Am I the world's thickest Childminder?

**helendee** · 10-02-2012, 09:46 AM

I ask because I just cannot seem to get the hang of the EYFS despite intensive reading! It just seems to me that there is no clear way of getting it right, it is all much too ambiguous for me, I need clear guidelines to work to; I would find it particularly helpful if there were standard forms for us to use.

I don't really understand for how long you are supposed to keep following the 'next steps' after an observation and I am confused about planning; some people have told me that you don't plan for under twos as play should be child-led but others say I should be planning every day for every child!!

No wonder I never get above a 'satisfactory' grading despite wonderful references from parents.

AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!

**kindredspirits** · 10-02-2012, 09:52 AM

no you're not the worlds thickest childminder - EYFS is very loose - it seems you can do as much or as little as you want, and depending on how well you put yourself across at the inspection depends on your grade.
I have very much given up caring what ofsted think, I am doing what I consider the bare-minimum in regards to paperwork to get by and hopefully when the revised EYFS comes out what paperwork we are and are not expected to do will be a little clearer.

I don't do regular planning with my mindees, who have all been under 3 for several years (different mindees, not ones that aren't growing up! lol) because I found that when I tried to plan for them they never wanted to do what i planned and i'm certainly not forcing them into anything they're not bothered about.
Oh and I only follow 'next steps' for 1 observation if that helps, no idea if its right or not but otherwise i would be spending all my time writing paperwork rather than interacting with the children.

**helendee** · 10-02-2012, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by kindredspirits

no you're not the worlds thickest childminder - EYFS is very loose - it seems you can do as much or as little as you want, and depending on how well you put yourself across at the inspection depends on your grade.
I have very much given up caring what ofsted think, I am doing what I consider the bare-minimum in regards to paperwork to get by and hopefully when the revised EYFS comes out what paperwork we are and are not expected to do will be a little clearer.

I don't do regular planning with my mindees, who have all been under 3 for several years (different mindees, not ones that aren't growing up! lol) because I found that when I tried to plan for them they never wanted to do what i planned and i'm certainly not forcing them into anything they're not bothered about.
Oh and I only follow 'next steps' for 1 observation if that helps, no idea if its right or not but otherwise i would be spending all my time writing paperwork rather than interacting with the children.

Oh thank you honey, that makes me feel better as I try to do pretty much what you are doing. I too have given up on trying to impress Ofsted as I don't want to be rated on my paperwork, I would have worked in an office if that was important to me. I truly detest Ofsted and pray that they will be replaced with a much more child-oriented body one day.

Thanks once again. xx

**Tups** · 10-02-2012, 10:03 AM

I no how you feel, im the same, but if you get Sarah's C D it realy help't me to understand alot, still not good at it

you can only do your best, I hate paper work at the best of time's, but Sarah's C D is a must, well worth getting

**catminder** · 10-02-2012, 10:10 AM

I totally agree about having standard forms to use, I get so confused and tend to make things more complicated than they should be. Standardised forms would be so helpful to me too.

**lexilooloo** · 10-02-2012, 11:23 AM

hope you don't mind me jumping in on this, but I am not yet a childminder but also feel that i really don't get all the EYFS yet!
Please can you tell me what CD's you recommend and where about I can get them from?

Many thanks!

**stardust** · 10-02-2012, 11:44 AM

I write observations, and use them to highlight the learning intentions under the 6 areas.
I then have a child interest sheet where I write down what interests the children have for example cars or role play ect.
I then plan using the interest's and the learning intentions in the EYF's that I do not have evidence that the child has yet achieved (in their age bracket, one above and all below).

This way I am not just building on what they can do i'm improving and encouraging what the child hasn't achieved yet.

I took this from a nursery I worked in for 4 years and achieved a outstanding grade on the birth to 3 years (which wasn't a compulsory framework but was used by many childcare settings to record development) and in the compulsory EYF's. We all had training on this as we were one of the first nursery's to use the EYFS's and did so before it became compulsory.

You can use it any way that you wish all ofsted want to see is that you are identifying the child's strengths and weakness's and that you are encouraging and promoting continuing development that is unique to that child. Hence the individual planning rather than just a group planning that doesn't actually cover individual child's developmental needs.
They all so just want to see that you are doing all you can and that the children are progressing at a steady rate xx

**cherry** · 10-02-2012, 11:48 AM

Hi Lexilooloo, The cd and information e books we're talking about are Sarah707 who is a moderator on this site.

They are fantastic. Here is the link.

http://www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk/

**stardust** · 10-02-2012, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by catminder

I totally agree about having standard forms to use, I get so confused and tend to make things more complicated than they should be. Standardised forms would be so helpful to me too.

The problem with standard forms is that they wouldn't suit everyone as childminders are different to nursery's and a standard form would more than likely be aimed at nursery's and pre-school's. So again it would be no use to many childminders unless they had, had the nursery experience in order to see how it works in a nursery and then adapt it to suit them. Also ofsted's working can be a bot far fetched at times and most of us think 'now what they on about'

What is actually needed is free training session's in order to understand what is expected, I had this at the nursery I worked at and feel the EYF's is one of my strong points because I was able to ask questions and understand what was expected from the framework x

**blue bear** · 10-02-2012, 12:04 PM

I observe children and whatever is written as the next steps gets written onto my planning sheet with child's initial next to it so I know what I'm planning and for whom. I also add in individual interests so as several of mine are vehicle mad we've had vehicles in paint, car and garage, sand with diggers in, danced like heicopters, caught the bus, made a cardboard box car comebus come train this week. Godavari it had snowed we looked a vehicle tracks.

**rickysmiths** · 10-02-2012, 12:08 PM

No you are not the worlds worst cm at all. I have been minding since before Ofsted and wish i could have my Social Services Registration Officer back! I'm still in touch with her through a mutual friend after all these years!

It took me a long time to sort EYFS out and I have tried several ways and tried to keep planning down to a min.

Here is what I do.

I have a one sheet all about me form which I ask all new parents to fill in. It gives the 'Starting Point' when a child joins you so you can see what there interests are and follow those and also check you have what you need to follow them or do you need some different resources?

I keep A4 40 plain page Exercise Book as the Learning Journal and stick the All about me sheet in first with a photo of the child. The child's name on the outside.

In the front I also have a one page sheet which briefly explains the 6 areas of learning for the parents and has the corresponding NCMA sticker beside it. I then use these stickers throughout the LJ so the parents and I can clearly see that all areas are covered.

http://www.shop.*************/shop/EYFS_sticker_pack.html

I write the LJ almost like a diary that the child is writing. I put in quite a lot of photos and for special ones tell the story around it. I use post it notes and this is where my artistic streak comes out! I have the right colour post its to match the NCMA stickers! On these I write kind of mini obs for instance I have a child with speech delay and this morning the have clearly answered 'Yeh' to some questions so I have noted it on a post it and I wiil put it in his LJ.

Then I have a more formal observation sheet that my LA gave me on an EYFS Training. I only do a more formal observation once ever 2-3 months. It is usually during and activity and it is noted under only one area of learning even if it would fit more as most things do. I then note next steps. So if they were doing a four piece jig saw I might say they are ready and will try and 8 piece jig saw. Later in the LJ I will note when they have achieved this. The next Ob will be in a different area of learning and will have different next steps. I also link these obs to the ages and stages sheets which are in the thick EYFS book and put the date of the obs in that. I also highlight other things in the ages and stages as I see them do them. I never mark any thing I don't see even if I know they can do it or have passed that milestone.

I also add example of work either an original or a photo if they are taking it home. I often get them to do more than one so they can take one home and I can preserve one.

That is all I do for the LJs and my inspector in September was very complimentary and said she had rarely seen such good LJs so it just goes to sho you don't have to do loads and certainly not weekly formal obs as you hear some people doing.

As far as planning goes. I don't do formal planning as such and I don't do specific planned activities for under threes in the sense of mapping out exactly what I am going to do every day. I would be forever changing my plans because I react to the mood of the children, my mood, the weather, which children I have.

I do have a couple of folders though that have built up over the years. One loosely follows the year and has activities for different festivals, seasons etc with notes on where I have got info and templates and recipes etc.

The other has just printouts of various kinds again loosely arranged in month order, they are patterns for making things like masks, coloring sheets etc.

For older children I have one sheet and note down an outline of the activities I would hope to cover in a period of time. I find I work loosely to term times and the summer holidays. (dh is a teacher lol) so i do a sheet a term and one for the long holidays.

I do have a fold for outings. I keep info leaflets, museum guides etc for the places we go to regularly.

There are some forms in the free downloads at the top of the forum.

If you would like a copy of my obs sheet pm me your email and I will send you a copy.

I can also highly recommend Sarahs e books they are mines of information and she has loads on planning for different things and one on obs.

Hope this has helped.

**rickysmiths** · 10-02-2012, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by tara_louise1990

The problem with standard forms is that they wouldn't suit everyone as childminders are different to nursery's and a standard form would more than likely be aimed at nursery's and pre-school's. So again it would be no use to many childminders unless they had, had the nursery experience in order to see how it works in a nursery and then adapt it to suit them. Also ofsted's working can be a bot far fetched at times and most of us think 'now what they on about'

What is actually needed is free training session's in order to understand what is expected, I had this at the nursery I worked at and feel the EYF's is one of my strong points because I was able to ask questions and understand what was expected from the framework x

Not always so. In Hertfordshire all the Nurseries, pre-Schools and Childminder attended the same briefing sessions for EYFS and we were all given the same paperwork. I have shared many LJs now and even the local Private nurseries use the same ob sheet as me. Also childminders have been offered similar training here as the Nurseries and Pre-schools.

**ChocolateChip** · 10-02-2012, 01:18 PM

No Helen, that's probably me cos I have been minding for four years now and some of it I still don't get, lol!

And I know just what you mean, I could have done with a 'standard' system to start off with, but even at the training days I went on they just say 'do what works for you'- not much help if you don't know what works yet

As others have said I would highly recommend getting Sarah's ebooks, after a lot of struggling and trying of different methods I am using her learning journeys which are set out in the ages and stages, so all you need to do is use the relevant few sheets for each child and all the development milestones are there, bingo!
I supplement that with all about me sheets, updated every time they move up a stage and use lots of photos which I just upload onto a homemade photo obs sheet, and sometimes sticky notes (which I stick onto a sheet of coloured paper just to look nice!) or a piece of artwork and put it all into a folder with a spring clip so it's easy to put stuff in and out.

**LChurch** · 10-02-2012, 01:32 PM

Kindredspirits I am with you on this topic!! How can you do lots of planning and next steps for children who struggle to settle or whatever. I have one here who was my screamer from hell but is now much calmer, although still struggles to play but is loving the music we have on, I can see me playing this DVD constantly but hey don't knock it it is working!!

**CH1957** · 10-02-2012, 03:29 PM

[QUOTE=ChocolateChip;1051856]No Helen, that's probably me cos I have been minding for four years now and some of it I still don't get, lol!
And I know just what you mean, I could have done with a 'standard' system to start off with, but even at the training days I went on they just say 'do what works for you'- not much help if you don't know what works yet

No, sorry but Im definately the thickest CM!!!! lol Havent got a clue what Im doing and the more I read the worse it all gets. Dont understand Next Steps at all despite it being explained to me by my DO. Got my first inspection soon and just know Im not going to get a decent grade (dont want satisfactory)

**ChocolateChip** · 11-02-2012, 05:08 PM

They want to see that children are progressing, that's where next steps come in.
Some next steps are fairly obvious, such as X counted 5 cars in a row, next steps would be introduce numbers from 6-10, or Y threw and caught a balloon, next steps could be practise throwing and catching with a large soft ball or a tail ball.

Some next steps I put down are fairly 'non- specific' e,g, Z was engrossed in making pictures with marbles and paints', next steps might be to introduce other resources and materials to encourage further exploration. Although it doesn't state a specific activity it does relate to the child's interest and finding other ways to capture that.

Some obs don't need a next step, such as if a child was kind to another, that would just be written and marked off the relevant criteria (can't think exactly what it says right now, in the PSED section but there's no follow on next step as such).

I don't really go back and mark off if a next step is achieved on the original ob, it just becomes apparent from following the development guides whether they are making progress or not, as they go through the stages, if gaps start to appear that is when I will plan a specific activity to try and cover it, other than that my planning is pretty much free choice, with an odd activity here and there linked to a monthly theme, a special celebration or event or a child's current interest.

Of course this might not be the right way, but that's how I do it, lol!

**Diana67** · 13-02-2012, 09:28 PM

Hi Im newbi and Im just same spend endless hours trying to get my head around EYFS just gives me headache others make it sound so simple.It most probably is as my mentor told me dont let paper work get to you just go with it and it will fall into place once you have mindies so I am going easier on myself just waiting for my 1st mindie to see if shes right.

PS your not stupid and your not the only one that feels that way it will all fall into place and we will wonder what we was getting stressed over.

Diana xx

**sunview_cm** · 27-02-2012, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by ChocolateChip

They want to see that children are progressing, that's where next steps come in.
Some next steps are fairly obvious, such as X counted 5 cars in a row, next steps would be introduce numbers from 6-10, or Y threw and caught a balloon, next steps could be practise throwing and catching with a large soft ball or a tail ball.

Some next steps I put down are fairly 'non- specific' e,g, Z was engrossed in making pictures with marbles and paints', next steps might be to introduce other resources and materials to encourage further exploration. Although it doesn't state a specific activity it does relate to the child's interest and finding other ways to capture that.

Some obs don't need a next step, such as if a child was kind to another, that would just be written and marked off the relevant criteria (can't think exactly what it says right now, in the PSED section but there's no follow on next step as such).

I don't really go back and mark off if a next step is achieved on the original ob, it just becomes apparent from following the development guides whether they are making progress or not, as they go through the stages, if gaps start to appear that is when I will plan a specific activity to try and cover it, other than that my planning is pretty much free choice, with an odd activity here and there linked to a monthly theme, a special celebration or event or a child's current interest.

Of course this might not be the right way, but that's how I do it, lol!

Thanks this makes it clearer for me. So I have done 2 ob's on a mindee(16m). One was in role play, cooking and playing with pots pans etc while at a tots group. So I've said further planning would be to set up the role play area at my setting and introduce other items to play with e.g. till/money, dolls, dress up. So my question is now- do I go on a write out a plan for this? I have a template in a spider graph style with a area for each development. So would I put child's interest, in this case role play and then write in the different development areas how I will support his learning????? Does that make sense???
Emma x

**Ripeberry** · 27-02-2012, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by lexilooloo

hope you don't mind me jumping in on this, but I am not yet a childminder but also feel that i really don't get all the EYFS yet!
Please can you tell me what CD's you recommend and where about I can get them from?

Many thanks!

Maybe all the childminders should get together and do one of those manuals...
'EYFS for Dummies!' That would be funny and might be useful

**ChocolateChip** · 28-02-2012, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by sunview_cm

Thanks this makes it clearer for me. So I have done 2 ob's on a mindee(16m). One was in role play, cooking and playing with pots pans etc while at a tots group. So I've said further planning would be to set up the role play area at my setting and introduce other items to play with e.g. till/money, dolls, dress up. So my question is now- do I go on a write out a plan for this? I have a template in a spider graph style with a area for each development. So would I put child's interest, in this case role play and then write in the different development areas how I will support his learning????? Does that make sense???
Emma x

Sounds good to me!
I don't write down a lot of specific planning, but to save on paperwork you could note a brief 'objective' in each of the six areas on your diagram and a note of the date they achieved it, even write a short ob up in there if you have room!
That could be a way to link your planning for each specific child to their development.