Key Person In Reception - Help Please!

[jodiebt]

Hello again...

 

Just wanted a little help on how ppl manage the key person in a reception class... we are 2 form entry with 30 chn in each class and a teacher and full time TA in each class. At the moment we do what i suppose would be known as a 'co-key person' appraoch where the children know their own T and TA are there key people (we work completely as a unit so the chn know all four adults very well). However thinking forward to September I believe this is probably not good enough and the chn and parents need to know which one of those two adults is their key person? So how do ppl manage this - just 15 chn each? And how much time do chn have with their key person in a small group? We currently do 'family groups' once a week but are lucky enough this yr that we have 2 lsas in the unit also (who are ment to be one to one with specific chn) so we can do this with more managable groups of 10.

 

hope this makes some sense - basically want to know how other ppl manage it!!

 

thank you very much

[Guest]

We split the class into 2 groups and have a social club (idea from someone on here - sorry can't remember who) when we have milk/snack/circle time/review type thing. We both do observations on all children though, as my TA doesn't feel confident yet in this area (she was drafted in from KS2 - though she had worked with us as a parent helper - when my nursery nurse went on long term sick leave). The children know their key worker because of the social club, but don't really view us as an different. Also we haven't really made a formal note of this with parents. Parents are happy to talk to either of us. Don't really know whether this will be sufficient for the Big O, but it works OK for us.

[catma]

As the ratio is 1:30 then the teacher might be a key person by themselves so it is OK with ofsted!!

 

Good guidance here:

http://www.cumbriagridforlearning.org.uk/g.../key+worker.pdf

 

Cx

[Guest]

Hiya,

 

We introduced this in the middle of the year this year (2009/2010). I sent a letter home explaining the process, just to inform parents. I have planned in Key Person time each day - although this was really difficult

 

However, at the New Parents' Meeting this year, I informed parents of the Key Person system and who their child's Key Person was. We are a Reception Class with two adults, myself as Teacher and my TA. During the children's induction process in September, they attend part time for two weeks, during this time the parents will meet with their child's Key Person where we will discuss various aspects of their child - likes/dislikes, home/interests etc. I also stressed that as the Class Teacher I am willing to speak to any parent - whichever Key Person group they are in.

 

We plan to be responsible for observations of children in our own Key Person groups - don't quite know how this will work, we will just have to "suck it and see". I do struggle with knowing what exactly we should be doing during our Key Person times, so have planned a variety of activities, such as Circle Time, Review and plan time, PSRN and CLL

[Guest]

Hiya,

 

We introduced this in the middle of the year this year (2009/2010). I sent a letter home explaining the process, just to inform parents. I have planned in Key Person time each day - although this was really difficult

 

However, at the New Parents' Meeting this year, I informed parents of the Key Person system and who their child's Key Person was. We are a Reception Class with two adults, myself as Teacher and my TA. During the children's induction process in September, they attend part time for two weeks, during this time the parents will meet with their child's Key Person where we will discuss various aspects of their child - likes/dislikes, home/interests etc. I also stressed that as the Class Teacher I am willing to speak to any parent - whichever Key Person group they are in.

 

We plan to be responsible for observations of children in our own Key Person groups - don't quite know how this will work, we will just have to "suck it and see". I do struggle with knowing what exactly we should be doing during our Key Person times, so have planned a variety of activities, such as Circle Time, Review and plan time, PSRN and CLL activities - don't quite know if I am doing it right or not. As with everything in the EYFS, it alters and evolves dependent upon the needs of the children. I look upon it as a learning curve, the only thing I can say from my experiences this year, is that it is good to be working with just 15 children (we are a one form entry of 30), you do tend to get to know the children as inidividuals and there have been many opportunities for observation and assesement during the various activities I have planned.

 

Hope this helps.

[catma]

I think it has to be noted that the class teacher does have the overall responsibility for all the children in a class so even with a key person, TA or similar, the teacher would have to maintain that overview. After all it's the teacher who would have to answer for e.g. no progress made or similar irrespective of who is a child's key person.

 

Cx

[Guest Cathryn1974]

I think it has to be noted that the class teacher does have the overall responsibility for all the children in a class so even with a key person, TA or similar, the teacher would have to maintain that overview. After all it's the teacher who would have to answer for e.g. no progress made or similar irrespective of who is a child's key person.

 

Cx

 

 

Hi

 

In September we are going to embed the key person more thoroughly into our setting. Our EYFS advisor recommended T to have 18 chn and TA 12. They are responsible for obs, LJs etc and nurture group time and also deciding next step. However, I am also going to make it clear that the T is responsible for the class overall and has to work very closely with TA and support her in terms of next steps and planning adult led activities etc.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cat

[Guest]

i love the key worker, we are a church school and call it 'guardian angels' and this year the children have just natural become called cherubs i dont even remember how it started it just evolved. anywayi digress. we have a staggered start so whoever the children gravitate to e.g to ask for the toilet, to have a cuddle, who they ask for help then they roughly become their key worker. for example i have a nursery nurse who is very extrovert and an lsa who is the opposite and calm and quiet so they attract different children. we inform parent swith a letter and in the first term we have an afternoon where they come in for a coffe and a chat with their key worker. the key worker has the responsibility of assessment profiles and contact with parents. i also do oversee this all and speak to every parent i dont just leave them too it. we also have home communication books and the key workers do their cerubs book. we also have time every week to play with our key children for a morning. i like it it all just helps make the children feel safe and happier at school : )

[KST]

Whilst I agree with the principle of the key person approach, I don't feel comfortable leaving my TA responsible to plan next steps for a group of children as she is not a teacher. I have spoken to her about the possibility of it and she really did not feel that she could do it. She is very experienced and makes observations and helps me to up date the learning stories etc but she has young children so does not stay for lunch of after the children have gone home so she wouldn't have time to plan etc. Really interested to hear how others are managing it though and glad it does work for some people.

 

I like to know where every child is and only feel I can do this by being all the children's key person - we had ofsted this year and they asked how we used the key person system and I told them I can key person all 31 children and my TA supports me heavily and they were more than happy with this. I agree with jennywreny about children gravitating towards certain adults though, my TA is very close to a group of LAPs children who she does phonics with daily and some intervention work so guess we do elements of it without really saying we do. Parents speak to both of us. K x

[Guest]

we have a meeting every week, where we discuss the chidlren and this is chance for me to see what the observations are that everybody has got and i can hear how all the children did at different things and i guide my tas as to how to assess it. i make sure i have already sorted my key children out, which is the majority of the class, so that during the meeting i can focus on the other children. i also take videos of the children and every now and then we all watch and discuss what we have seen, this really healped my tas as tey culd see an observations could cover more than one area oflearnng x its just whaever wors best for your school isnt it, its just one great big juggling act lol x

[jodiebt]

i was hoping to maintain a sort of 'co key person' system where the children and parents know the T and TA are there for their child and can be approached etc. We both know our chn very well and have no worries about attachment etc as we have such a child initiated curriculum that we have plenty of time to get to know the children. My TA is amazing and spends a lot of her own time on school related things and dont want to put even more on her asking her to plan next steps for spefici chn (altho she does do this to some extent now during the day). I think if we co-key care for all 30 and the class next door do the same with their T and TA then when we have small circle time group the children with the adult they gravitate more towards. Hopefully this will satisfy ofsted! thanku for all ure replies.... any more advice is greatly appreciated