So confused....

[Minnie mouse]

OMG! :angry: i dont know if im coming going, been or gone im so confused with all this paperwork, ive kind of sorted risk assessments and policies, procedures ,permission forms. Which leaves me with PLANNING, OBSERVATIONS and ASSESSMENTS. Why is this so confusing there is so many sheets, booklets paperwork all over the internet and ive no idea which i should have.
Ok so i have Sarah nev's observation e-book. I have used the learning journey from it, (hope thats ok) a week of observations sheet and a photo observation sheet. Im planning on doing 6 small observations a week per child(from the week of observations sheet) (altho there only here 3 days so i may do 3) and hopefully a photo obs per wk,per child. Is this enough?

Planning :eek: Now i have planned for 12 months(12 themes) for a 3 yr old and 5 yr old, i have also started to plan for each of the months and then im going to do planning for every week. Is this about right? There just seems to be so much planning etc.

Assessments- For this do i look at the learning journey to see what the child should be achieving for the age group (bearing in mind every child is developmentally different) and then plan an activity to help with that and then do a observation on it?

So sorry if your now as confused as me. I hate my job right now :mad:
Thanks for reading, i look forward to the day when i understand the EYFS

[Minnie mouse]

Lol sorry if ive scared everyone off :eek:

[sarah707]

OMG! :angry: i dont know if im coming going, been or gone im so confused with all this paperwork, ive kind of sorted risk assessments and policies, procedures ,permission forms. Which leaves me with PLANNING, OBSERVATIONS and ASSESSMENTS. Why is this so confusing there is so many sheets, booklets paperwork all over the internet and ive no idea which i should have.

Observation comes first... you can't possibly plan for a child's interests until you've observed!

Ok so i have Sarah nev's observation e-book.

Good start! :cool:

I have used the learning journey from it, (hope thats ok) a week of observations sheet and a photo observation sheet. Im planning on doing 6 small observations a week per child(from the week of observations sheet) (altho there only here 3 days so i may do 3) and hopefully a photo obs per wk,per child. Is this enough?

Too much! Slow down! Nowhere does it say you have to do this every week!

Think in terms of getting an overview of each child over a month and spotting any wow brill fab moments with the camera for the photo obs.

Planning :eek: Now i have planned for 12 months(12 themes) for a 3 yr old and 5 yr old, i have also started to plan for each of the months and then im going to do planning for every week. Is this about right? There just seems to be so much planning etc.

Put together a plan for the month - a general idea of what you want to achieve... then leave it be... the rest comes from the children.

It might contain ideas for places to go, festivals to celebrate, birthdays, local events, things the children are doing at school etc

Assessments- For this do i look at the learning journey to see what the child should be achieving for the age group (bearing in mind every child is developmentally different) and then plan an activity to help with that and then do a observation on it?

Wrong way round again... observe the child, assess what you have observed and plan for the child from this.

So x likes the cars and brums them everywhere... you might plan for his next steps to use them in the paint tray, so he can see the wheels making patterns. It's not supposed to be rocket science, keep it simple.

So sorry if your now as confused as me. I hate my job right now :mad:
Thanks for reading, i look forward to the day when i understand the EYFS

Hope this helps :D

[angeldelight]

You just sound like you are really really stressing about it

I think you need to take one step at a time and dont panic about it all

We are all here for you so try doing one thing at a time and take it from there - you are not going to do all that in one night anyway and no one would expect that

Take a deep breath and relax

Angel xx

[Pauline]

We've been told, during training, that once you know the child and if you have no concerns about them, then you should be doing an observation approx. every 4 - 6 weeks.

It is only in the initial stages of care, as you get to know them and find out as much as you can, that you need plenty of obs and assessment.

:)

[Minnie mouse]

Thanks everyone, ive only had the children 4 weeks so im still getting to know what things they can do and as there at nursery and school i dont have much time to observe things that they are doing.

Im only stressing because i should have let ofsted know by now that i have children on the register again after my maternity leave but i dont want to ring them til i have stuff in place because theyl be straight out to do an inspection and i dont want a satisfactory when ive worked so hard. x

[Minnie mouse]

Planning Now i have planned for 12 months(12 themes) for a 3 yr old and 5 yr old, i have also started to plan for each of the months and then im going to do planning for every week. Is this about right? There just seems to be so much planning etc.

Put together a plan for the month - a general idea of what you want to achieve... then leave it be... the rest comes from the children.

It might contain ideas for places to go, festivals to celebrate, birthdays, local events, things the children are doing at school etc

Sarah is this the planning sheet for the month that pauline emailed me?
I can cope with doin that and a long term plan i.e 12 months-12 themes
Well i think i just struggle with ideas to put on the plans.
Is there an example of a completed plan that pauline sent me?
Thanks so much for your help. your a star and the rest of you ;)

[Pauline]

I think you are getting very stressed and there is really no need. Keep everything simple.

Today we have been told that nurseries are being advised to stop doing themes and instead concentrate on each child as an individual. Because a theme might not interest all the children and the new focus is on individuality.

Back to the planning sheet I showed you:

You can't really see a completed one because it will depend on what children you have, what you do during the week, what toys you have and activities you want to do.

For instance, today my plan simply reads:

am:
Free Play
Toddler Group
Free Play

pm:

Free Play - quite activities
Shopping
Construction: Robotix older children /duplo younger children
Storytime - all

This is because from 7.35 am - 8.00 am we are having breakfast, then there is just 30 minutes of free play before we leave for school and go straight to toddler group. Then on our return it is free play while I do dinner.

After dinner we have quite time free play to let their food go down. Then we go and do the shopping, talk about what we buy, look at the veg etc. etc. chat to the assistant, wave at other shoppers - a great social activity.

If there is time on our return we get something out but often it is time to go to school. Then we will have construction toys out. BUT if a child specifically asked for something else then they could have it out, I believe is choosing and being able to say what they want.

So today for me has cover PSE - toddler group, shopping and being able to choose the toys they play with.

PD and CD - construction toys

KUW and PSE - Storytime.

there will be more but that is just off the top of my head.

Then another day this week, we will be doing some crafts - an afternoon of sticking or painting or making something.

Another day we might be baking.

Can you see how what you do fits into things without having to do great reams of planning?

For me keeping a note of what you do helps to ensure that you don't get out the same toys each day. I can look back and see that today we had out the Robotix so I would make sure that next time something different was out. BUT again, if a child said they wanted it again, then they could - building on the child's interests and what it likes.

Your planning really needs to come from what you learn about the children as you watch them. If a child is keen to say numbers then offer them some number activities. Build on what interests THAT child.

Hope this makes sense because I'm rushing while dinner is cooking :)

[Minnie mouse]

thanks pauline and does all that go on the sheet you gave me? I get an idea as to what things to be putting down now, thanks x

[Pauline]

thanks pauline and does all that go on the sheet you gave me? I get an idea as to what things to be putting down now, thanks x

only the ideas for what to do, what toys to get out and where we are going that day goes on it.

Linking any activities to EYFS are done in the child's individual folder.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Take it week by week not month by month

Relax and have fun with the children

[Minnie mouse]

Linking any activities to EYFS are done in the child's individual folder.

Child's individual folder? im guessing thats a whole other thing?
What sort of things is in that?
I have a scrap book for each child where im gonna put there pictures in and i can write the areas of learning and development under it but im guessing itl be pretty much the same areas of l&d for all creative work.

Also i was gonna have a folder with the childrens learning journeys and obbservations that ive done. Is that right?

[DudleyChildmind]

I have a personal folder for each child where I keep their drawings/paintings etc and also a learning journal for photo's :)

[Pauline]

Child's individual folder? im guessing thats a whole other thing?
What sort of things is in that?
I have a scrap book for each child where im gonna put there pictures in and i can write the areas of learning and development under it but im guessing itl be pretty much the same areas of l&d for all creative work.

Also i was gonna have a folder with the childrens learning journeys and obbservations that ive done. Is that right?

Yes that's fine, some do scrap books some do folders, whatever you want. :)

I'm putting their work, any obs and photos all in this one file, it is for the child and parents first (Ofsted second), the parents will be encouraged to add to it if they want, be encouraged to help fill out areas on what the children can do because of course they know them best. Older children will be encouraged to put things in 'their' book, to make it a personal snapshot of their time with us, what they did here and what they hopefully learnt.