E115 Pef

[Guest]

Hi to anyone who has done or is doing E115. I am studying E115 and am a little confused at the moment regarding PEF and when to start to put information into it. As I am working through the study guides there has been no mention to put anything in my PEF only the WBLF, so thats fine, all the activity answers I have put in my WBLF but I havent as yet put anything in my PEF as it hasnt asked for any. It does talk about the PEF in stage 4 of part 2 so I assumed that was when to start adding information, only on the online forum for the OU some students have posted about collecting evidence now, Am I ok just waiting till I get to stage 4?

 

Thanks in advance for any advise

[Cait]

I'd do it as you go along, look for things you are identifying to use as evidence in the EYCLOs and start filing it right away. When I did 115 we were told that a padded bag could arrive at any time for us to send our PEF for looking at so it had to be ready. Start looking around for obvious things you are going to use and then at least you are making a start. Remember that it all has to be anonymised.

[Gezabel]

I agree with Cait, collect as you go along. I had a box that I just put anything in that might be useful as evidence.

 

However, unless things have changed since I did the course, the PEF is for 'confirmed' evidence, ie: recorded on the EYCLO and seen and signed by your confirmer. Until you get to that stage your evidence is 'potential'.

 

As you know, the OU can ask to see your PEF at any time during the course. I was one of the ones who got a letter asking me to submit mine but I was in the middle of updating some EYCLOs and had not yet got them signed by my confirmer. I sent my PEF with 'gaps' - I had plastic wallets labelled EYCLO 4 item A etc etc but those I was working on were blank! I stuck a note in the PEF saying 'I am currently updating this EYCLO and evidence has not yet been confirmed, in order to comply with OU guidelines I am unable to include unconfirmed evidence in my PEF.' My PEF came back accompanied by a letter with lovely comments about my PEF and how it met all the criteria.

 

I presume you started E115 earlier this month and if so I think it is a little early to be worrying about having evidence documented/filed in your PEF. I think you are going about things in exactly the right way - working through the study topics and when you get to the 'stage' for the PEF it will all be clearly explained. I wonder if other students mean they are just 'collecting' as opposed to filing in PEF?

 

As you say 'I haven't put anything in my PEF because it hasn't asked for any' - It sounds to me as though you are doing just fine Whilst the OU forums can be a fantastic source of support ( and I really don't want to 'knock' them) one of the downsides is that there will always be people who seem to be a million miles ahead which then makes you concerned about where you are at in the course. I would just ensure you keep up to date with study calendar and all will be well - I had times when 'life' got in the way and I feared I was 'behind' but as long as you do the work and get the assignments in everything is OK

[Deb]

Hi Annabelle

 

I did E115 last year. On the flip side you could spend a lot of time filling in the EYCLO's in your PEFfile which you might not end up using. I think the WBLF is there to gather potential evidence, which you can sift through to find the piece of evidence that will best show your knowledge and experience in this area. Personally I would have the EYCLO form ready with potential evidence pencilled in so you have some ideas and are not faced with an uphill task when it comes to submitting the EYCLO. You will be asked to submit certain EYCLOs with certain TMA's. These can then be updated as you go along when you may feel you have better evidence that might cross reference other EYCLO's as well but that will come with time.

 

As far as I am aware, on our course last year, the only time the PEF file would be asked for by the OU was at the end of the course. If it of course good practice to have the evidence in your PEF and not be faced with the ECA and having to get your PEF uptogether in case you are the one who gets the call up to submit your file.

 

To clarify, what I am suggesting is gather information, pencil in some ideas for on the EYCLOs, complete the EYCLOs as you are asked for them, then update them as you go along.

[Guest]

Geraldine, thank you so much for your encouraging post. I think I must be on the right track. yes, I did start in October. I think you must be right about other students "collecting" evidence as opposed to filing in their PEF. Yes, I agree about some students that are way ahead and it does make me feel like I am getting behind, but I am on target regarding the study calender, so should be ok. Sounds like there is alot of work getting the PEF inorder with the EYCLO and confirmed signed sheets but hopefully when I get to that point, it should become clearer, stage 4 is on 21st November so not long till I study that part and get more into it!!

 

Thanks, Cait too for your reply. I do have things in mind that I will be able to use, and being the pre-school supervisor/manager I have copies of policies, procedures,forms etc that may be needed on a memory stick so can easily print off a copy. I havent got to the section on anonymising evidence yet, so I assume that will be clear on how to do it.

 

I now have a couple of hours to work as my children have gone out with grandparents, so must make the most of it.

[Buttercup]

I started E115 in October too. I have completed all of the questions and have wrote my questionairre aimed at parents. from reading the forum sounds like it needs to be aimed at professionals aswell so i am doing another one for the staff I work with. cant give it to parents until next week as we have had half term. started looking at section 4 because i could not do section 3 yet. got well confused like you. I have got a few pieces of evidence. 1. typed up notes made from a staff meeting. 2. an account of a meeting with a parent about a complaint they had made about another child. thats it have no idea where they fit in or how. I have read eyclos trying to think of evidence to support but getting confused with statements they are not in my language (easy!!!!)

 

the weeks gone and i still need to print photos, write letters to new parents and do next terms planning.

 

buttercup