Next steps for ALL observations?

[welshgirl]

Hi, just wondering if you always have next steps for observations? I have a few observations lately that just seem like they don't need a next step. I have observed and noted it and linked it to the EYFS. Is this ok?

[sarah707]

I don't have next steps for all of mine... some just say 'done' or 'wow'

[miffy]

I don't put next steps for all of mine either - tbh it would drive me mad.

I have read on here though that some inspectors expect next steps for everything

Miffy xx

[sweets]

i find next steps really hard sometimes.

i usually end up putting something like

'provide more opportunties for messy play' or

'provide more opportunites for blah blah blah'

[miffy]

i usually end up putting something like

'provide more opportunties for messy play' or

'provide more opportunites for blah blah blah'

That's what I meant - drives me potty!

Miffy xx

[Louise Jones]

Hi

There is often confusion about what should become 'next steps'. It seems this extends to Ofsted Inspectors too. We are always working on all areas of learning all of the time, trying to ensure that we are providing a wide enough range of opportunities for all of our children to be constantly learning and developing across the board. I don't believe that it is realistic to have more than half a dozen next steps for each child on the go at any one time. Next steps should be areas that you feel you need to focus on more with a particular child to bring them on.

You may find that you rarely get any next steps from observations, as you may, like me, draw most of your next steps from your look, listen and note comments - something that you are doing all of the time. As someone else has mentioned, I find that in my 'actions' box on my observation form I usually end up putting things like 'need to provide more challenging...' or 'need to provide more support with ...'.

Hope this helps.

[Pauline]

As someone else has mentioned, I find that in my 'actions' box on my observation form I usually end up putting things like 'need to provide more challenging...' or 'need to provide more support with ...'.

Hope this helps.

Same here! I've even written up a few different phrases so I don't sound repetitive, such as "continue to provide opportunities to ....." , or extend play opportunities by......, allow exploration into ..... explore and introduce ??? activities

[v 1461]

same for me! I have been told by my childminder co- ordinator and my assessor ( for nvq3) to have a next step for EACH observation. I do agree that it is not always easy though.

[Monkey26]

Someone i know got pulled up by Ofsted for not having next steps for every observation! But again, i suppose it depends on the inspector! As others have said, many of mine say "continue providing opportunities for..." xx

[Louise Jones]

I understand why it is important to have a next step for every observation if you work in a group setting, where perhaps it is not so easy to look, listen and note (a much more constant and therefore useful observation technique), but as childminders we may know our children so well that we don't learn anything new through doing a focussed observation. That has happened a couple of times to me, and in the action box I wrote down that I didn't learn anything new. It's pointless writing something down for the sake of it. Everything we write down needs to feed back into our practice to benefit the children, if it doesn't it's a waste of effort.