Nursery Assessment

[Guest]

We are having a new nursery teacher in September and so far we have been using the development matters statements and the CT highlights ones that the child has 'achieved'- good for showing progress- but we are wondering if we need to reference on the sheet the evidence that has been collected in the same way you would for the profile in Reception. Can we just highlight when looking through evidence or does it need to be clearer than that? Any advice please?

[Guest]

We use the development matters for our nursery assessment.

 

We highlight the areas the children have been seen to "achieve" (for want of a better word!) in a different colour for each term.

 

We then cross reference when approrpiate to a note/ observation or photograph in the child's learning journey which is the evidence of that achievement.

 

Not sure if that helps?

[Guest]

We use the development matters for our nursery assessment.

 

We highlight the areas the children have been seen to "achieve" (for want of a better word!) in a different colour for each term.

 

We then cross reference when approrpiate to a note/ observation or photograph in the child's learning journey which is the evidence of that achievement.

 

Not sure if that helps?

 

So if you make an observation note- post it note for example- do you write on it which development matters it is evidence for? Then you write on the development matters sheet the date/code etc what evidence you have got towards that point? Have i understood that right?

[Gezabel]

We use the development matters for our nursery assessment.

 

We highlight the areas the children have been seen to "achieve" (for want of a better word!) in a different colour for each term.

 

We then cross reference when approrpiate to a note/ observation or photograph in the child's learning journey which is the evidence of that achievement.

 

Not sure if that helps?

 

We do something similiar.

Each child has a folder with the development matters in but also in this folder are three clear plastic sheets (they are laminated 'empty' laminating pouches) the six areas of learning are at the top (one on each side) and we stick observations here. When the folder is looked at we can see what has been achieved and where the evidence has come from. Each of the plastic sheets also has a little strip on the bottom that records photographic evidence - it just gives date of photographs.

 

Each child also has a learning journey which is more like a scrapbook and one section of this is 'my photographs' we found this worked better than having odd photos spread through the learning journey - in itself it is almost a complete pictorial learning journey! Children and parents love it.

 

OFSTED liked it earlier this year so I guess we must be getting something right! However, I think it is really a case of what works for you and I don't think there is a right/wrong way to do it. Some people frown on the whole idea of highlighting development matters as it is not supposed to be a 'tick list' but the way we highlight and support with evidence is not 'ticking' in my view! I think providing you can explain, justify what you do and how it works for the benefit of the children then any system should be fine!

[Guest]

I highlight the DM statements each term, and whilst I don't cross-reference to observations and photos they are all in the same folder so can be seen if anyone wants 'proof' of my judgements. I prefer to use professional judgement to decide if they've achieved something or not - as yet, no-one in my school has disagreed with me...but there's always time