Observing Staff

[Guest]

after our recent Ofsted one of our recommendations was to observe staff to evaluate and ensure that our practice and provision is the same . we each handled a child differently during the day for behaviour issues thus not working consistently within our behaviour policy. this ensured we got a satisfactory for not adhering to our policies we have 42 and this was the only one we messed up on and I hasten to add in a very minor way and I do not actually agree that we did. however that is another story.

we are a small team of 6 and work from one room we do appraisals and supervision but they want me to do obs and monitor much the same as in a school. I am unsure how to go about this we are a close team and it will ruffle feathers how do others do this?

sue

[Guest]

after our recent Ofsted one of our recommendations was to observe staff to evaluate and ensure that our practice and provision is the same . we each handled a child differently during the day for behaviour issues thus not working consistently within our behaviour policy. this ensured we got a satisfactory for not adhering to our policies we have 42 and this was the only one we messed up on and I hasten to add in a very minor way and I do not actually agree that we did. however that is another story.

we are a small team of 6 and work from one room we do appraisals and supervision but they want me to do obs and monitor much the same as in a school. I am unsure how to go about this we are a close team and it will ruffle feathers how do others do this?

sue

 

Oh Sue, how heartbreaking, I can't offer any advice I am afraid, we are a small close team as well, and am not sure how it would go down with everyone my end either :-( I hope someone can offer you some constructive advise. We are due Ofsted any day and am sure this is something that could happen to us as well.

 

Clare

[SueJ]

We do peer on peer observations on each other (staff team of 7 inc. me the owner/manager) roughly termly (what with children's obs it's hard fitting in obs on each other). We started them a while ago when it was highlighted as good practice in a QA scheme.

 

Before we started them we had a staff meet to discuss why they should be done, how they should be done and how good practice could be shared. For the first set each staff member had to observe another and then I evaluated them. I was given un-named observations so that I would be able to demonstrate impartiality. Once evaluated I was given the named versions and could then go through them with each staff member. I was also observed and my deputy got the poisoned chalice of evaluating mine.

 

After discussing each ob one on one we came together to share our observations.

 

This has worked for us an no one has felt particularly threatened. Along the way we have had one or two obs with some "not brilliant" practice and we have "no names no pack drill" been able to share these as well so that we could all learn that sometimes there really is a "wrong" way to do something.

 

These peer on peer obs have in the main been a positive introduction and is a useful tool for sharing really good practice tips and techniques amongst each other it also means that no one sits on their laurels or gets stale. It is however more work and you need to think about how often you can realistically do them; especially if you are going to "do" everyone to ensure no one feels singled out.

 

Hope that helps

[Guest]

thanks Clare for your comments and good luck for the big O they are big on safeguarding ensuring all staff are clued up. we are a small setting with one playroom she was in from 9-4 with a 20 min break and she was being assessed for part of that time. she observed one child for the day amongst looking at paperwork talking to staff and parents . She was very nice and did make us feel non stressed our whole judgments were based on this child and the outcomes for him apparently we did not let him take risks (hitting a large stack of bricks over onto another child and bouncing on the furniture) we asked him not to hurt other children and said no after speaking to him several times thus interrupting his play and not letting him learn by his mistakes. I'm sure other settings would do the same if I was you I would have a staff meeting on working from the same hymn sheet.

thank you Sue for your advice I will do as you suggest and have a staff meeting to discuss this we are due one after the hols to dissect our report

sue