Termly assessments and development report

**Joannechildmind** · 04-05-2009, 08:56 AM

Does anyone do these at the end of each term?
I am doing the obs, and planning.

Not entirely sure what to write on them?

Jo

**huggableshelly** · 04-05-2009, 09:02 AM

I've written a very basic one stating summin like

Fred has now achieved all of the learning goals for 30 - 50 months in creative development, and working towards learning goals in blah blah blah

please take some time to look through freds learning journal and scrapbook

then a comments section allowing a parent to give feedback

then sign and date by parent and myself, i keep a copy for the learning journal (evidence to show i have shared the information) and parents have a copy too.

I did an intro to the eyfs in sept (though I didnt understand it lol)
then a report in dec letting parents know what stage their children are at
and have just done new reports for end of april
next ones now are planned for september then will try and get into a better routine of doing them 6 monthly unless there are any concerns.

**rickysmiths** · 04-05-2009, 09:04 AM

NO way, it is not my job as a childminder to do a 'termly assessment'!!!!!!

Poor kids. I think doing obs and recording them in a simple scrap book is fine. That needs to go home for parents to add comments as well and that is all I'm doing.

**PixiePetal** · 04-05-2009, 09:04 AM

I just look back at what we have done and write a note of what areas mindees have progressed in and what areas I need to be doing more on.

I have one who does more on the CD/PD side of things (very part time mindee) so will introduce more CLL/PSRN activities and try and bring those on.

**Joannechildmind** · 04-05-2009, 09:05 AM

thats excellent thankyou so much for sharing that

i have my 1st EYFS course next Saturday (been waiting over a year to get on the course) so hopefully it may all make a little more sence to me.

**Joannechildmind** · 04-05-2009, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by rickysmiths

NO way, it is not my job as a childminder to do a 'termly assessment'!!!!!!

Poor kids. I think doing obs and recording them in a simple scrap book is fine. That needs to go home for parents to add comments as well and that is all I'm doing.

oh ok i am totally confused now

Is this not a EYFS requirement then?

**rickysmiths** · 04-05-2009, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by Joannechildmind

oh ok i am totally confused now

Is this not a EYFS requirement then?

Not as far as I'm aware! Keeping records of the obs and next steps is fine and as far as EYFS is concerned we don't even have to write them down.

**FizzysFriends** · 04-05-2009, 09:13 AM

I thought you only had to do them if you get the funding for 3yr olds?

I haven't been going them and don't want to either.

**rickysmiths** · 04-05-2009, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by FizzysFriends

I thought you only had to do them if you get the funding for 3yr olds?

I haven't been going them and don't want to either.

I don't think you have to do them then either. After all we are all delvering the same EYFS it is no different if you are funded.

In fact we should all be funded now anyway because we all have to deliver the EYFS where as we were able to opt out of the 3-5 ciriculum. We are now no different from pre-schools and the reception class at school.

This very point was raised at a Forum meeting this week and everyone went very quiet as they realised that indeed we should all be able to draw down the funding.!!!!!

**Allie** · 04-05-2009, 09:22 AM

As far as I know (and I teach EYFS) you only have to do termly reports/assessments if you draw the grant for early years education. The local authority that pays you obviously has a responsibility to ensure you are delivering and looking at a childs termly report is one way of doing this.

Everyone else needs to be observing and assessing (acting on the observation and planning next steps) then recording this in a scrap book or file, forming a learning journey for the child. Linking with the parents much as possible makes Ofsted happy.

**Joannechildmind** · 04-05-2009, 09:48 AM

ok thats excellent then thanks!!

**sarah707** · 04-05-2009, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by rickysmiths

NO way, it is not my job as a childminder to do a 'termly assessment'!!!!!!

Poor kids. I think doing obs and recording them in a simple scrap book is fine. That needs to go home for parents to add comments as well and that is all I'm doing.

There are 2 types of assessment we need to consider -

Formative assessment... ongoing observations, assessments and planning. The week by week stuff shown in our learning journeys, photo albums, scrap books etc;

Summative assessment... a summary of what the child has done over a period of time. This can be every term, every 6 months etc. It MUST involve the parents and should involve other settings / professionals if appropriate.

Ricky, if you don't do a termly assessment then how do you show summative assessments please?

**rickysmiths** · 04-05-2009, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Allie

As far as I know (and I teach EYFS) you only have to do termly reports/assessments if you draw the grant for early years education. The local authority that pays you obviously has a responsibility to ensure you are delivering and looking at a childs termly report is one way of doing this.

Everyone else needs to be observing and assessing (acting on the observation and planning next steps) then recording this in a scrap book or file, forming a learning journey for the child. Linking with the parents much as possible makes Ofsted happy.

Do they ask for every childs termly report to be submitted to them?

**rickysmiths** · 04-05-2009, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by sarah707

There are 2 types of assessment we need to consider -

Formative assessment... ongoing observations, assessments and planning. The week by week stuff shown in our learning journeys, photo albums, scrap books etc;

Summative assessment... a summary of what the child has done over a period of time. This can be every term, every 6 months etc. It MUST involve the parents and should involve other settings / professionals if appropriate.

Ricky, if you don't do a termly assessment then how do you show summative assessments please?

My scrap books are divided into six sections one for each area of learning, my post its with observations, photos and childrens work or photos of goes in on an ongoing basis. I decided on this after much research and deliberating. It is the way the local primary school do it.

The parents are asked to make comments if they choose to when they have the books to look at.
I have 2 children in reception at school and the school will not share information because I am not a parent. As far as they are concerned the school covers the whole of the EYFS in any case so why would I need to do any?

I have one child who is at preschool and they don't share info with parents or me. Child has been there since Sept and had never had a report or a sheet of topics to be covered in the half term. If the parents happen to deliver or collect there may be some verbal feedback. This only happens a couple of times a half term. They rarely give me any feedback apart from if she has hurt herself!!

I note my next steps in the scrap books and do my planning from them.

I have always worked with my parents, exchanging information on a daily basis as to their childs welfare, learning and development. To be honest they have all said they do no want anymore than this. Three of the children have been with me since they were 5mths (now3+, 2++, and 2+ ) and the parents have often aked me for advise.

I feel what I do is more than enough.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 04-05-2009, 03:19 PM

My Ofsted inspector wasn't interested in reports but she was interested in how I was going to share the information I had accumulated. I said that it would be twice a year and the parents would review the child file. She was happy with this.

It doesn't need to be a formal page but you do need to write a note that the parent has seen the file with a date and preferably the parent signature.

I have just been given a really simple report form by Surestart here and will draw it up and post it next week.

**rickysmiths** · 04-05-2009, 03:31 PM

Thank you for that Debbie that will be very interesting.

**Joannechildmind** · 04-05-2009, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by DebbieS26

My Ofsted inspector wasn't interested in reports but she was interested in how I was going to share the information I had accumulated. I said that it would be twice a year and the parents would review the child file. She was happy with this.

It doesn't need to be a formal page but you do need to write a note that the parent has seen the file with a date and preferably the parent signature.

I have just been given a really simple report form by Surestart here and will draw it up and post it next week.

Thankyou Debbie that would be great

TheBTeam · 04-05-2009, 04:15 PM

Thanks Debbie, i think i am going to ask for a short amount of my parents time a couple of times a year to just go through the stuff i record on their child and sign to say they have and ask for them to make any comments etc.

After starting with the EYFS, i offered the parents a chance to see what i had on their child after giving them a written overview of what was now required etc and how i was meeting that! Not one has asked to look, which i feel is a great shame, if someone had stuff like this on my child i would want to see it for sure!

I have given the stuff to parents as children have left and they like the photos but seem surprised about the rest of the stuff!

I am going to get them in, don't think i trust them to take it away, too much dog, child and accident/lost excuses with their daily diaries let alone letting them lose on my folders for their children!