Sue R Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Whoo hoo!!! We did it! My manager and myelf managed to convince the Directors that we could get through Ofsted with a planning system not based on Topics, and totally based on following the children's lead. For months now we've been plugging away at it, but at last we've managed to do it! We've put a lot of work in sorting out the new formats and there's still lots to be done in the way of 'tweaking', but we're on the way. Our nursery (DN) is trialling it over the traditional long summer break, then in September the other nursery is coming on board (subject to success, of course ). It'll mean a lot of work training and supporting the staff across the two nurseries but I'm just so pleased to be able to go with this one! Will let you know how it pans out, if you want Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 If we want??? Of course we want!! Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Sounds good to me and yes I would love to see how you manage the evidence to support this for Ofsted. That to me is the dreaded thing. I do topics which give us a general outline to the week but generally go off at tangents and then have to write it all up again on what we learnt. So it would be good to see it from another perspective Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Well done Sue - hope it all goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Well Done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Great, I certainly would like to see how it 'pans' out. Great the directors are confident with your obvious knowledge. Well done. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Oh Sue - help me do it that way...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Looking forward to the updates! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 Good for you, and yes please keep us posted as to how it goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 Oh I would love to do without topics it would be so nice to have it more child selected and not adult rotated!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 15, 2006 Author Share Posted July 15, 2006 Well, thanks for your interest, all! I will try to gather where we are now into a comprehensible form and post it for you all - I've just tried to, but I don't think it's too helpful......? Perhaps I'll set up a Consultancy when we're organised Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 Dont joke Sue, do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Bunny Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 That sounds great and the best of luck! How about a 'plan-free blog' from you, detailing the ups and (hopefully not too many) downs of the new system, so we can follow your journey? I for one would love to show the providers I support someone elses experiences as I try to get them to minimise paperwork but all I get back is 'but what about Ofsted?' You could be my saviour Sue!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 15, 2006 Author Share Posted July 15, 2006 Well, all, Susan and Running Bunny, particularly, a blog it is. Starting soon, my blog will be an online diary of the whole affair. You will see me, warts and all (you think I'm joking...) as I struggle to make a dream come true... well, one's come true this year! Why not two! Just watch that space (Oh, why do I do this!! MORE work!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 You do it because you know it makes sense I tried planning without a topic during my last months at playgroup, it worked for me but not all the staff, they had difficulty using their obs to inform the planning. aS AT THE TIME WE ONLY HAD GRANT FOR 33 WKS WE USED TO USE THE OTHER 6 WEEKS, SPEAD OVER THE TERMS AS OBS WEEKS AND THEN GET TOGETHER TO DISCUSS (POOH caps lock ) That was the intention anyway, I wish I'd been able to spend longer working on it because I could never get my head around how we should be showing ofsted and others detailed planning for the coming weeks and how Vygotsky's zone of proximinal learning could be included. How do you know what the children need to experience and how can you plan for it if the plans are already going dusty in a folder? Loads of luck with it Sue, and good on you for your powers of persausion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 I wasnt meaning start a blog, more a consultancy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 Can we have both? Not that Im greedy or anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 16, 2006 Author Share Posted July 16, 2006 Oh, goodness, now I'm really embarrassed!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 OK, you asked for it. I've just posted the first instalment in my blog. Good luck. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Sounds great, look forward to seeing how it works. Deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 What!! You've already read it! Must write more Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Read it! The setting I'm in at the moment is trying to use their observations to inform planning (2-3 room) but they are focusing on what a child cant do rather than what they are interested in. I'm trying to make the change in a very unobtrusive way and have been leaving observations of what the children found interesting or what they engadged in for the staff I dont see the rest of theweek. Slowley, slowely, catchy monkey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 Sue, Just catching up with everything after being on holiday. I've had a quick peek at the blog but need to sit down and read it more thoroughly when I get time. Good luck with the changes - can't wait to hear how its all going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 its excellent cant wait for more..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 I'm fascinated to see what your planning looks like. We (small sessional group) are struggling in delivering our planning now that we have children from 2 - 5 in our setting. Obviously, this is both the BTTM and FS Curriculum which makes twice the paperwork. If I am understanding you correctly child led planning would enable us to meet the needs of the individual children rather than prescriptive top-down planning. Some 18 months ago we changed to child initiated learning but hung on to our original topic based planning format - maybe mistakenly...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 23, 2006 Author Share Posted July 23, 2006 Our pre-school caters for 2.6 on, so hopefully will help!! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnlyn Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Dear Sue - could you please include me in your replies? and let me know when your blog is up and running! Sounds great idea to me and would love to start something like this in September too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Sounds really exciting Sue - I must admit when you first talked about the idea i was a bit unsure how how you could cater for the needs/interests of a large group (the children in our group last year had such diverse interests and abilities), but after following your blog - the pennies dropped! keep up the good work, I can't wait for the next installment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Dear Sue - could you please include me in your replies? and let me know when your blog is up and running! Sounds great idea to me and would love to start something like this in September too. Sues blog is already up and running. If you look at all the info on the left of the page under her name you will see 'My Blog' at the bottom. Click on this and hey presto, you will be taken to Sues blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmileyPR Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Congratulations, Sue, and well done ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts