose we all have things to worry about!

[Susan]

Hi Tricia & welcome!

Thanks for making such an informative first post. You certainly sound as if you have worked efficiently to get your observations and evidence sorted and have a manageable system in place.

However hard I tried I could never get my support staff to take any responsibilty for the observations etc that I wanted them to make for very long. It does become a burden on the teacher when this happens.

 

Gater, I do not know of anything that fulfils the requirements that I think you are looking for. There were quite alot if internal record sheets that I had to complete and it was possible to duplicate them in advance but they would not be relevant to you. Also within my LEA we had a profile document that I was trialling and that also needed producing at the start of the school year but if you are using the profile booklets you need to have a way of recording evidence as you know. But you dont need evidence for every point of every scale for every child. I was trying to make a class record book of evidence of activities using photographs etc.

There are some commercial record sytems available but I personally found them even more unmanageable.

 

Good luck.

[JacquieL]

Once you have collected your observations on post its how do you use these to p-lan for the next steps and show this has been done in your planning/ this is the bit that gets me. I do this but mostly in my head- I know who needs more help with cutting- who is having trouble with a letter of their name etc. but ow do we realistically show this?

[Guest]

I thoroughly recommend the Vicky Hutchins book on formative assessment for the FSP. It is user-friendly and has practical, usable suggestions, well worth buying!

 

Hope this helps.

[Sue R]

Just wanted to say hi to Tricia, too! Sorry I'm a bit late.

 

Sue

[Guest]

Hi Gater, I know your post was from ages ago but I'd be interested in your post aboput 'the learning journey' (just did a search for it but it lead me back here!). My biggest problem is like jacquiel-how do we put this into planning? its just in my head! I want what I do to be useful not just so OFSTED can come and tick a box. Any thoughts any one?

[Guest]

I think I got my example from the Vicky Hutchins book - I simply typed it up so I could use it. I'll attach it for your use if you want - just make sure you let people know where you got it as I don't want to breach any kind of copyright laws - although I did type it up in a different font!!!!

 

You basically need a photograph and then get to assess each area of learning going on in that one picture (with a little background info on what has actually gone on). Then there is space to write how in will affect your planning. Anyway, take a look and see what you think!

 

D xxx

Photos.doc

[Guest alisonjayne]

Thanks for the down load Gater It will be very useful for planning for individual children

[Guest]

Thanks Gater, Have you found it useful and how often do you use it?