Learning Journeys

[Guest]

I'm starting in Reception in September and I know that there is absolutely no way I can do what I have been doing in Nursery! One every half term sounds much more manageable - thanks for your response. Since I am new to Reception I am not sure exactly what is expected so it is useful to have advice from someone with experience of using the individual planners! Will try it and see what happens!

[KST]

I'm starting in Reception in September and I know that there is absolutely no way I can do what I have been doing in Nursery! One every half term sounds much more manageable - thanks for your response. Since I am new to Reception I am not sure exactly what is expected so it is useful to have advice from someone with experience of using the individual planners! Will try it and see what happens!

 

Yeah I love the forum for help! I only started using the individual plans this year so it took me a while to fully get into using them so I'm sure you'll soon find a system that is manageable. x

[Guest]

Thanks for the link to the Southampton one Cait, that's good inspiration

 

Cheers!

Edited August 27, 2010 by Guest

[heidishubrook]

Thanks everyone,

I forgot how fab this site is and how supportive everyone is.

x x x

 

 

Hi,

 

Im new to this site and starting as an NQT in recpetion in September. I have a class of 30 and I was wondering if you would do PLODs for all 30 children (this is really scaring me!)

 

H x

[millhill]

If you focus on 3 children per week, you can do individual PLODS for each child once per term. It's not too difficult, just look at your observations of their development/interests, then consider and the next steps from Development Matters.

It's a good idea to choose 3 children at similar stages of development and with similar interests, then your PLODs might overlap and you can provide similar activities for all 3 children.

Edited July 8, 2011 by millhill

[sharonash]

Can I ask with these plods does the keyperson carry them around and use them to refer to whilst playing with the children

or do you plan activities for the children.

Ofsted have just graced us with their presence and said we need to make sure all staff know what next steps we are trying to achieve for each child. its quite hard to put them up on a board as we have 3 areas the children can play in if we put the plan up on a wall the child might be playing outside.

 

can you advise how you use them pls and any suggestions how we can use them or put them into a planning format?

 

thanks

[millhill]

PLODs are possible activities that you could do with the child. These activities are based on the child's interests and tie in with the next steps in his/her learning development.

 

The only way all staff are going to know about the children's next steps is if you can get together and discuss the PLODs with each other.

Displaying the PLODs on the wall, or incorporating them into planning documents won't really help unless they have been discussed first.

 

Do you have time when your staff team meet to plan for the week? If you do, each key worker should bring their focus key child's individual PLOD plan to the meeting. The PLODs can then be incorporated into the weekly plan. I have a space on my weekly plan for the 3 focus children, in this I write down brief notes on the activities taken from their PLODs. I am in a reception class with one TA, so it isn't too difficult for us to know each child's next steps (3 children per week)

 

I used to work in a pre-school and we displayed the individual child's PLOD plans on the staff planning board, but we always met to discuss them first. The key worker was usually responsible for setting up and carrying out the activity they had planned for their key child, but if she wasn't able to, the other staff could do it for her because they knew what she had planned.

 

So, to summarise this lengthy post!.........The key to getting all staff to understand the children's next steps is to have a whole staff planning meeting each week to discuss the focus children's PLODs. If this can't be managed due to staff shifts etc. Then the manager/FS co-ord should take time out to meet with all key workers and feedback to each one about the other staff's key children's next steps.

 

Hope this helps....and hope it makes sense!

Edited July 10, 2011 by millhill

[Guest]

Hi

Since the initial start of this thread a year ago has anyone changed their way of recording observations?

 

Our stickies/post-its, work, photos etc are stuck into a book that is separated into 13 bits. I am moving into reception and am thinking that sticking evidence in chronologically would work better as gives a clearer picture of the whole child rather than segmenting the learning.

 

Would love to hear current thinking.

 

Thanks

 

Gem

[green hippo]

Hi,

I'm also returning from a year out on maternity (also had a little boy). I'm returning to Nursery and am generally happy that the journals, next steps etc that I previously introduced are working well but I'd like to introduce individual plans, reviewed once a half-term alongside the long ob. Previously, we have completed the long ob and the following week carried out an activity or introduced enhancements etc based on the next steps generated from the long ob (and other shorter obs). However, with the individual plans, this would give us next steps for each area of learning, so what I was wondering is whether those who use the individual plans (Millhill??) plan activities/enhancements in each area of learning for each child over just one week? Or do you try to incorporate their next steps into planning over a few weeks. I'm desperately trying to keep this manageable for all the staff (and avoid it taking over my life!).

I also keep the journals in chronological order which makes sense to me but was thinking of introducing a similar system of numbering each obs and putting the number into a table with the aspects and ages and stages to help us to show how we track progress.

Thanks x

[Guest tinkerbell]

We use an A4 ringbinder and have dividers.

Front we have the assessment sheets which we highlight each half term in different colour,

then we have nursery information and the sheets we sent home 'all about me' which parents filled in.

then starting school bookelt (once completed after 2-3 weeks)

then lots of photos of the first week in school.

We have 6 coloured sections for the 6 areas and we stick photos and postits and longer observations in to the main area ( an cross ref if required) coloured sheets eg yellow lit,blue maths etc all dated and initialed.

At the back parents can send in or add anything they wish.

 

When the parents come for their first parents evening (October) I explain the layout .The folders go home each half term.

 

I like a file because I can add things retrospectively eg a photo or piece of work that has been on the wall.

[millhill]

However, with the individual plans, this would give us next steps for each area of learning, so what I was wondering is whether those who use the individual plans (Millhill??) plan activities/enhancements in each area of learning for each child over just one week? Or do you try to incorporate their next steps into planning over a few weeks. I'm desperately trying to keep this manageable for all the staff (and avoid it taking over my life!).

I also keep the journals in chronological order which makes sense to me but was thinking of introducing a similar system of numbering each obs and putting the number into a table with the aspects and ages and stages to help us to show how we track progress.

Thanks x

 

My individual plans generally feed into the next week's short term planning, it becomes quite difficult if I leave it over a few weeks as the next set of children need to be planned for and it creates a backlog. However, the individual plans are 'Possible lines of direction' so I might not cover all activities and might even change the activity if the child has no interest.

Once I get to know the children, I try to group them so I have focus weeks for 3 children with similar interests and similar learning needs, that way I can plan one activity which would cater for all three, rather than 3 different activities, this makes it more manageable.

If you do individual plans, you can use the activities you have planned for one child for the other children as well, so in a way it cuts down on your short term planning.

 

I will look through the 3 focus children's learning journals and make their individual plans in my PPA time.

 

With regards to the journals, after sticking things in I write a number on the sticker/photo/narrative obs.

On my ELG sheet (I am in reception) I write the code for the evidence and the number, so P1= photo number 1/P2= photo 2 etc. I have codes for each piece of evidence, e.g. TR= transition record, SO= spontaneous observation, NO= narrative observation, PO= parent observation, MM= mark making, this way I can keep track of evidence and find out what is needed. I am not so sure that you need to be so thorough in nursery. Are you moderated?

 

Hope all goes well with your return to school.

Edited September 2, 2011 by millhill

[green hippo]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. It has given me the reasurrance I need to run with my idea. What you do with numbering obs and photos is exactly what I had thought and was talking to NN today about using different codes for long obs.

I agree that following up the next steps in the week following their 'review' is the most manageable way. The thought of trying to keep track of 30 childrens' next steps over a half-term is a bit overwhelming and would eventually just get too confusing.

We do focused activities with all children and I have in the past combined a child's next steps with the focused activity.

Just one last question - how do you show that the children have accessed the next step activities/enhancements and any progress made? Do you write it on the individual plan?

Thanks again for your help.

I've been back 2 days and already have a list as long as my arm - so feel much better to have a concrete idea of the changes I need to make!

Green Hippo x

[green hippo]

Sorry, just thought of another question - how do you go about doing the individual plans at the beginning of the year when there isn't much evidence. I was thinking of responding to obs on a daily basis all children in the short-term until there is enough evidence to do next steps for all areas of learning?

Thanks

Green Hippo

[millhill]

What you are thinking of doing is what I do as I won't start individual plans until October.

 

I also use the transition records (given from their nursery) and the parent booklet (I give out before they start) and plan activities based on the interests they inform me of.

[green hippo]

Thanks Millhill. Would you also be able to describe what you do to show the children have accessed the next step activities and enhancements and any progress they have made.

Green Hippo x