Nurseries, When Do You Write Up Obs Etc

[janminder84]

Hi, just wondering when you work in a nursery are you supposed to be given time out during the day for writing up observations into childrens folders, planning etc or are you supposed to do it whilst in the room working with the children.

 

Many thanks

 

Jan

Edited September 25, 2010 by janminder84

[Panders]

Hi Jan, welcome to the forum!

 

I think you will find that there are no hard and fast rules about this, but in an ideal world you would get some quiet time away from the children to write up your observations and planning.

 

I run my own small pre-school and I pay my staff an hour a week to keep their folders up to date, they may do it after pre-school closes, or in some cases they take a folder home, or write it up at home and bring it back in and put it in the folder, short observations they can make on postits and put them straight into the folders, it takes a few minutes, but their longer ones need more time to assess.

[Susan]

I'm not im nurdery but the general rule of thumb always was that you shouldnt write up observations but leave them as they are although you will obviously need some time to collate them and notate for next steps etc.

[sunnyday]

I'm not im nurdery but the general rule of thumb always was that you shouldnt write up observations but leave them as they are although you will obviously need some time to collate them and notate for next steps etc.

 

Hope that 'nurdery' (nerdery) was just a typo!

 

Have to say that I know that it's not considered necessary to re-write obs. but I always do - they are far too scribbled for my liking - I couldn't possibly put those in the children's beautiful Learning Journey folders

 

My staff also get paid an hour per week to keep folders up to date - I know that in practice this probably takes them longer than this. I have offered non-contact time - which could be built into each session - but that has been declined - they feel that they would rather work at home..........

 

Oh nearly forgot to say Hi and welcome Jan

[Guest]

I love the idea of being in 'Nurdery". I think I am very well-qualified.

[Susan]

oops!

[Cait]

haha - made me laugh! Freudian slip?

 

I rewrite obs when they have been 'used' for next steps or are ready for filing. As Sunnyday says, they are too scribbled and sometimes need some tactful re-wording before going into a lovely folder for parents to enjoy later.

 

I pay my staff an hour a week to do their folders, they do them either in the other room or take them home

[Guest]

We put in our files what we have done there and then, snapshot obs....there is the chance of misinterpretation when re-writing, I type up retrospective observations taken from notes but there and then happen and are recorded as such....as for the learning diaries ... ours are working documents they're are some scribbley bits but lots of evidence and a mixture of typed up and scribbley bits...my team complete their files weekly - they are given time away from the room to do it I stopped anyone taking them home because of the safeguarding issues......so difficult to get it right....year in year out.. keeps evolving...

Edited September 25, 2010 by Guest

[janminder84]

Thanks for the welcome and the replies,

 

I am a childminder but my daugher works in a nursery and she recently was behind with folders as she does'nt like to put her scribbles in but likes to write them up so folders look neat but she is not given any time in another room, nor can she take the folders home. She was just wondering if the norm was time out somewhere where you can concentrate on getting it done.

[Cait]

Can she bring the observations home without the whole folder to write them up?