Orbit and Ofsted

[sarahLoose]

Hi I have started using Orbit but am wondering how people are using it with the children's assessment and how they have presented the Orbit obs to Ofsted? Have you printed the observations off and put them into the child's folder or is there another way? Have got quite confused and am enjoying using Orbit as it is quicker to write obs!

[mum24]

I am not sure how much help I will be as I haven't yet had an inspection, but I am using Orbit.
My thought, for myself, is as Ofsted, and every other government department are now not printing any information, but expecting us to access the information electronically, then I would make my files available to the Ofsted inspector on my laptop. She can then see as much as she likes. I also would ask parents, and other settings (not that any settings yet are partnered with me) if they would give testimony to how they find using Orbit, if it is useful to them etc etc.
I would want that information for myself anyway, if they don't like it then I wouldn't continue to use it. I may print off one or two observations to give the inspector an idea of how it works, but I gather that most inspections now concentrate more on our knowledge of the children, their development and how we work with them to bring them on. So more talk about how and what we are doing, rather than paper evidence.
Those are my thoughts, but I could be wrong in this.

[sarah707]

It will be up to the individual inspector and how they feel about electronic recording.

A friend of mine was actioned because she had everything online and no printed LJs to share with the children so they can contribute their thoughts.

Hth

[zippy]

Hi I have started using Orbit but am wondering how people are using it with the children's assessment and how they have presented the Orbit obs to Ofsted? Have you printed the observations off and put them into the child's folder or is there another way? Have got quite confused and am enjoying using Orbit as it is quicker to write obs!

If you go onto orbit via laptop you can print a PDF copy of the learning journey, I regularly save the PDF version as a backup. Will be interesting to see what feedback we get off inspectors about using orbit. I do think you need to have your answers ready if challenged about any aspects of it as it is new technology, but quite frankly as far as I'm concerned I'll argue till I'm blue in the face, it works brilliantly for me, my parents, other settings and most of all the children.

[mum24]

It will be up to the individual inspector and how they feel about electronic recording.

A friend of mine was actioned because she had everything online and no printed LJs to share with the children so they can contribute their thoughts.

Hth

I do include the children when I am putting their photos on, they are too young to read, but enjoy seeing the picture of what they where doing being put on the laptop. I dont always have time to complete the observation in writing anyway, but when I do, I 'read' to them what I am writing, and we go over the activity. I include comments that they make too, so hopefully that should cover Ofsted. I don't do this fror every observation, as most are done once the children have left but I do a few done that way.

[Katiekoo]

Ok, just from what happened at my inspection in 2011, I would print out assessments and obs. My inspector arrived and I said I have this that and the other on the laptop for you to view, she said - Oh I don't sit looking at screens I get headaches! Well I was glad I had hard copies of most things!

[sarahLoose]

Thankyou to all who have posted it is interesting what other people are doing. I may put a child's comment sheet seperatly in the folder as an addittion to the observation. Thanks all! I am pleased other people are finding Orbit useful too.

[hectors house]

I am still in two minds to use Orbit or not, I have set up an account, set up children profiles and have done a few spoof observations "on me" to test run it - it does seem very easy to use, but I also like being able to flick through my handwritten LJ - it seems more personal (downside have spend all weekend trying to update folders), but when I have printed off my observations done on Orbit - they all just look the same!

[michelle j]

Im just looking into using Orbit too as have been told by a friend thats using it that its great.

I was wondering though as i always liked to put some of the childrens pictures and things that they have made in their folders so technically if i use Orbit i will still need a folder for them for these other bits. Wondering if its best to stick to hand written journals or maybe to use orbit and just print it all off to keep in a folder or is that just pointless?

[Genesis]

I signed up to Orbit, but as much as it pains me to say it, i actually prefer to have it in paper form, i think this is nice for the children to carry forward with them and also allows the parents to provide more input by way of pictures and comments on stuff, and is nice to sit with the children and flick through especially if they have grown a lot with you.

[zippy]

Im just looking into using Orbit too as have been told by a friend thats using it that its great.

I was wondering though as i always liked to put some of the childrens pictures and things that they have made in their folders so technically if i use Orbit i will still need a folder for them for these other bits. Wondering if its best to stick to hand written journals or maybe to use orbit and just print it all off to keep in a folder or is that just pointless?

i send all work home but take a photo for orbit, i would print for an inspection, but would also expect my inspector to view online from a parents view as they see a total different view from what is printed much nicer, like a photo album and just a button below photos which says assessments so they can read if they want to, really kid friendly too as they just get to browse the pics, my kids love looking at theirs.

[jadavi]

Has anyone had Ofsted approval of the use of Orbit?

[Rick]

Has anyone had Ofsted approval of the use of Orbit?

Hi

I mentioned this on a previous post but basically the way Orbit works is, you take a photo using an iPad, phone etc, or you select one you already have, type a sentence or two, select which child or children the assessment is about, then you can either finish the assessments there and then or if you're busy (probably the case) you can save and finish later.

To finish the assessment, you select which of the 7 areas of learning you are assessing under and select a 'statement' which are all under age ranges as you would do if flicking through Development Matters. Then add more descriptive text and next steps etc. Once you select save the parent gets an email informing them that a new assessment is on Orbit for them to view. You can also just take a photo and send to album which the parent can view. They can send you 'postcards' which is just a photo and a sentence or two which you can use as an assessment or send to album as you wish.

You can download the child's learning journey from day 1 to the most recent assessment in one PDF document which you can print and put in the child's paper copy learning journal to share with parents. You can only download a PDF of the learning journey on a laptop or computer though.

If you don't have an iPhone or similar then you can take a photo as normal and use Orbit through the website.

To answer your question, as you can download and print out a full set of the child's learning journey, I don't see what Ofsted can criticise. Learning Journals looks neat, professional and clear. I also add in other photos and artwork and comment on the Orbit assessments themselves e.g. if I completed next steps; this stops it looking like a boring document.

Hope this helps.

[harleyrider]

I did'nt know you could print off hard copies? This is an even more appealing system to me now. Only draw back for me is as I dont have a i- anything it's not as instant as could be :-\ .
Is it not compatable with andriod??
Thanks.

[TAZ]

I hadn't heard of Orbit until now. Certainly sounds like something I should look into. How much does it cost?

[Rick]

I did'nt know you could print off hard copies? This is an even more appealing system to me now. Only draw back for me is as I dont have a i- anything it's not as instant as could be :-\ .
Is it not compatable with andriod??
Thanks.

No I don't think so, so I can't use my phone either. I have to take photos using the iPad which is ok I suppose. If you don't have an i-anything it doesn't matter, just take photos as normal, download to computer then do the process as above. Sounds laborious but once you get into a routine it is very quick, parents love it. I assume you take photos and have to print off anyway so this is just the same, except the photo is attached to the assessment.

Yes you can download the whole learning journey from day 1 into a PDF and print if you wish. Your assessments and photos from the album are printed in date order and colour coded. I like it because all your assessments are safely stored and you don't have to print off until you are ready to stick in the hard copy learning journals and just do it all at once. I have now printed off quite a few pages from the PDF and just have to check where I got to and print from there, rather than the whole thing again!

Give it a go, it will save plenty of time and look professional. Don't forget to stick in artwork and parents and children's comments into the learning journal as well, it's not just a document for your Orbit assessments!

[Rick]

I hadn't heard of Orbit until now. Certainly sounds like something I should look into. How much does it cost?

100% free. I think if you want to use the summative assessments section you need to have at least 50% of your parents linked to Orbit, otherwise you have to pay something. But since I am getting all my parents to link (why wouldn't they want to know how their child is doing) then Orbit will never cost you anything. I think they must recoup money by advertising, but so what!

Did I not mention you can do your summative assessments as well!

[harleyrider]

No I don't think so, so I can't use my phone either. I have to take photos using the iPad which is ok I suppose. If you don't have an i-anything it doesn't matter, just take photos as normal, download to computer then do the process as above. Sounds laborious but once you get into a routine it is very quick, parents love it. I assume you take photos and have to print off anyway so this is just the same, except the photo is attached to the assessment.

Yes you can download the whole learning journey from day 1 into a PDF and print if you wish. Your assessments and photos from the album are printed in date order and colour coded. I like it because all your assessments are safely stored and you don't have to print off until you are ready to stick in the hard copy learning journals and just do it all at once. I have now printed off quite a few pages from the PDF and just have to check where I got to and print from there, rather than the whole thing again!

Give it a go, it will save plenty of time and look professional. Don't forget to stick in artwork and parents and children's comments intuit eh learning journal as well, it's not just a document for your Orbit assessments!

It sounds great. I use pogo printer atm.
I think I would prefer to print each time (I'd be worried if a techno failure)
Also how inclusive is it? Yes each child will have hard copies but am I disadvantaging some families who would'nt be able to access web-site or are not very educated in some areas?? (I provide funded care for crisis families, with varying levels of support).

Sorry to question but you seem to understand the system :-)
Thanks

[Rick]

It sounds great. I use pogo printer atm.
I think I would prefer to print each time (I'd be worried if a techno failure)
Also how inclusive is it? Yes each child will have hard copies but am I disadvantaging some families who would'nt be able to access web-site or are not very educated in some areas?? (I provide funded care for crisis families, with varying levels of support).

Sorry to question but you seem to understand the system :-)
Thanks

No worries. Parents don't have to link to Orbit. You don't even have to mention it if, for example, you know the parent doesn't have a computer or something. Just do the assessments as mentioned above, print out, stick in learning journal with artwork etc and ask them to comment on it.

Happy to help!

[singlewiththree]

i send all work home but take a photo for orbit, i would print for an inspection, but would also expect my inspector to view online from a parents view as they see a total different view from what is printed much nicer, like a photo album and just a button below photos which says assessments so they can read if they want to, really kid friendly too as they just get to browse the pics, my kids love looking at theirs.

I heard this from another childminder too. It would be nice if orbit gave us a switch button so we could switch to parent view to see how it all looks from time to time as I wouldn't have known if a parent hadn't shown her childminder.