Guest Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Hey all, just needed to let off a bit of steam and perhaps ask some advise too. Our school had OFSTED a few weeks ago - were inspected under the new framework and lets just say it didnt go well at all. Have to say foundation stage (I am FS leader and we have a Nursery and reception classes) did quite well but not as well as I was expecting to do. However the whole school is now in a complete panic as things need to change very quickly or else! I started to feel that we were moving in the right direction - Ks1 and Ks2 were embracing app etc and focussing on learning rather than teaching etc. However tonight we had a staff meeting about learning environments and we walked around the school looking at each others rooms and they have decided we should standardise displays etc so children know where to look in each room. My point is I think that has a place in KS1 and KS2 but i have a real issue with it for my Reception and Nursery classes - I think we need to value the children's work so need space to display this and make the areas as invivitng and colourful as possible. There is talk of having a dedicated maths board (even specified colours) and literacy board with just vocab and resources needed to learn on but none of the children's work for my reception children. What do you think of this - am I wrong to want to use the wall space to display thier work. I have the apporiate numbers, sounds we know, keywords we are learning displayed - mostly at child height but all near my interactive white board so I can point to them as necessary not keep moving to different boards in the classroom and stepping on the children.The otehr thing I wanted to know is do any of you use APP formally with your reception children and how do you go about this? Added to this we have had another year of unexpected children in our intake and I have 42 children in reception so am on my second long term supply teacher already this year to support us with our growing numbers. Sorry to rant - not sure what anyone can say really but I am very very fed up with it all now !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I think you should stand your ground. Just because something works for KS2 doesn't mean it should be implemented in EY!!! Displaying 'work' is part of the EYFS to raise children's self esteem. Fight your corner, I'll hold your coat!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Fight your corner, I'll hold your coat!! Might have to take you up on that you know!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Doesn't sound right to me, either - stand your ground on this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Might have to take you up on that you know!!! Fancy a trip to Bristol!!! Any time!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmajess Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Sorry to hear your ofsted didn't go as well as you'd hoped. It's tricky anyway in a school where the SLT is not particularly knowledgeable about the EYFS ethos and pedgagogy etc, but especially so after a disappointing ofsted. Were you in agreement with the points that ofsted made about the foundation stage - even if you think they missed lots of other great stuff and you should have done better - or did you feel that their judgements for EYFS were too KS1 and KS2 based as well? If you feel that they did point out some valid areas for you to work on in EYFS, could you agree with your leadership team that you will have different focuses for your action plan than the rest of the school, who can then go on their merry way with their learning boards etc? In my school I try to find a compromise between doing the things that are expected of whole school and maintaining my beliefs for early years practice - sometimes this involves explaining to other teachers how I am doing the same thing, just differently (like instead of having a maths board in the same colours, I have a maths area which is equally supportive of children's learning, specific with vocab etc but in a more interactive, small-children friendly way). Other times I do both, like having a literacy board like everyone else but also a 'Look at our writing' wall that children can add to themselves etc. APP doesn't start till level 1 - we should just be doing the profile. Good luck with it and let us know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Thanks for that emmajess - thats what I assumed with App - it is basically what we are doing all the time in foundation stage with all our children - gathering evidence, and moving their learning on. Think i need the holidays to recap and think out side of the box - hadnt even thought about pointing out our maths and writing areas etc - these all have the vocab, visual support etc but just not in the way the others were looking for!! (see what I mean - cant see the wood for the trees at the moment!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 poor you - vitual hugs flying your way xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittycat1279 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Our head wanted us to alter how we organise our resources a few years a go so in year 1 and 2 all maths resources were to be in yellow drawers and maths resources in blue and then them grouped in clear areas. The idea being that no matter what class they are in they would know where to find maths/english things by the colour of the drawers. Then when we re-organised year R just over a year ago our CLL area was yellow and our PSRN area is blue (each of the other areas is also a specified colour). Therefore, when we start them in year R, they get used to knowing multilink, rulers etc... are in blue drawers and this will be the same wherever they are in the school so it helps with transition. I don't think the backing paper in these areas was dictated but people have just naturally used paper to match even if it is just the border! I agree a compromise may be the best option so that EYs don't get the reputation for being awkward! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 When will people (and its usually those in power) realise ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!! We have had to "fight" our corner many times, but do appreciate that our Head listens to us down in the foundation stage, and appreciates we may know more about EY's things than he does. I think this has been reflected by 3 consecutively decent Ofsted reports about our end of school. I think with goods and some outstandings under our belt we can JUSTIFY our thoughts and positions regards certain things and have opinions that are backed by good working practices etc. I do hope you can find a way through. Compromise is good, it just should not mean going against your own beliefs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Thank you for all your replies and support. Have calmed down a little now and can be a bit more reflective. Have never been the type of person to be difficult about change but am worried that as a school we are going to end up "throwing the baby out with the bath water" - lots of things were deemed to be great about FS and I dont want that to get lost along the way with these changes. I think it is about compromise to a certain extent, but I am also going to stand my ground a bit too. We have a great team in FS who are good at what they do and I just needed to rememver that! Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I hate the idea of standardising things like displays, because it takes away from your individual creativity as a teacher. Interestingly, I'm starting to believe that displays are more valuable for doing what you want to do (celebrating the children's work) rather than as a resource for learning. If you think about it from a child's perspective, they would often not even notice what is on the walls unless it was something they had done or the teacher directly referred to it. I've been in a couple of classrooms really where teachers have actually painted directly onto the walls with the children to create displays and these look fab. Please don't let them standardise you into doing what they (presumably your senior management) think is best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 The school I work in now was recently visitied by OFSTED (end of last year) and they previously had a head who was very much about standardised displays and all displays in classrooms to be 'scaffolded' (e.g. vocab, facts, etc) with no children's work except on small working walls so the teachers had all got into the habit of doing this. OFSTED actually said to the new head as one of their smaller development points that displays should be more 50:50, with at least half celebrating and displaying children's work just for the sake of it being on display and letting the children feel proud of their achievements. Might be something to mention to your headteacher - going to far in the one direction is not a good idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 The school I work in now was recently visitied by OFSTED (end of last year) and they previously had a head who was very much about standardised displays and all displays in classrooms to be 'scaffolded' (e.g. vocab, facts, etc) with no children's work except on small working walls so the teachers had all got into the habit of doing this. OFSTED actually said to the new head as one of their smaller development points that displays should be more 50:50, with at least half celebrating and displaying children's work just for the sake of it being on display and letting the children feel proud of their achievements. Might be something to mention to your headteacher - going to far in the one direction is not a good idea! Thanks for that - thats exactly what Im worried about happening!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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