Confidentiality

[gef918]

I'm just putting together evidence for OFSTED about how I communicate with parents. Can I include e-mails between myself and parents, if not in my SEF file, then in learning journeys?

[rickysmiths]

I don't complete a SEF.

I keep two folders on a child. One is purely the business one which has copies of Contracts and all the Permission forms etc that the parents complete when they join me. There is also a copy of the introductory letter welcoming them to my setting and informing them of the rest of my holidays for the year and any other relevant info. There would also be copies of any other letters or emails in there so Ofsted could see communication was happening at that level. ( I always remove from these files Contracts and any financial info prior to an Ofsted visit).

The second folder contains the Daily Diary Book and the LJ or if they are more than 3 days I have a combined one but they do the same job. These both show how I work with parents and show information that is shared on a Daily basis.

I have photographs above the children's pegs with photos of where we have been and what we have been doing and I change these roughly ever 2-3 months so parents can see what we have been doing and where we have been going.

I have actually just laminated a selection of leaves and flowers we have collected on our walks and visits to local parks in the last 2 weeks they are up by the door that the parents come in and out of so they can see them. If we go on a trip I often let the children choose post cards and I buy them and those are up in the hall around their pegs.

I have a small Notice Board in the Hall with my reg Cert, the Ofsted Poster, my Employer's Insurance Cert and any local info that might be of interest to my parents.

I have story sacks and buggy buddies that I send home for the parents to use with their children.

All of these things show Ofsted how I am working with parents on a daily basis. It is not just the written word.

[gef918]

I don't complete a SEF.

I keep two folders on a child. One is purely the business one which has copies of Contracts and all the Permission forms etc that the parents complete when they join me. There is also a copy of the introductory letter welcoming them to my setting and informing them of the rest of my holidays for the year and any other relevant info. There would also be copies of any other letters or emails in there so Ofsted could see communication was happening at that level. ( I always remove from these files Contracts and any financial info prior to an Ofsted visit).

The second folder contains the Daily Diary Book and the LJ or if they are more than 3 days I have a combined one but they do the same job. These both show how I work with parents and show information that is shared on a Daily basis.

I have photographs above the children's pegs with photos of where we have been and what we have been doing and I change these roughly ever 2-3 months so parents can see what we have been doing and where we have been going.

I have actually just laminated a selection of leaves and flowers we have collected on our walks and visits to local parks in the last 2 weeks they are up by the door that the parents come in and out of so they can see them. If we go on a trip I often let the children choose post cards and I buy them and those are up in the hall around their pegs.

I have a small Notice Board in the Hall with my reg Cert, the Ofsted Poster, my Employer's Insurance Cert and any local info that might be of interest to my parents.

I have story sacks and buggy buddies that I send home for the parents to use with their children.

All of these things show Ofsted how I am working with parents on a daily basis. It is not just the written word.

I absolutely agree! And I have pointed out in my SEF all of the different ways I work with parents.

Just wondering if they can see the e-mails, since I don't have specific permission for them to do so (although I do have permission for them to see the learning journeys, so thought I could put e-mails in there). I'[m planning on bombarding the inspector with information and evidence to reduce the number of questions she asks me. I crumble under pressure!

[sarah707]

I wouldn't quote emails - just say they are one way you share information :D

[Helen79]

I have a folder that I write down anything that I give to parents with dates and any parent feedback, so I include newsletters, any leaflets or advice sheets from the children's centre or any general letters that go out to all parents about things like holiday dates.

I wouldn't put individual emails to parents though as I would see these as being confidential unless they're to all parents and aren't about specific issues relating to the children.

[Bumble Beez]

I personally wouldn't include emails as I feel this might be slightly over stepping the trust with parents...although rickysmiths post on showing parents what they do and keeping them in the loop is fab, I have a pin board that parents can look at when they arrive and this includes pictures of where we've been and what we've done also.
I also keep a file of all letters and info given to parents...this will all help!
Have you got a 'sharing' sheet in the LJ's? What parents and other settings sign to say they've seen it?

Sarah x

[FussyElmo]

What I did was write anything important down in my diary about emails/texts that was important.

I think if you said you only communicated by email she may want to see comments/info from them not actual emails. But as you say its one way they communicate you are offering every method to make life easily for parents.