Starting points
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    Default Starting points

    How do you do starting points when a child starts with you?

    On my pre-reg course we were told that parents need to fill in or advise of their child's starting points, but I've heard of CMs who observe the child over their first few weeks and highlight against EYOs.

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    I have an all about me form for new starters but do a report when they've been here about 4-6 weeks and I feel they've settled in, do a tracker highlighting wherr they are within areas of learning and write a couple of sentences about the child within eaxh area.
    I then repeat this termly or 6 monthly depending on when I get around to it

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    Ofsted expect us to have starting points in place the moment the child starts with us.

    I think it says a lot about Ofsted that they think you can understand and assess a child from the second they cross the threshold.

    Anyway, I use information provided by the parent for 'Starting Points Mark 1' and include a brief note that I've had to use information provided by the parents to meet a nonsensical regulatory requirement just for the sake of being all above board and street-legal. After a few weeks, when I've actually got to know the child long enough to remember their abilities, favourite foods, name, you know the sort of piffling details, I then write up the more reliable 'Starting Points Mark 2'.

    It's quite an eye-opener to compare Ma & Pa's version of what their child prodigy can do with the reality of my own observations. It also teaches you how 'creative' parents can be with the truth.

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    Lol ... One of my parents visited local school ... school then asked me about LO ... Mum had told school that LO could do xyz ... I said I hadn't seen xyz ... Over the next few days I looked to see if child could do xyz ... No way at all was LO anywhere close! Made me laugh. I then put one of these things as an 'aim' for starting school and mum didn't tell me LO could already do it ... In fact, agreed it as an aim!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ellisha View Post
    How do you do starting points when a child starts with you?

    On my pre-reg course we were told that parents need to fill in or advise of their child's starting points, but I've heard of CMs who observe the child over their first few weeks and highlight against EYOs.
    That is correct...in order to understand a child's starting point you need to allow that child to settle, observe and record what you see....some say Ofsted requires starting points straight away...that is not so
    Even the Baseline Assessment will allow teachers 6 weeks to settle children then observe but we are all different

    I have just attended a course where that was reinforced...we need a few weeks in order to assess any child.

    When you meet parents they will tell you what their child can do...jot it down...when the child starts look at Development Matters age and stage and let that guide you....often you find what the parents say is ok ...other times it is not.
    You can call that document All about me or do your own version and that can be the start of your LJ

    Parents also have this now to help them understand their child's development...it will be linked to EYFS so I am sure the framework will be tweaked for that.

    http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/fi...e_2015_WEB.pdf

    Good luck

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    Thanks all. You've given me a few things to think about.

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    Quote Originally Posted by alex__17 View Post
    I have an all about me form for new starters but do a report when they've been here about 4-6 weeks and I feel they've settled in, do a tracker highlighting wherr they are within areas of learning and write a couple of sentences about the child within eaxh area. I then repeat this termly or 6 monthly depending on when I get around to it
    Do you do a tracker alex? How have you done that? I think o need similar..

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    Quote Originally Posted by mumofone View Post
    Do you do a tracker alex? How have you done that? I think o need similar..
    Your DM and EYO are your trackers...sorry I do not like that word.
    DM gives you an idea how a child is developing and progressing by age and stage ...although these do not always happen in that order.

    You also monitor progress via your Next Steps...if you want a child to progress to a next step is because you have observed his/her progress....or tracked it by observations.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Simona View Post
    Your DM and EYO are your trackers...sorry I do not like that word. DM gives you an idea how a child is developing and progressing by age and stage ...although these do not always happen in that order. You also monitor progress via your Next Steps...if you want a child to progress to a next step is because you have observed his/her progress....or tracked it by observations.
    I was told OFSTED don't officially use DM, is this true?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mumofone View Post
    I was told OFSTED don't officially use DM, is this true?
    Ofsted use EYO to judge your practice...neither docs are statutory
    We can use DM or EYO or anything we like as long as we can explain the aims at the end.

    DM is still recommended anywhere I go to get information and many LAs have sent out information that they can be used if we want.

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    Yes I do a tracker and fill in a progress report where I write 2-3 sentences about each area of learning, I got the templates of the Surrey county council website, can print them straight off and I find them easy to fill in each time, also has a next steps sheet and Ofsted said that was all the paperwork I needed along with obs and photos every now and then

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    Quote Originally Posted by alex__17 View Post
    Yes I do a tracker and fill in a progress report where I write 2-3 sentences about each area of learning, I got the templates of the Surrey county council website, can print them straight off and I find them easy to fill in each time, also has a next steps sheet and Ofsted said that was all the paperwork I needed along with obs and photos every now and then
    Hi Alex would you be able to link me to this on the councils website, I've scoured it and can't find it....

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    I've just found this link, don't know if it's the one you're looking for.
    Surrey County Council - Early Years Foundation Stage guidance

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    Quote Originally Posted by Smiley View Post
    I've just found this link, don't know if it's the one you're looking for. Surrey County Council - Early Years Foundation Stage guidance
    Oh thank you so much smiley I'll have a good look through these :-) Wow outs my councils website to shame! Thank you :-)

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    Quote Originally Posted by alex__17 View Post
    Yes I do a tracker and fill in a progress report where I write 2-3 sentences about each area of learning, I got the templates of the Surrey county council website, can print them straight off and I find them easy to fill in each time, also has a next steps sheet and Ofsted said that was all the paperwork I needed along with obs and photos every now and then
    Just looking at the Surrey councils "individual child's progress tracker" but not sure I get how it works, what do the letters "pc" stand for that it says to populate it with?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mumofone View Post
    Just looking at the Surrey councils "individual child's progress tracker" but not sure I get how it works, what do the letters "pc" stand for that it says to populate it with?
    Argh ignore me posted before I worked it out!!

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    Yes that's the one (sorry for late reply!), I think pc is progress check

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    Quote Originally Posted by bunyip View Post
    Ofsted expect us to have starting points in place the moment the child starts with us.

    I think it says a lot about Ofsted that they think you can understand and assess a child from the second they cross the threshold.

    Anyway, I use information provided by the parent for 'Starting Points Mark 1' and include a brief note that I've had to use information provided by the parents to meet a nonsensical regulatory requirement just for the sake of being all above board and street-legal. After a few weeks, when I've actually got to know the child long enough to remember their abilities, favourite foods, name, you know the sort of piffling details, I then write up the more reliable 'Starting Points Mark 2'.

    It's quite an eye-opener to compare Ma & Pa's version of what their child prodigy can do with the reality of my own observations. It also teaches you how 'creative' parents can be with the truth.
    Ofsted also told me I need to have starting points from day 1. But they said it needs to come from the parents. Anyone have a template or recommend anything I can use to start making a form for parents?
    I don't know where to start as parents wont understand EYFS!
    Thanks

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    Quote Originally Posted by Debworth View Post
    Ofsted also told me I need to have starting points from day 1. But they said it needs to come from the parents. Anyone have a template or recommend anything I can use to start making a form for parents?
    I don't know where to start as parents wont understand EYFS!
    Thanks
    I give my parents the relevant pages from the 'What to expect, when?' parents guide by the DoE. (I couldn't upload it as it was too large). I also have a policy explaining why and how I deliver the Efys and if they're not happy how they can contact ofsted.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Debworth View Post
    Ofsted also told me I need to have starting points from day 1. But they said it needs to come from the parents. Anyone have a template or recommend anything I can use to start making a form for parents?
    I don't know where to start as parents wont understand EYFS!
    Thanks
    You can use what is often called an 'All About Me' form for parents to fill in before they start with you- there is probably one in the free downloads above. You can then interpret what they write to find the 'best fit' compared to EYFS EYO statements.

 

 
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