Updating Of Operational Plan

[Guest]

OOh Peggy, Definately having NO PAPERWORK day tomorrow! Me and Hubby are going to town, may be lunch, who knows!

I am also having a 'no phone calls day' no ironing day', 'no washing day', 'no hoovering day' 'don't worry, be happy day' CAN'T WAIT!

 

Then Wednesday everything will loom over like a big dark cloud and reality will  set in - but at least I can look forward to Christmas day and Boxing day - these are my other two days of NO PAPERWORK!!

 

BUT I LOVE THE JOB! (Children anyway)

 

ENJOY your day tomorrow!

47879[/snapback]

 

 

Good idea to start a new topic on this one Kymberley. I need help though, don't know what to do?????????? ( see your topic)

 

Peggy

[Deb]

It's gone awfully quiet! I think everyone's taken heed of the no paperwork day(s). Apart from me as hubby's away and I've managed to put this off all week.

 

I have started the reorganisation of the operational plan

 

Have adapted Alison's format and added what I think should go where cos I really need to work things through in a methodical, logical, visual way. Part of the muddy water is clearing, although I have moved policies from one section to another and back again on many occasions and my head is beginning to spin. EG some policies/documents seem to relate to one outcome but also another standard which is in a different outcome???

 

I should stress this is a work in progress, and would be grateful if anybody would be kind enough to comment. I hope it might be a help to others on the other hand it could just terrify you all.

 

I feel this is the 'bones' of the operational plan, when I've sorted out where I think everything should go, we will discuss the 'meat' as a staff team.

 

Look forward to hearing from you if there's anybody there!!??

 

Deb

Contents_of_Operational_Plan.doc

Edited February 18, 2006 by Deb

[Posy]

I'm here Deb, I've been dipping in and out all afternoon, in between paperworkand cooking dinner for 6 tonight. Have had quick look at your policy and am impressed. We don't do one of these but wonder if we should? (independent school) Will be beetling in on Monday to ask.

Barb

[Guest]

I'm here too Deb, think it was a mistake having no paperwork day!! I'm trying to get everything organised for Monday and operational plan etc. etc. Just got to accept the fact that we have to work every day to keep on top of things.

Haven't had time to look on forum, but will keep popping in when I have had enough of writing!!

Have a good weekend (what's left of it!)

[Guest]

Hi Deb,

I,m still here, midday already and I'm avoiding work by logging in to the forum.

Thank you, Thank you, thank you, for sharing your work, it has motivated me to get on with mine. I think your framework is clear, consise and relevant.

I have been thinking it through over the last few days, which way to present my O.Plan now I have your great format to follow.

My initial thoughts after looking at yours is to add Routine to the Enjoying and Achieving section. I will also put my self assessment to each relevant section with any action plans, then evidence of how action plan is carried out to show progression/development, rather than put the self assessment at the end.

 

How often do you do a self assessment?

 

Peggy

[Deb]

Hi Peggy

 

Just got back from rugby with no 2 son, very cold and wet. Got half an operational plan ready to take back tomorrow, even took it with me! I think I work better when I'm up against it!

 

Ummm self evaluation - we're just doing ours for the first time at the moment, taking one outcome a week and it's painfully slow. Just going through the old OP shows how much we still have to do. Am adding to the list of contents all the time, think I will have a list of contents for each Standard section so that other staff know where to look, will share the lists when I've finished them but how long is a piece of string? Will add Routine also thanks.

 

How often should the self evaluation be done? As you say we will include our action points in each outcome and probably the form itself at the end.

 

Must also confess that although I've mentioned Bto3 , not sure what we've got yet to put in the OP for it. I guess we all have to start somewhere.

 

Would be glad to hear how you get on with yours.

 

Deb

[Guest]

Gone are the days that I stood in the cold and rain watching my son play football Makes me cold just thinking about it.

 

We did our 1st SEF in April last year, looked at it again in september and planned to do them each term. BUT, on hindsight it seems silly to re-write them so I plan to just evidence the action points, thus showing development. The time scale for review will then be dictated by the timescale of each action point.

 

For my BTTM, I shall include our BTT policy ( only just in draft form at the moment) and refer to any particular plans we do for individual childrens needs. I also think that the settling in policy etc is more relevant to BTT children ( as they tend to start at age 2 yrs) so will put that in that section.

 

I have diverted my efforts to doing my Kitemark work today, assessor is coming on Monday.

 

back to it then.....after checking view new posts

 

Peggy

[Deb]

Hi Peggy

 

OP seems to be more logical now, in some order although lots of things need updating or explaining which fits in quite well with our self evaluation. I'm hoping this will be more of a working file than somewhere to file important things. Will put in a link here when I've finally slotted everything into the right place, incase it would be useful to anybody else or an opportunity to discuss where something should really go!

 

Currently trying to find somewhere to put CRB info, bet someone could tell me! Under 'b'!

 

OP probably going to consist of 3 files: 1. OP 2. Planning 3. Newsletters, letters, press releases.

 

Would be very interested in seeing your BTTM policy when you've written it, if you wouldn't mind sharing?

[Guest]

Hi all..

i've just been browsing and dont know if i can help a great deal as we only opened in September. I went on an operational training day back in August and was told there isnt really a wrong way to do an OP that they are individual to each setting. (dont know if things have changed since then cause ive never heard of SHEEP or SHAPE!!) Mine is set out according to the national standards with every thing in there (floor plans, staff details, policies, aims, copies of forms it just goes on and on and on... ) i included a contents page, and when Ofsted turned up in January she asked me to show her different policies, procedures etc thank god for contents page as i could show her no problem... when i did the training i was told that if some one visits your setting they should be able to read the OP and know how the setting operates etc. Ofsted inspector said our OP was brilliant should think so cause it took months to write it and then had to change things. only advice from early years coordinator was to show in OP when you review policies.

I hope i dont need to change it all again to fit in with new format

Jo

would be more motivated if parents actually looked at it

[Alison]

Im dreading showing our operational plan to OFSTED not because Im worried its wrong but it is such a time consuming project to create one that I dont want the inspector to start telling me to add stuff or take stuff out ok Im paranoid!!!!

 

when I set out my OP under the 14 I found it useful to include in the front of each section a copy of the standard so that as I compiled evidence I could check it against the standard and it was easier than keep refering back to the standards book. Im now getting to grips with remembering what the standards require/suggest.

 

about Self evaluation forms our teacher mentor gave me a 22 page SEF to fill in which I did... and I must admit I found it a very useful exercise, time consuming but helpful, it was reasuring to read my self evaluation form and see exactly what needs improving rather than assuming everything is wrong.

 

Deb our information spills into 3 folders the same way 1) OP, 2) planning and then a 3rd box fill for newsletters ect

 

any way off to bed

 

night night all

[Deb]

Thanks for your replies.

 

Don't you just prickle when on a course you hear 'there's no right way or wrong way' to do something! So we are all floundering around in the dark wondering if all the time we are putting in is productive or not. I would much prefer it if someone just told me how to do it.

 

That's a great idea Alison to put a copy of the national standard in with each particular section. That's the only way I could decide what goes where, by looking at the standards but I was back on forth between one piece of paper and another.

 

If you're OP is organised into standards it would be very easy just to slot them into the 5 outcomes if you wanted to but I'm sure it's OK as it is.

 

My next task is to make the contents list easy to read so that it is clear where something is or should be filed, I will attach it when I have in case it is of help to anybody.

 

I do feel a sense of achievement and relief having re-organised it! My only concern is that it looks much like the last, I have to try somehow to make it user friendly for everyone especially the reluctant!

 

Deb

[Guest]

I agree that it is sometimes annoying when told that there is no right way and wrong way, especailly when you are struggling with something like planning and observations etc. But, sometimes I do feel that you just have to go with what works for you. I am not changing the format of our OP simply because the layout of it now is working for us and we know where everything is.

I had talked about changing our planning at our last OFSTED inspection, but the inspector told me not to. She asked if it was working well and did the staff like it. I said yes and she just said "Well don't fix it if it isn't broken". So that's what I am doing with our OP and I will wait and see what is said at our next inspection.

Linda

[Guest]

My question is; For who's benefit are we creating these Operational Plans, Inspectors, Staff, Parents? Why do it if no-one looks at it? what could we do instead, that does get used? Maybe I will have an OP for parents, an OP for staff and the Inspectors can look at both

 

I find mine difficult because my head says that it should be a "working, evolving document" it should show how we have developed and are still developin. My problem is, is that we are developing and changing on a daily basis ( minor adjustments to layout, routine, planning formats etc) and on a broader basis such as having regard to changes such as the 5 outcomes.

I really think to do it properly I will have to employ a person full time on just the task of updating the Operational Plan and disceminating the new information to all who need to know.

 

I just want to stop the roundabout spinning and get off for a little while (giddy head smiley)

 

Peggy

ps and I haven't even started my review of my old one yet- (produced 2 years ago under standards index)

[Deb]

For the inspectors I fear Peggy!

 

Have attached a list of the contents of our operational plan divided by the outcomes, sub-divided by the standards showing what we have in where.

 

As I said, this is just the bones of it we will add to it as a staff team. It is entirely possible that I have classified something in the wrong place, some forms have moved many times but it is a start. Hope it might be of use to someone as a starting point at least.

 

Not sure how we can show development, as I tend to dispose of out of date information with the uptodate stuff. I think Ofsted will just have to tell us if we've got to do something else, I've had enough of it now and could get crabby if I'm not careful

 

We have this OP, a file for newsletters, letters and news releases plus a planning file.

 

It has taken quite a long time, my desk is covered in paper but I feel good!! I feel a song coming on!

 

I've moved the file to a more prominent position in the setting so hopefully it will get used more (most of us were a little bit afraid of it!) and I'm going to put a note in the diary to check it once a term.

 

Should add, am happy for anybody to suggest any improvements!

Deb

Contents_of_Operational_Plan.doc