Planning: as a setting/individual, long term, Med term, short term I want to scream!

[Playmate]

HELP! Because my husband and I work together we are a bigger than an average Childminding setting. Throughout a week we have upto 12 under fives coming through our front door (some do 3-4 days, some only one day, some half days some full days) This is making individual planning a nightmare Up until now we have always had several pre-schoolers and we have had half termly themes and planned various activites around that. The younger children have always dipped in and out of the activities planned where we have felt appropriate. Obviously now we are supposed to be doing more individual planning and I just feel that the long term plans are not working any more, our age ranges have completely changed we now have alot younger children. We have been doing observations and are doing learning journals, but in total honesty I wouldn't say we use our observations to plan for for the children
I have read so many posts on here about planning etc I just feel totally confused what direction to go in. Ive been Childminding for 16 yrs, thought I had my head round EYFS, received Outstanding at inspection 3.5 yrs ago, but now feel inadequate
Its Saturday afternoon, beautiful day and I'm getting worked up over this
HELP PLEASE!

[huggableshelly]

I still do a monthly plan but more loosely as a spider plan with the topics in the centre then leading off to the 6 areas of development.

I then literally list the next steps on a page and link that to my monthly plan so

monthly plan is animals - covers all areas etc

T enjoys looking at letters - link to theme ... animal flash cards with words from sparklebox website

T2 enjoys cars and struggling with counting past 5 .... get out the tractor and trailer how many animals can we fit in the trailer which field shall we go to .. how many more can we put in the field

M has covered most of eyfs so plods on no interest in animals but loves hte dolls house so will put some animals into the dolls house to be used along side her fav dolls

M2 loves waterplay has a high interest in measuring/pouring so animals into the water bucket .. also using animal sponges to print onto the pavement

hope that helps you work out a quicker way to plan into the monthly plans you already do

i know others do it differently but that ways works for me

[huggableshelly]

oh and did you see my name in the Herts minding matters LOL i'm famous too now

[sarah707]

Like Shelley has said, it's important that you don't change things too much.

If the children are enjoying things the way you are doing them then you are planning for their interests anyway because they are interested and involved!

The main thing from observations is to show in your paperwork that you use them in your planning...

So if you have seen John enjoying reading a book about animals, you will get out the small world animals for him... you have obeserved and you have planned, the only thing you need to do now is write it on John's individual planning form.

Job done!

If there is anything I can help with you know where I am

[sarah707]

oh and did you see my name in the Herts minding matters LOL i'm famous too now

Ohhh get you!

[wellybelly]

I agree with the above posts, if you have a system in place that shows you use some of the obs, then what more can you do.

I think this is where we all struggle, we dont have someone to tell us we are on the right lines. Our development officers cant give us accurate feedback because they're not ofsted. Its so hard. I keep asking my dev officer to check my planning but her response is "you probably know more than I do about it". Great eh!

Just be positive about what you already do.

[mum2two]

Well, who knows if I'm doing it right... I do a monthly theme, and plan activites and mark which areas of learning they cover.

Every 4 months I do end of term reviews, and then do a next steps planning sheet for the next 4months for the child. (med term planning)

In my learning journey's I have the ob, then next to it, I have the next steps relating to this (to show I'm planning from my obs...!) (Short term planning)

I guess my long term is the years themes, and festivals/celebrations we will cover...

I did try and do weekly individual planning, but like you, I work with my hubby, and so we have 7 under 5's during the week, and found it just too much to try and do individual ones weekly, on top of everything else.

Will have to wait & see what ofsted say...

xx

[PixiePetal]

Well, who knows if I'm doing it right... I do a monthly theme, and plan activites and mark which areas of learning they cover.

Every 4 months I do end of term reviews, and then do a next steps planning sheet for the next 4months for the child. (med term planning)

In my learning journey's I have the ob, then next to it, I have the next steps relating to this (to show I'm planning from my obs...!) (Short term planning)

I guess my long term is the years themes, and festivals/celebrations we will cover...

I did try and do weekly individual planning, but like you, I work with my hubby, and so we have 7 under 5's during the week, and found it just too much to try and do individual ones weekly, on top of everything else.

Will have to wait & see what ofsted say...

xx

Mine is similar to yours.

Page of ideas for themes and list of possible activities to do along the lines. I write CLL, KUW, PD etc by the side.
Might choose to do something off list or go with the flow.

Every 4 months I look back at what I have observed, note what could do with more attention/practice and write it as a page in their files.

Next term I will aim for those areas. For example I have a mindee who has been learning numbers so for PSRN I might move on to to simple sums with cars/bricks.

No idea if it's really what Ofsted want but with 6 in EYFS to do in a week it's what I can manage (or will when I have caught up with myself, I am getting there!)

[Playmate]

Thanks everyone, I feel a little more reasurred now. Suppose I won't feel totally sure until ofsted have been and indicate whether they think its acceptable. I don't know whether I want them to come yet or not the longer they leave me alone the more time I have to stew over things.

Shelly - Fame lol, you didn't get ya picture in there I did did you see me? back page next to hunky black man holding my mindees winning picture, o yeah hubby's in there with me to! I did PM you this morning with long message in responce to yours, but for some reason it didn't send . Feeling a bit drained now and going off to see BGT results I will PM you tomorrow.

[rickysmiths]

oh and did you see my name in the Herts minding matters LOL i'm famous too now

My names in it as well!!!!!

Sally and Mick have their photos in. So we are all famous now.

[TheBTeam]

My names in it as well!!!!!

Sally and Mick have their photos in. So we are all famous now.

Thought i would just add that yes i saw all of our names in there (mine too) and i saw the picture of Sally and Mick! two of my friends were mentioned in the outstanding list too!

I am with you Sally on the next steps bit, like what it sounds like you do huggableshelly, but still struggling with actually carrying out what i am writing!!

[huggableshelly]

oohhhhhhhhhh I see you both on the back page hee hee well done! you did have to go one better than the rest of us LOL

congrats on two of your cm friends gtting outstanding Bteam pretty cool!

(I know i need to write it all down, i can do it and know how I want to do it but writing it down all the time is tedious .... yes I cut corners alot which is naughty of me but still my system works for me lol)