What do you think? Yes, I'm new to childminding but not new to planning for children, at all!

I have an online section for parents with updates and photos. I print the same photos off and stick them into a 'Learning Journal' for each child. Along with these photos is a short section on 'What I've done this week...' and 'What's planned for me next week...' But planning is in my personal file anyway and parents know what their children have been up to as I have a home diary as well as online section. I personally find printing, cutting and sticking a bit of a waste of time when parents hardly look at the learning journals anyway... not to mention the cost of coloured ink in the printer. Yes, the pictures and updates are lovely to have. But their own the online section anyway and I use a home-setting diary.

I do a mini review twice yearly for each child based on my learning journal and ask parents to sign. But parents aren't usually that interested as they've seen the pictures of their children carrying out activities online anyway. I just feel like I'm making work for myself and I left my previous job because I wasn't a fan of pointless paperwork.

Am I missing something?

I'd rather continue to update online for parents with activities and photographs (currently all parents are online). Do my planning on my laptop... and.. get this... not print any planning or photos! I know, a bit mad! :laughing::panic::p

no reason why the whole lj cant be on the laptop if thats what the parents are happy with,the pics are already there so just add your obs and links to development areas. Bear in mind some parents arent as technically savvy so in future you may find a family would prefer a paper version .

no reason why the whole lj cant be on the laptop if thats what the parents are happy with,the pics are already there so just add your obs and links to development areas. Bear in mind some parents arent as technically savvy so in future you may find a family would prefer a paper version .

I haven't got a learning journal on the computer, as such. But I do update an online area for parents. I know the sound of a learning journal sounds lovely but I'm just not sure if it's necessary when I put photos online anyway, I have a home-setting diary and I do my personal planning anyway. I'm not sure what to do. I obviously don't want the inspector 'tut tut'-ing me, especially as it'll be my first childminding inspection.

I haven't got a learning journal on the computer, as such. But I do update an online area for parents. I know the sound of a learning journal sounds lovely but I'm just not sure if it's necessary when I put photos online anyway, I have a home-setting diary and I do my personal planning anyway. I'm not sure what to do. I obviously don't want the inspector 'tut tut'-ing me, especially as it'll be my first childminding inspection.

How do you make links to development matters and show where children are developmentally? I like the concept of going paperless not sure how it works in practice though.
Ah just noticed you are in Wales, maybe things are different for you?

Perhaps you need to put some though into how you show progression as your insepctor will want to see this - have you covered the issue of all parents seeing information on all children in your permissions and policies such as safeguarding/confidentiality etc??

I love my LJ's so wouldn't give them up but it sounds like you have the basis of a good system, you just need to flesh it out to cover more areas - have you looked at the orbit system, perhaps you could copy and paste the pictures over there with some more information about the observation and L and D matters and create individual LJ's for parents over there to e-mail over?

All my parents past and present have valued the hard copy LJ's as a keepsake!

Jen x

Thanks for the thoughts. I'm thinking of a computer version... parents' will then have a copy too on a CD form. :idea::)

I was going to ask about privacy too. I have a parents page and all parents can see all photos (some have all children in photo together anyway) and I update on day - what we did in general. but I do not discuss individual children's progress I make very brief note for scrap book (or learning journal)
I just wondered if you had seperate access page for each parent cos I'd be really interested in finding out more if you did.

I do my LJ's on the computer, convert to PDF and email to parents once a term, saves printing, cutting, sticking etc. Much quicker and parents seem very happy with it!

Guys - just be aware that Greenfields is in WALES!

Childminders in England should be very careful about NOT being able to show written evidence of a child's progress...

I have a friend who was inspected recently who used an online system for recording learning and development and her inspector was NOT impressed that she didn't have printed LJ evidence.

Hth :D

I would challenge any inspector who told me that a computer based learning journal is not as effective as paper based. The only disadvantage I see is that some parents might not have computer access, but all my parents do.

Lauren, I like your PDF and once a term idea. I think I will give it a go. There's nothing I can't do on Microsoft Word that I'm not already doing in the paper based learning journal.

I'm sure my inspector will give me her opinion when she comes, she's due soon. I think I'll give it a go and if it doesn't work I'll re-think. :thumbsup: