so i know that we dont HAVE to do long term planning but do we have to do short term

**Jessymax** · 05-02-2016, 09:35 AM

do you all do weekly planning is there anyone that doesn't? x

**mumofone** · 05-02-2016, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Jessymax

do you all do weekly planning is there anyone that doesn't? x

This is what I remain unsure of...
Everyone says planning is NOT needed or required by inspectors BUT time and again I hear of inspectors "impressed by weekly play plans" etc etc and outstanding childminders talking of their impressive planning but surely if it's not needed they shouldn't be impressed if that makes sense!!

**mumofone** · 05-02-2016, 09:44 AM

Meant to say I don't do daily or weekly planning as I would never stick to it so it would be a waste of time! I'm sure this is wrong though and ofsted wouldn't like this

**Jessymax** · 05-02-2016, 09:45 AM

grr exactly! Because I certainly don't want to be doing anymore paperwork than I have too! so glad I did daily diaries and obs all in one book for each LO saved me so much time and messing about! I literally do them, register, baseline assessments, 2 yr progress check, and all necessary updates to policies permissions etc as and when needed x

Og and cleaning checklist and fridge feezer temo record

**kats** · 05-02-2016, 09:59 AM

I have just had my inspection this week and got outstanding for the second time! She liked that i do a weekly play plan but mainly because in it is the next steps for the child! It's a really simple plan that i got from Sarah Neville and it works brilliantly for me. The inspector also likes that I don't always stick to it and i sometimes change it to fit in with what the child wants to do!

**singingcactus** · 05-02-2016, 10:12 AM

You will do planning. Everyone does, you just don't write it down. You plan to go to toddler groups, to feed the ducks, the do some painting, to read the three little pigs etc, what you will feed the children. You will have reasons for every plan you make too. Everyone plans, just some people write it down. Do whatever works for you.
If you are wanting to start writing it down and not sure how to go about it, I would suggest buying a week to view diary. On a daily basis mark in it who is with you each day, your smoke detector checks, what food you provide, what activity you did, where you went, what book you read etc. After a couple of months have passed you will have fallen into a natural pattern of planning that works for you. Build on that, or stick with that.
Or carry on not writing it down

whatever works best for you.

**mumofone** · 05-02-2016, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by kats

I have just had my inspection this week and got outstanding for the second time! She liked that i do a weekly play plan but mainly because in it is the next steps for the child! It's a really simple plan that i got from Sarah Neville and it works brilliantly for me. The inspector also likes that I don't always stick to it and i sometimes change it to fit in with what the child wants to do!

Congratulations on your inspection that's fantastic :-) would be great to hear some feedback from it :-)

This is exactly what I keep hearing, I'm worried that if I don't do this it'll be put down as a negative but then if we do write it down and then not follow it surely that's a waste of time.

I don't know what to do for the best!

**BallyH** · 05-02-2016, 06:31 PM

I also do a weekly play plan for each child that will cover some of their next steps. I also do a weekly 'group' plan. Both are very basic. The inspector liked that I did both. She could also see that some of the planning wasn't achieved and that I had changed it, for example when it had snowed or a child got excited about having a new puppy or when one of the lo's knocked a tooth out we spent that week on a 'dentist' theme. She like the flexibility of it all and that some weeks were child led.

**samb** · 05-02-2016, 07:40 PM

The only written planning I do is the next steps for individual children. Everything else is a mixture of my head/ dipping in to resource ideas from places like Pinterest or ****** or old books and magazines but not written down. I feel I know what I want to do and why enough that I don't need to write it down but it took me a long time to get to that point. Occasionally I write things down when I am really struggling to support a child with something specific. Just to keep me on track.