A4 diary for planning?

[jadavi]

I wondered if anyone uses only an A4 diary to show their planning?
I thought I'd show planning linked to eyfs targets and evaluation as well as next steps

I want something concise and obvious to show Ofsted when they come in six months but also want it handy to refer to and add to during the day.

I intend to keep up the daily diaries for the babies and the \LJs, of course, showing obs. 2 yo checks, summative evals etc.

I would also use the A4 diary to chart updates to |R/As, log the daily health and safety checks, fire practises and even on going self reflection.

Does anyone do anything like this?

I find using different loose leaf files for each child and general long medium and short term planning sheets on top of this too diffuse and bulky and long winded.

Just trying to find yet another system to downscale and also look efficient for Ofsted and to show my assistants what we are doing.

The last job I did - my complicated admin/paper work was held entirely in an A4 diary and was really effective.

If you dont do this, what do you think of the idea?

[blue bear]

It will work well, I don't do it myself but I'm sure others do.
I have one sheet that is the register, daily checks, smoke alarm check and another that is my planning, next steps, review of activities.

[migimoo]

I'm starting exactly this tomorrow jadavi...I can quickly jot down any 'wow' moments too and spontaneous ob's...as I do all of my paperwork,evaluation and planning on a Sunday hopefully it will help me reflect on what each child's been doing/is interested in for the following week with more accuracy and I can scale down their individual planning sheets to just a few sentences cross referencing to my diary instead of a full A4 sheet each week.

As long as we're showing that we're reflecting on our practise then Osted should be more than happy...I got outstanding for my planning on my last inspection and I was doing a lot less than this so we should be fine....let me know how you find it.:thumbsup:

[mum24]

yes, I am doing this too, but not had an inspection so can't say what Ofsted think of it. I find it very easy to keep track though and look back if I need to.
One a4 day to page diary, I put the childrens arrival departure time, what we did, etc etc with the saturday and sunday to sum up next steps etc works really well for me. I do though have observations etc through Orbit and share with parents that way.

[Rick]

yes, I am doing this too, but not had an inspection so can't say what Ofsted think of it. I find it very easy to keep track though and look back if I need to.
One a4 day to page diary, I put the childrens arrival departure time, what we did, etc etc with the saturday and sunday to sum up next steps etc works really well for me. I do though have observations etc through Orbit and share with parents that way.

Yes I use Orbit as well and find it brilliant. Observations and assessments, with photo, are produced very quickly, especially as all the development matters statements are selectable (no flicking through a paper copy). Parent works from home whilst I have them at my house and she loves getting the emails Orbit send once I save an observation so she can see what they are doing during the day.

[jadavi]

Thanks. I do my obs thru the learning journal as I like parents to see it all. Ofsted were fine with this last time.

The new use for my diary would be my
Planning. Does anyone use theirs for this?

Last year I used a page a day a5 for all the day to day stuff so I mean to include planning - on top of that. Yes maybe do the planning charts on the weekend pages.? Wow moments as they arise.

I like the idea of all in one book .... Maybe a bit too ambitious?

I appreciate all the suggestions xxxx

[jadavi]

I may find my handwriting makes this too messy for Ofsted..... Maybe talking myself out of it.....

[Rick]

I may find my handwriting makes this too messy for Ofsted..... Maybe talking myself out of it.....

If you use the Orbit program, you can download a learning journal from day 1 up to present day in one PDF. I print mine off and put in a hard copy learning journal along with art/photos etc. This enables parents to comment on the Orbit assessments and anything else I put in as well. The inspector will probably prefer it printed out as well rather than read off a screen.
I find Orbit works very well, learning journals look neat, but I also put in artwork etc as I don't want it to look too formal all the way through and want it to have an input from the children.

[jadavi]

I'm now trying 2simple. I like the list of eyfs targets which is better than paper but it seems to get stuck on pages and isn't awfully easy to run. Would benice to have a tutorial but I was only offered the you tube vid which was teachers talking.
Anyone else find it easy on iPhone (3G) ?

[VeggieSausage]

I do one monthly planning sheet for each eyfs child - I fill it in as we go through the month and put it in their LJ. On it I write - next steps, interests, what toys/activities I have out to follow their interests or next steps. Any trips we do and a planned activity each week....all on one sheet and then I stick photos on the other side.....

[Rick]

I'm now trying 2simple. I like the list of eyfs targets which is better than paper but it seems to get stuck on pages and isn't awfully easy to run. Would benice to have a tutorial but I was only offered the you tube vid which was teachers talking.
Anyone else find it easy on iPhone (3G) ?

Haven't tried 2simple because I find Orbit so easy to use! Orbit tutorial is good. Program is simple to use anyway, just requires a bit of a play around to get used to it!

[Cariad]

This is what I logged on to ask! I'm planning to use it for planned activities, observations (I don't have to record them in the same way as those in England as I'm in Wales) and also an attendance register - would I need to get the parents to sign the diary at pick up?

I will be using this to record fridge temps, smoke alarm tests and also as a visitor book. I know this sounds like a lot to go down on one page but I think it'll be better than having lots of different places to have to record in each day. Does it sound ok?

[jadavi]

I have heard parents may sign weekly or even monthly so it should be fine.

[samb]

I decided to start doing this and bought myself an academic diary back in the summer and sort of started doing it. HOWEVER - I feel like I haven't been using it for what I intended and am actually going to go back to using sheets for different things. My reason for doing it in the first place was one of the action points on my Ofsted report in 2010 telling me to make my paperwork more concise. I tried a few different things and stopped repeating myself and then moved on to my brain wave of the A4 diary. I don't know why really but for me it just doesn't work. The only thing I can particualry say is I didn't like getting parents/visitors to sign in it as they would see everything else written in it!

So I am going back to -
Registers - a print out per child per month where parents sign at end of month
an exercise book - for my visitors log (where I also log when my oh is here)
Food log - I have decided not to do 1! I write it in the diaries for under 5s and so can always look in them if I need to but otherwise don't see the point
Temperature logs etc - just fill in my safer food file when needed - easier to see patterns etc than if odd notes in diary
Evacuation - 1 page usually lasts me 6 months of practises and it is easy to see when we last did it, with who and any issues rather than having to go back through the diary.
1 sheet for a long term plan - includes birthdays, term dates, festivals we are planning to cover and extra dates like when a child is entitled to EYFE
A brain storm sheet made with the children about each theme - roughly A3 per half term and then extra bits aded by me
Then I have been given a monthly family calendar (but I already use a week to view family calendar for our family) and so I have been thinking about putting my EY children's names at the top and then adding quick notes for LJ an next steps on there so it is easy to view and up - although haven't really thought it through yet so any comments will be helpful!

So basically, I thought it was a good idea too it just didn't work for me in practise.