Eprofile And Evidence

[Guest]

Hi guys,

 

Just in the middle of updating the profile. Our big target for improvement in FS this year is using observations to inform the profile, and my head is insistent that every point we tick off has evidence in the books/files to back it up.

 

However, there are a few points, such as 'dresses and manages own personal hygiene' that i dont feel it necessary to write observations for. we know who has achieved it (or, more honestly those who can't!), but do we seriously need to write an observation about it? Seems like paperwork gone mad.

 

What do others do? Xx

[garrison]

What we do is code the statements - we use PO for practitioner observation and link this to a sticky note or photo. Then we use PJ for practitioner judgement - these are the things we just 'know' but don't have an observation for. We also have PS for parental statement, this is what parents tell us the child can do

[catma]

Your HT is wrong. refer them to the EYFSP handbook page 9:

"The majority of evidence will come from the practitioner’s knowledge of the child

and observation of the child’s self-initiated activities.

Much evidence will be gleaned from day-to-day interactions with individuals and

groups of children as practitioners build up their knowledge of what children know

and can do, as this informs future practice and provision. This evidence, often not

formally recorded, provides the basis on which judgements are made."

 

 

And on page 12:

 

"Practitioners and EYFS profile moderators need to be aware that the definition

of evidence is any material, knowledge of the child, anecdotal incident, result of

observation or information from additional sources that support the overall picture

of the child’s development. There is no requirement that it should always be formally

recorded or documented.

 

Practitioners may choose to record specific evidence in order to secure their own

judgements, but it is their final assessment of the child, based on all their evidence

(documented or not) that informs the completion of the EYFS profile, and it is this

judgement that is moderated by the local authority. Much of the existing NAA

guidance refers to observing children in independent or self-initiated activities

as a critical way in which evidence is collected and judgements made on what

children really know and can do."

 

The handbook has all the requirements clearly explained. I'd give that to the HT.

Cx

[HappyMaz]

As so often, catma to the rescue!

[Guest]

Ha ha, thanks Catma! I'll show her that. It just seems ridiculous, for some of the points to write observations or print out photos, when we just 'know'!

 

To keep HT happy though, I like your suggestion Rachel, but how do you record whether it's PO, or PJ? Are you using e profile? X

[Guest tinkerbell]

Daft

send your head into the cloakroom to watch them get ready for playtime , or wash their hands for lunch.

[catma]

As so often, catma to the rescue! smile.gif

Thanks!!

 

Then we use PJ for practitioner judgement - these are the things we just 'know' but don't have an observation for.

 

Don't underestimate your "observations" though - you may just know it but you do need to be able to give anecdotal exemplification of how you know, which will be the observations you make just by being around the child. Everything we do with a child is observation!! We decide what is important to us to "keep" from those ongoing observations and that's the "evidence".

 

Just for the record - I've done moderations where the practitioner didn't get their files out AT ALL!! They were so confident in describing the child's behaviours and giving examples of what they know that I could easily see the range of evidence. And that's perfectly OK. I always say to practitioners that they just need to show me what they need to show me to support their knowledge, if they need to.

 

Cx

Edited October 13, 2011 by catma

[Guest ShelleyT]

At our moderation briefing last year I was told that 70% of the evidence is your knowledge of the child. x

[garrison]

In answer to your question we have all the statements wrote out (seperated into the 6 areas and then subdivisions. There are then 3 boxes after each one which would then have the code written in them

[Guest]

I have set up a much more thorough system this year which seems to be working well so far. I have codes for the different types of evidence that we have collected to arrive at the judgement eg TD=transition document, WS=work sample, p=photo, L=label w=wow voucher 0=narrative observation but I do also have TK which is teacher knowledge. If a child has changed for PE without needing any help, asks to go to the toilet and sorts himself out while there then I give them the point and just put TK in the box and don't have any other evidence. I do the same with other statements too such as 'separated from main carer'

deb

[catma]

Sounds very sensible and I always say that practitioners need a system that works for them, as long as they can accurately make the judgement then however they record keep is fine by me.

 

I'm all for:

 

Quality not quantity - the accuracy of assessment in EYFSP is not judged by the weight of the evidence file but by the usefulness of the observations made

Systems that are sensible and using the guidance to support practice E.g. there is nothing anywhere that says you have to have x number of obs to give a scale point yet I see pratitioners tying themselves up in knots with invented rules which they then cannot meet!!!

The child's voice. writing down what children is often the single most powerful observation you can make and shows more about actual understanding than anything else!

 

 

 

Cx

Edited October 16, 2011 by catma