Learning Journals

[ballardi4]

How often do you send Learning Journals home for parents to see.

[loocyloo]

I never send them home! Not without me that is!

Parents know they can ask at anytime to look and I usually try to arrange meetings with all parents twice a year. Generally I go to them in evening but sometimes they come to me. Last mum I went to lives down the road... we sat drinking wine till very late! !! Barely discussed her child at all!

[hectors house]

I try to send them home every 3 or 4 months but even then they are never completely up to date, I'm always 2-3 weeks behind. I do mine on the computer now so not so worried about parents losing them, although there are lots of other handwritten documents in them too which I couldn't reproduce. I send home a CD of all photos at the same time - sometimes I wonder if they look at the learning journal or just download the photos!

[blue bear]

Ima bit wary about sending them home since the childminder who had an unannounced inspection got unsatisfactory for not being able to show children's development because the learning journeys had been sent home.
I now invite them in to look them over and discuss.

[hectors house]

Ima bit wary about sending them home since the childminder who had an unannounced inspection got unsatisfactory for not being able to show children's development because the learning journeys had been sent home.
I now invite them in to look them over and discuss.

I only send one home at a time and log it in my diary when they took it so I could show Ofsted that I am "involving parents in their child's learning". So if Ofsted turned up unannounced there would only be one journal I couldn't show them and as I have 7 part time children it may or may not be for a child who was attending that day.

[Simona]

One of the aspects of our inspection is to show we 'share and involve' parents in the child's learning...parents have to input their share and I would say the best way is for them to take home and add their comments which I believe Ofsted want to see

I am not sure about this so please double check but the children's Journals or whatever cms prefer to call them are the parents' property...or so were were advised at a training
Not sure if this has changed

[dawn100]

I send them home every 3-4months but I am very twitchy about getting them back but I do like Hector's house idea of logging them in and out and only sending them home one at a time, I no longer send home the trackers I fill in after sending home the complete folder and the parent highlighted loads of stuff on it I knew their child couldn't do just because they wanted their child to be ahead for their age. As far as I understand you don't have to send them home but you do have to show how you are sharing how their child is progressing with parents and how you are including parents input in their learning. I thought they only became parents property once the child leaves as then it is no longer relevant to you.

[eddie]

I only send one home at a time and insist it is back within a week. I once waited 2 months for one to return and when it finally did it was so battered.

[Simona]

I send them home every 3-4months but I am very twitchy about getting them back but I do like Hector's house idea of logging them in and out and only sending them home one at a time, I no longer send home the trackers I fill in after sending home the complete folder and the parent highlighted loads of stuff on it I knew their child couldn't do just because they wanted their child to be ahead for their age. As far as I understand you don't have to send them home but you do have to show how you are sharing how their child is progressing with parents and how you are including parents input in their learning. I thought they only became parents property once the child leaves as then it is no longer relevant to you.

I agree with Hector House too...one at the time to avoid the risk of having nothing should Ofsted decide to turn up
I heard from a cm whose inspector was not happy because the feedback from her assessment did not have the parents input and she was told this has to be regular not just once
I am sure inspectors see things differently, unfortunately, so we may continue to have different opinions

One way to make sure you have something if the Journal has gone home is to keep records online so if the journal is not there when Ofsted inspect you can show what you do from what you have saved on your PC

I keep all my past records just in case and also have a hard copy for peace of mind