Statutory Requirements For Fs

[Guest]

My school in Herts has had a few children transfer into our FSU over the course of the term from several other schools and I've had varying levels of record-keeping sent on to me.

Out of the three Reception children, one sent on the Nursery Learning Record booklet - fantastic, I could readily drop the info into the eProfile and crack on.

One child went to a private Nursery and therefore had 'no records' to pass on to us (particularly no NLR) - is this normal?

One went to a state school Nursery and started in their Reception - and only used the tally sheets (summative) for both NLR & FSP. The FSP was started from scratch by their Reception teacher, without having looked at the child's NLR at all. From the NLR tally summary I couldn't tell what the entry scores were and so didn't know what her rate of progress was like etc. Not very useful. There is still no sign of the fold-out booklet and I'm beginning to doubt they use them - is this commonplace, a huge lack of formative assessment in FS?!

The real blinder was the Y1 child who came to us from the London school who "don't use the FSP"! I thought it was a statutory requirement to complete it at the end of the FS? And even if paper copies have gone astray surely there'll be records of levels on the school's computer system... won't there??

I wonder if anyone can shed any light on the Herts way of doing things in particular. Is it statutory to send in entry NLR & exit FSP? Also, are the fold-out (usually coloured) booklets compulsory in Herts? Are private nurseries still obliged to provide this info too?

 

Thanks heaps everyone.

[Marion]

I'm not in Herts but the booklets aren't compulsory anywhere only reporting the scores at the end of the Foundation Stage.

http://www.qca.org.uk/163.html#What_do_pra...oner_have_to_do

There is no requirement for schools to use the scales booklet or the eProfile to record ongoing assessments. Only the profile summary needs to be completed.

Practitioners will be able to use the completed profiles (either in their entirety or selectively) as a basis for their annual report to parents, if they so wish.

Further information can be found in the Foundation stage profile handbook available from QCA Orderline on 08700 60 60 15 (QCA/03/1006).

[Rea]

The way I've always understood the FS documentation is that we use it to help us record childrens progress, to show where the children are in their development and to help us plan. In reality, from the settings I've been to (private, council, voluntary), the FS is followed because Ofsted say we have to for funding, that everywhere has it's own way of recording and planning using the FS document and that passing this information onto schools is hit and miss, partly from a nursery point of view and partly from a school point of view of not reading or wanting them. I've been in nurseries which use the profile and some who dont, seeing it as something to use at the end of FS not end of nursery. Some settings 'tick off' a stepping stone when they have done one focused activity on it others who 'tick off' when the child reaches the approximate age based on the colour boxes and others who wait until there is positive proof of the childs ability.

And all these places are inspected on the same things ands in most cases have a pass.

[Sue R]

Well,

 

sorry Rea for not responding before, but things have been a bit 'sky-eyed and crooked' - or whatever the quote/phrase is!!

 

Yes, isn't it just amazing how settings and - even more importantly - INSPECTORS can vary!!?!

 

Fortunately, I've always had an early years specialist, but that can go the other way, too, as they know best practice in the EY!!!!

 

Sue