Early Years Cluster Meetings Ideas

[Guest]

Hi everyone!

Part of my performance development this year is to establish an Early Years Cluster group as we currently don't have one! I am excited but a bit daunted by the challenge!! I have no issue with the organisation side of things, but I would appreciate knowing how yours all work! What format do they take? How often? More specifically, what focuses have worked well? I was thinking of holding them in a different setting each time and having a focus like roleplay, developing boys writing etc, but I haven't got all the answers to 'train' everyone - do you just put the focus out there and expect everyone to bring something to share? Thanks in advance!

[Guest]

our cluster meeting is tomorrow night and is a joint meeting between reception teacher and early years practitioners. our focus this time is reflecting on the transition process, what worked and what didn't and boys and writing. We all bring our ideas and questions to the meeting and ther is usually quite a lively debate, our co-ordinator usually introduces the initial idea and then leaves it open to the floor, we usually have a foundation stage advisor/early years teacher who starts things off and then its left to us to input.

[catma]

Our LA clusters try to focus on standards as a core issue and use the cluster data for EYFS as a basis for identifying common issues.

 

Cx

[Guest]

Our cluster meetings involve local schools, childminders, creche's playgroups and nurseries.

We meet once per term in a different setting each time and at different times to suit those working in full day care and the childminders

 

We decide at the meeting what we want to discuss at the next meeting and I as the cluster group representative so to speak bring along any information I have been sent to pass on to everyone.

 

For many of us it is an opportunity to meet other practitioners coping with the same issues as us!

 

Good luck!!

[garrison]

Ours are often about moderation - making sure that we all interpret the eyfs statements in the same way. Other subjects include transition meetings twice per year and a latest developments eg new eyfs

We have PVIs and reception teachers attend and are held every term in different settings.

Our eyfs consultant for the area did use to arrange them but she has now handed it over to a reception teacher

[Guest]

Hi our school is part of a cluster group separate from the authority. There are approx 40 schools in the partnership and we have split further into locality groups. There are 7 of us who meet at least once a term and all the schools are our closest schools. Last year was the start of our foundation stage cluster and we arranged for all of us to visit each others settings. This took place over the course of 3 sessions. We all strangely had PPA on a Thursday afternoon so this is when we did it. A pain to lose out on PPA but oh so valuable. Seeing each other's classroom layouts, resources, displays was so useful. This year we have decided that we would like to look at each other's planning and share ideas often just having the time to bounce ideas off other practitioners is valuable even if there isn't a focus.

 

Deb

[Guest]

Thanks so much for that! Have bitten the bullet and sent out flyers today, keeping the first meeting fairly loose, then we can set an agenda and float some ideas for discussion! x