Yr Planning Using Nc Objectives

[Guest]

Ok, so I'm due to start a new job on Monday, teaching full time in YR until May. However, the planning has already thrown me and I wondered what everyone thought about my situation.

 

Today I sat down to look through the lap top I've been given that has the programme 'curriculum complete', which I have to use for planning. Basically, the teacher I'm covering told me the FS section of this programme is naff (only has CLL, MD then basically 'other subjects') so she is using the NC format. This means that the planning looks extremely prescriptive, with ALL NC subjects featuring and having their own learning objectives and all subjects featuring on the class timetable.

I've got the med. term planning to do - although I've been provided with some MT guidelines for numeracy and literacy for what areas of learning and objectives I need to cover - plus of course my week to week planning and have to have my planning ready to submit to the head during week 2.

At the mo. all I want to do is go to the head and tell him I don't teach like this (throughout my interview I banged on about learning through play etc.) in the hope that he may let me adapt it to make it more child-centred and appropriate to the year I'm teaching.

 

Just in case the teacher I'm referring to is reading this - I apologise, but I just can't see how this can work.

 

Also, should we get the dreaded call during my time there, I'm going to be in a really difficult situation to explain why I'm teaching the NC to YR.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Am I being unreasonable or reading too much in to this?

At the moment I feel like I'm going slightly mad and I haven't even started yet.

[Marion]

Got to say I'd feel the same and your'e right OFSTED would have a field day if they arrived to see FS children being taught this way. Have you looked at the FS section of the program to see what you think? Could be the previous teacher just doesn't like it.

[Sue R]

Lots of sympathy coming your way!! As you may remember, I'm in a DN so really can't help, just wanted to say it's lovely to see you around again, rooting for you!!

 

Sue

[Susan]

hi chocolate girl

we had curriculum complete at my last school and I didnt like it!

It does have, or it did, more resources for FS than you describe and they developed an Early Years version shortly after we bought ours. Never managed to find out the difference though!

Have you looked on the website---I think it was skills factory?

[Guest]

You're quite right Marion - I should look at the FS section myself and will do so tomorrow.

I took a look at the skills factory website; the programme they refer to is primary complete, but perhaps this is what has evolved from curriculum complete as when I put CC in to a search engine I couldn't find anything apart from a link to the skills factory again.

 

The potential problem is that a) I'm stuck using a programme, which though it is early days, I have to say I'm not keen on, and if I do prefer the FS section of the programme, I'm not sure whether I'd be allowed to change, given that the actual class teacher will be returning in May.

 

Thanks for your words of support and suggestions. If anyone else out there has experience of using this programme, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts - also any ideas for how to tackle the planning if I am stuck with the existing process.

 

Just had another thought - a few years back when I was training, our school used Primary Report Writer to do all our reports; this programme reminds me a lot of that - maybe it's produced by the same company. What I do remember though is that the FS teachers didn't get on with the FS section of that programme and opted out. Seems a bit too similar to be coincidence?

[Marion]

I did see on the web site that there is a program call Early Years Complete too maybe this is something the school needs to look at if they want to plan this way and still be FS 'friendly' Its very difficult when you are only there for a short time and unsure of school policy regarding things to know how much is 'down' to the regular class teacher's preferences and how much is imposed by the school.

 

Good Luck

 

(I think I saw the report writer program on the index for the web site too)

[Guest]

I've had a bit more of a chance to look at the programme as a whole and it seems that the programme includes 'Early Years Complete' for the FS, 'Curriculum Complete' for all other key stages and also a report writer, which I haven't looked at, as I won't be doing their reports.

 

Having looked at the EY section, I can see why the other teacher hasn't used it; there doesn't seem to be any way of dividing the 'Areas of Learning' section (for anything other than CLL and MD) in to more sections, making it very difficult, if not impossible to use this alone for planning for 4 areas of learning. If there is anyone out there who knows differently, please let me know as this seems the most obvious solution. It may be that more recent productions of this programme include something along these lines.

 

What I think I'm going to do, is do fairly loose planning for next week and use it as an opportunity to get to know the children, their routines and the classroom and resources a bit better. I will then probably meet with the Head to see where to go from there.

 

The other consideration is that we have an INSET day next Friday, which involves us all going to BETT in London. I have to admit I'd never heard of BETT, but apparently it's to do with ICT etc. in schools, and the 'Primary Complete' programme won a BETT award. It might be that there's an opportunity to find out how other YR teachers use the programme and see if we could get our updated if it proved worthwhile.

[Susan]

Good idea, Chocolate Girl!!

I have to say that when the official trainer showed us how to use the programme, it looked possible but when I tried to use it mself I found it very different and impractical. I wasnt planning to stepping stones but directly to ELGs and as I remember the SS were listed. Have you found that?

[Guest]

Hi we bought in curriculum complete and I totally sympathise with you!! I am in Reception and we also have early years complete. Although it does let you plan for the other areas it is just in one section and not divided into the other areas of learning! You will probably come across the same problems I did - there are stepping stones missing and it only lets you put 60 objectives into one topic - which is a problem for medium term plan of four areas!! Our nursery teacher rang them up to complain! I also don't like the format - when you type too much in one day it automatically jumps on to the day after the next, you cannot copy cut and past whole days across the grid you have to copy each individual section!! Sorry to ramble on but i totally understand how you feel. The only good thing it does is assessment, it allows you to track individual children and gives you progress charts - but only against the early learning goals - although there is a way to make the other stepping stones main objectives too and therefore you can assess them. I was able to subdivide the other areas strand by adding a 'new group' to the class page and putting all the children into it! I also worked out how to add my own objectives for RE etc. I understand how you feel and it is not practical for the foundation stage - if there is any help I can give you or you have any questions please feel free to ask

 

kat xxx