frequency of learning journey
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  1. #1
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    I went on an Information/Answer your questions session today set up by my local council.

    Learning Journeys were a big topic (as they often seem to be) and we're being asked to consider using the council's one so that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet, as it were.
    The guidance notes for it said that Observations needed to be done weekly.

    Now, I have 3 part time EYFS children at the moment, and I asked if weekly was compulsory, and told them that I have been doing Obs when needed - sometimes, like a bus, lots of things come along at once and I can have 2or 3 in a week. Like when one lo crawled on the Monday, stood by himself with no support on the Wednesday an dput 3 bricks on top of each other on the Friday!!!!!!!!!!!
    Then I might have 3 weeks where there's a lull. I find it's roughly no longer than 3 weeks though. Most of the audience were nodding in agreement at this.

    I was told that, categorically, I need to do a minimum of 1 per week.

    On the pavement outside the venue afterwards, lots of the attendees were commenting that they don't at the moment do Obs weekly, either.

    What do you all do?

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    like you i do observations as and when the child does something new or different! so again, it could be several in one day, or none for 3 weeks! also, a child who comes several days a week, is going to have more observations, than a child who comes once a week.

    my DO is happy with this and as long as i can show how a child is developing, then that is all i need to be able to do!

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    Load of rubbish, and I certainly wouldn't being agreeing to use their sheets, sounds like your council hasn't got a clue about eyfs, it's certainly not about one size fits all, tell them go jump lol

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    DickDock Guest

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    So they want false observations then? They want children to fit into a box.

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    Smile and nod, smile and nod, then ignore them
    Apologies for the random full stops. Phone buttons too small, thumbs too big.

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    toddlers896 Guest

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    ive not done an ob on my little one for ages. I was doing about 2 or 3 a week but lately she hasnt been doing anything different so ive got nothing to go on at the moment. I dont want to just make her do something so i can do an ob so i will just wait until i do see something different x

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    I try and do about 4 per child per month - with a little photo of 2 to brighten up the page.

    If I am worried about an area of learning I will do a focussed / set up / planned obs extra - but that doesn't tend to happen often

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    My feeling on this is that I am observing the children pretty much all the time they are with me & responding appropriately 'on the spot' so I more than meet your council's requirements HOWEVER I only record my observations in writing (and/or photo) if I see something new/different/significant which is what the EYFS says I should do. I'm not going to write things down for the sake of it and children don't do something new each week just for my benefit and to go in their LJ! I do a very brief daily diary in each LJ (3-4 sentences max) that might include the equivalent of a mini obs and I use this as part of my planning as all my children are p/t sp it helps me keep track but I don't do this religiously or get stressed if I haven't done it for a few days. I do a review each month (or thereabouts) and based on this I might do a more formal obs in a particular area if there were areas of concern or where I hadn't got enough obs to make an informed view about a child's progress.

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    As long as you can show the child is making progress then ignore the council. Learning journeys are about showing the child enjoying and growing, not for lots of meaningless obs.
    Need a laugh? Visit my website: www.unclegargy.deviantART.com

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    It always amazes me that the people who write up theses rules, influence the way minders work and present their ideas as the only right way to do things, don't actually work on The ground and understand how children learn and develop.
    If they did, no way would they be suggesting one a week, they would say four a month which comes to the same thing but allows for children's personal learning styles and learning curves.

    Remember these people are not our bosses, they are their to support and can offer advice, but at the end if the day we are self employed, it's our business, we are inspected by Ofsted not the council workers. It's up to us to be happy that our methods that meets the eyfs criteria.

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    Quote Originally Posted by blue bear View Post
    It always amazes me that the people who write up theses rules, influence the way minders work and present their ideas as the only right way to do things, don't actually work on The ground and understand how children learn and develop.
    If they did, no way would they be suggesting one a week, they would say four a month which comes to the same thing but allows for children's personal learning styles and learning curves.

    Remember these people are not our bosses, they are their to support and can offer advice, but at the end if the day we are self employed, it's our business, we are inspected by Ofsted not the council workers. It's up to us to be happy that our methods that meets the eyfs criteria.
    I agree absolutely. Is it worth asking these local council 'experts' to point out where in EYFS it says (or even suggests) any requirements to make weekly LJ entries? I suspect they'd struggle, cos I don't recall seeing the term "learning journey/journal" anywhere within the statutory framework.

    All these little 'rules' don't really help. Surely it's far more important to be able to interpret observations/LJ evidence with the learning and development aims in order to have good summative assessments? And even those are merely a tool to use with parents to support the individual child.

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    We had a meeting a while ago and we were shown forms that a member of the Early Years Team Who used to be an inspector had produced. They said they would like us to use them but it wasn't compulsary. They also said to do obs as and when we felt they were needed. We are self-employed and can do these how we want, as already posted, as long as we can show how the child is progressing

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    LJs can be dangerous things. Here's a cautionary tale.

    I had a mum who insisted I provide the school with a copy of the LJ as her daughter moved into reception, cos she was so pleased with the work I'd done and the progress her DD had made (ah - lovely parent.) The head teacher refused it point blank, saying she only accepted official county 'All About Me' forms, and then only from nursery/pre-school, since she doesn't acknowledge CMs to be "proper EY educational providers".

    I reported this back to the mum and, aside from the obvious disappointment, thought little more of it. A few days later, I heard that the mum had marched up to school, walked in on the head, and threatened to shove the LJ where the sun don't shine if she didn't read it right there and then.

    A little extreme, but isn't a supportive parent wonderful?

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  18. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by bunyip View Post
    LJs can be dangerous things. Here's a cautionary tale.

    I had a mum who insisted I provide the school with a copy of the LJ as her daughter moved into reception, cos she was so pleased with the work I'd done and the progress her DD had made (ah - lovely parent.) The head teacher refused it point blank, saying she only accepted official county 'All About Me' forms, and then only from nursery/pre-school, since she doesn't acknowledge CMs to be "proper EY educational providers".

    I reported this back to the mum and, aside from the obvious disappointment, thought little more of it. A few days later, I heard that the mum had marched up to school, walked in on the head, and threatened to shove the LJ where the sun don't shine if she didn't read it right there and then.

    A little extreme, but isn't a supportive parent wonderful?
    BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Thank you everyone for your comments.
    I'm going to stay with the way I was working before I went to the meeting. It works for me, the parents AND the children
    I will also only do the WOW moments as they come along, but intersperse with a planned obs if it's a quiet time WOW wise.
    There was a thread here recently re I Don't Want To Be A Nursery, I think the attitude of my Council indicates they want to clone Childminders to resemble Nurseries, frankly it's not for me.

    I love my job, my parents and the children I mind. The way I work, works. The children I have childminded for 28 years are a testament to that. If the Council, or Ofsted, don't like it, they can go take a running jump.

    BRING ON THE REVOLUTION!!!!!!

 

 

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