Could You Answer This Question?!

[Guest]

Please could any one help? I've got a meeting with the deputy head on Monday morning as part of a self evaluation form for OFSTED one of the questions is:

How well do learners achieve in the Foundation Stage?

How on earth do I go about answering this? All I keep thinking is well how do I know unless I can compare how well they achieve in relation to other schools (and as this is the only school I've taught in I haven't a clue )

I'm sure I have really....I suppose I should show the FSprofile results as compared to the rest of the LEA?

Any other ideas?

[mundia]

I ve just completed this part of the SEf but I dont have it with me. Im sure we commented on the profile results, which areas of elarning we felt we nede to develop further (in our case reading), how we intended to do this. I think we also commented on theri on entry profile and how we track them from nursery to show progress.

 

Im sure many of us have this nigtmare but Ill get back to you when I get my stuff from school if anyone else hasnt jumped in with infinitaly more useful info by then...

[Guest]

Not too sure if I can answer but I would say that you should look at their starting points on entry, my concerns of comparing with other FS profiles is that you may be comparing apples and pears - you may have a particularly great group who have achieved all that they should and more or you may have a group that has lots of "additional needs". They will all be different and whilst you could use this in some way perhaps against national averages would this be a true reflection on your particular group and what they have learnt and acheived. Has the group achieved more in one particular area, if so why is that or have they underachieved in another area, if so why and reflect on what you will need to do or why you feel it is important. Look at and analyse the areas you feel you and the children have excelled at and that have brought the children on, explain why and how this has been achieved, have they moved through all the stepping stones into the early learning goals in the FS and how was this achieved through your teaching streategies.

Not too sure if this makes any sense and I am probably not qualified to say as I am not a teacher - but am taking time out of my assignments an danything is better than flogging what appears to be a dead horse at the moment

Nikki

[Guest]

I am afraid to say that OFsted are looking for data as evidence. Therefore your profile results should absolutely inform your SEF. They were asking us about on entry assessment something we thought had died away but no it's all about 'value added'. SO look at how your last cohort compared to the LEA figures. How does your school compare to the average school for the authority? Are there any special factors either good or bad which may affect your scores. Refer to the PANDA. (oh yes it really is called that!) If there are some scores that stand out as being above /below average do you know why? What do you intend to do about it? If it all sounds horribly about numbers and not children I'm afraid it is. But ideally you should be able to relate the numbers to the children. THere is a new document just out the name of which escapes me but is about supporting the transition from reception to year one. It arrived in our school on last Monday before Ofsted came on Wednesday. There is a whole section about analysing the profiles in microdetail. Some of it made sense. It's all about number cruching. I do it when I'm feeling stressed as I find playing with numbers restful - it's nothing really to do with teaching.

[Guest]

We had to answer this question lst year, our local authority had done a study of children at the local secondary school, those that had been through our nursery and school did better than those you had not. Our pupils were more likely to go to university and all the Oxbridge entrants came from our school. They had all been through our foundation stage.

If you don't have access to this information you could look at the SATs results for your school.

[Guest]

This is all starting to make a bit more sense now...and scare me a bit more too! Mundina-if you do get chance to dig your stuff out I'd really appreciate it. Thanks Nicola and androyd-what do you use for your on entry assessment for value added? We have ROA which includes stepping stones and profile points but doesn't have really BASIC stuff-ie to prove how well below national average they are when they first come in (which our children are). Would like to see an example of this. Thanks for all replies

[Guest]

androyd has said pretty much what I would say. You need to have some indication about what the children are like when they come into your class/setting so that, at the end of the year, you can show how much progress they have made. If children seem to be making great progress in one area and not in others, you need to be able to suggest reasons why - and what you intend to do/have done about it. Comparisons with other 'similar schools' will probably be made?? BUT each school/cohort is different. Statistics it appears are all important.

 

Harricroft

[Guest]

Re our entry/starting points - sorry nothing too scientific - just dated short sharp observations on each of the areas and aspects of learning of where they are when they arrive within the first half term. all my obs are dated so I can see the progress over the year and know where they need guidance.

Nikki

Nikki

[Guest]

Hi Nicola, are these observations kind of negative in that they state what the child can notdo? It sounds harsh but I would prefer that as at the mment our LEA produced record of achievement is all 'beginning to....' well they are all beginningtoo-ie interact with peers/manage their own personal hygiene but its not specific enough-ie this child snatches toys, this child isn't toilet trained. Some kind of tick sheet guidance with these basic cans and cants would be useful-I wonder if theres anyone out there who has something like this?

[Guest]

Had meeting yesterday and was decided that we need more time to actually analyse the profile results when they are sent back. Another question-we have our results compared to LEA how could results be compared nationally? Also, how much time do you get given to look at results (by the time they come through-sure it wasnt until Jan last year? I've forgotten the children and passed up all their records) but if we are to look to see what the cohort was poor at and what we can do to address this for future children we need to be given TIME to look at the data

Any one got any examples of what assessment you do at verybeginning of FS stage to be used as value added?

Thanks Zim

[Guest]

We rely heavily on the excellent preschool records that we receive but we do a quick check for counting, numeral recognition, ability to write name and basic sounds knowledge, as these are things that can slide over the summer.

[Posy]

Zim, I have used an initial profile that I got from London Borough Merton, it is quite time consuming but very thorough. I adapted it to use with new nursery children (and use original as a sort of aide memoire) Don't have it on disc but could (mail) post it to you if you want.

Barb

[mundia]

sorry zim not to have got back to you. My head still has all teh cpontributions we made to the SEf (silly me for not keeping my own copy which i usually do) and she is very elusive.

 

However I do know that the national FSP data for 2005 comes out on the 13th OCt. (should you feel inspired for some bed time reading and analysis) Sdaly cant rememeber where I heard this but Im guessing standards site would be a good place to start looking?

[Guest]

Thanks for all your replies-here I am nearly 2 months later! Thanks for offer to post profile Barb that was kind but if its time consuming then it would be no use as we already have a 12 record of achievemnet page document to fill in on each child and apparently OFSTED (who have been into other schools in our lea) like the format. However, not sure whether we should produce another basic on entry assessment with points like can fasten coat, can recognise these colours, can count etc. The on entry columns in the booklet say for eg 'is beginning to manage their own personal hygiene' well they're all beginning to. Do you think we would be wasting our time filling in another sheet or do you think it would be useful for showing value added? What do others do? I would appreciate examples-eg can put on shoes-know it sounds obvious but these are the kinds of things i'm after and interested to know how useful people find them

Thanks again