Guest Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 I was approached by a parent last week, she asked to take her child's records home with her, as she says, she did this at the other pre-school her child attended. I've never been asked this before and informed her that she was welcome to look at them at the Pre-school but not to take home. What does everyone else do regarding this???? Angie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 It depends which records she means. Obviously we have to keep certain records about the child which we enter on our enrolment form. This stays in a folder at playgroup. We also have a record of the child's achievement - an A4 folder in which we enter, well, their achievements! Parents have access to these every session (although most never look at them). The blurb at the front says that parents are welcome to take the records home at the weekends but to please return them. No one ever has though. I decided to include this as it's mostly the mums who bring the children in - dads never get a chance to bring their child as they are at work, so how will they ever be able to read the folders and celebrate their childrens achievements? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 I'd be surprised if ours remembered we have records! Like Beau says, it depends which records, but I'd be pleased for them to take even a painting home. Sorry, I'm no help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 Sorry should have been more precise. The records are the record of achievements on the 6 areas of development Thanks, Angie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 I think Beau's response is the most practical, and this does let fathers have access they may not otherwise get. I let a parent, who asked, take her sons record of achievement home but then didn't get it back for three weeks The staff enter "non formal" observations into these records throughouit the session, you know all those achievements that if it isn't written down straight away, then it is forgotten. This saves; 1. cost of post-its, and 2. the need to write things twice. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 Writing things twice, Peggy? You shouldnt be doing that! An observation is an observation, however hurridly written and post its or whatever form the observation takes should be included as thay are. Im not in the same situation as you Angie but my concern would be that the records were not returned, either promptly or at all. When the child leaves the setting, dont you send the records of achievement home then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 I have let parents take the ROA home (although they have been the parents that I have trusted). I know it is time consuming but could you photocopy the ROA and let the parent have the photocopy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 We used to use post-its and stick them straight in the childs file, but sometimes, as you know, development noted can cross reference with more than one area of development, so, no we don't write things twice, or use post-its anymore, the progress / obs is written straight into the file. but we can't do this if parent has the file at home. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 The records are sent home when they leave Susan. It would be too time consuming, and as we don't have a photocopier it would be expensive. And if I do this for 1 I would need to do this for the other 29 children. I'm not sure. We've got a committee meeting next week, think I'll put it to them then. Much thanks everyone. Angie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 We send them home when the child finishes and would be happy for a parent to have their childs if they asked. We are hoping in the future to send them home towards the end of each term but have recently developed new assessment sheets of our own and so have not got around to that yet. We used to do this and we never really had a problem with getting them back-just having to chase a couple of parents. I attach a letter saying what the folders are all about and when I want them returned by. If you don't send out their ROA's then what other ways do you inform parents of their child's progress? I would be interested as when we have asked parents to make appointments in the past to discuss their child nobody has taken up the offer. Most of ours are quite happy to have a verbal feedback at the begining or end of the session. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 Sounds like some good ideas there Linda, as long as they come back! Of course, in school we have termly parents evenings but even then you dont always see both parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LucyQ Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 If a parent asked me if they could take their childs "scrap book" home I would probably fall over!!! but seriously, wheres the problem? If they get lost then you start again making a note in the new book - you can't be responsible for everything. We are in the middle of setting up a diary system so that the children/parents can take home at weekends/hols. It will contain just a bit about what their child has been doing and they can add bits to it too - very informal and will hopefully help to bring home and setting closer together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 we used to allow them home when asked and gave them to parents but some were never returned, others took weeks to chase up for return and we found we spent more time trying to get them back than we did recording in them!! all parents get regular verbal updates and can ask to see the book at any time some do. we now ask parents to make an appiontment at regular intervals during the year, usually after every half term with the keyworker to look at the books and folders with the keyworker available to answer any questions. we have about 50% uptake on this with several dads coming in as well. It must depend on how reliable you feel they will be in returning it promptly. I have found even the most reliable parents do not return the books. (one took 6 months to return it with regular reminders.as we use stickers which are put in the books we ended up with an envelope ready to transfer them when we eventually got it back. one I never did get returned.) Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 2, 2005 Share Posted May 2, 2005 We allow them to go home once a term if the parents would like to take them home. This is mainly for the benefit of parents whose children are brought in and collected by childminders. Many of our parents do take records home and we rarely have a problem getting them returned - I think they recognise how much work has gone into their preparation. We also allow our staff to take records home for short periods to update the achievements/write comments in them. However our PDW isn't happy about the fact that we cannot guarantee the children's records stay confidential when they are off-site. We have written staff guidelines about taking records off-site to cover this, and we feel that the records are the parents property anyway and so it is their responsibility to decide whether/how to keep them confidential. I am interested that no-one else has raised the issue of confidentiality on this subject. Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 2, 2005 Share Posted May 2, 2005 Carolyn, I think the PDW is OTT. I trust my staffs professionalism to maintain confidential information, and I would resent any implication that they were not trustworthy. Does he/she never have paperwork at home? Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 3, 2005 Share Posted May 3, 2005 Thanks for that Peggy - it's reassuring to know that you feel it is OTT - we felt that too, which is why we haven't changed our practice and we still allow staff to take records home - we trust them implicitly and have written the guidelines as a compromise . We have made it clear to staff that we know the guidelines only restate the good practice for confidentiality that they are already aware of anyway Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 3, 2005 Share Posted May 3, 2005 We don't allow parents to take records home because I worry that the parents may not bring them back, they may get damaged and we would lose invaluable info - not to mention all the hard work that goes into them!!! To get around this all parents are aware they can read them at any time and often do, we also have lots of informal parents evenings that last just an hour out of hours to enable both parents and the wider family to come in. We do however allow staff to take them home, I understand the confidentality point raised but staff know most of the info off the top of their heads anyway. If a member of staff was untrustworthy I don't think stopping them from taking records home would help much. Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted May 3, 2005 Share Posted May 3, 2005 I do not allow the childrens records to go home with parents. Whenever I have sent things home that should be returned, some are never returned or I have to chase them for ages. Also sometimes things have been returned with tea/coffee stains or parents have allowed the children to crayon or write on them or they are screwed up. The staff spend a lot of time on writing up the records and I wouldn't want to see their time wasted. My staff take them home to work on them as well - I trust them implicitly. We arrange appointments for parents to speak to the keyworker and see the records termly and the staff are always available to parents daily. All parents, so far, have looked at the records, but not all of them want to add any other info to them. When a child leaves to go to school the records go to the school and if a parent should ask for a copy, I would photocopy it for them. Sue J Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 Coming into this interesting topic a bit late, sos. I have never had a parent ask to take a folder home but as quite a few of you have said, I wouldn't trust them to bring them back. Some of our children take a book folder home on a mon and to bring it back on a fri. Last term, out of 11 children, 2 bought them back. We offer our parents a consultation every term to discuss and see the folders, although I haven't had any request for one in the past 2 terms. Probably the best thing is to photocopy the information the parent want and give it to them. It wouln't too cost much and it doesn't matter if they lose it. So whats it like having a parent show an interest. Netx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 We have been told that preschools have to get parental permission to pass children's records onto school... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 Yes, ASPK. on the Development Record document that we pass onto the schools from Pre-school, there is a place where a parent signs to agree......it says - "This record has been shared with me and will be passed on to the next setting" Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 Sue Do most of your children feed into the same school? We have about 6 schools that our children attend so we pass their records to parents and advise them to take them to show the reception teacher if they are interested. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 Linda, As the children who come to the Pre-school come from a wide area, they go off to quite a few schools. The Records are finalised around the end of June and I pass them onto the relevant schools. Sometimes the teachers visit us and I pass them on then - if they don't visit, then I take the records personally to the schools. I don't mind doing this, as I enjoy visiting other places and people!! Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 We send ours home once a term for parents to look through and comment on if they want. have only lst one in 5 yrs, the parents always comment on them when they bring them back, they enjoy it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LucyQ Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 To be honest I would find it difficult to refuse a parent the books - I feel it is their property about their child. If it doesn't come back then I would make a note and start again. Our records system may differ from other settings - we have a scrapbook for each child filled with photos and general observations which are then linked to the aspects of learning and a diary system which we use to bring home/setting life together. That is it!! We do a profile when they move onto school broken into the six areas of learning which is signed by the parent before we hand it to the school. The scrapbook is presented to the child on their last day with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 When a child goes to school they take with them a photo album of their time with us, an activity book which is full of 'activities' linked to the learning areas. The Developmental Record is a document issued to Pre-school, nurseries, etc in our area by Sure Start. It is called West Sussex Developmental Record for the Foundation Stage of Learning (WSDR). It has the words Celebrating achievement in the Early Years on the front cover. They have recently revamped the document! It is now ring bound and has shiny paper, before it was loose pages that I had to staple together. We are expected to pass this onto the next setting - we hope the schools read the record as a lot of work goes into completing it - it would be a shame if it wasn't looked at. Does any other area have the same document? Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted May 6, 2005 Share Posted May 6, 2005 Not exactly the same, but something similar in East Sussex called Stepping Forward profiles. They're a bit like the FS profiles; fairly dry documents to complete and pass onto schools if you wish. Settings aren't obliged to complete them, and I don't know many settings who do; to me, they are impersonal, parent unfriendly, and I don't believe that reception teachers have the time to sift through them all when their new intake arrive in September! We have "Special Books" along the lines of a scrapbook mentioned in an earlier post, in which our staff write observations, and stick in pictures and photos, often with the child present. These get sent home at Christmas and end of year, and yes, we too have some families who need to be asked repeatedly to bring them back. Most parents love to see the books, and some even add to them themselves, which is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 Yes, we too do this, Scrapbook-style record - children love them, so do parents, and yes, it's hard to get them back!!! Keep on! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts