Target Setting In Reception And Beyond

[mundia]

We have to, no choice, but there have a been a few problems getting it up and running. I even went on a course.

[Susan]

I've had a quick look.

I think I need to much info /data to make it work for me, unless someone else is setting it up, all those UPNs etc.!!

Thanks for the info though.

 

Susan

[Guest cat33]

Susan, sorry, missed your post. I am waiting till the E.profile comes from my authority too. Thought I had round it on qca but perhaps not. I just searched for it! Glad to hear you have found it.

Can anyone tell me what the essex phases is? Thanks

Chris

[Guest cat33]

essex phases are, sorry. Also what about skills factory. Just been to have a look at it. Any thoughts? (the things you learn in this forum!!)

Chris

[Susan]

Hi,

We have Curriculum complete4 from Skills Factory in school.

You can plan and track children's learning against Nat. curric objectives.

There is an online resource base for lesson planning----unless you are in Reception, when you can plan against stepping stones but there's no content!!

 

Since we purchased it Early Years Complete has been produced/published.

Our LEA was offerring / promoting CC4 at areduced price & I thought we had negotiated EYC instead but at the moment I'm still waiting. I would pressurise the ICT coord. to get it if I knew we would use it but don't want a useless resource on my conscience. She's actually one of my team & loves all things IT but I might not!!!

 

We've also just been bought a resource called "espresso". Any one used that in Reception? I think I might prefer the coffee!

 

Susan

[mundia]

Susan, sorry I forgot to tell the interesting bit about getting the SIMS data from your school system for the eprofile. I managed to do it at school, the instructions are straightforward, or you enter the data yourself -the children's UPN number will be in the register. But if you dont want to do it this year, I wouldnt bother, but we are told that it will become compulsory in the next year or two. Our reception teachers are quite happy with the speed of completion and not having all those booklets and bits of paper around, but its really down to personal choice.

If you do want to go ahead, just shout if I can help at all.

 

Ive never heard of espresso-sounds like a magician to me.

[Guest]

I am hearing the label "gifted and talented" more and more often just lately - our feeder nursery (a beacon school) has a gifted and talented register and they send children into my reception class who have been placed on this register - I usually find that they are at best slightly above average in literacy and numeracy and no better or worse than the majority of other children in other areas. I think the concept of gifted and talented has been misused somewhere along the line - i always thought it meant that a child had a particular strength or exceptional qualities in a certain area - music, maths, art etc. Certainly the children I get who have been given this label are no child prodigies - nowhere near in fact. They may be gifted or talented in relation to others in their particular setting but certainly not at any broader level. I also have concerns that parents are told that their child is on the "g and t" register and that they then have some unrealistic ideas about their child - they expect wonders when it is not going to happen!! I am concerned about this - any clarification or definitive indicators which tell us when a child is gifted or talented would be welcome. Or, if you have a gifted and talented list, how do you decide who goes on it - what measures do you use for progress and success? Looking forward to some replies!

[Susan]

Hi Angela,

My sentiments exactly.

 

I have had to give names for our G&T register, which I am told is a Government directive to raise awareness.

The definition is a child who performs at a higher level than his peer group.

Boxes were given ie sport, art, music but I refused to indicate that because I still think at this age children's development is for the most part affected by their age and by their experiences. I certainly have no prodigies!!

 

I have a very much more responsive class this year than often, and really find it difficult to say x is more G&T than y, so actually gave about 15 names of which I indicated 3 who I feel show alot of spark, but this is across the board. At the end of the year I may be able to classify these children more.

 

I feel very disillousioned about the whole set up, actually. Do we actually want children in boxes like this?

 

Susan

[Guest]

Essex phases - they are smaller steps than the stepping stones and were put together into a planning and assessment book with loads of "can do" statements. These were useful but rather unwieldy for practical day-to-day use, there being a separate record book for each curriculum area!

heyjude

[Guest]

Hiya Susan

 

Must have missed your post about the EY version of Skills FActory - our school initially got curriculum complete through our beacon school and used througout KS1 & 2 but we in the early years felt it did not do the things we needed for our planning. after emailing the guy who makes it i somehow got involved in the pilot version for the EY complete, which is much more user friendly for EY people, although at the moment i only use it to do MTP planning on. there are no online resources that i can find and i feel that it it a waste of time to complete the tracking programme as it is the same as the FS profile - repeating work twice!!!! i would like to use the programme for weekly plans etc, but prefer to use good ol' world where i am much more able to chop and change what i put in.

 

Also about Espresso - a bit of a sore point with me at the minute - when it is working it is great, lots of number and alphabet activities that are great for EY - i have 26 reception ch. and we go into the suite and work with drivers and passengers (More able and Less able in ICT skills) and then swap 1/2 way through. but we do not yet have headphones and the children are distracted by other machines and i seem to be expreienceing some difficulties with the server and am having to install microflash media or something similar everytime we log on to each machine - somewhat time consuming. having said all this when it does work it is great and the children enjoy it.

 

My i have written a lot - sorry!

 

Sarah

[Susan]

Thanks Sarah, thats really helpful!

Susan