Advice please, I'm confused!

[louisa29]

Hi, I am looking to see what the rest of you do when it comes to obs and next steps.
I mind 2 year old boy who's mum is the manager of a pre school so is obviously really clued up when it comes to the EYFS.
He was my first mindee and when he came to me his mum had already started a learning journey for him.
My question to you is when you do an observation on a child how do link it to the 6 areas? do you just put, for example CD/PSRN ect or do you go into more detail than this and put PSED making relationships 22-36 months?
The reason that I am asking this is because I am doing this with the rest of my learning journeys now and if I am doing too much then I would be quite happy to scale this down as I am forever doing paperwork!
Also, next steps, when I have identified the childs next steps do I need to prove that the child has taken these next steps say in another observation? It just feels like this is endless or can I just identify the next steps and carry them out with the child without having to record it?
Please help, my mind is boggling with all of this and I just want it to click.
Thank you in advance.

[rosebud]

I tend to just link them to the area generally. So I just scribble on the top of the observation or the back of the artwork; CD, PD, etc. I put an occasional one in with a bit more detail using wording from the EYFS guidance and page numbers just to show I know what I'm doing.
With next steps its probably a good idea to follow some of them up with another observation to show you've done what you planned to but don't think its necessary to follow them ALL up. Just have some to show Ofsted if necessary - I do know childminders that have been pulled up on this.

If you feel that you're doing too much then you probably are, try to find ways that you can reduce it - could you talk to the mum of this child and use her knowledge? If you look at learning journeys in pre-schools and nurseries its shocking how little they have in them in comparison to ours. Most of us are probably doing too much.
I hope that helps.

[louisa29]

Thanks Rosebud. This is a big big help. It was confusing me as it was my first mindee so took it that this is what we had to do.
To be honest I am going to have a revamp of the way I do things in the new year, and do things the way I want to do them.
Yes, I do quite often call upon this parents expertise and she is more than happy to help me out and give me advice but I ust didnt want to come accross as I was questioning her way of doing things....if you see what I mean.
I will respect her wishes and carry on in this way for her but for my other mindees ( 3 also under 2 plus my own 18 month old son! ) I intend to do things my way.
As for next steps you have just clarified it for me, thank you. Sometimes you just need to be told you are on the right track.
xxxxx

[Sarahbelle]

Hi, I am looking to see what the rest of you do when it comes to obs and next steps.
I mind 2 year old boy who's mum is the manager of a pre school so is obviously really clued up when it comes to the EYFS.
He was my first mindee and when he came to me his mum had already started a learning journey for him.
My question to you is when you do an observation on a child how do link it to the 6 areas? do you just put, for example CD/PSRN ect or do you go into more detail than this and put PSED making relationships 22-36 months?
The reason that I am asking this is because I am doing this with the rest of my learning journeys now and if I am doing too much then I would be quite happy to scale this down as I am forever doing paperwork!
Also, next steps, when I have identified the childs next steps do I need to prove that the child has taken these next steps say in another observation? It just feels like this is endless or can I just identify the next steps and carry them out with the child without having to record it?
Please help, my mind is boggling with all of this and I just want it to click.
Thank you in advance.

I link to the area and the age and stage of development. With next steps, I add it to my planning and then photograph it and then stick the photograph on the observation with a date to show that I have done it.

[Penny1959]

I do not record EYFS to every bit of evidence - some of it is the child consolidating a skill - so for example

I might have a photo of child's early walking. This would be put in mindees profile - which contains all the statements from EYFS - so put a comment and a statement - in this case - movement and space - ?? / ? /?? see page XX

Page no refers to child's LJ whhere photo would be and a comment such as 'Look at me walking on my own'

Might be no further recording about this for a couple of weeks as child develops walking skills.

Then in the summary of the month I would say what child has done / achieved / developed in - and then do Next Steps and suggestions for how will support child with next steps.


Then I might notice the following month that child is able to change direction when walking - this would be recorded on a 'wow' card again date what did - and recorded in profile. Wow card would be stuck in LJ

Circle of observation and recording would start again but might be a while before any further physical development noted - and may not be to do with walking.


There is a danger of doing too much - because feel need to reference everything to EYFS - you do but only the first time you observe it (and by observe I mean see and note or photograph.

Hope that helps a little

Penny