Sharing planning with home

**sarah707** · 31-08-2012, 11:17 AM

A lot of childminders are very worried about how to engage parents in children's learning - especially if they are a bit tricky to catch hold of due to time commitments or have a lack of understanding about just how much their child learns every day!

The Ofsted inspectors handbook for the revised EYFS says that they are going to be talking to parents

... so we really do need to make a concerted effort to involve them.

I have a new plan of action for sharing planning from September!

I will inform parents in my newsletter that I am going to be putting some weekly planning on the notice board...

I will ask parents to look at the notice board regularly - and point out all the other displayed documents in case the inspector asks them where the Ofsted poster is or what to do in an emergency...

I will display the following planning sheet in a poly wallet, replace it weekly and again point it out to parents... it only takes me a few minutes to write, copying bits from my monthly planning...

I will ask parents for feedback - 'what is your child saying about their time here?' and write it in their LJs.

We can only try out best but 'working with parents' is going to be soooo important that we have to find ways to make it manageable!!

**Mrs Scrubbit** · 31-08-2012, 01:27 PM

THanks Sarah that is such a brilliant idea, I've sent letters out and spoken to parents but haven't had any positive 'vibes' from them about getting more involved............they are just sooooo busy! x

**loocyloo** · 31-08-2012, 02:35 PM

great sarah!

i have my weekly plan on my wall hanging as the parents walk in ( along with weekly menu ) and have pointed it out in the past. i like the idea of asking

'what is your child saying about their time here?' ...

jumpinjen · 31-08-2012, 02:54 PM

That's lovely Sarah, I like the simple layout - shame I don't have a notice board (almost!!!) - Thanks, as usual, for sharing, are you writing documents i your sleep now - be careful of repetitive strain injury!!! And worn out laptops lol

Jen x

**sandy64** · 31-08-2012, 06:16 PM

ive sent newsletter out letter explaining revised eyfs new policys form they sign to say theyve read and agree before hols sent reports out and guess what ive not had anythink back

its sole destroying how can i get parents to work with me?????/ there happy chatting should i write what they say then just get them to sign? any ideas please
sorry sarah thanks for the idea didnt mean to go on im a bit anoyed got carried away lol

jumpinjen · 31-08-2012, 06:23 PM

Sandy, I have a 'communications' book that is an a5 lined, spiral bound notebook and I start a new page a month and if parents tell me something at the door or on the phone/text/e-mail, I jot it down and sometimes print the e-mail and put it with the date and initial it. I nicked the idea from an outstanding nursery that get lots of info told to them at the door and this was they evidenced it and Ofsted liked it!

Jen x

**sarah707** · 31-08-2012, 08:39 PM

Similar to Jen I write 'handover notes' in the child's diary or my diary (depending on age) so I'm always communicating

**miffy** · 31-08-2012, 09:28 PM

Thanks for the sheet Sarah - great idea

Miffy xx

**sandy64** · 01-09-2012, 08:50 AM

thankyou il get a communication book that has to work lol

**mrsmaggy** · 01-09-2012, 03:07 PM

Thanks Sarah

**Kirstylob** · 22-09-2012, 01:49 PM

Hi,
Part of my notice board is a white board and at the start of each week I write on a brief outline of what we will be doing that week. Do you think that would be OK to continue? It is similar to your sheet but obviously it changes each week and there is no evidence there to show Ofsted, where as a keeping a copy of the a sheet similar to yours would provide evidence.
I also send a newsletter each month to all parents outlining what we will be doing over the coming month.
Thanks

**sarah707** · 22-09-2012, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Kirstylob

Hi,
Part of my notice board is a white board and at the start of each week I write on a brief outline of what we will be doing that week. Do you think that would be OK to continue? It is similar to your sheet but obviously it changes each week and there is no evidence there to show Ofsted, where as a keeping a copy of the a sheet similar to yours would provide evidence.
I also send a newsletter each month to all parents outlining what we will be doing over the coming month.
Thanks

You could turn the whiteboard into a display of what the children have been doing with photos etc for parents to see... then photograph the whole thing each week before replacing it the next week

That is such a good idea I might use it myself

It is from a similar idea I nicked from some outstanding childminders in Blackpool - they have 'this week we have been doing...' sheets with little photos and notes to display on their noticeboards for parents

**sarah707** · 07-06-2013, 11:29 AM

Bumping this post for a member who was asking me about sharing learning with home.

Please add more information and ideas guys as you find better ways of working with parents

**moggy** · 07-06-2013, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by sarah707

...I will ask parents to look at the notice board regularly - and point out all the other displayed documents in case the inspector asks them where the Ofsted poster is or what to do in an emergency...

Sarah, just wondering what you put on the notice board for parents in terms of 'what to do in an emergency'? Do you mean escape plan of house? or do you mean more to do with how you contact them in an emergency, your emergency plan etc? Might be something I am missing. Thanks.

**sarah707** · 07-06-2013, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by moggy

Sarah, just wondering what you put on the notice board for parents in terms of 'what to do in an emergency'? Do you mean escape plan of house? or do you mean more to do with how you contact them in an emergency, your emergency plan etc? Might be something I am missing. Thanks.

I am lucky I have quite a big area for my noticeboard.

I have my emergency escape plan drawn out and laminated and displayed for parents

**moggy** · 07-06-2013, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by sarah707

I am lucky I have quite a big area for my noticeboard.

I have my emergency escape plan drawn out and laminated and displayed for parents

Ah, thank you.
No parent is ever more than a few steps from an obvious door to the outside here so no need for that here, thankfully as my notice board is not that big!
(I do have one in my policies folder though, including escape from upstairs)

**kimnolan87** · 07-06-2013, 12:11 PM

Some fab ideas here.....as I have been open a year in September, I am looking to review everything I have done this past year and adapt and change things more regularly - like a HUGE SEF I guess

and working more with parents is on my list!!! Xxx

**Nicola Carlyle** · 07-06-2013, 12:13 PM

This is my notice board. On the right is all the paperwork I have to have displayed for parents plus a few extras I like to display. In the left is the whiteboard. We have two grids. The first is a weekly run down of all children and when they (sort of like a register but not quite if you know what I mean) it has first names only and their age in brackets so I can keep track of numbers etc. the second is our weekly menu. Parents are sent a email version if thus every 5-8 weeks but I like to have what we are having that week visual mite so the children can see but patents ALWAYS look at it to. On the top right if the whiteboard we have a4 pieces of paper. The first one us our weekly planning which I print off every Sunday and the other is our mist current newsletter. Again parents get sent an email version if the newsletter also. I also have a space in the middle of the board for visits and bookings.

I've only included a picture because I think sometimes it helps to see how other people set their boards up. You will find away that suits you. x