New to reception

[johncross]

Hello everyone, I have returned to teaching in the EYFS after a spell away in year 1. I now teach a mixed rec, year 1 and year 2 class. I am feeling pretty overwhelmed at the moment and worried sick that I am not doing things correctly.

I have two TAs and rotate around each week so I get time with each year group but I do feel out of control at times and particularly feel that I am not getting to know the reception children as well as I should. I am worrying about everything at the moment from provision to moderation!

We have been using Tapestry since the autumn term but my question is what else do people do to collect evidence? Do people also have files or books for writing and number work? What do people use to track progress to show emerging, expected and exceeding? Should I just use Tapestry info to highlight a paper tracker? Sorry if I am being dumb but with Year 2 SATs to get my head round too I can feel myself going under.

Thanks in advance.

[Guest]

Wow - two whole key stages in one class is a tall order, no wonder you're feeling a bit busy, especially with the KS1 curriculum being new too.

I teach Year R. We use Target Tracker to keep a log of progress, Tapestry does the same job as far as I gather. You can also use it to record your observations of children and lots of evidence, but really you need a tapestry expert to explain that.

We gather paper evidence and file it in an A4 ringbinder for each child. We divide the folder into the areas of the curriculum with a plastic wallet to put short observations in and then other bits filed behind.

We do an individual piece of writing each week, and this goes in the file, handwriting in a book each week, and occasionally we record Maths in a little book with big squares.

I do take lots of photos and annotate them which takes a lot of time - but I don't print them, just store them in children's folders on the computer, and I think you can link these to your tapestry files too which would be handy.

Keep smiling - nearly half-term!

[johncross]

Thank you marywilliam,

 

I record most observations using Tapestry, I have a topic floor book that I record group work (as a church school I also have to keep an RE floor book too) and then each child has a maths and writing file. I love Tapestry and it does give me lots of data and analysis I was just not sure if people using Tapestry also tracked in another way too. I might be worrying too much I just don't want to be doing it wrong or not doing something I should be doing as I have had no advice at all.

 

Thanks again.

Edited February 11, 2016 by johncross

[catma]

THere are two things to consider really:

1) your tracking to demonstrate progress from their starting points.

2) your evidence that will support the summative EYFSP judgement against the ELGs (or not)

 

The observations you capture will support and illustrate your judgements and demonstrate progress, but they are not everything you will have as "evidence". The definition in the EYFSp handbook helpfully reminds us that it is everything known and recorded or not about the child. Don't forget your knowledge is also evidence and is just as important.

 

When I moderate my only question is how do you know the child is meeting the ELG (or going beyond/not yet meeting)

 

Cx

Edited February 12, 2016 by catma

[johncross]

Thank you so much for the advice C. I appreciate being pointed in the right direction. x