Baseline Assessment

[Guest]

I work within a small chain of day nurseries.

Recently one of the settings had Ofsted in and it was highlighted that there although a care plan is written for each child upon them starting within the nursery there is no document used to assess the child's stage of development.

This resulted in one of the EYPs within the chain producing a set of documents that can be used for such purpose. My manager is opposed to ticking boxes for the sake of it, so I suggested using the traffic light colours to use alongside the development matters instead. (like on the formative assessment documents). She wanted the staff to write a progress document instead but my argument is how can you do that when you are still getting to know the child, using the development matters and traffic light when emerging, mastered etc makes more sense to me. ( I am rambling I know)

 

I was wondering do any of you have a document that you use to record the development upon starting at your setting and does anyone have a format they could share.

[Scarlettangel]

We use the development statements pretty much as they are in the EYFS book!

 

We highlight these in various colours which denote the term we feel the child reaches these statements. They are dated to link to the learning journey photos and obs

 

We share a summary with the parents each term. It shows each of the areas and characteristics of effective learning.

These are Arked E emerging, D developing or S secure.

 

Don't have any to had as I am in bed on iPad but let me now if you want the documents.

Message me!

[Wildflowers]

The high lightening of the DMs and the traffic light system are both tick lists in my view, but also ways to track progress.

We're supposed not to tick but to track, but don't really understand how to remember and have a good overview without

keeping track by 'ticking' in one way or another.

[Scarlettangel]

I think the highlighting or ticking are ways to prove progress and development for anyone coming in and wanting just to see ages and stages, not learning journeys which show these things in work or photographs or observations but take longer to look at.

 

Sorry for mistakes in my earlier message I didnt read it back before posting.

Honest I am not illiterate!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited June 26, 2013 by Scarlettangel

[finleysmaid]

are you sure ofsted was asking for you to baseline...or were they asking if you gained information about where the children are from their parents?

[sunnyday]

are you sure ofsted was asking for you to baseline...or were they asking if you gained information about where the children are from their parents?

 

I wondered that too - does sound far more likely to me........if this is the case Cait has shared her wonderful work for this area in the 'Resources' :1b That's what I use :1b Ofsted have 'seen and liked'!

[thumperrabbit]

We also had 'baseline' as an area to look at on at our last Ofsted which was 18mths ago - I explained and showed to the inspector that the starting points of the children was taken from discussions with parents when children first start and from our own observations but she said it wasn't good enough.

She gave an example of what she wanted to see which were sheets showing where the children had drawn a picture of themselves, what numbers they knew, shapes they could name, shapes they could draw etc

 

Our children start at 2 and I felt this was a little 'high' in expectations for them, when I spoke to my Early Years advisor about it she told me to ignore it, that the inspector sounded very 'old school'!!!

 

I have to say I have ignored it, but do worry sometimes that I haven't done anything about it :mellow:

[sunnyday]

She gave an example of what she wanted to see which were sheets showing where the children had drawn a picture of themselves, what numbers they knew, shapes they could name, shapes they could draw etc

 

Our children start at 2 and I felt this was a little 'high' in expectations for them,

 

Thumper - I am shocked and horrified - that would have made me very argumentative if it had been said to me

[thumperrabbit]

Thumper - I am shocked and horrified - that would have made me very argumentative if it had been said to me

I probably would argue it out now Sunnyday, but that was my first inspection 'being in charge'

[sunnyday]

I probably would argue it out now Sunnyday, but that was my first inspection 'being in charge'

 

Of course, thumper - that wasn't intended to be critical - and I really wouldn't advise having a 'row' anyway - I have given a 'newish' staff member (who is great but rather out spoken) a wee warning about this - it went something along the lines of "when we are being inspected please try not to get into any lengthy debate if at all possible" - for 'lengthy debate' read 'argument' - she ties herself in knots at times and what she is saying doesn't always make sense :blink: have also said "don't be lulled into a false sense of security these people are not 'friends'"! Bet you're glad you don't work for me!!!

 

Best bit of all is that having issued these warnings I could easily be tempted into a 'row', 'debate' 'argument' (take your pick) myself!!! :rolleyes:

[Guest SamG]

I found a fantastic document on here that we have included in our All About Me books that parents fill in. It gives us a starting point and then we use this to help do our baseline assessment after 4 to 6 weeks once we know the child.

 

http://eyfs.info/forums/files/file/592-in-the-beginning/

[Guest]

Thanks guys for your suggestions, you have put me at ease with what I have suggested to use. Im sure ofsted were aiming at 'baseline' as we already have a document that we fill in with the parents to see where they are. SamG that document you found seems good, may tweak it a bit.

 

We use the development statements pretty much as they are in the EYFS book!

We highlight these in various colours which denote the term we feel the child reaches these statements. They are dated to link to the learning journey photos and obs

We share a summary with the parents each term. It shows each of the areas and characteristics of effective learning.
These are Arked E emerging, D developing or S secure.

Don't have any to had as I am in bed on iPad but let me now if you want the documents.
Message me!

This is more or less how we do it now in our setting so think with a bit of tweaking it will be what they are looking for.