Profile / Development Matters Help

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

 

Just a quick question for Reception Teachers...

 

Do you highlight the development matter statements and update the profile??

 

And if so how often do you do them??

 

Thank you

[Guest]

Dont know if I do it right, I currently highlight dev matters for whole class, i.e where I feel my main focus has been for majority of class, each half term. Many may hold their hands up in horror, helps me to see which aspects still need to be planned for, either adult directed or cont prov. I update profile each term and use this to analyse progress of pupils, progress of diff groups etc as I understand the profile is the only statutory assessmnet we have to do in reception. But I await everyone else's learned views with anticipation....

[Guest]

We highlight development matters statements for nursery chn and we used to use for our reception chn too but this was too much to do along with the profile as well so now reception only complete the profile each term. If there are chn who appear stuck at points 1-3 for any time we look at developments for that child accordingly to ensure progress is being made. When we had OFSTED in Oct she was really pleased to see the development being used in this way (including how the nursery used them) becuase hse said it really shows the ages and stages that the chn are working at.

[Guest]

I am really interested to find out what others are doing for their tracking. I have reception and pre-5 as we don't have a nursery. Currently We highlight on development matters and update the profile half termly for each child. I only have 14 foundation but I am finding it a bit much (I have year 1 as well). I think that when it gets to this point in the year, for the majority of reception children the profile alone would be enough and to only continue development matters with those children that are not scoring many points on the profile makes sense. We had ofsted last month and they did like the fact we used development matters for children from entry. We were able to use it to show that childen come to us well below age expected attainment and therefore made good progress with us. Keen to find out what others are doing.

[KST]

This is a really interesting thread. I have been looking at developing my on entry assessment. The children that feed into my reception class come from a pre-school which don't highlight against the development matters, which I think would be very useful to me. I think i may start off highlighting the development matters when children first arrive to ensure i am planning under the right statements (haven't done this before) but like others have said, does show progress for those Low achievers who don't appear to be making much progress. Once children appear to be working at the early learning goals I think the profile is suffient. interested to read what others think.

 

I do also highlight the development matters statements as I teach them through adult led mainly for my self to ensure i am covering everything. But I really plan based on children's next steps.

[Guest]

Thanks everyone,

 

My on entry assessments are made using development matters, if children are below national expectation and not achieving on the profile I continue to use this document.

 

For the children who are at national expectation I then use the profile.

 

My authority have announced just before Easter however that we should be highlighting development matters and doing the profile for all children in Reception, which just seems like a ridiculous amount of work - I already struggle to keep on top of everything at the moment!!!

 

The authority say that development matters is a better tool for showing progression, with less emphasis being put on the profile - however they do state that best practice is to update both each term for all children.

 

Think I will start highlighting in September and as suggested above, when they are secure in the 40-60 judgements focus just on the profile. Just can't see a way of managing both!!! OFSTED are due now however so might have to manage both if that's what they want.

 

Really interesting to see what everyone else is doing - thanks

[Guest]

When you say 'highlighting' do you literally mean highlighting with a pen on a print out of D. M or is there a sophisticated computer program for Nursery level to do this on.?

We do the above but not sure if that is right as I thought we weren't 'supposed to use DV as a ticklist?

 

So confused...

[Guest]

Assessing using development matters - so each term highlighting on a print out which statements the children have achieved through on-going assessments. I currently do not do this unless they are not achieving on the profile.

 

I use development matters to plan from??

 

I'm confused too!!!

[KST]

Now I'm confused too! I also use DM to plan from and profile to assess but it makes sense to use DM for children who are not yet on the ELGs!

[Guest]

I plan using the DM. As I stick things into Learning Journeys, I mark it off on the FSP. At end of each term I collect all the data by inputting it onto the e-profile.

 

From September I have to give On Entry data as DM months rather than Scale Points 1,2,3 etc. How will we work out the progress made if this is the case? I'm sure my headteacher will be thinking about it already!!!!!!

[KST]

I plan using the DM. As I stick things into Learning Journeys, I mark it off on the FSP. At end of each term I collect all the data by inputting it onto the e-profile.

When highlighting the DM statements for entry will you have the 30-50 months and 40-60 months statements on paper to highlight? Will you make this assessment of where they are at the first half term?

 

The only way I can see this working is for the children who are in the 30-50 months it shows they are below entry and therefore is useful to continue using the DM statements until they are on the profile but for children who are already in DM 40-60 months will you stop using them after your on entry and then just use the profile?

 

Does anyone use evidence given to them from pre-school/nursery to highlight the DM statements? x

[Guest]

Because most of my children come into my class from the School Nursery, I use their information (DM highlighted sheets) combined with my own judgements to determine which age band I think they are working in, for each strand, at the beginning of the September term. I rely heavily on the Nursery information, as I trust their judgements and it would be very difficult to assess all 30 children properly within the first few weeks. For children not from our Nursery I use information sent from their previous settings and see whether I agree with the judgements or not? My data for the SEF has to be given using the development matters age bands and not the profile, so all my on entry figures are made using this.

 

If the children are below expectation I keep highlighting the sheets, but if they are working in the 40-60 age band I only use the profile. As I said above however, I'm now being asked to update both for all children!!!

 

Hope this isn't confusing everyone more???

 

Karen