Foundation Stage Manager

[Guest hollyc]

Would really appreciate some responses from people who are foundation stage managers or co-ordinators. Was promoted to FS manager at my school in september as the previous manager retired. I work at a school with 2 reception classes of 25 children, we don't have a nursery. I am in my third year of teaching and have been teaching reception for 2 years, so it is still quite new. I am very confident with what I am doing in the classroom, but feel slightly unsure if I'm doing enough as the FS manager! have been asked by my head to set up a co-ordinator file (all co-ordinators have been asked to do this) and he has given me some guidelines as to what ot should contain. Was wondering what sort of information other FS managers kept? we will proboably be getting and ofsted next year so really wnat to make sure we are on track before that, especially as the Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage is now a seperate part of the inspection.

 

Any help greatly appreciated

[Susan]

HI holly

Iam the foundation stage/ reception coordinator in my school.

We also are working on coordinator files and the first thing I need to do is to establish whether or not my head wants a FS policy. We have had mixed messages about what is required and I must pin her down on this and sort it if we do.

We have 3 classes each with 30 children, a NN & a part time Lsa. Plus SEN support for named children so quite a large staff to coordinate and 1 is causing me mega grief at the moment. I have 1pm each week as release time and need to get into the classrooms to get to know the children and see the staff working together before profiles loom even larger!

My manangement role needs to be redefined for me too as I keep finding myself uncertain of exactly what power or influence I actually have.

I am more than willing to converse with you and if we can help one another thta would be great.

 

Susan

[mundia]

Hi there Holly, and welcome to the forum (if we havent already)

I am also phase manager- 2 reception plus nursery

When we had OFSTED, we were given an agreed format for our coordinators files- I thought this was quite common practice but it apears not. I would be happy to send you a copy of the contents page if you would like.

Off the top of my head it includes things like policies, action plan, performance managemenet, monitoring, assessments info, long term plans, reports to governing body, training that staff have been on and budget info. I have a separate file for plannng. I sure I have left somethings out.

I hope that you are being given some NC time to do this ( I dont get any).

If you are new to the role, Im sure that your head will understand this and let you take it gently

 

[JacquieL]

I am Foundation Stage co-ordinator as part of my role as Early Years

Co-ordinator. We have a nursery and one reception class. We also have just got a Neighbourhood Nursery.

As FS Iam responsible for:

Foundation Stage Policies - These are in one booklet with a policy for each ELG area and also entry policies. (Other Policies such as SEN, Behaviour, Child Protection are whole school policies so just cross referenced.)

Monitoring teaching and learning. I do one area each term - not much non-contact time so I have to fit it in around the day.

Liaising with Neighbourhood Nursery team with our nursery teacher and Headteacher. Once a month.

Drawing up the FS Action Plan (with FS team) and monitoring its progress for the school development plan.

Annual talk with my curriculum governor reporting on progress.

Occasional invite to governor's curriculum meeting to talk about an issue they wish to know about. Last one was about the FS Pupil Profile

Member of SMT

Identifying staff training needs.

Internal moderation of assessment profiles etc.

FS practitioner meetings.

Parent information booklets.

Organising talks to parents.

Keeping up to date on practice.

Think that is about it. Sounds onerous but it isn't really once things begin to get into place and if you work as a team.

You need your action plan, and if you have OFSTED it is important to know your strengths and weakness and have a plan to show how you will deal with them. If you have a lot to do your action plan shows when it is to be done, and that will be spread over several years, so prioritise.

Hope this helps.

[Guest hollyc]

Thanks for the replies. Have been given a brief guideline by our head as to what the file should contain. Am really starting from scratch so it feels like there is so much to do! Think i just need to build it up slowly. have made an action plan and there is already a policy in place, that just needs reviewing. Don't get any non contact time so am trying to do bits as and when I can! Jacquie, when you say you monitor a different area each term what do you actually do? This is the area where i am a litle unsure?! What sort of evidence to you keep and how do you monitor the teaching and learning?

 

Holly

[JacquieL]

Basically I use the medium term plan for the area am looking at. I check the activities and learning objectives in the plan and look for evidence that this has taken place. In practice we (nursery staff and myself) are in and out of eah others rooms and I have a good idea of what is going on and where. We talk about what the children have been doing and how individual children have responded, what has gone well and not so well, and what individual children may have come up with. We then talk about progress made by some of the children. This is fairly informal and we exchange ideas and information all the time. I use a simple form to record evidence based on the medium term plan and put this in my file.

When I was looking in detail at encouraging writing I set up a pro-forma of everything I was looking for and just jotted down evidence for discussion. I asked the literacy co-ordinator to look at me using the same format.

We also use a continuous profile so looking at that, especially when the children are ready to come to reception gives us an idea of strengths and weaknesses, and we try to improve in those areas. I have to say that sometimes what we try doesn't make a huge amount of difference! So back to the drawing board.